Regimental Number: M16373
Rank: Sergeant
Bill Jr. born on October 5, 1906 at Kelso, Scotland, was the oldest in William Sr. and Helen (nee Wilson) Purves’ family of two boys. He had a younger brother George. Helen passed away in 1917 from tuberculosis. Bill Sr. met and subsequently married Sarah McSorely on December 19, 1919 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They had three sons, James, John (Jock) and Henry and two daughters, Margaret Jane who passed away and Agnes who were all born in Scotland and then twin boys (who passed away) and two boys, Robert and Mark who were born in Canada.
Bill Jr. completed Grade 8 in 1923 in Scotland. The Purves’ decided to immigrate to Canada and sailed from Glasgow on May 7th, 1926 on the SS Metagama and arrived at Montreal on May 17th. They travelled by rail to Grande Prairie and purchased land in an area west of Bezanson known as Kleskun Hills. Bill Jr. worked on the family farm from 1926 to 1939.
Bill Jr. enlisted with the Royal Canadian Army, Loyal Edmonton Regiment, on October 25, 1939 in Edmonton. Basic training was held at Edmonton until December 19 when Bill Jr. embarked from Halifax and arrived at Glasgow on December 31, 1939. From August 3, 1941 to September 10, 1941, Bill Jr. was taken on strength with Force III as part of Operation Gauntlet on the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen. The objective of Gauntlet was to deny Germany the coal, mining and shipping infrastructure, equipment and stores on Spitsbergen and suppress the wireless stations on the archipelago to prevent the Germans from receiving weather reports. Gauntlet was a success; the Germans had not known of or had not been able to challenge the expedition, the attackers suffered no casualties, the civilians were repatriated, several ships were seized and a German warship was sank on the return journey. While serving in the Mediterranean Area, Bill Jr. was wounded in action twice. He was hit by shrapnel that fractured his left knee joint that left him with a permanent disability. Bill Jr. later suffered a gun-shot wound that grazed his right cheek. He was transferred to #12 Special Employment Platoon in January 1945 where he was employed as the Platoon NCO in the Infantry Corps. Bill Jr. had volunteered for the Pacific Theatre of War. Sergeant William Purves Jr. served in Canada, the United Kingdom, Spitzbergen and the Central Mediterranean Area and received the 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, Defense Medal, War Medal 1939-45 and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal & Clasp. He was discharged on demobilization on August 31, 1945 at Calgary.
Bill Jr.’s battalion was in the same area when his brother John (Jock) was killed in action near San Leonardo, Italy.
Bill Jr. returned to the Kleskun Hills area and acquired a quarter of land by means of a loan through the Veterans’ Land Act. On January 6, 1952, he married Anna Jantz and they had five children; Helen, Lorna, William, Mary Anne and Samuel. The Purves’ acquired four more quarters of land and managed a mixed farming operation; raising grain, cattle and horses. In 1969, they sold their land and purchased a farm near Hythe where they continued to raise cattle and horses. As Bill Jr. now found he had time on his hands, he secured employment as a Commissionaire at the Beaverlodge Air Base and worked well into his 70’s.
William Jr. passed away in 2001 and Anna in 2016. Both are buried at the Hythe Cemetery.
Contributed by Wanda Zenner
Sources:
Smoky River to Grande Prairie
Service File
Emails from Lorna Purves, daughter