KREW KUTS: The Oyen area and D-Day

By Bernie Krewski

Despite our complacency and habit of thinking that wars and military conflict occur elsewhere, they often have a direct impact on local communities. D-Day and the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944 is an example. The intent of this review of local events is symbolic -commemorating the lives of the 359 Canadians who died on D-Day, June 6, the Allied attack on the northwest coast of Europe, and those from this area who contributed to the war effort.

Vacation

Imagine going on vacation this summer, knowing that a member of your family may be dead by the time you returned. That was the subject of a news story published in the Hanna Herald on July 13, 1944. The Director of Records for the Canadian Army reminded vacationers heading for summer homes and resorts the importance of leaving addresses where they can be reached. “If no forwarding address is left, telegraph companies encounter difficulty in making deliveries of casualty telegrams,” army officials announced. So sad, but necessary.  

Casualties

The Austen family of Oyen received one of those telegrams (Many Trails Crossed Here, v. 1, p. 30). The death of Flying Officer H.C. Austen, “killed in active service,” was publicly announced on May 5th. 

RCAF Casualties listed on June 14 in the Leader-Post (Regina) included: “ Reported Prisoners of War (Germany), previously reported missing – Flight Sergeant F.C. Boulter, Oyen, Alta.

A Memorial Service for Flying Officer Arthur F. G. Hughes was held in Cereal on March 31. The son of Mr. & Mrs. A.B Hughes, Arthur was wounded on March 13 and died the next day.  By December 1943, he had completed fifteen operational flights. Born June 21, 1920, he spent two years studying mining engineering at the University of Alberta before enlisting in 1941.  He underwent flight training at Edmonton, Lethbridge and Rivers MB. William, his brother, is currently training with the RCAF at Mossbank SK. Their father is a veteran of the First World War.  

Flight Sergeant Tom Lowe, 29, former resident of Oyen, was reported missing following air operations, according to word received by his parents in Calgary. Before joining the RCAF, he was field secretary for Okalta Oils Ltd. He went overseas in March 1943 as a navigator.

Ironically, The Oyen News reported this story on June 12, 1935: “The Oyen baseball team entertained Youngstown and Acadia Valley at the local park Sunday afternoon. Tom Lowe and Harold Austen both show promise as pitchers.” 

Previously, there have been previous references in this newspaper to Flying Officer D.H. McKay, of Oyen, “missing in action.” On April 3rd military authorities announced that for official purposes, he is “presumed dead.”

In early September, the Department of National Defence advised the wife and parents of Trooper Arthur Mellon, age 26, of Youngstown that he was recently buried at Caserto (Caserta?) Italy. He died from wounds inflicted on June 30th while fighting in the Sicilian invasion. He enlisted in December 1941, trained at Camrose and Camp Borden, and went overseas in April 1942. Besides his wife and parents, he leaves three sisters as well as four brothers who are also in military service (Youngstown Memories, p. 251).

Fred Martin was a Warrant Officer with the RCAF. He was officially reported “Killed in Active Service” in early November. According to his family’s history (Many Trails Cross Here, p.107), he was a radio technician in a plane that was lost off the coast of Italy.  

Honors

Flying Officer V.A. Thygesen, son of Mr. & Mrs. E.D. Thygesen of Oyen (Many Trails Crossed Here, II, 506-507), was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in December. A graduate of SAIT, he was a manager in several businesses in Calgary and Winnipeg before training as a pilot with Trans-Canada Airlines. He enlisted with the RCAF in June 1942, receiving his pilot’s training in Brandon, Prince Albert, and Saskatoon. He went overseas in July 1943 and is currently a flight instructor in England.

Lt-Col. J. Fred Scott was honoured in Calgary for his work as a former officer commanding the Canadian battle training school at Vernon BC. He homesteaded at Oyen in 1911, graduated from the University of Alberta in 1921 and passed his bar exams in 1923.

Prairie lives worth remembering!