MONTGOMERY, Robert James
NAME MONTGOMERY Robert James
RANK Private 61417
1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 4th Canadian Armoured Division - 10th Infantry Brigade REGIMENT Lincoln and Welland Regiment - 1st Battalion "not for ourselves, but for our country" Canadian Infantry Corps Residence: R.R. 5 - Salford - Township of Colborne - County of Huron - Ontario Birth: November 21, 1920 - Ripley - County of Bruce - Ontario Died: May 1, 1945 24 years 5 months Cemetery: Holten Canadian War Cemetery - Holten - Overijssel - Netherlands
IX H 2
Mother Mrs. Catherine Montgomery - Dungannon Brother: Gordon serving in the Royal Canadian Navy in Newfoundland with HMCS Avalon Sisters: Mrs. Francis Read - Dungannon - Ontario Mrs. Isabelle Collins - Preston - Ontario
Robert was born on November 21, 1920 in Ripley and he received his public schooling there. After Grade 8
his family moved to Dungannon and he went to Goderich Collegiate for two years. He had worked as a gas station attendant for his father at a general store and was a longshoreman and a fireman on the lakers out of Goderich - Ontario. He would have attended St Andrew's United Church in Ripley and then either Victoria Street United Church or North Street United Church in Goderich.
Canada
He had gone to Kitchener - Ontario and enlisted into the Canadian Army Reserve Forces on April 1, 1942 and served 4 months in the Home Defence with the 6th Anti Aircraft Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery. He was then called to service and on August 2, 1942 at Westmount in Nova Scotia, where he enlisted into the Canadian Army with the Canadian Artillery. At 15:00 hours he was Taken on Strength as an active member of the Battery with the rank of Gunner. Upon enlistment he stood 5' 10" tall and weighed 166 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and light hair. We that while in training with the 23rd Anti Aircraft Regiment Gunner Montgomery was assigned a number of duties which included dish washing detail, guard duty and being the hut orderly. While in training they would have had morning and afternoon drill, gun drill with respirators, gas cape drill, foot and arm drill, physical training, bayonet fighting with respirators, lectures, rifle drill, line lying, unarmed combat, mending kit, map reading, Lewis gun training, aircraft identification, Bren gun training and guard procedures. For the first half of November he was on annual furlough. Gunner Montgomery was re posted to the 6th Anti Aircraft Battery on December 8, 1942 On January 1, 1943 he began to draw $1.60 per day pay and the rank of Lance Bombardier and was given his Mars Badge which meant he was fully trained. Between March 8-18th he was a patient at the Sydney Military Hospital. On May 2nd he received furlough to Goderich but he was AWOL from May 15-16th and loses one day of pay. On June 25th prior to being posted to Labrador he is Struck off Strength from the 23rd Anti Aircraft Regiment and one in Labrador he is Taken on Strength again with the 6th Anti Aircraft Battery. Between October 9-13 he was a patient in the RCAF Base Hospital at Goose Bay - Labrador. He reverts back to the rank of Gunner on February 8, 1944. On March 6th he qualified as a Driver I.C. Class III and was now capable of operation internal combustion vehicles from jeeps to 10 ton trucks. On July 11th he was Struck off Service with the 6th Anti Aircraft Battery and Taken on Service with the 23rd Anti Aircraft Regiment in Sydney - Nova Scotia. On July 22nd he was granted 22 days embarkation leave. He is Struck off Strength of the 23rd Anti Aircraft Regiment on September 18th and a day later is assigned to No. 1 Transit Camp at Windsor - Nova Scotia. He is granted a week of embarkation leave beginning on October 4th. He was AWOL for three days and is confined to barracks for 3 days plus he loses 3 days of pay. Prior to him leaving Canada he transfers to the Canadian Infantry Corps with the rank of Private. On November 4th is is posted to A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Aldershot - Nova Scotia. He then took training on the Bren machine gun, he trained with the 36 grenade, 69 grenade and the 77 grenade, he trained on the PIAT, he trained on the Lee-Enfield rifle and on the 2" Mortar. On December 29th he is granted 5 days New Years leave, 14 days embarkation leave 6 days of travelling. He was AWOL and on February 6, 1945 he was confined to base for 7 days and he lost 7 days of pay. On February 10th he was Taken on Service with No. 2 Transit Camp.
Overseas
On February 24th He is Struck off Service to the Canadian Army in Canada and on February 25th Private Montgomery embarked from Halifax and Canada and was Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army overseas. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on March 5th and he reported for duty the following day at the No. 7 Canadian Infantry Training Regiment. On April 2nd he was posted to No. 2 Canadian Infantry Training Regiment.
In the field
On April 21st he embarks from the United Kingdom and arrives in France on April 22nd. On April 25th he was Taken on Service with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. One day later Private Montgomery joined his unit in the field as a reinforcement. The Lincs captured the town of Ekern - Germany on April 28th and the next day April 29th captured the high ground on the southern edge of Bad Zwischenahn. April 30th was cloudy and rainy for the better part of the day. The Lincs were able to reach the rail line at the south end of Bad Zwischenahn and then at 10 am they began to work their way slowly into the town toward their objectives and they were facing one lone machine gun nest along with a self propelled gun. "D" Company fed one platoon after another over the rail line. "A" Company then passed through "D" Company and "B" Company began to firm up at the rail and road crossing. This objective was achieved and "C" Company passed through to their objective. At 11:50 am "D" Company began to move forward slowly and with caution toward their objective which was the airfield. From our research it was felt Private Montgomery was a member of "B" Company which had previously occupied the rail and road crossing. It was at this location at 2 pm on the afternoon of April 30, 1945 when Private Montgomery received a grievous head wound. German snipers had been extremely active during the day. At 5:30 pm Private Montgomery was received at No. 12 Canadian Field Ambulance attached to the 4th Canadian Division and here he received immediate attention. The wound was at his eyebrow and it had passed through the top of his cranium. At 9:15 pm he was moved to 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station . While here the medical staff were able to get him to move his right limbs but he was unable to move his left limbs. Very early on the morning of May 1, 1945, Private Montgomery was admitted to No. 25 British General Hospital at Wettrigen - Germany. At 7:15 am he succumbed to his head wounds. He had been with his unit for a total of five days. Robert was buried on May 1, 1945 with full military honours and with Christian rites. He was buried at St Josephs Haus in Wettringen - Germany.
His mother Catherine would have received the Memorial Cross. Private Montgomery was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the France & Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
He is honoured and Remembered on the Cenotaphs in Goderich, Lucknow and St Helens and should have his name on the Ripley Cenotaph as well. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of St Andrew's United Church in Ripley - Ontario and either on the Memorial Plaque of North Street United Church or Victoria Street United Church in Goderich. He is also and remembered at the Niagara Military Heritage Centre on the Lincoln and Welland Regiment Memorial Plaque.
