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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Urbain Joseph Levesque

In memory of:

Gunner Urbain Joseph Levesque

November 21, 1950
Canoe River, British Columbia

Military Service


Service Number:

C-850098

Age:

30

Force:

Army

Unit:

Royal Canadian Artillery

Division:

2nd Field Regiment

Citation(s):

Canadian Volunteer Service Medal & Clasp, 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45.

Additional Information


Born:

June 8, 1920
Ottawa, Ontario

Enlistment:

June 13, 1941
Ottawa, Ontario

Son of Anthine and Noella Lévesque of Ottawa, Ontario. Brother of Anthine, Ivan, Nelson, Mrs. O. McGregor and Mrs. L. Paton.

In civilian life, Gunner Levesque was employed as a pipe layer with McLaughlin Brothers.

Commemorated on the Wall of Remembrance, Canoe River Memorial, Korean War Cairn and Canoe River Monument.

Commemorated on Page 41 of the Korean War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Digital Collection

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  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star November 1950. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star November 1950. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star November 1950. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Telegram November 1950. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Memorial at Canoe River– Memorial at Canoe River train crash site.  In November of 1950 thousands of soldiers were sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, for training before their journey to Korea. They went by rail.  At 10:35 in the morning of November 21st, a troop train carrying 340 soldiers - soldiers of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery - was just east of the village of Canoe River, British Columbia. An express train on the same track was speeding in the opposite direction. And the two crashed, head-on. The troop train was tossed into the air, its engine thrown back onto the coach cars behind it. Steel cars were shattered by other steel cars in a raging inferno.  Seventeen Canadian soldiers died that morning, and the bodies of four of them were never found. Many of those who escaped death suffered horrible injury including massive burns.  The sacrifice made by the men at Canoe River was no less than that of all war veterans who died in the service of our country.  These Canoe River men also died so that others might live in peace. We remain eternally in their debt.
  • Monument– Reverse of Korean War Veterans War Memorial.  It is a memorial to the victims of the Canoe River crash. The monument is located in the Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • Inscription
  • Korean War Monument– National Capital Region Korean War Monument, Ottawa, Ontario
  • Inscription– Gunner URBAIN JOSEPH LEVESQUE is one of 21 soldiers whose names appear on this monument IN MEMORY OF THE CANADIANS WHO ENLISTED IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION AND MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE FOR THEIR COUNTRY 1950-1953 THE WAR IN KOREA, erected by the National Capital Unit of the Korea Veterans Association of Canada and the City of Ottawa.
  • Memorial Plaque– Memorial plaques for Gunner Urbain Joseph Levesque, Lieutenant Joseph Yehudi Levison, Able Seaman Vince Liska and Private Thomas Edward Little on the Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance in Meadowvale Cemetery, Brampton, Ontario.
  • Memorial– A section of the Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance in Meadowvale Cemetery, Brampton, Ontario. The memorial consists of a central section and 13 other sections containing memorial plaques for each of the 516 Canadian service men who died while serving with the Canadian Forces in the United Nations operations in Korea. It was erected by the Korea Veterans Association of Canada and was dedicated on July 27, 1997.
  • Memorial– Central Section of Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance Left Part
  • Inscription– Central Section of Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance Centre Part
  • Memorial– Central Section of Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance Right Part

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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