On Sunday, Sept 27, a Regimental party consisting of the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Nick Watts, Regimental Sergeant Major, Chief Warrant Officer Rob Garrett, Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Don Foster and George’s long-time friend Edmund Wu met George Chow at the hospital where currently he resides, to present him with the Regiment’s 100th Anniversary Coin in honour of his long time service to the Regiment. George recently broke his hip in a fall at home and is remaining in hospital to complete his recovery. George is recovering well and in good spirits and turns 99 in November. In August 1940, two months before his 19th birthday, George went to the recruiting centre at the Bay Street Armoury in Victoria to sign up. After basic training he was transferred to 16th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery in Windsor, ON, for advanced training. The Battery was then shipped to Halifax to board a vessel for England. In England he was a member of the first all-Canadian crew to shot down the German plane on English soil. During the Normandy Campaign, the 16 th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA was part of 2nd Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA). They were lucky when they came off the Landing Craft Tank (LCT) as the water was only 9” deep during their landing and they continued to move inland to Caen and other regions of France before heading into Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. After the victory in Europe, George volunteered to prepare for the Pacific theatre, but his new assignment ended soon after the atomic bomb had been dropped in Japan. After the Second World War, George joined the 43rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA at Bessborough Armoury in Vancouver, BC, in 1953, as a Gunnery instructor. He attained the rank of Warrant Officer 2nd Class (today equivalent to MWO) and was appointed Battery Sergeant Major (BSM) of 210 Battery in 1958. In 1958 the 43rd was amalgamated with the 15th Field and George continued as BSM of 210 Bty. He was honourably discharged in 1963 |
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