B119439 Corporal Walter Oscar Rintala was born in Garson Village, Ontario, on 3 August 1913. The son of Oskari Rintala and Anna Niemi, he had one brother and two sisters. He spoke English and Finnish and left school at age 15 after completing grade 8.

On 9 December 1936, Rintala married Ida Aileen Nikumaa in Timmins, Ontario, and they had one daughter Eileen.

Rintala was a salesman at Timmins Bottling Works when he enlisted on 16 November 1943 and trained in Brantford and Camp Borden. On 11 June 1944, he arrived in the United Kingdom. Five weeks later he arrived in France and within days was posted to The Queen’s Own Rifles. On 19 August 1944, he was wounded but returned to the QOR on 16 September.

On 22 September, Rintala was appointed Lance Corporal and on 5 February 1945 appointed Acting Corporal. On 25 April 1945, he received serious shrapnel wounds.

Corporal Rintala died in Germany on 26 April 1945 of wounds received in action, aged 32. He is buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference X. D. 1. His family had the following inscribed on his marker:

SLEEP PEACEFULLY, DEAR DADDY