FAWCETT, Clifford Roy
NAME FAWCETT Clifford Roy
RANK Private 115824 1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 4th Armoured Division - 10th Infantry Brigade REGIMENT Lincoln and Welland Regiment - 1st Battalion
“not for ourselves, but for our country”
Royal Canadian Infantry Corp Born September 28, 1919 - Dublin - Hibert Township - County of Perth and McKillop Township and County of Huron Residence Staffa Died April 6, 1945 25 years 6 months
Cemetery Holten Canadian War Cemetery - Holten - Twente - Netherlands
IX G 13 Parents Mr. William and Olivia Fawcett - Staffa Brothers William lived in Toronto John lived in Staffa Sisters Mrs. Verena McNichol lived in Walton Leona lived in London Olive and Margaret lived in Staffa
Clifford was born in Dublin on September 28, 1919. The family was Anglican and would have attended Trinity Anglican Church. Clifford left school at age 16 following the completion of grade 7. He was employed as a farmer with his father for 6 years and was known to be mechanical. He enjoyed hunting as he grew up.
Canada
Clifford enrolled under the National Resources Mobilization Act in London on September 17, 1942 and was Taken on Service with No. 1 NRMA Clearing Depot and attached to No. 1 District Depot. When he enrolled he stood 5' 5" and weighed 148 pounds. He a clear complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He was there until October 12 at which time he was posted to the 6th Canadian Division - 14 Brigade and attached to the 14 Brigade Group No. 25 Company of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps based on the Pacific Coat in Terrace - British Columbia. On October 24 he was attacked to the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps Headquarters in Prince George - British Columbia. From February 9-March 11, 1943 he is hospitalized in Prince George. He received furlough from March 17-April 7 and special agricultural leave in Dublin from April 17 - June 15 to help on the family farm. Immediately after returning from Ontario he is attached to No. 11 District Depot - Vancouver - British Columbia. During 1943 he had trained on the 303 Enfield Rifle 2nd Class, On December 16 - January 9, 1944 he is again granted leave and this time to Staffa - Ontario Shortly after he was Struck off Service as a Natural Resources Mobilization Act Soldier and Taken on Service in the Canadian Army Active Force on June 14. On July 1 he is discharged to Terrace - British Columbia to the Mountain Warfare School and two weeks later is attached to the Placement Wing of the School. On August 10 he is posted to No. 16 Canadian Infantry Training Centre in Calgary.
Overseas
On November 29 Private Fawcett was Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada and embarked from Canada for overseas. The following day while at sea he was Taken in Strength with the Canadian Army overseas and he disembarked in the United Kingdom on December 9. The following day he reported for duty. During 1933 he had trained on the Lee Enfield 303 rifle and received 1st Class, he trained on the Bren gun and the Sten gun.
In the Field During 1945 he had trained on the PIAT and Trench Mortars .Six weeks later on January 20, 1945 he embarked from the United Kingdom and on January 23 he disembarked onto the soil of north-western Europe in Belgium. One week later he Was Taken on Strength with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. April 6, 1945 was a fair day with warm temperatures. At 3:35 am “D” Company heard considerable German movement from across the Twenthe Canal and all Companies were now prepared for an enemy counter attack that never came. At 6 am enemy harassing fire by "D" Company was being taken the enemy from machine guns, mortars and artillery with only some small arms fire being returned. "C" Company reported no enemy in their sector. At 10:40 am “B” company went to assist the 29th Canadian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment where a buildup of enemy troops had been reported. Up until now there had been patrols sent out and mopping up but there had been very little enemy contact. By 7 pm the Regiment had reported with only light enemy machine gun and mortar fire being reported. "C" Company was to actively patrol the woods during the night wit the PIATA ready to blast the enemy. "D" Company was to patrol to the right to contact the support group. At 7:32 pm “D’ company was very heavily mortared. Eventually those German mortars were located and the Lincs Mortar Platoon returned fire and destroyed those positions. During this action it is believed Private Fawcett lost his life. Clifford was originally buried on the south side of the railway embankment in a trench near Weine - Overjissel - Netherlands
On May 16, 1945 Clifford's mother received the Memorial Cross and at a later date the family received the awards given to Clifford which included the 1939-45 Star, the France and Germany Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
On November 21, 1947 the family received a letter from the Netherlands from V. H. Soegies who resided in Almelo and they informed the Fawcett family that they had adopted the grave of Private Fawcett and wanted to correspond with the family.
Clifford in honoured and remembered on the Michell - Ontario Cenotaph, on the Memorial Plaque of Trinity Anglican Church, in the Books of Remembrance in the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and in the Lincoln and Welland Regiment Museum in Niagara on the Lake - Ontario.
