Private Rene Boily

Survivor of WW2

Date of Death:

Biography General Ranks Awards Chronology Print

Service Biography

Rene Boily was born at St-Félicien, Quebec, on 28 January 1918. He started school at about age ten and completed Grade 4 at a rural school at St-Timothée. Before the war he worked for Montreal Cotton in textile work for about six to seven years, later worked as a welder with E. & A. Marine Industries, and immediately before active service was employed by Defence Industries Limited in Valleyfield; his attestation gave his trade or calling as foreman. He spoke French and some English, enjoyed the theatre and dancing, and was married to Lucille; the attestation records that they had one child. After one month of NRMA service at Valleyfield in 1940, he enlisted for active service at Montreal South on 15 October 1942. He served entirely in Canada with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, qualifying as Driver Class III and later Driver Mechanic (Motor Vehicle) Group C. His postings included Quebec, Camp Borden, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Courtenay and Vernon. In December 1942 he suffered facial abrasions when a military truck struck a snow bank and overturned while he was going on pass. In 1944 he was hospitalized at Nanaimo for fibrositis of the low back. He was discharged to civil life on demobilization on 14 February 1946 and hoped to continue in automotive work through vocational training as an automobile mechanic.

General Information

Conflict:

WW2

Regimental No.:

D-472559

Cause of Death (in war):

Survived

Branch:

Army

Regiment:

Canadian Army

Battalion:

No. 48 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre, St. Johns

Company:

Date of Birth :

Place of Birth:

St-Félicien, Quebec

Date of Enlistment:

Age at Enlistment:

24 years 8 months

Date of Discharge:

Age at Discharge:

28 years

Date of Death:

Age at Death:

66 years 6 months

Country Born:

Trade or Calling:

Foreman

Next of Kin:

Lucille Boily, wife, 357 Boulevard du Havre, Valleyfield, Quebec

Address at Enlistment:

357 Boulevard du Havre, Valleyfield, Quebec

Religion:

Roman Catholic

Place of Enlistment:

Montreal South, Quebec

Was a Prisoner of War:

Height:

5 ft 5.0 in / 165 cm

Weight:

135 lbs / 61 kg

Chest:

35.0 in / 89 cm

Expansion:

2.5 in / 6 cm

Marital Status:

Married

Prior Military Experience:

Yes

Saw Service in:

Canada

Place of Discharge:

Montreal South, Quebec

Discharge Type:

Regular/End of Service

Discharge Notes:

Battle Died/Wounded:

Length of Service:

1218 days in service

Buried at:

Ranks

Conflict	Rank	Regiment	Branch	Unit
WW2	Private	Canadian Army	Army	No. 48 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre, St. Johns
WW2	Private	Canadian Army	Army	No. 4 District Depot, Montreal South
WW2	Private	Royal Canadian Army Service Corps	Army	No. 7 Depot RCASC, Vernon
WW2	Private	Royal Canadian Army Service Corps	Army	No. 21 Sub-Depot RCASC, Courtenay
WW2	Private	Royal Canadian Army Service Corps	Army	No. 3 Depot RCASC, Nanaimo
WW2	Private	Royal Canadian Army Service Corps	Army	No. 1 Depot RCASC, Vancouver
WW2	Private	Royal Canadian Army Service Corps	Army	A-19 RCASC Training Centre, Camp Borden
WW2	Private	Canadian Army	Army	Canadian Army Basic Training Centre 53, Lauzon
WW2	Private	Canadian Army	Army	Canadian Army Basic Training Centre 54, Sherbrooke
WW2	Private	Canadian Army	Army	No. 4 District Depot
WW2	Private	Canadian Army	Army	No. 47 Training Centre, Valleyfield

Awards

Conflict	Award	Action	Date of Award	Date of Citation	Source
WW2	War Medal 1939-1945

