McEWEN, Alpine Alexander

NAME                  McEWEN           Alpine Alexander   Jr.
RANK                  Rifleman            108805                                                                                                                                              1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 3rd Canadian Infantry Division -  7th Infantry Brigade  UNIT                    Royal Winnipeg Rifles
                            “named by the enemy in battle”
                            Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                                   Born                     April 1, 1925 -Hensall - Township of Hay - County of Huron - Ontario                                  Residence           Hensall - Ontario                                                                                                                        Died                     September 25, 1944          19 years  5 months                                                                Cemetery             Calais Cannadian War Cemetery - Leubringhen - Pas de Calais - France
                             6   C   10
Mother                  Mrs. Mary Ellen McEwen - Hensall - Ontario                                                                      Brothers               Master Ewen McEwen - Hensall - Ontario                                                                                                                   Leading Aircraftsman N. B.McEwen - No. 3 Wireless School - Winnipeg -Manitoba                  Sister                    Miss Mina McEwen - Hensall - Ontario

Alpine was born in Hensall on April 1, 1925. He completed Grade VIII and left school in Hensall at age of 15.
• After obtaining his education in Hensall he worked as a farm labourer, lathe operator, at Galt Metal, Goldies
Auto Body and Butler Metal in Preston and then came back to the family farm for 2 years as his father had passed away in the spring of 1943. While growing up Alpine enjoyed hockey, bowling, hunting, movies and dances. His family attended Hensall Presbyterian Church.

Canada

He went to London and on November 9, 1943 he enlisted into the Canadian Army. When he enlisted he stood    5' 11 and weighed 165 pounds. He had blue eyes and fair hair. He was given the rank of Private and Taken on Service at No. District Depot in London and then posted to No. 12 Basic training Centre in Chatham - Ontario. He receives Christmas Leave.                                                                                                                                      On February 12th 1944  he was posted to No. 3 District Depot in Ottawa for physical tests and on March 10 transfers to No. A29 Canadian Infantry Training Centre with No. 5 Company at Camp Ipperwash - Ontario. He had been trained on the Rifle, the Bren gun, the 303 Lee Enfield Rifle, the PIAT and the Sten gun. From May 6-19 Private McEwen received embarkation leave and furlough prior to being posted to No.1 Transit Camp in Windsor - Nova Scotia. 

Overseas

Private McEwen is struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada and embarks from Halifax for overseas on June 3. While at sea the next day he is Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army overseas. On June 10 he disembarks in the United Kingdom and the following day reports for duty. On July 11 he is posted to the Reserve Unit and  11 days later he embarks from the United Kingdom and comes onto French soil at Juneau Beach on July 23 and is attached to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. A week later he is Taken on Strength by his unit. He would have been involved in Operation Spring, Operation Windsor, Operation Tractable, Operation Totalize, Crossing the River Seine and Operation Undergo and the fight for Calais.                                                                            The objective was to clear the western approaches to Calais. To do this they had to capture or destroy German garrisons at Belle Vue, Coquelles and Calais. Their objective was to capture heavy enemy gun emplacements at Coquelles and were to be supported by the tanks of the 1st Hussars. They met very heavy resistance from enemy pillboxes and there was strong resistance at Vieux Coquelles but after bitter and close quarter fighting the enemy was driven out. As they moved on and forward toward Calais, they met resistance in the form of snipers, artillery and mines.
September 25, 1944 was cloudy and cool with fair visibility.
The regiment would be attacking Coquelles + Les Alleux. The 1st Phase was that the artillery along with aircraft brought down a heavy bombardment onto German positions. At 10:15 hours “A” Company was on the left and as they advanced they met very determined and fierce resistance. There was bitter and close fighting and the Germans retreated from their bombproof shelters. The casualties were extreme and severe. - “D” Company was on the right and their advance met only moderate resistance. The 2nd Phase was “C” Company passing through “A” Company and their objective was Basse Normandie and as they advanced they overran the German positions of pillboxes and caused casualties - “B” Company passed through “D” Company and their objective was La Gle Rouge Combe and they had to deal with mines, shelling and German snipers. The 3rd Phase was “A” company passing through “C” Company with the objective being Coquelles and they met fierce resistance and had to fight their way through the town and the Germans were pushed back house by house - “D” Company was sent to assist “A” Company as their strength was very depleted.
It is believed it was during this action that Rifleman McEwen lost his life when a high explosive shell
exploded nearby and pieces ended up in his left thigh and groin. He died from these injuries and profound shock.                                                                                                                                                                  Private McEwen was originally buried at Hardinghen Canadian Cemetery in Hardinghen - France a day after his death which is about 10 miles from his final resting place.

In early February of 1945 Private McEwen's mother Mary Ellen received the Memorial Cross and during the month of October 1946 she received the 1939-45 Star, the France &Germany Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp that were awarded to Private McEwen.

Private McEwen is honoured and remembered on the Hensall Cenotaph andon the Memorial Plaque of Hensall Presbyterian Church. He is honoured and remembered as well in the Books of Remembrance on Parliament Hill in the Centre Block and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. He is honoured and remembered on the Roll of Honour in the Regimental Museum.