Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 110 Monument - Slave Lake, Alberta - World War II Memorials / Monuments on Waymarking.com

Text on the Monument:
"In Memory of those of the Lesser Slave Lake Area Who Laid Down Their Lives for Peace
World War I 1914 - 1918
World War II 1939 - 1945
Korean Conflict
Lest We Forget"

Although there were many that fell, one who returned was Samuel John Sinclair, an aboriginal Veteran of the Second World War. He was born on November 22, 1926 here, in Lesser Slave Lake. Mr. Sinclair had 12 brothers and sisters, the son of a trapper, a mixed farmer and a good hunter. Before being sent to school he spoke only Cree, which made his early education quite challenging. He worked hard, learned to speak English and eventually did quite well at school until Grade 10.

He joined the army underage at 15 without permission from his parents. He was big for his age and told everyone he was 18. He was stationed in Wainwright, Alberta where his first job involved being a dishwasher.

When his commanding officers learned that he was underage, he was called in and questioned, but he stuck to his story about being 18. That, combined with a case of mistaken identity that resulted in his birth records being confused with those of someone else, was enough to keep him in the army.

He spent the first few years of his army career in Canada. Following D-Day, June 6, 1944, the beginning of the Allied invasion of Normandy, the Canadian Forces needed more men on the front lines. Sinclair was sent to train with the Calgary Highlanders. Three months later, he was shipped overseas as part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division and served in England, Belgium and Holland.

Soon after arriving in Europe Sinclair first experienced the horrors of war. His first mission was a night maneuver that required him and two other men to crawl through darkness across enemy territory, scout out enemy positions and crawl back to report the information they had gathered. Years later, Sinclair recalled his experiences that night, of crawling through darkness, being fired upon by the enemy, of losing his rifle in the confusion, and of knowing his outfit wasn't far off, but being too afraid to move to try to get back to it.

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Property Permission: Public Access instructions: This monument is available for viewing day or night Location of waymark: 400 Main St NW Slave Lake, Alberta Canada T0G2A1 Commemoration: Remembers those that fell during WWII Date of Dedication: Not listed Access times: Not listed Website for Waymark: Not listed

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