IRWIN, Harold Connell
NAME IRWIN Harold Connell
RANK Private 135560 1st Canadian Army - I Canadian Corps - 1st Canadian Infantry Division - 2nd Infantry Brigade REGIMENT Loyal Edmonton Regiment “fears no foe”
Royal Canadian Infantry Corp
Residence Sudbury - Ontario Birth January 13, 1922 - Lucknow - Township of West Wawanosh - County of Huron - Ontario Died May 16, 1945 23 years 4 months
Cemetery Adegem Canadian War Cemetery - Maldogem - Oost-Vlaanderen - Belgium
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Father Mr. Gordon Irwin - South Street - Goderich - Ontario Sisters Helen age 14 and Florence age 13 - Lucknow - Ontario
Harold was born on January 13, 1922 on the east half of Lot 17, Concession 8 in the Township of West Wawanosh. He received his primary education and secondary education up to Grade X in Lucknow and was 15 years old when he left school. Harold would have attended Lucknow United Church. It is quite possible he attended St Andrew's United Church in Sudbury. He enjoyed playing pool, music and dancing. He enjoyed reading western stories. He had worked as a farm hand for four years in Huron County before moving north to Sudbury in 1941. He worked at the International Nickel Mine as a labourer in their smelter for about 10 months prior to enlisting. He was a member of the "Inco" Club. Prior to his enlist he had served in the militia in 1942 with the Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury Regiment.
Canada
Harold enlisted into the Canadian Army on November 17, 1942 in Sudbury, Ontario. At the time of his enlistment he was 5' 4" tall and weighed 124 pounds. He had a fair/medium complexion with light brown eyes and brown hair. The day he enlisted he was posted to No. 2 District Depot in Toronto. Two months later on December 19th he was assigned to No. 44 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre in St. Jerome - Quebec. Just prior to the end of 1942 he was given 5 days of leave. In February of 1943 on the 23rd Private Irwin was posted to No. 12 Infantry Training Centre - Farnham - Quebec. Three weeks later he was granted a daily pay rate of $1.40. On May 5th he was posted to Nova Scotia prior to going overseas and posted to No. 5 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit in the United Kingdom. On May 13th he embarked for the United Kingdom and was Taken off Strength to the Canadian Army in Canada. One day later he was Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army in the United Kingdom. While he was on the North Atlantic he was given a daily pay rate of $1.50. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on May 22nd and Taken on Strength with No. 5 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. Between June 21 and July 10th he attended courses on the 3" mortar and while there he qualified to be able to use this weapon. On September 2nd he was Taken on Service with No. 1 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. He had been training for 22 weeks and it was now time to leave for the Mediterranean Theatre. On October 26th Private Irwin departed the United Kingdom and Struck off Strength of the Canadian Army in the United Kingdom. A day later while on the North Atlantic he was Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army in the Mediterranean Theatre. During 1943 he took rifle training, light machine gun training, 2" mortar training, grenade training and Bren gun training.
In the field
Private Irwin arrived in Italy on November 7th and disembarked most likely in Naples. On February 1, 1944 he was posted to the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and eleven months later he was Taken on Strength with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment who was at that their position near the Naviglio Canal which was part of the German Gothic Line in the Apennine Mountains. This was Germany's last line of defence. He was with his regiment during the fight for the Naviglio Canal between December 12-15th and Fossio Munio between December 19-21st. Then in the very early spring of 1945 on March 22nd Private Irwin is Struck off Strength of the Canadian Army in the Mediterranean Theatre and embarks from Naples - Italy. On March 24th he disembarks in Marsielles - France. It would have taken a number of days to prepare the trucks for the five day journey to the Belgian frontier. It is believed that his convoy would have arrived in Belgium during the first week of April. On April 21st he was granted 9 days of leave to the United Kingdom. On May 16, 1945 he was Taken on Service by the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. On that very same day one week after VE Day his military records state that he suffered accidental wounds. That is not likely as there was no inquiry into his death which means he was still in service to his country. Had there been an inquiry into his death his wound could very well have been accidental. It is believed from the war diaries that Private Irwin was killed by snipers sympathetic to the Nazis, on the very day that he joined his unit in Belgium. He was on the top floor of his dormitory building when he was shot. He died at the military hospital in Ghent, Belgium.
Private Irwin is one of only three Canadian soldiers buried at the Adegem Canadian War Cemetery.
Harold is honoured and remembered on the Cenotaphs of Lucknow & St Helens - Ontario. He would be honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Lucknow United Church and possibly on the Memorial Plaque of St Andrew's United Church in Sudbury. He is also honoured and remembered on the Virtual War Memorial of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.
Harold was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the France-Germany Star, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal + Clasp and his father would have received these along with the Memorial Cross.
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