The Penticton Museum and Archive has continued to dig into the history of the community and has discovered more local soldiers' stories.
The museum previously uncovered the stories of depicted on the banners raised along Main Street in Downtown Penticton.
The latest stories they uncovered reveal the histories of six more soldiers, all of whom graduated from Penticton Secondary School before enlisting.
All six died overseas during the Second World War.
The Museum and Archive has set up panels to tell their stories, and the panels will be on display until the end of November.
Ross Marshall Murray 1916-1943
Ross Murray came from a large family of five boys and three sisters. Although born in Saskatchewan, he spent most of his life in B.C., attending Penticton Secondary for two years. He worked as an apprentice printer at the Penticton Herald and later became a carpenter.
He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and trained at a number of air bases in Canada, finishing at a training unit in England. He eventually reached the rank of flight sergeant. During the Second World War, bomber crew members had the most dangerous job of all the armed services. The night skies over Germany were heavily defended with anti-aircraft fire (flak) and night fighters.
On the night of May 28, 1943, Ross and his four fellow crew members climbed into their Wellington bomber for a raid on the Ruhr Valley 鈥� an arms production region which supplied the German military with many of their heavy weapons. A total of 23 aircraft were lost, including Ross鈥檚 aircraft and crew. It鈥檚 not known how they were killed, and no record exists of their burial or the whereabouts of their bodies. Ross鈥檚 name is inscribed on the Runnymede Memorial, in Surrey, U.K., along with many other missing airmen.
Roy Vicars Atkinson 1922-1944
Roy Atkinson was born in Penticton in 1922. His parents were Reginald and Catherine Atkinson, with his father being the founder of the Penticton Museum and a First World War veteran. He attended local schools and finished his education at Pen High. Roy played football in high school and was described as an enthusiastic hunter and fisherman.
Roy joined the army in October 1942. He trained in Canada and arrived in England on July 28 to undergo further training. In November 1943, he was assigned to the 9th Canadian Armoured Regiment (British Columbia Dragoons). His rank was a trooper, which, in an armoured regiment, is the equivalent of a private. He eventually qualified as a tank gunner and was shipped to the Italian front in November 1943 to begin active service.
On Aug. 31, 1944, the B.C. Dragoons took part in a major battle to break through German positions. They lost 51 men on that day, and, on the following day, Roy was killed.
Gregor Stephen Moore1924 -1944
Gregor Moore was born in Penticton and attended Pen High, graduating in 1941. After leaving school, he worked for the Kettle Valley Railway as a caricer and locomotive watchman. He lived at the family home at 342 Rigsby Street with his mother. His brother, Warren, was serving in Italy with Princess Patricia鈥檚 Canadian Light Infantry regiment.
Gregor joined the Royal Canadian Air Force on Step. 18, 1942 and underwent training and numerous locations throughout Canada. After he was posted to England, he was assigned to multi-engine training in an Airspeed Oxford.
On the night of April 27, 1944, Gregor and other trainees were practicing night flying. He was flying a circuit or pattern around his training base of Church-Lawton and was one of four aircraft in the air when a deadly intruder appeared. The German night fighter opened fire, hitting Gregor鈥檚 aircraft. The night fighter flew into the wreckage of the aircraft and crashed in turn, killing the pilot.
Leslie Frank Bull 1924-1944
Leslie Bull was born in Penticton and attended Pen High. He never graduated, leaving school at 17 to work. At the time of his enlistment, he was working as a farm labourer and orchard worker.
Leslie enlisted at age 17, with his initial interview describing him as having a 鈥渉igh learning ability, good appearance, willing and a good attitude.鈥� It was noted he wanted to serve in the Royal Canadian Artillery, as his father had in the First World War. He trained at various locations in Canada and went overseas on May 26, 1944.
In Canadian historian Mark Zuehlke鈥檚 book, Terrible Victory, there is a passage that describes how Leslie died. Two fellow soldiers took him under their wing and mentored the rookie soldier. While attacking across a muddy field, they noticed he was lagging behind. One of the men took a heavy gun from him so he could keep up, but even so, Leslie fell behind. Just when the two men reached cover, they looked behind and saw Leslie fly into the air, the victim of an artillery shell.
John Meredith Routh 1916- 1945
John Routh was born in Nelson in June 1916. He was one of three sons born to Albert and Cerrie Routh, who owned an orchard just outside of Penticton. He attended school in Penticton and worked as a mechanic for Greyhound Bus Lines. There are no records of him graduating from high school.
John joined the Royal Canadian Navy in August 1942 and received training at naval bases throughout Canada. In December 1944, he was posted to the 29th Motor Torpedo Bloat Flotilla (MTB), which was on active service in Europe. This was a group of eight motor torpedo boats stationed in England, whose job was to keep the English Channel free of enemy ships and submarines. These were small, fast ships armed with torpedoes, cannons and machine guns.
On the afternoon of Feb. 14, 1945, a number of boats were at anchor and preparing to go to sea. One of the boats was cleaning out a fuel tank and fuel was improperly drained into the harbour. It ignited and fire spread quickly among the boats, leaving little room to escape. The ships exploded and the harbour became an inferno. By the time the flames died down, 12 ships were completely lost and 61 sailors were dead. John's body was never recovered; he is commemorated at the Halifax Memorial at Point Pleasant Park.
Gordon Sidney Finch 1918-1945
Gordon Finch was born in Penticton in 1918. He attended Pen High for two years but left school at the age of 17. He enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force in 1940 and married three months later to Mary Kathleen Adams of Penticton.
At the time he joined the military, he was doing survey work and gave his occupation as a truck driver and bulldozer operator Given his experience, the military decided he would be a good fit for an armoured unit equipped with tanks 鈥� and he was posted to the British Columbia regiment. He was eventually promoted to Lance Corporal and earned a Good Conduct badge. Army authorities thought he would make a good officer and in 1943 he was posted to a training unit.
In December 1944, he was shipped to Europe as a reinforcement officer for the South Saskatchewan Regiment, an infantry unit. In February 1945 the Saskatchewans were involved in heavy fighting as part of Operation Blockbuster. This was part of a series of battles to secure the Rhineland area of Germany. Gordon was killed in action on the very first day of Blockbuster, on Feb. 26.
We remember those who gave their lives in the service of Canada.
鈥淭hey shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.鈥� 鈥� The Ode of Remembrance (Robert Laurence Binyon).
