LAPOINTE, Alfred Joseph

Name:          LAPOINTE Alfred Joseph
Rank:           Private     50543                                                                                                                                      Regiment:    I Canadian Corps                                                                                                                                                        5th Canadian Armoured Division                                                                                                                                11th Infantry Brigade                                                                                                                                                    Irish Regiment of Canada - 1st Battalion                                                                                                                    "faithful forever"                                                                                                                                                          Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                                            Residence:  Kingsbridge - Ashfield Township - County of Huron - Ontario                                                              Birth:            April 23, 1923 - Thessalon - Township of Thessalon - Ontario
Died:            January 29, 1944                           Age: 20 years     9 months
Cemetery     Moro River Canadian War Cemetery - San Donato - Commune of Ortona - Province of Chieti - Italy                       XI D 12
Wife:            Mrs Bernice La Pointe – Kingsbridge                                                                                                      Brother:       Wilfred Lapoint was 19 and serving overseas.                                                                                Cousin:        Mrs. Agnes Forgues - North Bay - Ontario                                                                                  Enlistment:  June 24, 1941 - 18 years   2 months - Lucknow   Ontario                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Alfred enjoyed softball along with hockey while he was growing up. He finished Grade 8 in Thessalon at the age of 15 but did not go any further. It is not known when Alfred moved from Thessalon where he was born to Huron County. He worked as a tailor for 4 years and then worked with his father driving a truck and moving horses, and worked for T. J. Lanan of Lucknow who was a farmer.  He was raised in the Roman Catholic faith.                          When Alfred enlisted he was 5'  9" tall and weighed 135 pounds. He had a fair and ruddy complexion with blue eyes and fair hair. He had taken his medical on June 13, 1941 in Chesley and was Taken on Strength with the Kent Regiment in London - Ontario on June 24, 1941.

Canada

Private LaPointe is assigned to No. 61 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in New Glasgow - Nova Scotia on November 24, 1941 while with the Kent Regiment he goes AWOL for a week and forfeits 7 days pay. The Battalion moved to Camp Niagara - Ontario in the last week of November. He receives permission from his Commanding Officer to marry and travels to Kingsbridge and marries Bernice Murphy in Saint Josephs Parish on December 9, 1941. On December 27, 1941 he is AWOL for 2 days and forfeits 3 days pay and allowances plus an additional 17 days pay.                                                                                                                                      On February 6, 1942 Private LaPointe receives 2 weeks of furlough. He was also issued travel permit A20898. Then on April 14th his wife moved to R.R. 7 Lucknow and by this date the Kent Regiment was at New Westminster - British Columbia. While there, he went AWOL for less than an hour by breaking out of his barracks and he forfeits 7 days pay and is confined to barracks for 14 days. On June 16th he was found to be outside of the boundaries of Camp Westminster and and confined to his barracks for 3 days. Then on July 5th he is AWOL and confined to barracks for 5 days. Again on July 20th he is AWOL and forfeits 7 days pay and is confined to barracks for 14 days. The Kent Regiment is then ordered to No. 13 District Depot in Calgary - Alberta on August 2nd. Once there is is attached to A 16 Infantry Training Centre on August 3rd and a week later he reports to the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion for selection and was successful and received .75 per day. He then goes to Ottawa and qualifies as a parachutist on August 24th. He is admitted into hospital in Ottawa from December 10-17th. AS the year is closing out he is again AWOL and loses 2 days pay.                                                                  The year 1943 arrives and Corporal Lapointe is once again AWOL and he is confined to barracks for 7 days. He is admitted into hospital at Chippawa - Ontario. He was in the Niagara Military Hospital from January 23 - February 5. In early March of 1943 he is AWOL for two days and forfeits 2 days pay and also is confined to barracks on March 13th for 7 days. Two days later he is again AWOL and loses 1 days pay and is confined to barracks for 14 days. On March 18th he forfeits 5 days of pay for being drunk. He is given 28 days detention for breaking out of the barracks late on March 20th while under arrest and he also loses 28 days pay. One night later he again breaks out of barracks and and is given another 28 days detention. On the 22nd of March he ceases to be attached to the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion and loses .75 per day. On March 24th he is posted on paper only to No. 13 District Depot in Calgary. He transfers on paper only back to the Kent Regiment in Terrace - British Columbia on April 20th. A week later is is at No. 1 District Depot in London - Ontario. Private Lapointe is now close to leaving Canada and is sent to Debert - Nova Scotia and on May 11th he is Struck off Service to the Canadian Army in Canada. Two days later on May 13, 1943 he embarks from Canada.

