MAIER, Harold Louis

NAME             MAIER                Harold Louis
RANK             Lance Corporal   71108                                                                                                                                               I Canadian Corps - 1st Canadian Infantry Division - 1st Infantry Brigade                                             REGIMENT   Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment                                                                                                                       “ready”
                       Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                                              Residence      Dashwood - Ontario                                                                                                                              Born                April 19, 1922 - Dashwood - Townships of Hay / Stephen - County of Huron - Ontario                  Died               October 12, 1944          22 years   6 months
Cemetery       Cesena War Cemetery - Cesena - Emilia-Romagna - Forli Cesena - Italy
                       III     F     14
Parents          Edward and Marie Maier - Dashwood - Ontario                                                                                    Brothers         Howard Maier - Dashwood                                                                                                                                        Carl Maier - serving overseas in the Canadian Army                                                                          Sisters           Kathleen and Marie Maier - Dashwood                                                                                                                      Helen Maier - Goderich                                                                                                                                                Grace, Mildred and Hilda - London                                                                                                                              Mrs. Edna Randall - Dashwood                                                                                                                                  Mrs. Gladys Mathers - Goderich

Harold was born in Dashwood on April 19, 1922, and when he was growing up he enjoyed fishing, hunting,
skiing, hockey, volleyball, farming and trucking. Harold left school at the age of 15 after taking Grade 9 at Exeter High School. The family attended the Lutheran Church in Dashwood. He worked on the family farm for three years prior to his enlistment.

Canada

When he felt the time was right for him he travelled to London on March 2, 1942 to enlist into the Canadian
Army with the Canadian Fusiliers. When he enlisted he stood 5'  11" tall and weighed 133 pounds. He had a dark complexion with brown eyes and dark brown hair. A week later he was posted to A29 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre in Listowel, Ontario. On July 20 he qualified as a Driver IC Class III while at No. 110 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in Vernon, British Columbia.                                                                                        On February 15, 1943 while at Vancouver, British Columbia he qualified as a driver Class III of tracked vehicles. He was Struck off Service to the Canadian Fusiliers and attached to No. 1 District Depot on February 19,1943.

Overseas

On March 21 he was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army Canada and embarked from Halifax. He was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army Overseas the next day. The same day he transferred to the Royal Canadian Regiment Reinforcement Unit. Private Maier disembarked in the UK on March 31, 1943. The 1st day of April saw him report to No. 3 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit and while there he qualified as a driver of tracked vehicles. On September 1st he qualified as a driver of wheeled vehicles. On October 18 he was Taken on Service with the 5th Battalion Base Repair Depot.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Mediterranean Theatre                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  A few days later he was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army UK and embarked from the United Kingdom. A day later he was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army in the Mediterranean Theatre.  As he was travelling to Italy the ship they were on was torpedoed but he managed to escape unharmed. He disembarked in Italy on November 10. At the end of the year he was Taken on Strength with the Perth Regiment. During the first half of February 1944 Private Maier was Taken on Strength with the Hasting and Prince Edward Regiment.

In the field

In February 1944 word was received that Lance Corporal Maier had been wounded. On January 30 Private Maier was advancing against the enemy and their objective was a group of blasted houses occupied  by the enemy. The platoon was crawling forward toward enemy machine guns and were taking heavy machine gun and mortar fire. His Commanding Officer was seen during the afternoon at 5 pm but he was crawling toward his men. The enemy was nearby and he was in danger of being captured. Private Maier and his CO were 100' apart but he  was  not able to assist him. On February 1 he saw the enemy very close tow here he last saw his CO. On February 2 Private was wounded, received attention and was not evacuated from the front.
On the 12th of October Lance Corporal Maier and his regiment were at Savignano and Lance Corporal Maier and his Company were ordered to drive the enemy from a group of houses. At 09:30 hours “D” Company had the
support of 3” mortars and artillery who also laid down smoke and high explosives. “D” Company was
successful in this objective. “A” Company worked their way forward to the river and in the afternoon were
successful in crossing and then establishing a bridgehead in the area of the crossroads. The whole of the area then came under sharp German artillery and mortar fire that came every few minutes. However, later that day Lance Corporal Maier was caught in a burst of enemy machine gun fire and he was killed in action.              Lance Corporal Maier was originally buried in a cemetery half way between Savignano sul Rubicone and Cesena in a cemetery on the right side of the road.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                His mother Marie received the Memorial Cross on February 6, 1945 and on October 21, 1949 Lance Corporal Maier was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal + Clasp.

Harold is honoured and remembered on the Exeter Cenotaph. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Exeter High School. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of the Dashwood Lutheran Church. He is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.

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