Name: Russell Alexandra Cantwell Rank: Private Service Number: F/97720 Service: West Nova Scotia Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps Date of Birth: June 20, 1920 Place of Birth: Cape Breton Co., Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: May 4, 1942 Place of Enlistment: Sydney, Cape Breton Co, Nova Scotia Address at Enlistment: Little Bras d’Or, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Age at Enlistment: 21 Occupation: Farmer Marital Status: Single Next of Kin: Frank Cantwell (Father), at enlistment Teresa Cantwell (Mother), in 1943 Religion: Roman Catholic Date of Death: December 18, 1943 Age: 23 Cemetery: Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, Italy Grave: V, Row D, Grave 16 Commemorated on Page 144 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 26 Russell was the son of Francis ‘Frank’ Cantwell Jr. (1890-1943) and Mary Theresa (McGrath) Cantwell (1895-1955), of Bras d’Or, Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia. He was from a large family with over a dozen children. Russell’s brother, Chief Radio Officer Earl David Cantwell served aboard the SS Thalia in the Merchant Navy and was killed with the loss of the ship during the Battle of the Atlantic on October 19, 1940. After enlisting in May of 1942 with the Princess Louise Fusiliers (Motor), Russell completed basic training at in Canada, and departed the country October 27, 1942, arriving in the United Kingdom November 4, 1942. He transferred from the UK to the Mediterranean in June of 1943 and fought during the Italian Campaign. He joined the West Nova Scotia Regiment in September of 1943. Private Russell Alexander Cantwell and his fellow soldiers in the West Nova Scotia Regiment (WNSR) were locked in the brutal Moro River Campaign, specifically fighting in the intense actions leading up to the Battle of Ortona. By mid-December 1943, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division was attempting to smash through the heavily fortified German winter defensive positions (part of the Gustav Line) that stretched along the Moro River toward the Adriatic Sea. December 18, 1943, the West Nova Scotia Regiment was heavily engaged in a notoriously muddy, bloody, and deeply dug-in sector known simply as "The Gully." The Canadians had crossed the Moro River earlier in the month and captured the small village of San Leonardo. Their immediate objective at this time was to seize a vital piece of tactical high ground: the "Cider" crossroads on the main Ortona–Orsogna lateral road. The German forces, specifically elite elements like the 90th Panzergrenadier Division and first-rate Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers), defended every inch of the olive groves and ravines with devastating mortar, machine-gun, and artillery fire. Private Alexandra Cantwell was killed by an enemy ground mine on December 18, 1943.

Source: Service File: Russell Alexandra Cantwell Canadian Virtual War Memorial