Forrester, Private William Storrie

Service Highlights

  • Born January 3, 1926 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
  • Enlisted in the Canadian Army on August 7, 1944.
  • Initially joined the Armoured Corps, later transferred to the Infantry.
  • Served with the 2nd Battalion, Irish Regiment of Canada.
  • Served in England, France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany during the Second World War.
  • Awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and the Defence Medal.
  • Discharged on September 12, 1946.
  • Worked for the Dominion Chain Company
  • Later moved to St. Marys, Ontario and continued his career until retirement.
  • Longtime member of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 236, St. Marys.
  • Passed away March 14, 2017.
  • Commemorated through the St. Marys Legion Veterans Banner Program.

A Life and Service Remembered

William Storrie “Bill” Forrester was born in Niagara Falls in 1926 and entered the workforce at a young age with the Dominion Chain Company. In August 1944, he left that job to enlist in the Canadian Army, joining during the final and most intense phase of the Second World War.

He initially signed on with the Armoured Corps but was transferred to the infantry after arriving in Europe. Serving with the 2nd Battalion of the Irish Regiment of Canada, Forrester took part in the Allied advance across Northwest Europe. His service carried him through England and onto the continent, where Canadian forces were engaged in the liberation of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and the final push into Germany.

At this time, his service records are not publicly available, so the exact details of his wartime movements or circumstances surrounding his awarded medals have not yet been confirmed.

While overseas, his experience reflected that of many young Canadians who joined late in the war, entering active operations during the final campaigns that brought the conflict to an end. After his discharge in 1946, he returned to his previous work with Dominion Chain, continuing his career as the company later relocated to Stratford. In 1965, he and his family moved to St. Marys, where he remained for the rest of his life.

Bill Forrester was deeply connected to the veteran community and was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for many decades. His life reflects both his wartime service and a long postwar commitment to work, family, and community.

Major Battles and Operations

  • Service with the Irish Regiment of Canada in Northwest Europe
  • Participation in the liberation of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands
  • Final Allied operations in Germany, 1945
  • Campaign service during the closing phase of the Second World War

Learn More

Royal Canadian Legion Military Service Recognition Book Volume IV
https://on.legion.ca/remembrance/military-service-recognition-book/msrb/

William Storrie Forrester obituary
https://hodgesfuneralhome.ca/tribute/details/229/William-Forrester/obituary.html