HASTINGS, Donald King

NAME                       HASTINGS      Donald King
RANK                       Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                 British 21st Army Group - British 2nd Army - 50th Northumbrian Infantry Division -                                                 231 Infantry Brigade                                                                                                                REGIMENT              1st Hampshire Regiment - 1st Battalion                                                                          CANADIAN UNIT     Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps                                                                                                                             "evil to him who evil thinks"                                                                                    Residence                Smooth Rock Falls - Ontario                                                                                            Born                         July 26, 1919 - Wingham - Township of Turnberry - County of Huron - Ontario                      Died                         July 11, 1944     24 years   11 months                                                                                       Cemetery                 Hottot-Les-Bagues War Cemetery - Hottot-Les-Bagues - Calvados - France
                                 I  A  10
Mother                      Mrs. Isabelle Hastings - Wingham - Ontario

"King" was born on July 26, 1919 in Wingham. He was raised United a would have attended Wingham United Church and possibly Smooth Rock Falls United Church. Prior to his 18th birthday he had graduated from Queen's University in Kingston with a ACBA degree. Prior to his enlistment he was employed as an accountant/teller in Smooth Rock Falls with the Royal Bank of Canada. While he lived in Wingham he served    2 years in the Cadet Corps while in high school. He liked skiing, soft ball, bowling, swimming and tennis. He received his public schooling in Wingham and then attended Wingham High School.

Canada

"King" enlisted into the Canadian Army in March 1941 in North Bay and was Taken On Service with the Algonquin Regiment - 2nd Battlion.  He stood 6' 1" and weighed 156 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue grey eyes and dark hair. On May 1 he was attached to No. 22 Canadian Army Education Basic Training Centre and received the rank of Corporal. Then in September he received the rank of Sergeant. On November 18 he reverts to Private and enlisted into the Active Service of the Canadian Army. He then is Taken on Service at No. 22 Canadian Army Education Basic Training Centre from the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps - Pay Wing - No. 2 District Depot. He then received the rank of Sergeant.                                                                      In mid April 1942 he becomes employed as a Pay Clerk. From December 8-11 Sergeant Hastings is On Command to the Deputy Provost Marshall - No. 2 Central Ontario Military District.                                                On March 9, 1943 he transfers to No. 2 District Depot in Toronto for despatch to Canadian Officer Cadet Training Centre in Toronto and then is posted to Gordon Head - British Columbia to the Officer Training Centre Western Canada with the rank of Cadet. In the middle of June he receives the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. On June 17 He is transferred to A 10 Canadian Infantry Training Centre - Camp Borden in Ontario and also receives the rank of Lieutenant. On August 23 he is attached to No. 23 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre at Newmarket in Ontario. On October 19 it is back to Camp Borden.to A 10 Canadian Infantry Training Centre.                        On March 6, 1944 he is Taken on Strength with A 34 Special Officer Training Centre in Sussex - New Brunswick.

Overseas

Before he departed Canada he was on loan to the British Army. Lieutenant Hastings was Struck off Service with the Canadian Army in Canada and embarked from Halifax for overseas. The following day he was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army Overseas and with the British Army in the United Kingdom. He arrived in the UK on April 23, 1944. Lieutenant Hastings left the UK on June 10, 1944 and was then posted to the 6th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers. From May 7-27 Lieutenant Hastings attended Battle School at the 53rd British Division. On June 7th he was posted to the 42nd Reinforcement Holding Unit.

In the Field

On June 10 he embarked from the United Kingdom for North West Europe and landed at Gold Beach.            On June 14 he was then posted to the 1st Hampshire Regiment.                                                                       From D-Day until August the Hampshires fought an aggressive enemy defence of the beachhead and fought
a long and bitter breakout of the beaches against the enemy.
On July 10th, the Hampshires were tasked with capturing and holding the village of Maltot along with the
woods beyond. At 08:15 hours after a heavy Allied barrage the Hampshires moved forward with the support
of tanks that took heavy casualties. The Hampshires continued to advance but met very strong opposition
and suffered severe losses. Part of the Battalion were able to reach the village, and tried to set up defensive
positions, only to realize that they were in the area of a strong enemy defended location. They were unable
to reinforce and German Tigers and SS troops inflicted heavy casualties.
The Hampshires on this day alone lost 18 Officers and 208 men either killed wounded or missing.
At this point Caen was nearly entirely liberated, but the River Orne to the west of the city and the area east
of the Orne was not and on the morning of July 11th Operation “Jupiter” was about to begin. The village of
Maltot lay in a valley close to the River Orne and there were open cornfields rising to a gentle sloping
plateau. There were orchards and hedges, the corn was high and the fields were red with poppies. The
Germans held the high ground east of the Orne and were able to observe all movements below. They had
artillery and mortars and they had the perfect position on and over the slopes of Hill 112 along with the
ridge above Maltot. The Hampshires and the 231st Brigade were about to assault a enemy position of great
strength and the advantage the Germans had was they could move their Tigers and Panzers around unseen
by the Allies. As the battle continued the slopes of Hill 112 were ablaze with the wrecks of tanks, and the
area had turned into a vast crater zone of shell holes, wrecked vehicles and the bodies of those who had
fought and fallen. One of those who had fallen was Lieutenant Hastings.
Hill 112 was not totally cleared of the enemy until early August.                                                                              It was said that Lieutenant Hastings had become an excellent officer, and while on parade was a strict disciplinarian. It was also said that he was very interested in his men and cared for their welfare.

The Memorial Cross was issued to His mother Isabella later in 1944 and the family received the war medals awarded to "King" which included the 1939-45 Star, the France - Germany Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

Lieutenant Hastings in honoured and remembered on the Brussels Cenotaph but should have his name on the Wingham Cenotaph as well. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaques of Wingham United Church and Smooth Rock Falls United Church. He is honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Wingham High School and on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.