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In memory of:

Lieutenant William Albert Riches

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Military service

Age: 22
Rank: Lieutenant
Force: Army
Unit/Regiment: Royal Canadian Artillery
Division: 5 Anti-Tank Regt.
Death: August 29, 1944

Burial/memorial information

BRETTEVILLE-SUR-LAIZE CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY
Grave reference: XX. D. 4.
Additional information
Son of James Russell Riches and Clara May (née Lockhart) Riches, of Aberdeen, Saskatchewan. Born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Following schooling at Aberdeen, he entered the University of Saskatchewan, 2 years later he joined the Canadian Army. He graduated from Officers Training School at Gordon Head, Victoria, British Columbia and was posted overseas in 1942 as 1st Lieutenant with the Canadian Artillery Unit. Lt. Riches was wounded in France on August 28, 1944 and died the following day. He was mentioned in Dispatches for leadership and bravery.

Related media

Second World War (1939 – 1945)

In the Books of Remembrance

Commemorated on:

Page 427 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.
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BRETTEVILLE-SUR-LAIZE CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY Calvados, France

This cemetery lies on the west side of the main road from Caen to Falaise (route N158) and just north of the village of Cintheaux. Bretteville-sur-Laize is a village and commune in the department of the Calvados, some 16 kilometres south of Caen. The village of Bretteville lies 3 kilometres south-west of the Cemetery. Buried here are those who died during the later stages of the battle of Normandy, the capture of Caen and the thrust southwards (led initially by the 4th Canadian and 1st Polish Armoured Divisions), to close the Falaise Gap, and thus seal off the German divisions fighting desperately to escape being trapped west of the Seine. Almost every unit of Canadian 2nd Corps is represented in the Cemetery. There are about 3,000 allied forces casualties of the Second World War commemorated in this site.

For more information, visit Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

 

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