Saskatchewan

Acaster Lake is named in honour of Leading Seaman Douglas Haig Acaster. The lake was dedicated on September 6, 1951 by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Douglas Haig Acaster was born at Beausejour, Manitoba in March 1918. Following his studies he was employed as a teacher in the North Battleford, Saskatchewan area before enlisting in June 1939. He was assigned as a cook to HMCS CHIPPEWA, the RCNVR unit at Winnipeg, when he died of leukemia on July 13, 1944. He is buried in North Battleford.

Robert William Abrams was born in May 1924 in Rockhaven, Saskatchewan, south-west of North Battleford. His family had moved from Meaford, ON to Rockhaven in 1905. Robert was born on the homestead and was engaged in farming when he enlisted in Saskatoon in 1942. Following aircrew training, he was assigned to No. 576 Squadron Royal Air Force. Robert William Abrams was killed in action in March 1945 on his first operational mission, when his Lancaster bomber collided in midair with another aircraft over Chemnitz, Germany. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial near London, England, for airmen from the north European theater who died with no known grave.

Abram Island is named in honour of Lieutenant Allan Francis Abram. The island was dedicated on February 3, 1950 by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Allan Francis (Frank) Abram was born in August 1919 in Southey, Saskatchewan. He attended Central Collegiate and Regina College and completed a law degree just before enlisting at Saskatoon in 1942, where he was assigned to the Calgary Regiment. Lieutenant Abram was killed in action in May 1944 near Panaccioni, Italy during operations to breach the GUSTAV LINE, when his Sherman tank was struck by a round from an enemy self-propelled gun. He is buried at Cassino War Cemetery, Frosinone, Italy.

Abel Lake is named in memory of Private John James Abel. The lake was dedicated on September 5, 1957 by the Government of Saskatchewan.

John Abel was born in January 1916 on the family farm near Peppel, east of Biggar, Saskatchewan. His family had moved from Fergus, Ontario, to homestead north of Keppel in 1912. John worked on the farm and in the bush in northern Saskatchewan before enlisting at North Battleford in 1940. As a member of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, John Abel was killed on July 21, 1944, in the Battle of Verrières Ridge, an important belt of high ground which dominates the route from Caen to Falaise. He is buried at Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Calvados, France.

Abbott Lake is named in memory of Flight Officer Arthur William Abbott. The lake was dedicated on February 6, 1952 by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Arthur William Abbott was born in November 1918 in Herschel, north-west of Rosetown, Saskatchewan. His family had emigrated from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, to homestead near Herschel. Arthur Abbott completed high school at Virden, Manitoba, and was studying engineering at the University of Saskatchewan when he enlisted at Saskatoon in 1940. Trained as an observer, he had been assigned to No. 205 Squadron RAF when his Catalina was shot down over the Indian Ocean off Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), on April 5, 1942. No survivors were found but his crew is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial for airmen with no known grave.

Abbott Island is named in memory of Gunner Walter John (Walt) Abbott. The island was dedicated on April 7, 1960 by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Walter John Abbott was born in February 1920 in Richlea, south-west of Rosetown, Saskatchewan. He was employed as a farmer when he enlisted at Rosetown in 1941, and assigned to 8^th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. He was stationed near London, England when he received a skull fracture as a result of a truck collision. Walt Abbott died on June 11, 1944 and is buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery near London.

Aastrom Lake is named in memory of Private Thomas (Tommy) Ferdinand Aastrom. The lake was dedicated on October 29, 2002 by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Thomas Aastrom was born in April 1913 in Briercrest, Saskatchewan, south-east of Moosejaw. He was working as a labourer and truck driver for the Eastern Irrigation District, near Bassano, Alberta, when he enlisted at Calgary in June 1943. As a member of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, Aastrom was taking part in operations to clear the west bank of the Rhine when he received a wound to the head. He died the next day on February 27, 1945 and is buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.

Aadland Lake is named in memory of Rifleman Richard (Dick) Aadland. The lake was dedicated on June 2, 1950 by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Dick Aadland was born in September 1904 in Norway. His family emigrated to Minnesota in 1906, but later moved to Chambery, just south of Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. A homesteader by trade, Richard Aadland joined the Regina Rifles in 1943 at the age of 39. His brother Peter served in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, his brother Clarence in the RCAF, and his sister Greda in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps. Dick Aadland was killed in February 1945 near Cleve, Germany during operations to clear the west bank of the Rhine. He is buried in Groesbeek War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

This memorial is dedicated to the soldiers who fought in the Second World War, unveiled circa 1949/50.

In 1936 the Government of Canada chose to name a lake in north-eastern Saskatchewan in honour of Sergeant Raphael Louis Zengel, VC, MM, who served with the 5th Infantry Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Raphael Louis Zengel was born on 11 November 1894 in Faribault, United States. While he was still very young, he and his mother moved from the United States to a homestead in Saskatchewan. Zengel enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in December 1914. He served overseas with the 5th Infantry Battalion, CEF, taking part in several raids on German trenches. For his role in one of these raids, near Passchendaele in Belgium in 1917, Zengel received the Military Medal. On 9 August 1918, Sergeant Zengel was leading his platoon forward during the second day of the massive Allied offensive against the German lines around Amiens, in France. When he noticed a gap on the flank of his platoon and an enemy machine gun firing on the advancing Canadians at close range, he quickly decided to deal with the machine gun position himself. Rushing 200 metres ahead of his platoon, Zengel charged the German emplacement, killing two of the machine gun’s crew and compelling the rest to flee. Later that day, when the progress of the 5th Battalion was blocked by heavy machine gun fire, he demonstrated great tactical skill in directing the fire of his platoon to eliminate the enemy resistance. Sergeant Zengel’s courage, leadership and disregard for his own safety inspired his men, and were important factors in enabling the advance to continue. For his conduct on this day, he was awarded the Victoria Cross.Zengel died in Vancouver, British Columbia on 22 February 1977.