This framed photo and certificate from Canada’s Minister of National Defence recognizing Private Stanley George Stewart’s sacrifice caught my eye in Wortley yesterday.
It is in the window at the Westland Gallery.
I decided to find out more about this young lad, who died at 19 in July, 1944.
Canada’s Virtual War Memorial says he was the son of Sydney and Matilda Stewart of Paris, Ont. He served with the Highland Light Infantry of Canada, R.C.I.C. He is buried in France.
I also came across a website that listed his name, Fallen Heroes of Normandy: A Photographic Remembrance.
The website notes a headstone photo from his grave will be added in 2017. It says there is no photo of Stanley. I am going to send them this photo as it is the same one on the Virtual War Memorial site.
Here is more information about the Fallen Heroes of Normandy project:
“This project was formally established and launched in 2009 by military historian Carl Shilleto and his wife Irena Zientek. This online archive and website is the result of over ten years of preliminary research work. During this period, time has been spent collating information about the fallen and photographing the Commonwealth, American, Polish, French and German war cemeteries, communal cemeteries, churchyards and isolated graves in Normandy, France.
During his 20 year career as a writer, researcher and battlefield guide, Carl has accompanied and assisted hundreds of families and veterans around the battlefields of Normandy, so that they may pay their respects to their fallen relatives or comrades.
Particularly moved by the faded newspaper clippings and photographs these people often carried in memory to their loved ones or dear friends, Carl considered the possibility that in the next few years, the identity of the people in these images could fade from living memory. If that were to happen, it would be a great loss that would deny future generations the emotive experience of remembering the fallen in visual form.”
This site is worth checking out.
Here’s the link:
http://www.fallenheroesphotos.org/Home
Please pause to remember all of our fallen today.
I’ll be thinking about my uncle, Trooper Allen Olimer, who also died in France in 1944. He is seen above.
Isle of Rumleski 
Well done Kathy. A article by Joe Belanger LFP June 20/13 explains gallery ownership, surname ‘Stewart’.
An interesting UK project, but word must be spread that Canada designed a project for collecting and sharing these images about 15 years ago, which is likely to outlast such individual collections. So glad you used it here, so word will get around – cross file items with Canada’s Virtual War Memorial for safekeeping … Brant has been particularly good at copying to it…and notes that the lad was an immigrant child from the UK. Who could know his fate, dying in battle in France..
As we wind up this period of contemplation of the cost of war, looking at the film footage on TV, one is filled at wonderment at what people we are related, even knew or know, endured such challenges. Not the cheap”heroes” appellation so loved of media which shades those who were recognized for something extraordinary, but tough, resilient men and women slogging along without notice except from their military comrades and the people waiting back home. Some in vain..
It was a dangerous, thankless task that spanned years and led to much suffering for so many around the globe. I saw a news report this week about high school students who dug trenches this year and slept overnight in them to show how what difficult conditions soldiers endured.
I tend to think this is really not as good as students viewing footage of the actual events of the time, and looking at the Artist program, and the effect on the European landscape. Even reading such as the great play Journey’s End’ by Sherriff. Good stuff on TVO this week.
They can’t replicate what is described of reality by camping out a night even in a depression in the ground. Sort of did this on canoe trips at camp. One of these programs had the throwing buns at each other to replicate being under fire.