Private Dollard Labranche

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.