A Grandfather’s Wartime Service

Andrew Curtis of Dease Lake, B.C., shares photos of his grandfather, Roy Curtis, who served as a medic in the Canadian Army during the Second World War.

This photo, which shows Roy Curtis on the left, was taken in North Africa or southern Italy. Andrew is hoping someone might be able to identify the other men in the picture.

Roy Curtis poses with his future brother-in-law, Stewart Prouty, while overseas in 1942 or 1943.

Andrew tells us that his grandfather was with the 5th Field Ambulance, B Company, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, from the invasion of Sicily, during the Italian Campaign, through Northwest Europe (France, Belgium and Holland). He recalls a letter that his grandfather wrote to family, describing some of his wartime service in Italy, and remembers stories of Roy’s involvement in amphibious landings in Belgium and Holland. “He suffered several injuries from an artillery shell which killed his friend in a cellar in Italy.”

Roy Curtis poses with his mother and father after returning home to Newfoundland. The photo was taken in 1945 or 1946.

This photo may have been taken in Italy between 1943 and 1944. Roy Curtis is on the left.

A portrait of Roy Curtis taken prior to overseas service.

We thank Andrew for sharing these photos and the memories. If you have something to share, please send it to magazine@legion.ca or mail it to Find-Share-Discuss, Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata, ON, K2L 0A1