WESTBROOK, William Elmer
NAME WESTBROOK William Elmer
RANK Corporal 103239 1st Canadian Army - 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade - 10th Infantry Brigade REGIMENT Algonquin Regiment
“we lead other follow”
Royal Canadian Infantry Corp Residence Goderich - Ontario Born May 29, 1918 - Goderich - County of Huron - Ontario Died October 5, 1944 26 years 4 months
Cemetery: Adegem Canadian War Cemetery - Maldegem - Oost-Vlaanderen - Belgium
V C 9 Wife Mrs. Betty Elizabeth Westbrook - 18 Eldon Street - Goderich - Ontario Parents Mr. George and Isobel Westbrook - Trafalgar Street - Goderich - Ontario Brothers Mr. Earl Westbrook - East Street - Goderich - Ontario Mr. Harry Westbrook - Trafalgar Street - Goderich - Ontario Leonard is with the Vehicle Repair Department with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. Mr. Walter Westbrook - Sarnia - Ontario Sisters Miss Dorothy Westbrook - Trafalgar Street - Goderich - Ontario Mrs. Annie Ross - Dufferin Place - Windsor - Ontario Mrs. Olive Barker - Cobden Street - Sarnia Mrs. Betty Faulkner - Fleming Street - Sarnia
William was born on May 29, 1918 and grew up in Goderich he lived on Trafalgar Street. He left school following Grade VIII at the age of 15 years. William enjoyed playing hockey, baseball and rugby. He and his family would have attended either North Street United or Victoria Street United Church. Before his enlistment he had worked as a carpenter for his brother Earl at Westbrook Building Contractor for 9 years. Once he was working he lived on St Vincent Street. Between 1940-42 he had served in the militia with the Huron Perth Regiment.
Canada
He enlisted into the Canadian Army on June 8, 1942 in London - Ontario. Upon his enlistment he was 5' 10" and he weighed 155 pounds. He had a dark complexion with brown eyes and hair. He was Taken on Service at No. 2 District Depot. On June 12th he is posted to No. 10 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in Kitchener - Ontario. He completed his Basic Training on August 8th. Then he transferred to the General List at No. 10 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Borden and a month later he had completed his advanced training. On November 13th he goes to Hamilton to Allenby Barracks to take a Trades and Vocational Training Course and while there he passed his trades test and qualified as a Carpenter in Group "B' and he is now scheduled for overseas service. He returns to Toronto and between December 22-26th he was granted Christmas Leave. On the first day of 1943 he is granted the daily pay rate of $1.50. Between April 5-18th he is granted furlough and shortly after he returns to No. 10 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Borden. Then on December 9th he is Taken on Service with No. 1 Training Brigade based at Debert - Nova Scotia. He received his Christmas leave between December 25-28th.
Overseas Private Westbrook was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada and embarked from Halifax for overseas on February 12, 1944. The next day out on the North Atlantic he is Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas. Arrival in the United Kingdom took place on February 24th and the next day he is Taken on Service with No. 3 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. He is attached to the Algonquin Regiment on March 13th in the United Kingdom. Private Westbrook embarks from the United Kingdom on July 24th and arrives on the Continent in France on July 25th. The Algonquin Regiment took him on Service on August 30th. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal on September 15th.
In the Field
The Algonquins landed on Normandy soil on July 24th and were mainly used as shock troops to lead the
advance and with the support of armour to break the force of German resistance. In addition to that, the
Algonquins were the vanguard when the Allies broke out from Caen.
The Scheldt flows to the North Sea by a very wide mouth divided in two by a long peninsula made by three
separate islands – South Beveland, North Bevland, and Walcheran. Located in the Belgian-Dutch border
area, this is an area of land reclaimed from the sea, low - lying fields and bordered by a series of dykes and
canals. The roads were built on top of the 13 foot to 16 high foot dykes. In these surroundings no one at all
could move without being seen and it was here that the 1st Canadian Army had to fight and dislodge the
enemy.
The location of the Algonquins on August 31, 1944 was Bouchaute in Belgium and there was to be a large - scale attack involving all Companies. The objective was to test the German defences and to bring back prisoners from
the Isabella area. At 4:45 pm the Germans were hit with an artillery and mortar barrage. No 10 platoon
attacked a position only to find the enemy had left and on the way back to the Allied lines they were hit by
heavy enemy mortar fire and suffered 6 casualties. As well “D” went out to look for enemy tunnels under
the dykes – located one – suffered two wounded. “B” Company was sent in as a diversion and was able to reach their objective and the resulting German mortar fire resulted in the loss of one man and two wounded. “D” Company reached the dikes and suffered two casualties. “C” Company met small arms fire and the Germans apparently thought that this was going to be the main attack and moved their 105mm guns into that area. There were casualties here.
It was 5 pm hours and “C” Company was to attack with two platoons and they would have mortar and tank cover. No. 13 platoon went up the left side of the dyke and then halted on their objective and in this way they
could provide covering fire for No. 14 platoon who had passed through and were now pinned down just
short of their objective. At 7:30 pm both platoons were ordered to withdraw and they had suffered
thirteen casualties.
Corporal Westbrook lost his life for his country during the Battle of Antwerp and the Battle of the Scheldt. It has been confirmed that he was straddling the border between Belgium and Holland when he was brought down. His comrades took him from the front lines to the Regimental Field Ambulance and then most likely to the Casualty Clearing Station. His wounds were upper leg wounds, a fractured femur and abdominal wounds that would prove to be fatal even after the best efforts of his comrades to get him to medical aid. Corporal Westbrook succumbed to his wounds at No. 15 Canadian Field Ambulance. He was originally buried in the vicinity of Ghent in Belgium.
Both his wife Betty and his mother Isobel received the Memorial Cross in December of 1944. Then at a later date his wife received the medals awarded to William and these included the 1939-45 Star, the France - Germany Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
William is honoured and remembered on the Goderich - Ontario cenotaph and on the Memorial Plaque of either North Street United Church or Victoria Street United Church. He is honoured at the Algonquin Regiment Memorials located in North Bay - Ontario and in Parry Sound - Ontario. He is also honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.
