EVERS, Milton Edward

NAME                  EVERS           Milton Edward
RANK                  Private            76148                                                                                                                                                  1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 4th Canadian Armoured Division - 10th Infantry                                        Brigade                                                                                                                                            REGIMENT         Lincoln and Welland Regiment - 1st Battalion
                            “not for ourselves, but for our country”
                            Royal Canadian Infantry Corp          
Born                     July 9, 1918 - Elmwood - Township of Bentinck - County of Grey - Ontario                      Residence            Clifford - Ontario                                                                                                                            Died                     September 11, 1944             26 years   2 months                                                            Cemetery             Adegem Canadian War Cemetery - Maldegem - Oost-Vlaanderen - Belgium
                             VIII   E   1
Wife                     Mrs. Marie Evers - Harriston & Freeman - Ontario                                                                  Son                      Milton Jr - Harriston - Ontario                                                                                            Brothers               Mr. Vernon Evers - Detroit - Michigan - USA                                                                                                              Mr. Gordon Evers - Hamilton - Ontario                                                                                                                        Mr. Walter Evers - Serving with the Canadian Army overseas - Royal Canadian Engineers        Sisters                 Mrs. Florence Hicks - Detroit - Michigan - USA                                                                                                          Mrs.Elda Kreuger - Hamilton - Ontario                                                                                                                     
Milton was born on July 9, 1918 in Elmwood, Ontario. He received his schooling and his employment
before he enlisted was he worked on a farm for 4 years and he drove truck as a salesman for De Witt & Company for 3 years. He belonged to the United Church and probably attended Clifford United and possibly attended Harriston United Church. He enjoyed playing baseball. He enjoyed music. He attended school until the age of 14. He enlisted into the non permanent active militia of Canada on November 22,1940 under the National Resources Mobilization Act.

Canada

Milton traveled to Kitchener to enlist into the Canadian Army on April 9, 1942 and enlisted into the Scots Fusiliers of Canada with the rank of Private. When he enlisted he stood 5'  3" and weighed 140 pounds. He had a fair complexion with grey eyes and brown hair. While still at Kitchener Fusilier Evers is granted embarkation leave from September 11-16. While based at Allanburg he qualified as a Class III Driver of wheeled vehicles. He is granted leave from December 23-27, 1942.                                                                                                          Fusilier Evers then receives furlough from January 6-19, 1943. In early March he is posted to Woodstock to S5 Driver and Mechanics School and on March 30 qualifies as  a Driver/Mechanic Class I and as a Mechanic Grade III. On May 13 he is Struck off Strength of the Scots Fusiliers and is posted to A29 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Ipperwash. He receives leave from July 6-13. On July 18 he is attached to the Canadian Army overseas. Private Evers is Struck off Service to the Canadian Army in Canada on July 20 and the same day embarks from Canada. While at sea he is Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas and a week later on July 28 he disembarks in the United Kingdom. The following day on July 29 he reports to No. 3 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. As training continued Private Evers qualified as a Driver Mechanic on September 18. On October 19 he qualified as a Driver Class 1 on wheeled vehicles. A month later on November 19 he qualified as a Driver Group "C".                                                                                                                      On January 18, 1944 Private Evers is informed that his son was born and he never had a chance to hold his son. On March 15 he is Taken on Strength with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment as a Driver Mechanic.

In the Field

On July 19 Private Evers embarks from the United Kingdom and lands in Normandy on July 25. Private Evers was involved in the fighting at the Falaise and Falaise Pocket, at the Liason and at Chambois.                            On September 11,1944 the 10th Infantry Brigade was at Oostcamp. As it began to get daylight there was heavy ground haze. At 08:00 hours they were ordered to take and then hold Lekkerhoek and Veldkapel. This engagement was for control of the town of Moerbrugge. They had to cross the Ghent Canal which was about 60 - feet wide and very deep. They would cross the canal and become the right flank of the advance, and during the 9th endured several German counter attacks. The Lincs advanced along with “C” Squadron of the South Alberta Regiment out of the town of Lekkerhoek in the direction of Oeddelem with the tanks taking to the soft fields and the Lincs advancing along the ditches on the side of the road. “A” Company was in the lead in advance of the carriers and had the support of the tanks but they were stopped some 700 yards short of Lekkerhoeke by very heavy German machine gun fire. As well they were now being shelled heavily and could not advance and were pinned down by heavy and accurate enemy machine gun fire along with 20mm AA guns of the Germans. They were able to crawl into the town and the ground over which they were advancing contained far more than human defenders. The roads were blocked by destroyed tanks.
Private Evers was with “B” Company and they were to pass through to Veldkapel and at 11:00 hours “A”
Company moved with the carriers and had tank support. They dismounted and deployed on the right of the
road. As they continued their advance on Lekkerhoek, they came under very intense machine gun fire from
the front flanks and this pinned them down. As well, German snipers were at work. “B” Company set up on
the left of the road and both Companies then had to fight their way to Lekkerhoek. Private Evers was
driving a Bren Gun Carrier and when they came to a destroyed tank on the road, he decided to go around
the tank into the left ditch where he hit a mine. He apparently died as surgery was being performed in an
effort to save him from his very severe wounds.                                                                                                    “C” Squadron of the South Albertas had lost heavily and the infantry lines could not move forward without tank support. The South Albertas could not afford to continue taking these losses. The losses that the Lincs suffered were very heavy throughout their ranks in the fight for Moerbrugge and it had been a costly, grim, and bloody action. Private Evers was originally buried in the town of Moerbrugge on the left side of the road going to St Georges.

Private Ever's wife was awarded the Memorial Cross and at a later date was awarded the medals that were awarded to Private Evers and these were the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the Defence Medal, War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

Private Evers is honoured and Remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Clifford United Church and possibly on the Memorial Plaque of Harriston United Church. He is honoured and remembered in the Books of Remembrance located in the Centre Block of Parliament  Hill in Ottawa. He is honoured and remembered on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. He is also honoured and remembered on the Cenotaphs in Fordwich and Harriston.
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