County of Brant Public Library Digital Collections

Letter, John Bialas to Mary Dancavitch, 1 February 1943

Description

Comments (0)

Creators

Bialas, John, Author

Dancavitch, Mary

, Recipient

Media Type

Object

Text

Item Type

Correspondence

Description

A handwritten letter written in pencil on white paper with a header printed in black and red ink reading "ON ACTIVE SERVICE" and the Canadian Y.M.C.A. logo on the top left corner. Letter is written by John Bialas to his sister Mary Dancavitch from Truro, Nova Scotia on 1 February 1943.

John asks Mary to tell their mother to stop worrying about him because he wanted to join the war effort. He mentions local friends who have also enlisted, and discusses playing hockey with other soldiers and his related knee injury.

Notes

John Joseph Bialas, the eldest son of John and Katherine (Serdersky) Bialas, was born on 7 May 1921 in Brantford, Ontario. He attended St. Basil’s Separate School and was a member of the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church. He was one of Brantford’s best known young hockey players, playing for St. Basil’s, the Brantford Lions Club Hockey Team in 1940-1941, and the following year, on the Akron Clippers team in Ohio as a left defenseman. His love for the sport was apparent as he took his skates with him overseas. He worked at the Universal Cooler Company of Canada, Ltd. in Brantford, with “tin smith and acetylene welding” listed as his trade on his enlistment papers. Other service records note that his most recently employment was at Ford Motors Co. in Windsor, Ontario as a Drill Press Operator, for two months prior enlistment.

He joined the Brockville Rifles on 15 May 1942, completed his basic infantry training, and was mobilized on 1 September of that year at the age of twenty one. He was sent to Nanaimo, British Columbia and passed a Mechanics Course. He disembarked in England on 13 February 1943 as a private under the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade No. 5 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. From May 1943 to March 1944, he served with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa Regiment, which included driver training. In April 1944, he was transferred to the No. 6 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. The following month he was moved to the Central Mediterranean Force Westminster Regiment (Motors), Royal Canadian Infantry Corps, B Company, joining the Allied Armies in Italy on 16 May 1944 as reinforcements.

This timing would mean he participated in the conclusion of the Battle of Monte Cassino, the last of four Allied assaults to capture the Axis held Gustav Line in Italy, with the ultimate goal of capturing Rome (1). Beginning in January and ending May 1944, the Battle of Monte Cassino is considered one of the longest and deadliest engagements of the Italy Campaign.

The Westminster Regiment played a key role at the Melfa River, and opening the Liri Valley, to allow the Allied advance on Rome. Major John Keefer Mahoney of the Westminster Regiment A Company was even presented with a Victoria Cross, the highest award given to a British or Canadian soldier, for his leadership and execution of breaking through the Hitler Line and crossing the Melfa River.

John continued to fight in Italy until he was killed in action on 24 September 1944, and was buried at the Cesena War Cemetery. On 8 March 1944, he received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, and was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, and War Medal.

References:
1. Canadian Soldiers. “Italian Campaign.” Accessed 28 February 2017. http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/campaigns/italiancampaign/italiancampaign.htm.

Date Of Event

1 February 1943

Subject(s)

Military
Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
Westminster Regiment (Motor), R.C.I.C.
Second World War

Personal Name(s)

Bialas, John

Local identifier

2017FB001

Language of Item

English

Geographic Coverage

Brantford

Ontario, Canada

Latitude: 43.1334 Longitude: -80.26636

Donor

Frank Bialas

Recommended Citation

Letter, John Bialas to Mary Dancavitch, 1 February 1943, Frank Bialas. 2017FB001.015.

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The information and images provided are for personal research only and are not to be used for commercial purposes. Use of this information should include the credit "County of Brant Public Library."

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