79 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND CLAYTON, Robert J. “Flash” Flash was born on October 19, 1921 in Toronto, ON. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army on September 1, 1939 and served with the Queen’s York Rangers, the Royal Canadian Regiment and the Royal Rifles of Canada in Hong Kong and Japan. He suffered grenade and rifle wounds during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong and was wounded again when his ambulance was attacked by Japanese mortar fire. Robert was a slave labourer in a Hong Kong prisoner of war camp and was shipped to work at the Yokohama, Japan ship yards in the “Hell Ship” Tatsu Maru, then to a coal mine in Sendai Japan. He was liberated in August 1945 and was discharged on May 4, 1946. Out of his six years and eight months of active service, three years and eight months were spent in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Flash has been a member of Brechin-Mara Legion Branch 488 for 41 years. COBB, Albert A. Albert was born in Lincoln, England on December 29, 1890. He joined the British Army and served with the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment during World War I. He was captured in one of the Somme Battles, spending three years as a prisoner of war at Crossen in the Oder, Germany and was released at the end of the war. He received a citation signed by Winston Churchill, as Secretary of State for War. Albert passed away on October 14, 1952. CLINTON, Edwin O. Edwin was born on August 30, 1924 in Thessalon, ON. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army on March 4, 1943 and served as a pilot officer with No. 429 Squadron overseas during World War II. He flew three operational sorties a tail gunner of a Halifax Bomber. On June 29, 1944, Edwin was taken prisoner when he was shot down on a bombing mission over Metz, France and was only liberated on May 15, 1945. As a prisoner of war, he participated in the Death March across Germany, and was held in prison camps in Brussels, Belgium; Wetzlar, Germany; Stalag Luft 7 in Bankau, Germany; and Stalag 3 A in Luckenwalde, Germany. He was discharged three months later on August 23, 1945 and was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp and the 1939-45 Star. Edwin also received a caterpillar pin which he treasures from the Irvin Air Chute Co., in acknowledgement of the parachute that saved his life along with the key to the gate of Stalag 3 A.
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