Name: Joseph Arthur Howard Blinn Rank: Lance Corporal Service Number: F/40094 Service: West Nova Scotia Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps Date of Birth: July 4, 1914 Place of Birth: Grosses Coques, Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: January 15, 1940 Place of Enlistment: Aldershot, Kings Co., Nova Scotia Age at Enlistment: 25 Address at Enlistment: Belliveau’s Cove, Clare, Digby Co., Nova Scotia Height: 5 feet, 5 inches Complexion: Medium Eye colour: Brown Hair colour: Light brown Marital Status: Married Next of Kin: Dorothy Blinn (Wife) Occupation: Saw mill worker Date of Death: July 22, 1943 Age: 29 Cemetery: Agira Canadian War Cemetery, Sicily, Italy Grave: B, G, 235. Commemorated on Page 137 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 23 Joseph Arthur Howard Blinn was the son of Omer Mathias Blinn (1871-1933) and Marguerite (LeBlanc) Blinn (1874-1919). Like Howard, his father was also born in Grosses Coques in Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia, and his mother was born in St. Bernard on the French shore as well. Howard had four brothers, Severin (1904-1961), Joseph Gustave (1906-1986), Joseph Albenie (born 1910) and Joseph Richard Blinn (born 1917), and a half brother Raymond Blinn. He had three sisters Marie Constance (Blinn) Chabot (1901-1985), Marie Marthe (Blinn) Comeau (1899-1906), and Marie Bernadette (Blinn) Gaudet (1912-2005), and half sisters Mary Rose Blinn and Marguerite Blinn. Howard was married to Dorathée (Dorothy) Marie Thibault (1917-2015) on August 27, 1935. Together they had three sons, Joseph William Blinn (1939-1939), Omer (Homer) Blinn (b. 1936), and Melbourne. Howard worked for Thériault & Belliveau in Belliveau’s Cove, NS, prior to enlistment. He indicated on his enlistment that his intention was to be a garage mechanic after the war. After enlistment, Howard served in Canada from January 15, 1940, to June 9, 1940, when he embarked in Halifax; arriving in the United Kingdom on June 20, 1940, in Liverpool, England. He served in the UK until his departure for Sicily, Italy at the end of June 1943, landing there July 10, 1943 (Operation Husky), and serving there until his death on July 22, 1943. On July 10, 1943, following the successful conclusion of the north African campaign in mid May, a combined allied force of 160,000 Commonwealth and American troops invaded Sicily as a prelude to the assault on mainland Italy. The Italians, who would shortly make peace with the Allies and re-enter the war on their side, offered little determined resistance but German opposition was vigorous and stubborn. Lance Corporal Joseph Howard Blinn, West Nova Scotia Regiment, was killed in action July 22, 1943 in Sicily. Howard was most likely one of the casualties that day when the following happened in Libertinia, Sicily: "At 20.00 hrs [8 pm] the losses due to shelling were four other ranks killed (most likely Lance Corporal Blinn, Privates Farris and Pettifer of the West Novas and Private Snow of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps) and three wounded and several vehicles destroyed; the mortar platoon commander's carrier, a 15cwt Anti-Tank gun tower, a 15cwt signals stores and one MC." Howard was initially buried in Libertinia, and later reburied on Agira Canadian War Cemetery in the Province of Enna, in the heart of the island. Agira was taken by the 1st Canadian Division of July 28, 1943, and the site for the war cemetery was chosen in September for the burial of all Canadians who had been killed in the Sicily campaign. Agira Canadian War Cemetery contains 490 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.