SECOND WORLD WAR

SAPPER JOSEPH PAUL BRECKON

April 11, 1920 – Sept. 3, 1944 (24 years) 1 Road Construction Company Royal Canadian Engineers Died: Normandy

Buried: Bayeux War Cemetery, Calvados, France

Breckon was born in the small community of Wiseton, Sask., but shortly after his family moved to Nelson Township (now part of Burlington). The family lived on a farm and “Paul,” as he was known, cared for an ill mother who died in March 1937. Five years later, in October 1942, he enlisted with the Canadian army as a sapper. In December 1943, he went overseas with the No. 1 Road Construction Company, Royal Canadian Engineers. A month after D-Day, Breckon was working on road and building construction in Normandy when he stepped on a buried mine on Aug. 26, 1944, suffering severe injuries that he died from on Sept. 3.

GUNNER GORDON WALTER LANGFORD

Aug. 4, 1913 – Aug. 15, 1944 (31 years) 8 Lt. A.A. Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery Died: Near Caen

Buried: Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Calvados, France.

Langford was born in Winona and attended Burlington Central High School and later worked as a truck driver. He enlisted in Dundas with the regular army in May 1941 eventually shipping to England in August 1942 after training in the Maritimes. Langford’s regiment was sent to France on July 26, 1944, to help reinforce Allied advances after D-Day on June 6. On the evening of Aug. 14, he was laying in a slit trench (a narrow shallow trench used by soldiers for protection) with the added security of a truck parked above him. A German plane hit the truck with an anti-personnel bomb and Langford and another soldier were killed instantly.

CPL. ALEXANDER RENNIE MACDONALD

July 9, 1910 – July 13, 1944 (34 years) 29 Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers Died: Near Caen

Buried: Beny-sur-Mer Canadian war Cemetery, Calvados, France

MacDonald was born in Burkie Scotland and moved to Burlington with his family when he was a boy going to Burlington schools where he was remembered as a strong, handsome football athlete who had a great sense of humour and loved to dance. He enlisted with the 27th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, on Sept. 22, 1942, shipping overseas on Jan. 7, 1943. He was sent to Normandy, one month after D-Day. Less than a week later, four days after his 34th birthday, he was killed in bitter combat during efforts by Canadian troops moving inland to try to take the City of Caen.