SALLOWS, Robert Henry

NAME              SALLOWS      Robert Henry
RANK              Private      108313                                                                                                                                                      1st Canadian Army - 2nd Canadian Division - 4th Infantry Brigade                                        REGIMENT     Essex Scottish Regiment
                        “always ready”
                        Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                                    Residence       Goderich - Ontario                                                                                                                        Birth                 July 25, 1925 - Goderich - Township of Goderich - County of Huron - Ontario
Died                 March 8, 1945      19 years   7 months     
Cemetery         Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery - Groesbeek - Gelderland - Netherlands
                         III  G  13
Parents            Mr.  Reuben and Ethel Sallows of Goderich                                                                          Brothers           William was serving with the Canadian Army                                                                                                            James was serving with the Merchant Marine.                                                                                                            Edward, Donald, Kenneth, Gordon and Frank were all living in Goderich.                                  Sisters             Mary, Lillian, Gloria, Irene and Joan were all living in Goderich.

Robert was born on July 25, 1925. The family lived on St. George's Crescent. He left school after grade 7 as he did not like school but regretted that later on. Robert did not like sports but enjoyed playing pool, reading, painting and drawing. The family attended St George's Anglican Church. Before enlistment he worked in a butcher shop and slaughterhouse for a year, was a deckhand and cook’s helper on the lakers for a total of 8 months and he worked in the Western Flour Mill oiling the machinery for 3 months. Prior to him leaving for overseas he told his family that he would not be coming back to Canada.

Canada

Robert was 18 years  2 months when he enlisted in the Canadian Army in London on September 27, 1943. Upon enlistment he was 5' 7" tall and weighed 117 pounds. He had brown eyes and hair. He had apparently not smoked prior to his enlistment but had become a heavy smoker during his training.  Upon his enlistment he was Taken on Strength with No. 1 District Depot in London. On October 7th he was posted to No. 12 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre - Chatham - Ontario. He went AWOL on October 26th and was confined to barracks for 10 days and he forfeits 2 days pay. He was AWOL again on November 15th and had 4 days confined to barracks. He was posted to No. 29 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Ipperwash. Private Sallows was granted Christmas leave from December 22-26th.                                                                                                            While still at Camp Ipperwash he gave blood on February 10th, 1944. Private Sallows is then granted furlough and embarkation leave from February 14-27th. On March 14th he transfers to No. 4 Canadian Small Arms School in Nanaimo - British Columbia and on the 19th is Taken on Service. On April 5th he was granted the pay rate of $1.40 per day and then $1.50. A month later on May 4th he disobeys orders and uses profane language against a superior. He is then confined to barracks for 10 days. Furlough is granted from June 19-July 2nd and travel is granted between July 3-8th. He is granted special leave on August 5th and posted to No. 2 Transit Camp in Nova Scotia. Between October 3-6 he goes AWOL and is confined to barracks for 6 days and forfeits a day of pay.

Overseas

Private Sallows on October 11th is Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada and embarks from Canada. The next day he is Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army overseas. He disembarks in the United Kingdom on October 21st and reports for duty to No. 2 Canadian Infantry Reserve Unit. Private Sallows embarks the United Kingdom on November 10th and the following day he disembarks in the north-west European Theatre. On December 2nd he is Taken on Strength with the Essex Scottish.                                                                  This was Operation Blockbuster II and it was the second phase to eliminate any German soldiers west of the
Rhine, and the 4th Infantry Brigade was assigned the task of capturing Xanten and the high ground
overlooking the Alter Rhine.
During the period of time around March 8th the Essex Scottish were involved in the capture and securing of
the town Xanten. The attack began at first light in a driving rain and the objective was to capture the west
side of the town. At 05:10 hours all the Companies were in position. At 05:30 hours the artillery barrage began coming down on the German positions. At 06:45 hours “A & D” Companies who were in the lead began to move. At 07:00 hours “D” Company was held up at the “A” Company position and the problem was a chateau that the Germans had fortified. At 07:18 “C” Company began passing through “B” Company and now three
companies were on their objectives.
By 07:00 hours they had begun clearing out the farmhouses between the railway lines, but “A” Company
was having difficulty and were still west of the main road from Sonsbeck. “A” Company had made repeated
attacks on the chateau – had been repulsed – and suffered heavy casualties. The crocodile tanks arrived and
their flame helped flush the Germans out and by noon they had reached the outskirts of the town and were
secure in all of their objectives. During this attack they were constantly under German mortar fire and machine gun fire and were also being shelled by enemy heavy artillery located across the Rhine river. The Essex were able to reach the town about the noon hour and by late afternoon the fighting was
almost finished.
This engagement cost the Essex 108 men killed and wounded through March 8 – 10th. One of those killed was Private Sallows.

He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteers Service Medal + Clasp.

Robert is honoured and remembered on the Goderich - Ontario Cenotaph. He is also honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of St George's Anglican Church.