GAULEY, Allan Henderson

NAME             GAULEY      Allan Henderson
RANK             Private         113911                                                                                                                                                     1st Canadian Army - 2nd Canadian Infantry Division - 4th Infantry Brigade                          REGIMENT    Royal Regiment of Canada
                       “ready, aye ready”
                       Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                                          Residence      Fergus - Ontario                                                                                                                                  Birth:              September 23, 1923 - Township of Ashfiled - County of Huron - Ontario                                        Death:            July 23, 1944          20 years   10 months                                                                                Cemetery:      Brookwood Military Cemetery - Brookwood - Surrey - England
                       52     G      7
Parents:         Mr. Issaac and Ella Gauley - Fergus - Ontario                                                                              Brother:         Reginald - Hamilton - Ontario                                                                                                                                      Alex was serving with the Royal Canadian Regiment in the Mediterranean Theatre                                                  Kenneth was serving with the 1st Canadian Light Anti Aircraft Regiment in the Mediterranean                                Theatre.                                                                                                                                        Sister             Miss Margaret Gauley - Fergus - Ontario

Allan was born in Ashfield Township on September 23, 1923. He received all of his education in Fergus. As he grew up he enjoyed playing rugby, baseball, hockey and lacrosse. He did farming after school before he went out to become employed. Before enlistment he worked in an ammunition factory, was a spray painter in a factory but actually was a moulder by trade. The family would have attended Melville United Church.

Canada

Allan enlisted into the Canadian Army on June 8, 1942 in Toronto. Upon enlistment he stood 5' 6" tall and he weighed 149 pounds. His complexion was medium with hazel eyes and brown hair. He had the rank of Private and was posted to General Service   R wing   No. 5 Company in Toronto. On June 26th he transferred to No. 26 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in Orillia. Two months later on August 26th he was posted to No. A10 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Bordon. On November 13th he receives furlough from Nov 13-26th. On December 3, 1942 he is Struck off Service on proceeding overseas as a reinforcement to the Royal Regiment of Canada.

Overseas

Private Gauley was Struck off Service with the Canadian Army in Canada on December 12th and embarked from Halifax and Canada. The next day he was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas. On December 18th he disembarked in the United Kingdom and a day later he reported for duty.                                          Private Gauley was Taken on Service with the Royal Regiment of Canada on January 10, 1943 and granted a daily rate of pay of $1.50. On April 10th he forfeits 10 days of pay sleeping while on sentry duty  and then on April 17th he forfeits 27 days of pay. On August 17th he forfeits 10 days of pay for being AWOL and again on September 3rd he forfeits 3 days of pay for failing to obey a standing order.                                                          On June 5, 1944 one day prior to D-Day and the Royal Regiment of Canada landing in Normandy he forfeits 8 days of pay for being AWOL.

Field

On July 4th he embarks from the United Kingdom and goes ashore in France on July 6, 1944.                      During the fighting of July 19th and late in the evening he received serious head and shoulder wounds from
enemy shelling coming from nearby Maltot. Private Gauley was taken to #11 Canadian Field Ambulance
early in the morning of July 20th. Following his being wounded Private Gauley was unconscious and remained that way unti the time of his death. 
He was then transferred to Basingstoke Neurological Hospital - Hampshire. During the next number of days Private Gauley’s condition deteriorated and his head wounds had caused his left side to be paralyzed and he died at 12:00 hours on July 23, 1944. The wound to his head according to the surgeons and the hospital were not that life threatening in their opinion and the cause of his death was not at all clear to them.
On the 23rd of July at some point, 70 new men were put into the lines to help bring the regiment closer to strength.

His is mother Ella received the Memorial Cross and then in October of 1949 the family received the medals awarded to Allan which were the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the Defence and War Medals along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.  

Allan is honoured and remembered on the Goderich and Fergus - Ontario Cenotaphs. He is also honoured and remembered in the Regimental Book "Always Ready". He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Fergus High School. He would also be honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Melville United Church. He is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.