1

Based on the size of Canadian families in the year 2003, the statistics from this project portray much larger families. The number of siblings range from a high of 14 to a low of 2 with the average family having 6.2 children.

2

Seven Goreham brothers who served in World War II.
18 March 2003

3

Many families had a number of sons and the occasional daughter who enlisted and saw action. The seven Goreham brothers are an outstanding example of participation and their group photo was featured in a number of newspaper articles. They were the sons of Everette Clement and Winnifred (Nickerson) Goreham. Leslie was lost when HMCS St. Croix sank, Ernest was in the airforce, Harold and Osborne were in the army, Wordlow, Sylvester and Vincent were in the navy.Their brother Everette tried to enlist but was told by the returning officer to go home to help his father.

4

Goulden and Redding Wedding, at Parish Church, Bournemouth, England.
21 December 1942
England

5

Goulden, David King and Barbara "Bobbie" Redding wedding photo includes her parents and her two sisters with a niece and nephew of the bride. The wedding took place on 21 December 1942 in the Parish Church at Lynette, Bournemouth, England.
David was a private in the North Nova Scotia Highlanders who was killed in action in Holland on 9 October 1944.
There are a number of other recently married brides, in this sample of veterans, who became widows as a result of the war.

6

Nickerson, George Alfred. Private.
1944

7

Nickerson,George. Private in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders was the son of William Eldridge and Eliza Jane (Davis) Nickerson. George had eight brothers and five sisters.

8

Huskilson, William St. Clair. 415th Swordfish Squadron. RCAF. 1923 to1944.
1943

9

Huskilson, William St. "Clair", Flying Officer in the Royal Canadian Airforce wrote a letter to friends in Shelburne on 3 August 1944, three months before his death.
"...Suppose you know I am an old married man now, and am trying to struggle through operations over here, so I can return to Canada and live once again."

10

Jackson, Arthur Thomas. Sapper. 6th Canadian Field Company. Royal Canadian Engineers. 1912 to 1944.
1944

11

Jackson, Arthur Thomas F86600. Sapper. 6th Canadian Field Company. Born 7 December 1912 in Shelburne; killed in action in the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. Son of Albert Lewis and Christina "Chrissie" Mae (Buchanan) Jackson. His seven brothers, all served in the Canadian Army, Lewis, Douglas, Alex, Robie, William, Bruce and Earle. His other sibling was a sister, Ada.
Art married Mary "Ellen" Crowell and they had a daughter Sandra Diane and a son, Albert Eugene.
He had worked as a carpenter at the W C McKay Shipyard, Shelburne, and trained with the militia before he enlisted at Bridgewater on 6 July 1941. He was attached to a Tank Battalion at Sherbrooke, Quebec and on 12 March 1942 he was a sapper stationed at Petawawa, Ontario. He arrived overseas in July 1942. Art took a number of trades courses and was qualified as a concretor "B" and a bricklayer "C". He received a Good Conduct Badge on 2 July 1943. Art was assisting the infantry in taking the beaches of Normandy when he was killed. Buried at Beny-Sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, Grave 6, Row F, Plot 11, Reviers, Calvados, France.

A letter to his wife written by Acting Major T.R. Miller, the Officer Commanding the 6th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers describes the bravery of Art:
Dear Mrs. Jackson:
It is with great difficulty I write to you of your husband's death. The time must have been very long indeed waiting for news, but we had to be sure you had heard through official channels first.
I realize how much you must have loved Spr. Jackson because he had been in my platoon for over a year, during whch time his cheerful temperament had been a morale booster for us all. Although it is small consolation, I feel you should know the facts surrounding his death. Spr. Jackson was with one of the engineering teams which assisted the infantry in taking the beaches of Normandy. Carrying explosive charges to be used on enemy concrete emplacements, his section was met by heavy machine gun fire and Spr Jackson was mortally wounded. He accepted this dangerous task as cheerfully as any other task and you should be very proud of him because were it not for men like him the Invasion would never have been successful.
I join with you and your family in your great sorrow, and I extend my most heart felt sympathy.

12

Atwood, Norman Burnell. Fireman. Canadian Merchant Navy. 1907 to1942.
1940

13

Atwood, Norman Burnell, serving in the Canadian Merchant Navy, was born 8 November 1907 in Barrington Head to Winford Coleman and Mable Edith (Garron) Atwood. He had eleven siblings, including, Percy who had been killed in 1941 at Hong Kong, and three other brothers, Benjamin, Herman and Clayton, who also served in World War II and returned home at the end of the war.

14

Brannen, Herbert Malcolm. Private. North Nova Scotia Highlanders. 1919 to 1945.
1943