Service Chronology

1918-01-28 — Born at St-Félicien, Quebec.
1940-11-22 — Enrolled for NRMA service at No. 47 Training Centre, Valleyfield, Quebec.
1940-12-22 — Completed one month of NRMA service at No. 47 Training Centre, Valleyfield, Quebec.
1942-10-15 — Enlisted for active service at Montreal South, Quebec, and was taken on strength No. 4 District Depot.
1942-10-31 — Attached to Canadian Army Basic Training Centre 54, Sherbrooke, Quebec, for training.
1942-12-05 — Sustained multiple facial abrasions when a military truck struck a snow bank and overturned while he was going on pass; the injury report was completed at Sherbrooke, Quebec.
1942-12-19 — Attached to Canadian Army Basic Training Centre 53, Lauzon, Quebec.
1943-04-23 to 1943-04-27 — Granted four days' leave while serving at Canadian Army Basic Training Centre 53, Lauzon, Quebec.
1943-05-01 to 1943-05-14 — Granted fourteen days' leave while serving at Canadian Army Basic Training Centre 53, Lauzon, Quebec.
1943-05-16 — Completed basic training at Canadian Army Basic Training Centre 53, Lauzon, Quebec, before transfer to Royal Canadian Army Service Corps training.
1943-06-03 — Attached for all purposes to A-19 RCASC Training Centre, Camp Borden, Ontario, following transfer from Lauzon.
1943-08-06 — Qualified Driver Class III (I/C), wheeled, at A-19 RCASC Training Centre, Camp Borden, Ontario.
1943-09-09 — Taken on strength No. 1 Depot RCASC, Vancouver, British Columbia.
1943-09-15 — Attached to No. 3 Depot RCASC, Nanaimo, British Columbia, for all purposes except pay.
1943-10-31 — Ceased attachment to No. 28 Canadian Trades Training Centre RCASC for pay while at No. 3 Depot RCASC, Nanaimo, British Columbia.
1943-11-01 — Attached to Winnipeg Light Infantry for pay while serving at No. 3 Depot RCASC, Nanaimo, British Columbia; the entry was later cancelled.
1943-12-01 — Posted from No. 1 Depot RCASC to No. 21 Sub-Depot RCASC, Courtenay, British Columbia.
1944-01-16 — Attached to Camp Commandant, Nanaimo Military Camp, for pay while serving with No. 21 Sub-Depot RCASC, Courtenay, British Columbia.
1944-02-16 — Reported low-back pain and was admitted to Nanaimo Military Hospital, Nanaimo, British Columbia.
1944-03-01 — Attached to Combined Operations School for pay while serving with No. 21 Sub-Depot RCASC, Courtenay, British Columbia.
1944-03-01 — Discharged from Nanaimo Military Hospital, Nanaimo, British Columbia, following treatment for fibrositis of the low back.
1944-06-07 to 1944-06-20 — Granted annual furlough with pay and transportation from Courtenay, British Columbia, to Valleyfield, Quebec, and return.
1944-07-03 — Next-of-kin address for his wife Lucille was changed from Valleyfield, Quebec, to General Delivery, Courtenay, British Columbia.
1944-08-03 — Qualified Driver Mechanic Group C while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps.
1944-09-26 — Granted tradesman's rate of pay Group C after qualifying as Driver Mechanic (Motor Vehicle) Group C while serving with No. 21 Sub-Depot RCASC, Courtenay, British Columbia.
1945-08-22 — Next-of-kin address for Lucille Boily was changed from 457 McLean Road, Courtenay, British Columbia, back to 357 Boulevard du Havre, Valleyfield, Quebec.
1945-10-31 — Ceased attachment from No. 21 Sub-Depot RCASC, Courtenay, British Columbia, for transfer to No. 7 Depot RCASC.
1945-11-01 — Taken on strength No. 7 Depot RCASC, Vernon, British Columbia.
1945-11-12 — Attached for duty, rations and quarters to Vernon Military Hospital while serving with No. 7 Depot RCASC, Vernon, British Columbia.
1945-12-15 — Ceased to draw tradesman's pay as Driver Mechanic (Motor Vehicle) Group C and was struck off strength No. 7 Depot RCASC, Vernon, British Columbia.
1945-12-16 — Taken on strength No. 48 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre, St. Johns, Quebec.
1945-12-20 to 1945-12-24 — Granted five days' Christmas leave while serving with No. 48 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre, St. Johns, Quebec.
1946-02-06 — Granted pre-discharge leave and struck off strength No. 48 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre, St. Johns, Quebec, for No. 4 District Depot.
1946-02-07 — Taken on strength No. 4 District Depot, Montreal South, Quebec, while on pre-discharge leave.
1946-02-14 — Discharged from No. 4 District Depot, Montreal South, Quebec, to civil life on demobilization.

Notes

Additional Service Notes

Rene Boily had one month of earlier NRMA service at No. 47 Training Centre, Valleyfield, from 22 November to 22 December 1940. He enlisted for active service at Montreal South on 15 October 1942 and served entirely in Canada. After basic training at Sherbrooke and Lauzon, he transferred to the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and was attached to A-19 RCASC Training Centre, Camp Borden, on 3 June 1943. He qualified Driver Class III on 6 August 1943 and Driver Mechanic (Motor Vehicle) Group C on 3 August 1944; tradesman's Group C pay followed on 26 September 1944. His later service included No. 3 Depot RCASC at Nanaimo, No. 21 Sub-Depot RCASC at Courtenay, No. 7 Depot RCASC at Vernon and No. 48 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre at St. Johns, Quebec. He transferred to No. 4 District Depot, Montreal South, while on pre-discharge leave and was discharged to civil life on 14 February 1946.

Additional Next of Kin Notes

Lucille Boily was his wife and next of kin. The active-service attestation states that the couple had one child, whose name is not given on that form. At enlistment the household was associated with 357 Boulevard du Havre, Valleyfield, Quebec. During Boily's Vancouver Island service Lucille's next-of-kin address was changed to Courtenay, British Columbia; by August 1945 the record shows 457 McLean Road, Courtenay. On 22 August 1945 her address was changed back to 357 Boulevard du Havre, Valleyfield. The file therefore documents Lucille spending part of Boily's west-coast service in Courtenay before returning to Quebec.

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