LEDIET, Preston Harold

NAME             LEDIET           Preston Harold
RANK             Private            50405
                       I Canadian Corps - 1st Canadian Infantry Division - 2nd Infantry Brigade                                        REGIMENT    Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
                        “help the king”
                       Royal Canadian Infantry Corp                                                                                            Residence      Wingham - Ontario
Born               December 25, 1914 - Wingham - Turnberry Township - County of Huron - Ontario
Died                August 27, 1944          29 years   8 months                                                                                      Cemetery       Montecchio War Cemetery - Montecchio -Montelabbate - Peraro - Italy                                                                   III   D   4                                                                                                                                        Parents           Mr. Darcey and Charlotte Lediet - Wingham - Ontario                                                                      Brothers          Alvin, William and Norman - Wingham - Ontario                                                                                                       Gordon Lediet - Camp Ipperwash                                                                                                                             George Lediet - Detroit - Michigan                                                                                                     Sisters            Eva - Wingham - Ontario                                                                                                                                           Hazel - Toronto- Ontario                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Preston was born in Wingham on December 25, 1914. He was raised Anglican and would have attended          St Paul's Trinity Anglican Church. He left school at the age of 17 and then attended 9 years of Bible School. He was employed at Brown Manufacturing Company gluing furniture and was also with Bell Telephone as an under brusher prior to enlistment. During 1936, Preston was part of the Middlesex and Huron Regiment from 1936-40.

Canada

He travelled to Chatham and on August 16, 1940 enlisted into the Kent Regiment of the Canadian Active Service Force as a Private. Upon enlistment he stood 5'  7" tall and weighed 149 pounds with a fair complexion, blue eyes and rusty hair.                                                                                                                                                    On March 3, 1941 while serving in London Private Lediet was charged with being drunk and he lost 14 days of pay. Between April 1-15 he received furlough. On June 2nd while still in London he transferred to the Elgin Regiment and on July 5th he transfers to the unit which was at Sydney, Nova Scotia.                                              In 1942 between January 5-18 he was granted furlough while in Sussex, New Brunswick. He was then Taken on Service with the Elgin Regiment on February 5th with the rank of Trooper. On June 2-3 Trooper Lediet Qualified as a Driver I.C. Class III for both tracked and wheeled vehicles. He was granted Leave between July 16-21 but was AWOL and received 6 days confined to barracks and the loss of 6 days pay. Trooper Lediet was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada on September 26th and embarked Canada from Halifax. The following day he was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas. On October 9th he disembarked in the United Kingdom. 

United Kingdom                   

Very early in 1943 Trooper Lediet was posted to the Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit and a day later was admitted into 15 General Hospital for the remainder of the month. On February 11th he was posted to the 1st Armoured Tank Delivery Regiment (Elgin Regiment). Between March 31-April 6 he was granted Privileged Leave. Between May 4-12 he was in 8 General Hospital. He then went on June 1st to the Canadian Base Reinforcement Depot. He was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in the United Kingdom and embarked from the ports of the Clyde River in Scotland with the 1st Canadian Division. The next day he was Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army in the Mediterranean Theatre and disembarked onto the beaches of Sicily on July 10, 1943.

In the field

The Elgin Regiment during the Italian Campaign retrieved tanks from the battlefield no matter where they were or no matter their condition and then took them back behind the lines until they were once again battle ready.      On November 4th he was posted to "B" Squadron with the Elgins and two weeks later was posted to 1st Canadian Heavy Recovery Squadron. In the month of April on the 12th Trooper Lediet received 7 days of Field Punishment and lost 7 days of pay. This would have been a humiliation for a soldier and it is felt but cannon be for certain that following the Field Punishment he transferred to the Infantry and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. His file ends abruptly following his field punishment.                                                                          August 25/26 at 11 pm was “H” hour for the assault onto the Gothic Line for the Seaforths. They began their advance across the Metauro River in thigh deep water and at midnight the artillery opened up on the enemy. The infantry moved their way up tothe Via Flaminia and arrived at their check points on time. As the artillery ended they advanced up the slopes into the hilly country. There was little resistance and they entered the towns of Saltara and Serrungarina and took positions in their assigned perimeters.                                                          The advance continued on the morning of August 26th at 7:30 am and would have to scale three heights in front of them with the 1,600' Monte della Mattera which was flanked on the west by Mount San Giovanni and to the east Point 393. The Seaforths of the 2nd Brigade would advance on Monte della Mattera. Once these objectives were realized they would overlook to the north-west the village of Mombaroccio, the Arzilla River valley and the final spur between them and the Foglia River. The Seaforth moved ahead with little opposition but around noon and enemy shelling began to intensify but they were successful in clearing Monte della Mattera following a brief fire fight. One Company then moved north-east to see what the defences of the convent but were driven back. In the evening forward elements of the Battalion suffered under heavy enemy artillery shelling losing 4 men and wounding 12 men. This enemy shelling continued during the whole night of August 26/27.                                                                                                                                                    The Seaforth diaries state that at 3:45 am the rifle companies began to move across the Metauro River with no opposition. At 8:15 am the Battalion with the support of tanks moved onto and secured their first objective which was Point 382 by  9:30 am. At 10:45 am "C" Company then secured Point 394 and captured 39 prisoners of war. Atmidday there was a sharp engagement and the final object which was Monte della Mattera was secured. Enemy shell fire was heavy at times and the forward elements were strafed by friendly aircraft. At 4 pm              "B" Company which had patrolled the convent Beato Sante had reached a point on the road with out supporting armour and the advance was held up and at the same time they were taking enemy shell fire on the flanks. Because of the lack of tank support they withdrew in the dark of the night. During the evening the forward elements of the Battalion took a beating from enemy artillery fire                                                                    Private Lediet was wounded on December 26th and died from his fatal wounds on December 27th. Orginally Private Lediet was buried in the nearest town to Cartoceto which was 10 miles south-west of Feno. Salamone may be where he was buried.                                                                                                                                 

On February 21, 1946 his mother received the Memorial Cross. On April 14, 1949, Private Lediet was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp

Preston is honoured and remembered on the Wingham Cenotaph and on the Memorial Plaques of  St Pauls Trinity Anglican Church .and Wingham High School. He is also honoured and remembered at the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Museum in Vancouver. As well he is honoured and remembered in the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Book of Remembrance in Inverness - Scotland. In addition, he is honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.

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