Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 49 continued ... Nicknamed ‘The Snowballers,’ its intent was to assist the Finns in their fight against the Russians. Training took place in France and Scotland. The force returned to France, from Scotland, in February 1940 for onwards transportation to Finland. Political pressures from France, Sweden and Norway hampered the move. By the time things were sorted out, Finland had an armistice with Russia and the operation was cancelled in March. Most of the soldiers were returned to their units. 2/Mancs were part of the front line that absorbed the German attack on 10 May 1940 and then fought a rear-guard action all the way back to the beaches at Dunkirk. By 4 June the battalion had suffered 223 casualties – dead, wounded, or taken as prisoners of war. The battalion would later serve in Indian and Burma. Private William ‘Bill’ Douglas Adams was born in Halifax on 8 July 1918 to James Rupert and Margaret Jane Adams. His mother died in 1929 and his father died in 1932. Bill was placed in the care of St. Patrick’s Boys’ Home, Halifax. He enlisted in 2/Mancs on 8 August 1938. Bill was killed in action sometime between 10-29 May 1940.He was 22 years old and is buried in the Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France. In 1954, a street in Antigonish was named “in memory of William Adams who was the first casualty of the Second World War from Antigonish.” Adams Street. E J Anderson was from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He travelled from Halifax to England aboard the Manchester Commerce and enlisted in 2/Mancs on 12 April 1939. Herbert Carlton ‘Carl’ Anderson was born in Sydney on 11 January 1920 to William Oscar and Elsie Grace Anderson. He was 19 years old when he enlisted in the 2/Mancs on 12April 1939. Carl was wounded during the withdrawal to Dunkirk. He transferred to the Canadian Army in 1941 and was posted to the Toronto Scottish Regiment and was wounded during the Dieppe raid. After the war he found work in Hamilton as a plumber’s apprentice. He went to work in the car manufacturing industry in 1949 and became one of the founding members of the United Automobile Workers. Carl became a well-known and very capable union organizer in North America. Carl died of colon cancer 17 April 1983 in Hamilton, Ontario. Leonard 'Len' Charles Andrews was from Dartmouth. He was working on the Canadian National Steamships ‘Lady Boats’ (cruise liners in the Caribbean) when he heard the British Army was recruiting in Halifax. Len enlisted in 2/Mancs on 28 March 1939. He survived the fighting in France and evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940, transferring to the CanadianArmy in 1941. He ended the war as a regimental quartermaster sergeant in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. After the war Len worked in the Torpedo Shop of the Naval Armament Department at HMC Dockyard Halifax. He retired from Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot Bedford in December 1978. Len died on 22 May 2006 at age 89. William 'Bill' Charles Henry Backman was born on 19 May 1918 and grew up in Melville Cove. He enlisted in 2/Mancs on 17 November 1938. After he was evacuated from Dunkirk he took the opportunity, in 1941, to transfer to the Canadian Army. After the war he went on to serve in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Bill died on 5 September 2006 in British Columbia at age 88. John Bernard Bailey (Baily) was born in Imperoyal Woodside, Halifax County, on 25 November 1921. Information about his service is sparse. He enlisted in 2/Mancs and was wounded (probably during the retreat from Dunkirk). In 1941 he transferred to the Canadian Army and served with a regiment from Ontario (probably the Toronto Scottish Regiment). John died on 18 April 1964. continued ...
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