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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Joseph Aurèle Bouchard

In memory of:

Private Joseph Aurèle Bouchard

March 7, 1944
San Nicola, Italy

Military Service


Service Number:

D/163106

Age:

28

Force:

Army

Unit:

Royal 22e Régiment, R.C.I.C.

Citation(s):

1939-1945 Star, Italy Star, 1939-1945 War Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with bar

Additional Information


Born:

May 25, 1915
Rimouski, Quebec

Son of Adélard Bouchard and Cécile Ouellet from Montréal, Québec. Brother of Privates Paul and Georges Bouchard, who served with the Canadian Army in Europe during the Second World War. They survived the war.

From the Voltigeurs de Québec, he was transferred to Italy with the Royal 22e Régiment on 12 September 1943. He fought at Sangro in late September, at Casa Berardi from 13 to 15 December, at Torre Mucchio from late December to early January 1944, and in the second Canadian assault at Cassino from 15 to 18 February 1944. He was killed in action on 7 March 1944 in the San Nicolas village sector of the Ortona salient. He was buried in Casa Berardi cemetery on 9 March before being exhumed and reburied in the Moro River cemetery on 25 July 1944. He had 570 days' service, including 229 overseas.

Commemorated on Page 254 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:
Grave Reference:

II. C. 11.

Location:

By the winter of 1943, the German armies in Italy were defending a line stretching from the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Naples, to the Adriatic Sea south of Ortona. The Allies prepared to break through this line to capture Rome. For its part, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division was to cross the Moro River and take Ortona. In January 1944 the Canadian Corps selected this site, intending that it would contain the graves of those who died during the Ortona battle and in the fighting in the weeks before and after it. Today, there are 1,615 graves in the cemetery, of which over 50 are unidentified and 1,375 are Canadian.

The Moro River Canadian War Cemetery lies in the locality of San Donato in the Commune of Ortona, Province of Chieti, and is sited on high ground near the sea just east of the main Adriatic coast road (SS16). The cemetery can be reached from Rome on the autostrada A25 (Rome-Pescara) by branching on the autostrada A14 and leaving it at Ortona. The approach road to the cemetery from the main road passes under an arch forming part of the little church of San Donato. The cemetery is permanently open and may be visited anytime.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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