Remembering World War II

Name: Albert William Meiners Rank: Private Service Number: B/37993 Service: Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Regiment, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps Date of Birth: October 25, 1910 Place of Birth: St John's, Newfoundland Date of Enlistment: June 30, 1940 Place of Enlistment: St. Catharines, Ontario Age at Enlistment: 29 Address at Enlistment: Port Colbourne, Ontario Height: 5 feet, 6 ½ inches Complexion: Dark Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Grey Occupation: Dairyman Foreman Marital Status: Single Religion: Roman Catholic Next of Kin: Elizabeth Meiners (Mother) Date of Death: August 19, 1942 Age: 31 Cemetery: Calais Canadian War Cemetery, Leubringhen, Pas De Calais, France Grave: Plot 4, Row B, Grave 4 Commemorated on Page 98 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on March 2 Albert William Meiners was the son of Harold James Meiners (1888-1957) and Mary Elizabeth (Hickey) Meiners (1885-1984) of Port Colbourne, Ontario, and the brother of Rose Alice Meiners (1912-1999), and Florence Meiners (b. 1915), Frederick Gordon Meiners (1920-1920), and half-brother to Frederick Maynard. Both of Albert’s sisters were born in Nova Scotia, in 1912 and 1915, when the family was living in Cape Breton. Albert lived in Cape Breton from the age of 1 until the age of 14. The family was still living in Nova Scotia in 1921. The 1921 Canadian census confirm they lived in North Sydney in Cape Breton (June 1, 1921). In Ontario, Albert served in the Militia (Reserves) with the 2/10 Dragoons from April 18, 1932, until June 28, 1940. He enlisted with the Central Ontario Regiment in June of 1940. After basic training in Ontario, he embarked in Canada at Halifax, Nova Scotia for overseas on February 15th, arriving in the United Kingdom in Gourock, Scotland on February 28, 1941. The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Regiment was assigned to Operation Jubilee, the Raid on Dieppe. On The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry landed on ‘White Beach’, on the west end of the main beach. Their objective was to fight through to the Dieppe casino and infiltrate into the town, fanning out and linking up the South Saskatchewan Regiment on the western headland, and the Essex Scottish Regiment to the RHLIR’s left. Although elements infiltrated the town through the Cassino, they did not have enough fire support to succeed. 197 of the Regiment was killed in action or died of wounds, and 175, 78 of which were wounded, were taken prisoner. Private J Boucher (Service No. B/37265) of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Regiment attested that Private Albert William Meiners was last seen at 12:00 hrs clinging to the side of an ALC (assault landing craft), wounded, and 500 yards from the enemy on August 19th. The body of Private Meiners later washed ashore near Boulogne and was interred at the Calais Canadian War Cemetery in Leubringhen, south of Saint-Inglevert in the Pas De Calais, France.

Albert William Meiners

Source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial findagrave