SHANK, Floyd Henry

NAME                  SHANK           Floyd Henry
RANK                  Private             61461                                                                                                                                                  1st Canadian Army - 11 Canadian Corps - 2nd Canadian Division - 5th Infantry Brigade  REGIMENT         The Royal Highland Regiment of Canada - Black Watch 
                            “no one provokes me without impunity”
                            Royal Canadian Infantry Corp.                                                                                                  Born                    November 11, 1921 - Vonda -  Saskatchewan                                                                Residence           Parkhill                                                                                                                                      Died                     August 29, 1944          22 years   9 months
Cemetery            Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery -Cintheaux - Calvados - France
                            XVIII E 16
Wife                    Mrs. Doreen Shank - Greenway / Windsor / Goderich
Parents               Mr. John and Ethel Shank - Grand Bend / Parkhill                                                                          Sisters                Mrs. Ada Dietrich - Dashwood                                                                                                                                     Mrs. Ellen Gloucher - Goderich                                                                                                                                   Miss Evelyn Shank - Dashwood

Floyd was born in Vonda, Saskatchewan on November 11, 1921 and when he was about 3 he and his family
moved to Ontario in 1924. He left school following Grade VIII at the age of 14 years. Prior to enlistment he was a farmer and worked for Mr. Jack Ryan of Credition. He was raised United and the family would have attended Parkhill United Church.

Canada

During the summer of 1942 on August 21 he enrolled with the Canadian Army in London under the Natural Resources Mobilization Act. At that time he stood 5' 6" tall and weighed 151 pounds. He had a medium complexion with brown eyes and brown hair. He was assigned to NRMA No. 1 Depot where he stayed until month end and at that time he was posted to No. 12 No. 12 Basic Training Centre in Chatham. Then at the end of October he went to No. 23 Training Centre in Newmarket. By the end of November he had travelled to Nova Scotia and it was there he enlisted on November 27 into the Canadian Army in the Eastern Passage - Nova Scotia. He had enlisted into the Royal Canadian Artillery and received the rank of Gunner. He was then attached on December 1 to No. 23 Coastal Defence with the 48th Anti-Aircraft Battery Advanced Training Centre in Bedford - Nova Scotia.                                                                                                                                              In the middle of June 1943 he received the rank of Lance Bombardier and then shortly after was attached to the 54th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery. In the middle of December he received the rank of Bombardier and then at the end of the year was posted to the 25th Anti-Aircraft Regiment.                                                                            Very early in 1944 he was posted to the 148th Light Anti Aircraft Battery in Newfoundland. In March he reverts back to rank of Gunner and Taken on Service with the 23rd Anti Aircraft Battery in Sydney - Nova Scotia. At the end of March he received embarkation Leave and following his leave on April 22 is posted to No. 1 Transit Camp in Windsor - Nova Scotia. He receives embarkation leave in the first half of Nay and now has the rank of Private but then is AWOL and loses 7 days allowance. Near the end of May he is posted to the No. 1 Infantry Training Battalion in Windsor - Nova Scotia. He receives furlough in the first half of July and then is posted to the Infantry Training Brigade Group in Debert - Nova Scotia. Five days later on July 18 Private Shank is Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada and embarks from Halifax for overseas. The next day he is Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army overseas and on May 27 he disembarks in the United Kingdom. He then reports to No. 2 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit.

In the Field

On August 10 he is Taken on Service with the 13th Infantry Battalion - Black Watch and joins them just prior to embarking from the United Kingdom on August 12. Private Shank disembarks in France on August 13.                In mid - August 1944 and after the Falaise Pocket, the Black Watch cleared the Quesnay Wood, pushing on
and pursuing the Germans up the coast in an effort to clear all the Channel ports.
The port of Dieppe had to be cleared during “Operation Fusilade”. On August 21st, it was raining and it was muddy and near Vimouthiers there was German opposition with 2 being killed and 3 being wounded. On August 23rd, it was warm and sunny and although the Black Watch was not involved in any direct action there was a number killed and wounded as a result of German artillery shelling. On Saturday the 27th of August the weather was clear and they advanced on Bourgtheroulde and here they met enemy machine gun and small arms fire as well as sniper fire. There were casualties when a Troop Carrying Vehicle was blown up by a mine. “D” Company had been cut off by anti-tank guns in the town and the no one was able to make contact with the 5th Infantry Brigade. As a result they were forced to fight the Germans the whole night. All the German guns had been sighted for a frontal attack, and the attack was made from the rear and this move proved successful. The Calgary Highlanders could not move up beside the Black Watch as they were involved in heavy fighting. They now became the target of some very heavy enemy mortar and shell fire, but after capturing some German prisoners, they discovered a map that pin pointed the positions of the German guns and with this information the Canadian artillery began to eliminate the enemy positions. On Sunday the 28th, the weather had turned cloudy and there was rain on the way and the Black Watch were now on the banks of the Seine River at La Boisson in the Forest de la Londe and there was heavy mortar fire which caused light casualties.
On Tuesday the 29th it was raining and the German mortar fire continued. “D” Company was along the main road between Bougtherould and La Boisson. “A” Company was on the east side of the Rouen Road and in
contact with the Calgary Highlanders. “C” Company was also on the east side of the Rouen Road and
during the early evening the Black Watch moved around to Mareval to an area of concentration for the
move across the Seine. Private Shank was last seen 1 mile southwest of Bourerthoulde as he was evacuating prisoners at 10 am There were about 30 prisoners of war. Private Sinclair who was with Private Shank said that at about 11 am they came under enemy fire from machine guns. There was no cover and Private Sinclair was
in danger of becoming a prisoner himself. He said he saw Private Shank get hit and fall onto the road.
Between August 20th –27th the Regiment suffered very heavy casualties, but were always able to push forward.
It was during this time period Private Shank had been reported missing but in actual fact was killed in action. Private Shank was originally along the Brionne to Bourg Therouble road on the north edge of the road 100 yards north-east of the church.

Private Shank's wife and mother both received the Memorial Cross and later his wife received the medals awarded to her husband which were the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp.

Floyd is honoured and remembered on the Parkhill United Church Memorial Plaque, on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and in the Books of Remembrance located in the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament buildings in Ottawa.