Name: Emery Louis Geddry Rank: Rifleman Service Number: F/8819 Service: Regina Rifles Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps Date of Birth: August 2, 1922 Place of Birth: Meteghan Station, Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: March 4, 1944 Place of Enlistment: Fredericton, York County, New Brunswick Address at Enlistment: St. Alphonse, Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia Age at Enlistment: 21 Occupation: Labourer (for Canadian Fairbanks Morse) Marital Status: Single Religion: Roman Catholic Next of Kin: Frances Geddry (Mother), St. Alphonse, Digby Co., NS Date of Death: September 28, 1944 Age: 22 Cemetery: Calais Canadian War Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France Grave: Section 7, Row D, Grave 5 Commemorated on Page 314 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on the following on July 3 Emery Louis Geddry was the son of Joseph Isaac Geddry and Frances (Francoise) Marie (Dugas) Geddry, of St. Alphonse in Clare, Digby Co., Nova Scotia. Historic variations of their surname include Guédry, and Jeddrey. After enlisting and training in Canada, Emery served with the Regina Rifles and transferred overseas on July 20, 1944, disembarking in the United Kingdom on July 27th. He landed in France on September 6, 1944. During the fighting on September 28, 1944, near Les Fontinettes on the southern outskirts of Calais Riflemen Emery Louis Geddry was fighting from a house. The house was hit by shelling - seriously wounding Rifleman Geddry. He was immediately taken by stretcher to the Regimental Aid Post; however, he died on the way to the Post. Shortly after the battle ended, Rifleman Geddry's platoon brought him and two other casualties, Riflemen Donald M. Darby, and Russell L. Finner, to a Roman Catholic Church cemetery in the nearby town of Coquelles, southeast of Calais, where the pastor of the church performed the funeral. The three were buried in the Assumption Catholic Church Cemetery in Coquelles. A brief note written about this incident shows the gratitude of the French people for the Allied soldiers. Captain Graham Jamieson, the chaplain of the Regina Rifles, had been trying to arrange a funeral for the three young soldiers recently killed. A French priest agreed to arrange burial services at the local Catholic church and the mayor of Coquelles delivered an inspiring homily to the many residents and soldiers attending. The homily was so inspiring that Captain Jamieson provided each member of the 1st Battalion with a copy: Ladies and gentlemen: Seldom on this earth is there any joy which is not mingled with sorrow. Thus today, although we are very happy, we must dim the brightness of our joy to take part in mourning and sorrow - the price of restored liberty. Is it not a gracious gesture of Providence to have sent to liberate us from the clutch of strangers, Canadian soldiers, sons of Canada, distant from yet dear to French people; from Canada where the memory of France is always fresh, where numerous are those who speak our language: from Canada loyal to England and faithful to France? Also it is with deep feeling that I bow my head to the glorious remains of these courageous soldiers who have fallen on our soil. I do it on behalf of the municipal authorities of Coulogne and of the entire population. Rest in peace, noble sons of Canada. May the soil of France lie lightly on you. You lie at rest among our ancestors and near the French and English soldiers who found death on our soil in 1940. Your remembrance among us is assured and your more happy comrades who live to carry on the fight may rest assured that our hearts beat in unison with theirs so valiant. May they soon, victory having been assured and peace brought to the peoples of the world, be enabled to return to their beloved country and carry with them a mark of recognition of France's debt of gratitude to Canada. Across the seas we send our sincere and affectionate sympathy to the families of the three soldiers whom we honour today. We salute the glorious armies of the allied nations, and we look forward with complete confidence to total victory. Glory to the valiant fallen on the field of honour. Long live Canada. Long live the allied nations. Long live France. Emery Geddry was later interred at the Calais Canadian War Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. The inscription on his grave reads, “GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.”

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial findagrave Rootsweb