WINTLE, Chester George
NAME WINTLE Chester George
RANK Signalman 28537
REGIMENT 3rd Canadian Divisional Signals
“K” Section.
Royal Canadian Corp of Signals
“swift, skilled, alert”
3rd Canadian Infantry Division Born December 13, 1919 - Richmond - Township of Kingsway - County of Drummond - Quebec Residence Danville - Quebec Died July 19, 1942 22 years 7 months
Cemetery Brookwood Military Cemetery - Pirbright - Surrey - England
32 H 6
Father Mr. Archibald Wintle - Brussels Brother Mr. Rubin Wintle - Brattleboro - Vermont - USA
Chester was born on December 13, 1919 at Richmond in Quebec and the family would have attended St. Ann Anglican Church. He had been employed as a carpenter and painter but at the time of his enlistment he was working for Mr. Ernest Holden as a machinist. He left school at the age of 15 following the completion of two years high school in Asbestos - Quebec
Canada
He enlisted into the Canadian Army on July 2, 1940. At that time he stood 5' 7" tall, weighed 140 pounds and had a clear complexion with brown eyes and hair. He was Taken on Service with the 3rd Canadian Divisional Signals as a Signalman. A week later he was posted for duty at No. 7 Canadian Signals Corps Training Centre at Camp Barriefield - Ontario. Three months later his next posting took him to Sussex - New Brunswick and while here on November 28 Signalman Wintle qualified as a Tradesman Group C Despatch Driver. Furlough is granted from January 2-15, 1941. On March 5 he is confined to barracks for 5 days for being AWOL and then again at the end of the month he is AWOL and is confined to barracks for 14 days. Again in May he is AWOL and again is confined to barracks for 10 days. He is then posted to Debert - Nova Scotia on July 5 in preparation for overseas duty.
Overseas
On July 18 he is Struck off Service from the Canadian Army in Canada and embarks from Canada for overseas. The following day at sea he is Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas. On the last day of May he disembarked in the United Kingdom at the port of Avonmouth. In the middle of August he is once again AWOL and loses a week of pay. on October 13 he is assigned to the Headquarters of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade. Then between November 3-22 he is a patient at No. 3 Canadian Medical Centre. On July 18th, 1942 he was on duty as a dispatch rider and was admitted to HS Princess Alice Hospital at 8:30 pm with compound fractures of the legs and in severe shock. He also had severe lacerations and wounds showing muscle and bone. Signalman Wintle had been involved in an accident with a large army truck and had been thrown to the road. Once at the hospital he was given blood transfusions and morphine. He was conscious when he was admitted but lost consciousness and never woke up. He died from extreme shock at 3 pm on July 19, 1942 at the Princess Alice Hospital at Hellingly in Sussex.
At the time of the accident on July 18th he was on duty and he was considered to be a good cyclist. The
damage to the bike was a bent front wheel and fender. At the Inquiry it was found that both Signalman Wintle and the driver of the truck were negligent. The motorcycle was speeding in a residential area and the driver of the truck failed to look properly before moving onto the road.
Signalman Wintle is honoured and remembered on the Brussels Cenotaph, on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and on the Memorial Plaque of St. Ann Anglican Church. He is also remembered on the Asbestos High School Memorial Plaque. It is also possible that his name is etched onto the Richmond - Quebec Cenotaph. The father of Chester received both the Memorial Cross and the Defence Medal, War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp. His name is written in the Memorial Books of the Canadian Corps of Signals.
