In Our Grandfathers' Footsteps

The Trip Bill has always wanted to do a sojourn tracing our Grandpa’s path through WWII as a way to honour our Grandpa’s contribution to Canada’s involvement in the war. Bill has always offered to tour me through WWI sites as well – something I have wanted to do for quite a number of years. It was just over two years ago while Bill and I were sampling some fine whiskeys that a plan was hatched. Bill has toured various WWI battlefields and cemeteries in France and Belgium on two separate occasions. Bill has also  had the extreme honour of performing as a member of a Canadian military Honour Guard at Vimy Ridge - twice, and once again at Beaumont-Hamel. Bill has only been to Italy once and that was over 40 years ago and he has never been to England. Our intent is primarily to visit locations our grandpa and great-grandfather were in and secondly to 1) include sites that Bill has not yet experienced; 2) some sites that were hugely impactful in the war; 3) some that come wit...

Bill Leach While in High School in Kamloops, B.C., my oldest brother Bill acquired three pen-pals: a guy in France, a guy in Norway and a girl in Vienna. Immediately after we had moved to Calgary in October 1974 Bill enlisted with the Canadian Armed Forces. When Bill was first posted to Canadian Forces Base Lahr in West Germany he hopped a train for Vienna to meet his pen pal Karin Shauser. Bill and Karin married in July 1980. Bill retired from military service after 23 years – nine of which were spent in Germany – and now resides on an acreage on the NE outskirts of Edmonton near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta with Karin and their pets. Bill is a prolific reader – always has been - and possesses an incredible thirst for knowledge. His exhaustive research techniques are comprehensive and meticulous. Bill is fluent in German and comfortable in speaking French and continuously works on improving both. Bill enjoys travelling and learning about world history possessing a particula...

John Albert Hunt 8 April 1911 - 19 June 1993 John Albert Hunt was born 8 April 1911 in Diamond City, Alberta – just north of Lethbridge. He enlisted in Calgary initially with the R.C.C.S (Signals Corps) as a signalman on 21 July 1940. John was transferred to the Calgary Highlanders on 18 August 1940  and sent to Camp Shilo in Manitoba . At the time of enlistment John had four children ranging in age from seven years to seven months – the youngest being our mother Doris. On 21 August 1940, only three days after John arrived at Camp Shilo, the Calgary Highlanders left for Halifax. They embarked on the SS Pasteur on 24 August to begin their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.  The SS Pasteur arrived in Gourock, Scotland on 4 September 1940 and the Calgary Highlanders were sent by train to the Guillemont Barracks near Cove, England. The Calgary Highlanders were part of the Canadian Army’s 2 nd Division. Their role in England was twofold – they participated in battle t...