TRIEBNER, Edward Charles
NAME TRIEBNER Edward Charles
RANK Guardsman 105228 1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade
REGIMENT Canadian Grenadier Guards
22nd Armoured Regiment
“evil to him who evil thinks”
Royal Canadian Armoured Corp Residence Exeter - Ontario Born January 12, 1923 - Exeter - Township of Stephen - County of Huron - Ontario Died September 18, 1944 21 years 8 months
Cemetery Adegem Canadian War Cemetery - Maldegem - Oost-Vlaanderen - Belgium
XI B 4
Parents Mr. Frank and Muriel Triebner of Exeter Brothers Masters Jack and Thomas Triebner of Exeter Mr. Willis Triebner of Exeter Mr. Douglas Triebner of London - Ontario Sister Miss Dorreen Triebner of Exeter
Edward was born on January 12th in 1923, and upon completing his education he moved to Brantford and
was employed with the Massey Harris Company as a crane operator. He was also employed as a truck driver and a farmer. His hobbies included experimenting with motors and playing the guitar and he also enjoyed baseball, softball and basketball. The family would have attended Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church.
Canada
During November of 1942, he traveled to London and enlisted into the Canadian Army with the rank of Private. At the time he stood 5 feet 5 inches and weighed 141 pounds. His complexion was dark with brown eyes and hair. He was sent to No. 1 District Depot in London and then on November 20 he was posted to Listowel - Ontario to No. 13 Basic Training Centre. On December 8 he was posted to No. 14 Basic Training Centre in Stratford. On December 30 he goes to No. 6 Basic Training also in Stratford. As 1943 began he was allocated to the Canadian Armoured Corps on February 8 and posted to No. 27 Canadian Reconnaissance Training Centre at Camp Dundurn - Saskatchewan and now has the rank of Trooper. On April 30 he qualified as a Class III Driver of wheeled vehicles. On July 12 he is assigned to the point of embarkation for overseas duty at Halifax - Nova Scotia.
Overseas
Trooper Triebner embarks from Canada and is Struck Off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada on July 16 and the following day at sea is Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on July 22 and the following day he reports to No. 1 Canadian Armoured Corps Reserve Unit. On August 12 he is posted to No. 32 Canadian Armoured Corps Reconnaissance Regiment where he stays until November 24 at which time he is assigned to No. 3 Temporary Training Centre to attend a course. On January 6, 1944 he returns from course and returns to his unit. He qualifies as a Driver of Mechanized Transport - Class C. At the same time he qualifies as a Driver Mechanic. On March 18 he is attached to the Reinforcements of the 22nd Armoured Regiment. From April 16 to May 18 he is on course for another Driver Mechanics Course.
In the Field
Trooper Triebner embarks from the United Kingdom on July 22 and disembarks onto Juneau Beach the following day. During the night of September 17/18th it had rained during the night and the day began cloudy and cool.
During the evening of September 18th, the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade was near Bruuge and the infantry
was given the task of clearing the town. As they did so, they also cleared out the enemy slit trenches, ditches
and farms where the Germans were located. At 5 pm No. 3 Squadron moved up and firmed up at De Moet.
No. 2 Squadron met stiff resistance and firmed up on the far side of Assenede after clearing the town. No. 3
Squadron returned to its base position at Newburg and No. 1 Squadron retired to Ertyville.
The tanks of the Canadian Grenadier Guards were not able to leave the roads because of all the rain that had fallen leaving the ditches and fields very muddy and wet. That evening the tank that Guardsman Triebner was in stopped on the road beside a young boy. As Guardsman Triebner was talking to this young boy, a German sniper shot them both down. Guardsman Triebner was then buried at the corner of the field by the road, and for the remainder of the war a 13 year - old - girl tended to his grave every day. Eventually this same young girl wrote Mrs. Triebner in Exeter telling her about her son. In her letter to the Triebners, Denise Ooteghem (age 14) stated that Guardsman Triebner had given his life for the liberation of the world. She further stated that her village Assende in East Flanders, Belgium had been the scene of very bitter and hard fighting beginning on September 17th and that the next day the 18th the villagers had received word that 15 Canadian soldiers had been killed. On approximately September 20th as she was walking along a nearby road she came upon a lone grave of a Canadian soldier. He had been buried away from his comrades and was lying all alone and it was at that moment that she decided to take care of the grave of Guardsman Triebner. She asked her parents for permission to do this and they
immediately agreed. She put fresh flowers at the grave site three times each week and on July 21, 1945
during their liberation feast she put fresh flowers at the grave and wrote something that thanked Guardsman
Triebner for his sacrifice. When he was transferred to Adegem (a four hour walk) this young girl and her
family never forgot and she said that he is in their mind and hear more than ever before. This young girl
then asked the Triebner family for a photograph of Edward and I am quite sure that the Triebner family did
send Denise a photograph.
In February of 1945 the mother of Edward received the Memorial Cross and then early in 1950 the family received the medals awarded to Edward which were 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 Exeter Cenotaph and on the Memorial Plaque of Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church. He would also be honoured and remembered on the Exeter High School Memorial Plaque. Edward is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.
