GALLAGHER, John Austin

NAME           GALLAGHER           John Austin     59482
RANK           Craftsman                                                                                                                                                                   I Canada Corps - 5th Canadian Armoured Division - 11th Infantry Brigade -                                        UNIT             Royal Canadian Electrical / Mechanical Engineers
                     “by skill and by fighting”
                     attached to the Irish Regiment of Canada.                                                                                    Born             September 16, 1918 - Township of Howick - County of Huron - Ontario                                          Died              August 10, 1944          25 years   11 months
Cemetery     Rome War Cemetery - Rome - Italy
                     II B 17
Wife             Mrs. Dorothy Gallagher - Palmerston
Parents        Mr. Austin and Margaret Gallagher – Palmerston

John was born on September 16, 1918 in Howick Township of Huron County and at the time he enlisted was a resident of Palmerston. He would have attended St. Paul's Anglican Church. His first employment was driving for his father as a truck driver. His full time employment before he enlisted was that of a CNR brakeman. He was a volunteer with the National Resources Mobilization Act of 1941. His hobby was mechanics. He attended Palmerston Public School and Palmerston High School for 2 years.

Canada

He enlisted in Kitchener on January 8, 1942. When he enlisted he stood 5' 9" tall and weighed 201 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. Two weeks later he was posted to No. 10 Basic Training Centre in Kitchener. Between July 7-19 he was on furlough. The following day he was attached to     A 21 Royal Canadian Ordinance Corps Training Centre in Barriefield, Ontario and while on course there qualified as a Driver i Class III on August 24. Private Gallagher then went to London, Ontario on September 8 to the Motor Transport Service. He received Christmas leave between December 23-27.                                                                          In the spring of 1943 on May 27 he transferred to A 21 Royal Canadian Ordinance Corps Training Centre in Barriefield. While there he qualified as a motor vehicle fitter. At the end of June he qualified as a Motor Vehicle Fitter  Group A   Grade III. Between July 3-16 he was granted furlough and between July 17-21 he received embarkation leave.

Overseas

Private Gallagher left Canada on July 20, 1943 and was Struck off Canadian Army in Canada. The following day he was Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas. He arrived overseas in the United Kingdom on July 28, 1943. The training continued and on August 10 he was Taken on Service with the Irish Regiment of Canada. On October 23, 1943 he embarked from Scotland and was Struck off Strength of the Canadian Army in the United Kingdom. One day later he was Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army in the Mediterranean theatre. They disembarked in Italy on November 10, 1943.

In the field

On March 24, 1944 Private Gallagher qualified as a fitter of motor vehicles "B". He ten transferred from the Royal Canadian Ordinance Cops to the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers with the rank of Craftsmen. He remained attached to the Irish Regiment of Canada. On August 8th while on parade he mentioned that he had chest pains. He was then admitted to No. 24 Canadian Field Ambulance. Then at 22:00 hours he had pains going into his back and chest and this was accompanied by the chills. He apparently did not sleep during the night of August 8/9th. Prior to his admittance to hospital he mentioned that he had a rash on his face/neck and ears for the past 2 weeks along with the chills and a fever. At 07:35 hours on August 10th Craftsman Gallagher died from bronchial pneumonia along with an infection of the brain stem at No. 24 Canadian Army Medical Corps Field Ambulance.
The Electrical / Mechanical Engineers repaired and maintained the vehicles, tanks, armour, weapons, optics,
and other machinery that allowed our forces to keep pushing forward.
The Light Aid Detachments recovered and repaired tanks that had been knocked out of a battle. Anything
that could not be dealt with out in the field was loaded and sent back to the Brigade workshop. In some
cases before they could proceed they would have to remove the bodies of the fallen from their vehicles
before the work could begin.
During the first week of August 1944, the Canadians began the 350 - mile top secret move toward Florence
and the Adriatic Coast. It is believed that Craftsman Gallagher was part of a front line Light Aid Detachment.                                                                                                                                                                                        Both Craftsmen Gallager's wife Dorothy and his mother Margaret were issued the Memorial Cross on December 7, 1944. He was then awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the War Medal and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and the family received these at a later date.

John is honoured and remembered on the Palmerston - Ontario Cenotaph. He would have been honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of Palmerston High School. He would be honoured and remembered on the Memorial Plaque of St Paul's Anglican Church. He is also honoured and remembered on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial. He is honoured and remembered in the Memorial Books in the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum.