Military service
Burial/memorial information
Son of Charles Napoléon Labranche and Rose Alba Tremblay, of Ottawa, Ontario. Engaged to Pierrette Soulard. Father of Lorraine Soulard, born in 1942. Brother of Privates Samuel, Paul, Emmanuel Labranche who served in Europe and sailor Émile Labranche, Royal Canadian Navy. They all survived the war.
Enlisted in the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps, 3rd Military District Depot in Ottawa, Ontario, he was assigned to the Régiment de Hull on October 27, 1942, and then to the Voltigeurs de Québec on February 14, 1943. He sailed for Great Britain on July 21 and arrived on the 28th. Transferred to the Royal 22nd Regiment on October 2, he set sail again for Italy on the 27th and landed on the Italian mainland on November 9. He took part in the fierce fighting at Ortona the following December. Assigned to the 4th Battalion on January 24, 1944, he was seriously wounded in action on May 20, 1944, near Caserta. He was first taken to a first-aid post and then transferred to the 15th Canadian General Hospital in Caserta, where he died on the 31st. He was buried there on June 1 along the Caserta road, grave A.12. Around April 13, 1945, his remains were exhumed and reburied at the Canadian Military Cemetery in Caserta, grave number I.A.12. He had served for 868 days, including 315 days overseas.
Digital gallery of Private Dollard Labranche
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Photo of Dollard LaBranche
Dollard photo taken before stationed in Italy with the Royal 22nd elite Vandoos in 1944. He was killed in battle while attacking the German Hitler Line with other Canadian troops.
Digital gallery of
Private Dollard Labranche
In the Books of Remembrance
Commemorated on:
Page 356 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.
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CASERTA WAR CEMETERY Italy
The town of Caserta, which is famous for its Royal Palace, designed by Vanvitelli in the middle of the 18th century to the order of Charles III of Bourbon, lies about 27 kilometres due north of Naples. The Palace served as headquarters for the Allied armies in Italy for the greater part of the duration of the Italian campaign.
If going by car visitors should take the highway to Naples, No.A2, and leave it at the Caserta Nord exit. Proceed to the first set of traffic lights and then turn left and continue along the main street eastward for 2.2 kilometres, past the Royal Palace. Just after the Royal Palace, about 0.2 kilometres, turn left at the main intersection (a piazza with round corners) and head north for 2.0 kilometres, following this street along the eastern edge of the Royal Gardens. After 2.0 kilometres, turn right and proceed directly westward for 0.8 kilometres, then turn southward down an incline. After a distance of 0.3 kilometres there will be a large Communal Cemetery located on the left; proceed to the main gates and the CWGC plot will be found at the end of this road. Cars may be parked within the Communal Cemetery grounds.
For more information, visit Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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