England

Private Lapointe disembarked in England on May 22, 1943 and is immediately assigned to the 3rd Canadian Reinforcement Unit. On August 18th he was found to be in the town of Aldershot - Hampshire without permission and was confined to barracks for 5 days. He is Taken on Service with the 4th Canadian Reinforcement Unit September 5th. On October 8th he was confined to barracks for 5 days because he refused to get out of bed at reveille. On October 26th he is Struck off Service with the Canadian Army in England and is Taken on Service with the Canadian Army in the Mediterranean Theatre on October 27th. He disembarked from the liner Monteray on November 9, 1943.

Italy

Private Lapointe disembarked in Naples off of the liner SS Monteray on November 9, 1943. On January 6, 1944 Private Lapointe goes to the 3rd Canadian Reserve Battalion and the same day is Taken on Service with the Irish Regiment of Canada. The next day he goes to the 48th Highlanders of Canada before transferring back to the Irish Regiment of Canada on January 19th.                                                                                                               In the winter of late 1943, the Germans were defending a line from the Tyrrhenian Sea north to Naples, to the Adriatic and south to Ortona.
The 1st Battalion - Irish Regiment arrived in Naples on January 13, 1944 and proceeded to take over at the
front lines on the Arielli River with the object being to break this German line and go on to capture Rome.
The 1st Canadian Corp was to cross the Moro and take Ortona. The 5th Canadian Armoured Division moved
to the Mediterranean, and it was during January 1944 that the infantry units saw their first action. Early in
1944 everything bogged down due to the heavy rains and snows in the mountainous regions.
The battle for Orsogna was one of the most difficult of the Italian campaign, and Orsogna was a typical
stone-built mountain town that was perched on the ledge of a long ridge, one of a series of natural fortress
walls extending east to the sea.
On January 13th, the Irish were believed to be northeast of Orsogna, not far from the Adriatic, with them
seeing their first action on January 17th when they were part of the penetration force between Pontecorvo
and Aquinto. On January 21st, there were new assaults on Cassino and the Gustav Line and then on January 23rd “Operation Shingle” began and this was to be an assault on the German flank that would then open a way
for a rapid advance to Rome. From this date, heavy rains and snows plagued the 11th Infantry Brigade as
their slit trenches filled with water. At this point the Germans still held the Orsogna overlooking the
Canadian positions. For the remainder of January the activities of the 5th Armoured Division were limited to
patrols being conducted by the infantry.
On January 29th the weather was fair and warm. “A” Company’s anti-tank platoon had overcome many
obstacles and were now established to the rear of “D” Company. In the early hours of the 29th “C” Company
sent out a fighting patrol and 2 men went missing. Then the Canadian artillery shelled the enemy and in
return the German artillery brought their guns to bear on “A” Company and during this shelling 2 men lost
their lives. Private La Pointe lost his life from the effects of enemy artillery fire during the battle for Orsogna. The Irish were on the Arielli for four months, during which they conducted intensive patrolling missions
and beat off a number of German attacks. All the while the Germans held on stubbornly to the Gustav Line.

His wife Bernice would have received the Memorial Cross. Alfred was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the War Medal plus the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.

Alfred is honoured and remembered on the Lucknow - Ontario Cenotaph.  As well he is honoured and remembered at the Irish Regiment of Canada Museum located in Sudbury - Ontario. He was also honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of St Joseph Roman Catholic Church - Kingsbridge.  It is possible he is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of St Ambrose Catholic Church in Thessalon - Ontario.