B112352 Rifleman Stephen Struk was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 13 April 1923, the son of Michael Struk and Frances “Fanny” Zawadowski. He had one younger brother William and a younger sister Helen. Another sister had died young. He attended Hester How Public School and two years at Central Technical, leaving at 17. His family was of Polish or Ukrainian descent, Roman Catholic, and members of Toronto’s St Patrick’s Parish.

Struk enjoyed boxing, golf, swimming, fishing, handball, baseball, hockey, and guitar playing. He spoke both English and Ukrainian although he only read English.

He had some experience with farming in the Niagara area but was working as a machinist for a photo engraving company when he enlisted in Toronto on 4 May 1942. Struk trained at Camp Borden and on 8 October arrived for duty in the United Kingdom as a reinforcement. For the next three months, he continued with various training and became driver-qualified.

On 19 February 1943, he was posted to The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (QOR) and continued to train with the Regiment until 6 June 1944 when he landed with C Company on Juno Beach on D-Day.

Struk was wounded on 21 July 1944 and evacuated to No. 11 Canadian General Hospital in England, discharged on 12 July, and transferred to a reinforcement unit. He undertook various duties and attachments in the UK until he arrived back in France on 4 Sep and rejoined the QOR on 2 October 1944. He fought with them through France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Rifleman Struck was killed in action during Operation Blockbuster on 3 March 1945, seven weeks short of his 22nd birthday. He is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference VIII. E. 14.

His war service gratuity of $567.20 and final pay of $104.56 (together worth approximately $11,814 in 2024) was assigned to his mother’s estate (his father was the Executor) as she had died on 14 May 1945.