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Sister reflects on brother’s life lost near Caen, France
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The Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery is located 14 km south of Caen, France. It is where thousands of Canadian soldiers killed during the Second World War are buried, including Walter Elijah Arlidge.
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Walter Elijah Arlidge enlisted with the Canadian Army in late 1943 and was sent to Britain in early 1944. He wrote letters to his mother, Mabel Hummell Arlidge, and didn’t express any apprehension about serving over there.
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Lorrie Kramer (Arlidge) visited her brother’s grave at the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in the summer of 2006. She was saddened about the visit, but is also proud he served his country in the Second World War.
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Mac Olsen
for South Peace News
Like many other Canadians of the Second World War generation, Walter Elijah Arlidge had dreams of living a peaceful and productive life, especially as a farmer near High Prairie.
Alas, his life came to an abrupt end Aug. 15, 1944 while serving with the Canadian Army near Caen, France. He and 19 other soldiers were killed in a field they thought had been cleared of German soldiers.
Their deaths came just as British, Canadian and U.S. forces were trying to trap and destroy tens of thousands of German soldiers and their equipment near Falaise, south of Caen, thereby inflicting a decisive defeat on their enemy.
Arlidge’s final resting place is at the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, located 14 km south of Caen. He is one of thousands of soldiers buried there.
His sister, Lorrie Kramer (Arlidge) visited the cemetery in the summer of 2006. It saddened her, but was glad she went and is proud he served.
“I’m very proud of him and I miss him,” she says. “I’m sorry he didn’t come back to farm the land he loved.”
Walter Elijah Arlidge was born in Viking, Alta. Jan. 21, 1925 and was the oldest of seven children. His family moved to High Prairie in 1930 and later they homesteaded 7½ miles southwest of the community.
While growing up, he tried to complete his education and worked on the farm. He still wasn’t finished his education when called to enlist in late 1943 and would have resumed farming had he returned.
To Kramer, her brother was a perfect gentleman, going so far as to object to profanity in the company of women.
“He was one of the nicest men I ever knew. He didn’t drink and he didn’t smoke,” she says.
Arlidge was assigned to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and sent to Britain in early 1944. He wrote letters to his mother, Mabel Hummell Arlidge, and didn’t express any apprehension about serving.
Kramer was told her brother was killed by the U.S. Air Force July 15, 1944. However, his commanding officer, H. Clifford Chadderton, wrote to her in Jan. 2004 to set the record straight.
“The Royal Winnipeg Rifles were several miles ahead of this bombing. We had been told that the bombing would support our attacks on that day, but of course the bombs fell short,” says Chadderton, adding Arlidge had the makings of a first-rate soldier. Kramer was pleased he contacted her with the information.
The bombing Chadderton describes was known as “carpet bombing,” which involved saturating a target with an overwhelming bombing campaign. The Allies were struggling to break out of Normandy and the bombing was supposed to allow them to do it. However, it was inaccurate, as many bombs fell too close to Allied lines and caused many deaths.
Kramer is also pleased the Royal Canadian Legion in High Prairie will honour her brother with a framed photo of him on their Wall of Fallen Heroes. The photo was supposed to be ready for the Remembrance Day service, but it wasn’t.
Disappointed it wasn’t ready, Kramer initially decided against coming from Regina, Sask. for the service, but changed her mind and is glad she did.
“I express my gratitude to the Legion for commemorating Walter’s service record,” she says.
Don Ebbett, the Legion president, says Arlidge’s photo is one of 10 the Legion will put on the Wall of Honour. Seventeen photos of High Prairie and area soldiers who died in both world wars are already on the wall.
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