47 www.on.legion.ca ONTARIO COMMAND BALES, Thomas Isaac Thomas was born in Holland Landing, Ontario on April 3, 1919. He enlisted in the Army on September 14, 1939. Pte Thomas Isaac Bales was killed instantly by bullet wounds to the head and chest while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps in Italy on October 31, 1944. His cause of death eventually listed as “homicide by person or persons unknown”. He was granted permission to marry Miss Phyllis Bourne from Liverpool while stationed in the UK, but there is no record of a marriage ever having been completed. Thomas was originally buried with a wooden cross in Santarcangelo, Italy however the remains were eventually lost and he is commemorated on the Cassino Memorial in Italy. He and his family were residents of the Elgin Mills area, and his brother George was killed in a training accident at Aldershot on November 18, 1942. BARBOUR, James Douglas “Jim” James was born in Erin, Ontario on May 20, 1920. Early on, an old biplane crashlanded on the family farm at Erin. The aviator gave his broken wooden propeller to the family. From that day, Jim’s dream was to fly an aeroplane. Jim enlisted in the RCAF at Toronto on May 28, 1941. He trained in Ontario, first at No. 16 Service Flying Training School at Hagersville and No. 10 Elementary FTS, at Mount Hope in the fall of 1941. In February 1942 he received his pilot’s wings at the No.6 Service Flying Training School at Dunnville. By April 1942, Flight Sergeant James Barbour was in England. From June through August he was based at No. 61 RCAF (Training) Base in Yorkshire. In December 1942 with 411 Squadron, Jim was flying Spitfires out of Lincolnshire, the home of numerous Bomber Command bases. Somehow he collided with a Lancaster bomber in flight and crashed to his death on December 13, 1942. Flight Sergeant James Douglas Barbour was buried in the Scopwick Church Burial Ground, Lincolnshire, England on December 15, 1942. In 2006 a Memorial display cabinet was dedicated to his memory in the Erin Public School, which is located on the former Barbour farm. BANNON, Francis C. Francis was born in Perth County, Ontario on July 5, 1924. He served in the Navy during World War II on the High Seas and England. He was discharged in 1945 and re-enlisted for four years and was on the HMCS Magnificent. In civilian life Francis delivered milk and work for his brother installing clay tile for farmers. He was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Branches Milverton and Woodstock. Francis passed away on February 9, 2015.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==