LCdr (ret'd) Gerald W. Pash, CD
At 17 years of age, Able Seaman Ernest Charles Wyatt enrolled in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve on May 25, 1942, for the duration of the hostilities of the Second World War. In February 1943, after training on both coasts — at HMCS Naden in Esquimalt, B.C., and HMCS Stadacona in Halifax — he was posted to Fairmile Motor Launch, Q-051, which operated out of Fort Ramsey, Gaspé, Que., at the entrance to the St. Lawrence River. With further training, he was posted on October 7, 1943, to the corvette HMCS Camrose for duty in the North Atlantic out of HMCS Avalon, Nfld., eventually escorting convoys to and from the invasion beaches at Normandy. Following the end of hostilities in Europe, he volunteered for service in the Pacific and trained at HMCS Naden.
He was demobilized on October 5, 1945. For his service in Europe he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Atlantic Star with France-Germany Bar, along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and 1939-45 War Medal. In mid-January 2016, the Government of france recognized him with its highest honour, the Legion of Honour, for his service at D-Day that led to the liberation of France. He was informed of the award but he died in February 2016 before a formal presentation could be arranged.
Upon being demobilized, he undertook training to be certified as an electrician's helper and was employed in the construction industry until he again volunteered for service, on July…
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