Lt Alfred Kingsley
My father, Lt Alfred Kingsley, was killed on October 7, 1944, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment.
The Regiment was dug in at Brecht, Belgium, about 25 km north-east of Antwerp. At 1300 hours on October 7, 1944, the Regiment began shelling the nearby German position. Retaliatory German mortar fire landed next to Alf, killing him almost instantly. He was the only regimental casualty on that day. His death is recorded on Page Twelve of the Regiment's War Diary for October 1944.
Alfred Samuel Robert Kingsley was born and raised in Waterloo, Ontario. His parents were William Kingsley and Margaret Poag. Prior to his enlistment, he was a junior officer of the Mutual Life Assurance Company, headquartered in Kitchener-Waterloo. Alfred was married to Margaret Agnes Kalbfleisch of Tavistock, Ontario. They had one child, a son, Roger Alfred Kingsley, born December 21, 1943.
Alfred Kingsley is buried in Schoonselhof Cemetery, Amsterdam, Belgium.
I attach a photograph of my father, taken shortly before he went overseas.
I will finally have the opportunity to visit his grave next April. My wife will pipe for him when we are there.
1Jan2014 RK/gs