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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Francis Gallant

In memory of:

Private Francis Gallant

December 15, 1943

Military Service


Service Number:

G/4440

Age:

20

Force:

Army

Unit:

Carleton and York Regiment, R.C.I.C.

Additional Information


Born:

March 25, 1923
Moncton, New Brunswick

Enlistment:

June 5, 1942
Moncton, New Brunswick

Son of Hilarie and Adele Gallant of Moncton, New Brunswick.

Commemorated on Page 161 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:

I. A. 3.

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.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Photo of Francis Gallant– An uncle who died before I was born in 1948. My mother Stella's brother.
  • Letter– Department of National defense letter to my grand-mother Adèle Gallant with details of pte Francis Gallant's burial in Morro River Cemetery, Ortona, Italy

Francis was from a community north east of Moncton NB, called Saint-Philippe.
  • Memorial Bar– Francis Gallant was a brother to my mother Stella Julie Daigle (née Gallant)
The photo is from an album kept by my mother and my grandmother Adèle Gallant (née Caissie)


(I wanted to send more pictures of documents, but the form seems to only accept one file)
  • Cemetery– Entrance - Moro River Canadian War Cemetery - May 2013
Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Cemetery– Moro River Canadian War Cemetery - May 2013
Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Grave Marker– Grave marker - Moro River Canadian War Cemetery - May 2013

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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