HUNKIN, Almer Leroy

NAME             HUNKIN           Almer Leroy
RANK             Private             105781
REGIMENT    I Canadian Corps - 1st Canadian Division - 1st Infantry Brigade                                                                               Royal Canadian Regiment
                       “for country”
                       Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                                      Residence      Exeter - Ontario                                                                                                                                    Born               March 4, 1913 - Exeter - Stephen / Usborne Townships - County of Huron - Ontario                    Died               January 1, 1944          30 years   10 months
Cemetery       Moro River Canadian War Cemetery - San Donato - Ortona - Chieti - Italy
                       I     F     9                                                                                                                                    Father            Mr.John - Exeter - Ontario                                                                                                            Sisters           Mrs. Rabena Fox - Toronto - Ontario                                                                                                                          Mrs. Gladys Bean - Middleport - Ontario                                                                                                                    Mrs. Elva Davey - Exeter - Ontario

 Almer was born in Exeter on March 4, 1913 and then worked for his family as a contractor. He and his family would have attended Thames Road-Elimvale United Church or Exeter United Church. 

Canada

On January 14, 1943 he went to London and enlisted into the Canadian Army and went to No. 1 District Depot. Upon enlistment he stood 5' 7" and weighed 139 pounds. He had a ruddy complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. Private Hunkin was posted on January 25 to A29 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Ipperwash. He qualified as a Driver 1.C Class III of wheeled vehicles on June 11. Later that month he was granted a week of furlough. On July 18 he was attached to the Canadian Army Overseas at Debert, Nova Scotia.

Overseas

Private Hunkin was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada on July 20 and the same day embarked from Halifax. The next day he was Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army Overseas. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on July 28 and the next day reported for duty at No. 3 Canadian Reinforcement Unit.

In the Field

Three months later on October 26 he was Struck off Strength of the Canadian Army in the UK and embarked from the UK. A day later he was Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army in the Mediterranean Theatre and that same day was posted to the Royal Canadian Regiment Reinforcement list. He disembarked in Italy on November 9, 1943. One week prior to him losing his life he was Taken on Strength with the Royal Canadian Regiment.
At the end of December 1943, Torre Mucchia was still in German hands, and at this time the decision was
made to reduce the resistance by a combination of mortar fire and observed artillery fire, but even so it took
three more days to drive the Germans out. Before they could move on Torre Mucchio the Canadians first had to clear the village of San Tommaso containing about 60 houses and then clear the smaller village of San Nicola. The objective was to first take San Nicola from below Torre Mucchio and then sweep through to San Tommaso.
During the latter part of 1943, it was said the RCR had almost passed away due to the heavy and bitter
fighting. Casualties were extreme in the fight for Ortona.
On December 30th the RCR took up their battle positions in and around a group of buildings. During the
afternoon enemy artillery made a direct hit on the base of a tower of one of the buildings. The building was
checked by the engineers and they deemed it to be safe. On the night of December 31st - January 1st, all communications broke down due to the heavy rains. Wireless sets were then used but the regiment HQ was still not in touch with the forward units until after first light. It had rained all night and the winds were gale force.
At 3:00 am on January 1 Private Hunkin who was attached to “B” Company lost his life when the tower of the building he was in collapsed upon him. The RCR had been using this building as a billet. The structure had been
weakened by days of heavy shelling and eventually it came down because it could not stand the shelling or
the winds. The men of the regiment worked until 9:00 am and found the bodies of 9 of their comrades.
When the RCR landed at Pachino during the summer of 1943 they came ashore with 797 men. By the time
they had bravely fought their way to the end of 1943 only 556 men remained. Of the 241 who were not with
the regiment they had either been killed, wounded or taken prisoner, had fallen to malaria, jaundice or some
other ailment. Day by day these men of the RCR had fought the Germans, always moving forward into the teeth of the German resistance and all the while they held their positions. These men of the RCR were bleeding, soaking wet, hungry and frightened. They had done the whatever Command had asked of them and no one could have done more than that.                                                                                                                                Private Hunkin was originally buried in San Vito on the north side of the road by a wrecked church. Mrs. Ella

In the month of January 1950 Almer's father John received the Memorial Cross That same month the family received the Memorial Cross along with the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal + clasp.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Aylmer is honoured and remembered on the Exeter Cenotaph and probably honoured and remembered on either the Memorial Plaque of Thames Road - Elimvale United Church or the Memorial Plaque of Exeter United Church. He is honoured and remembered at the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum in London - Ontario and he is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.
339