A Korean War veteran and a Petawawa resident has received a high honour from Valour School, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Petawawa. Sgt. Bill Humphries was tasked regularly during the war with special dispatch rider runs between rear brigade and main headquarters close to the front lines.
Messages were sent day and night, with the night messages being carried in blackout conditions. In July of 1953, Bill left South Korea from Inchon to Japan by boat, then a flight from Tokyo to Vancouver and a train to Guelph. Upon his return to Canada, Bill was posted to Borden to be a driver for the Base Commander and in September of 1954 he married Millie, they will celebrate their 70th anniversary next year. In 1954, Bill was posted to Soest, West Germany and then spent time at bases in Kingston, Vernon and one year in Egypt in 1957-58 as part of the peacekeeping force for the Suez Canal Crisis. He was eventually posted to Petawawa in 1964 where he worked with 2 Signals Squadron and the 8th Canadian Hussars until his retirement in 1976 as a Sergeant.
Bill remained in Petawawa and worked as a civilian with the Base Construction Engineers in various shops until his retirement in 1993.
The staff and students of Valour High School have recognized Sergeant Bill Humphries and thanked him for his tremendous sacrifice and service during the Korean War by honouring him with a commemorative brick at the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer in Normandy France. The Juno Beach Commemorative bricks are displayed in front of the Juno Beach Centre. The Rotary Club of Petawawa graciously donated all the necessary funding for the commemorative brick.
(Written by: Kyle Robinson)
