Private Walter Garfield West

Survivor of WW2

Date of Death:

Biography General Links Ranks Awards Chronology Print

Service Biography

Walter Garfield West of Brysonville, Quebec enlisted in the Canadian Army at ...

General Information

Conflict:

WW2

Regimental No.:

D71621

Cause of Death (in war):

Survived

Branch:

Army

Regiment:

Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

Battalion:

Black Watch

Company:

Date of Birth :

Place of Birth:

Brysonville, Quebec

Date of Enlistment:

Age at Enlistment:

20 years

Date of Discharge:

Age at Discharge:

25 years 2 months

Date of Death:

Age at Death:

83 years 8 months

Country Born:

Canada

Trade or Calling:

Truck Driver - Farmer

Next of Kin:

George William West (father) and Clara West (mother), Coteau Station, Quebec

Address at Enlistment:

Coteau Station, Quebec

Religion:

Presbyterian

Place of Enlistment:

Montreal, Quebec

Was a Prisoner of War:

Height:

Weight:

Chest:

Expansion:

Marital Status:

Married

Prior Military Experience:

Saw Service in:

Europe

Place of Discharge:

Montreal, Quebec

Discharge Type:

Regular/End of Service

Discharge Notes:

Battle Died/Wounded:

Length of Service:

1875 days in service

Buried at:

Links

Ancestry.com

Ranks

Conflict	Rank	Regiment	Branch	Unit
WW2	Private	Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada	Army	Black Watch
Award claim explicitly gives Black Watch/NWE qualifying service 6 July 1944 to 12 July 1945. Medical History dated 31 Oct 1944 still identifies unit as Black Watch, confirming hospitalization did not end affiliation.
WW2	Private	Victoria Rifles of Canada	Army	5 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit
5 CIRU TOS is explicit 23 May 1943. Award evidence separately identifies Victoria Rifles as his UK unit/regimental affiliation through 6 July 1944, but does not establish an SOS date from 5 CIRU. Leave this posting/rank end date blank rather than conflating the two records.
WW2	Private	Victoria Rifles of Canada	Army	Victoria Rifles of Canada

Awards

Conflict	Award	Action	Date of Award	Date of Citation	Source
WW2	1939-45 Star
WW2	France and Germany Star
WW2	Defence Medal
WW2	Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp
WW2	War Medal 1939-45

Service Chronology

1920-07-30 — Born — Brysonville, Quebec
1940-08-16 — Enlisted; trade or calling recorded as Truck Driver - Farmer — Montreal, Quebec
1941-06-30 — Married Elsie May Richardson — Topsail, Newfoundland
1941-10-10 — Granted 1 day's pay and allowance — Valcartier, Quebec
1941-10-17 — Proceeded from Valcartier — Valcartier, Quebec
1941-10-22 — Arrived at Nanaimo — Nanaimo, British Columbia
1941-12-20 — Stoppage of pay for barrack damages — Nanaimo, British Columbia
1942-01-15 — Changed station — Nanaimo, British Columbia
1942-02-16 — Granted 14 days furlough — Nanaimo, British Columbia
1942-05-09 — Admitted to Esquimalt Military Hospital — Macaulay, British Columbia
1942-05-16 — Discharged from Esquimalt Military Hospital — Macaulay, British Columbia
1942-06-06 — Absent without leave beginning 2359 hrs — Macaulay, British Columbia
1942-06-08 — Returned from absence without leave; awarded detention/forfeiture — Macaulay, British Columbia
1942-07-16 — Qualified Driver I.C., Class III Wheeled — Macaulay, British Columbia
1942-08-03 — Proceeded from Macaulay Camp — Macaulay, British Columbia
1942-08-09 — Arrived at Dartmouth — Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
1942-09-07 — Proceeded from Dartmouth — Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
1942-09-08 — Arrived at Sussex — Sussex, New Brunswick
1942-11-11 — Son Walter Garfield West Jr. born — Canada
1942-12-18 — Issued transportation warrant — Sussex, New Brunswick
1942-12-27 — Entitled to wear one silver and two black chevrons — Sussex, New Brunswick
1943-02-01 — Son Walter Garfield West Jr. died — Canada
1943-02-22 — Granted 14 days furlough — Sussex, New Brunswick
1943-04-29 — Granted four days embarkation leave — Sussex, New Brunswick
1943-05-12 — Struck off strength on posting to Canadian Army Overseas — Canada
1943-05-13 — Embarked for overseas service — Canada
1943-05-22 — Disembarked in the United Kingdom — United Kingdom
1943-05-23 — Taken on strength, 5 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit — United Kingdom
1943-12-07 — Admitted for hospital treatment — 18 Canadian Field Ambulance, United Kingdom
1943-12-11 — Returned to duty — 18 Canadian Field Ambulance, United Kingdom
1944-07-06 — Entered France with the Black Watch — France / Black Watch
1944-08-24 — Evacuated from unit for hospital treatment — 101 British General Hospital, Northwest Europe
1944-09-01 — Transferred for continued recovery — 2 Canadian Convalescent Depot, Northwest Europe
1944-09-21 — Posted to 11 Battalion Canadian Base Reinforcement, Northwest Europe
1944-10 — Posted to 3 C.R.C., recorded as three weeks after the 21 September posting — Northwest Europe
1944-10 — Subsequently posted to 20 Special Employment Coy — Northwest Europe
1945-09-03 — Ceased overseas service — United Kingdom
1945-09-04 — Returned to Canadian service for demobilization — Canada
1945-10-03 — Release Medical Board completed — Montreal South, Montreal, Quebec
1945-10-04 — Released from Canadian Army as Private — Montreal, Quebec
1945-10-04 to 1945-10-19 — Fifteen days commuted leave credited following release; discharge remained 4 October 1945 — Montreal, Quebec
2004-04-18 — Died — Montreal, Quebec

Notes

Enlisted in the Canadian Army (Active) at Montreal on 16 August 1940. His service included postings at Valcartier, Nanaimo/Macaulay, Dartmouth and Sussex before overseas service. He qualified Driver I.C., Class III Wheeled on 16 July 1942.

[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]

Born at: Brysonville, Que. on July 30, 1920.
BIRTH JULY 30, 1920 • Brysonville, , Québec, Canada DEATH APRIL 18, 2004 • Montréal, , Québec, Canada
Arrived from overseas on Empress of Scotland. Walter joined the Victoria Rifles in Montreal in Aug. 1940, went overseas in May 1943, served with the Black Watch (RH.- R.) in France and Germany. Walter has been fortunate in securing a position with the CNR. and plans to take up residence in Coteau, with his bride, the former Miss Elsie Richardson, of Newfound- land. Pte. West was born and lived near Ormstown for some time,
atip Request confirmation number EA2026_0171742

Additional Service Notes

Served in Canada and Newfoundland before proceeding overseas in May 1943. Disembarked in the United Kingdom on 22 May 1943 and was taken on strength of 5 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit the next day. He later served with the Black Watch in Northwest Europe, entering France on 6 July 1944. After hospital and reinforcement postings he returned to Canada in September 1945 and was released on 4 October 1945.

Additional Next of Kin Notes

At enlistment his parents George William West and Clara West were associated with Coteau Station, Quebec. He married Elsie May Richardson at Topsail, Newfoundland, on 30 June 1941. Their son Walter Garfield West Jr. was born 11 November 1942 and died 1 February 1943.

Version: 3 Last modified: 2026-09-30 02:05:04 by: marc