B157100 Rifleman Douglas Walter Reid was born in Penetanguishene, Ontario, on 11 July 1924, the son of Ernest Clarence Reid and Olive Annie McDonald. Olive was from Uptergrove where Olive and Ernest were married.

Doug lived in an area of Midland, Ontario, (near Georgian Bay) known as “Sunnyside” all his life with his parents and siblings: Mary, Rachel, Jessie, Florence, Clarence, Edward (Ted), Eva and Neil (Neil is the father of Garnet who provided the personal memories of Doug. Neil was only about 5 years old when Doug was killed). Doug was one of the older sons of Ernest and Olive. The Reid family was Presbyterian.

He went to “Sixth Street “School in Midland, Ontario. It is not likely he attended high school, as Doug decided to work on the Great Lakes ships at approximately 16 years old. He became a deckhand employed by Sarnia Steamship Company (a transport line) in Port Colborne.

Doug was described as polite, strong, healthy, determined, adventurous, strong-willed, feisty, and an individual with a great work ethic. He was a single man, was never married and did not have any children.

Doug enlisted on 9 December 1943 at #2 District Depot in Toronto, Ontario. Doug was a young man with blue eyes and brown hair. During his medical examination, he was about 5ft. 9/12 inches tall and weighed around 161 pounds. He had a mole on his left jaw, which was noted as an identification mark.

His psychological results in the examination report: “Intelligence high average. Sailor tried to join the navy and was turned down temporarily due to oversupply he says. Stutters when excited. Diagnosis: Accept and recheck for instability.”

Doug passed all the tests and was taken on board as a Trooper in the Canadian Army Corps with Regimental Number B157100. At that time, he was 19 years old. After Doug was granted enlistment and Christmas leave, he started his army training at the basic training center No. 23 in Newmarket on 1 January 1944.

On 29 February, he continued his training at the Canadian Armored Corps Training Regiment in Borden. He managed to get himself qualified as driver I/C Class III on 21 April, as driver I/C Class III (T) about three weeks later and another 6 weeks later he qualified as driver/mechanic Group “C” (tank).

Doug was added to the Transport Special Reserve group in Borden and embarked on 3 August to the United Kingdom where he arrived on 10 August 1944. He reported himself as a Trooper for duty at the No. 2 Canadian Armored Corps Reinforcement Unit.

On 16 October 1944, Doug embarked again, to arrive in Belgium on 17 October. Even though he had received armoured training, he was taken on strength on 25 October as a Rifleman with the 1st Battalion, The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (QOR.) The Queen’s Own Rifles were positioned in the village of IJzendijke in the Netherlands at that time.

In November and December 1944 and in January 1945 Doug and The Queen’s Own Rifles were fighting the enemy in the areas around Berg en Dal, Groesbeek and Millingen, still in the Netherlands.

Around 23 February, the German border was crossed somewhere around the German town of Kranenburg and Doug moved to Bedburg-Hau via the little town of Kleve.

On 26 February, at the start of Operation Blockbuster, Doug was killed in action, aged 20. Apparently, he was hit by shrapnel above the heart which fatally wounded him. His 1st Battalion received approximately 100 casualties in the action but left in its wake, the fields littered with German dead.

His parents received a letter from Captain Chaplain A. J. Mowatt, dated 14 March 1945, in which he tells how their son was killed in the early morning during the fierce battle.

Rifleman Reid was first buried in the temporary cemetery of Bedburg/Kalkar. In 1946 he was exhumed and reburied in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference VIII. D. 4. His headstone bears the inscription:

THERE SHALL BE A NEW HEAVEN
AND A NEW EARTH
THEN SHALL THERE BE
NO MORE WAR

Note: There is some conflicting information about the actual date of death. In Douglas’s military records, various dates are mentioned. On the Graves Registration Information Card (dated 10 September 1945) the date 26 February 1945 is assigned as the date of death for Douglas Walter Reid. His headstone bears this date as well, therefore this date is used in the profile as the correct date.

From Kim Huvenaars, Research Team Faces To Graves.