Although Joe Rich had a tiny population at the time of both world wars, it produced an impressive number of soldiers. Also, several residents had been soldiers before they came to Joe Rich.

In the Boer War (South African War) 1899 – 1902

Martin Band

In the First World War 1914 – 1918

Allan Fazan

Gordon Fazan

Ernest Hepton

James (Jack) Hockey

Duncan Stewart

Cyril Weddell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1915 Ready for war (CW =Cyril Weddell)

In the Second World War 1939 – 1945

Marcia Aitkens

Harold Baillie

Alex Band

Harry Band

Doug Black

Bud Bubar

Hayden Bubar

Harold Cundy

Vern Emerson

Allan Fazan

Allan France

Jack Hepton

Bruce Page

Claude Pearce

Cecil Philpott

Charlie Philpott

Wayne Slyter

Allan Smith

Don Smith

In the Korean War 1950 – 1953

Reg Marlatt

In the War in Vietnam 1964 -1968

Aime Beaulieu

Gordon Fazan was killed in World War I. His brother Allan came home, and returned again in World War II. He again came home, but sadly after surviving the wars, he was killed in Kelowna by a hit and run driver. Ernest Hepton was a member of the British Forces in Ireland after World War I. Jack Hockey was a machine gunner and was wounded in the abdomen. When he had recovered, he became a motorcycle dispatch rider. Duncan Stewart was a prisoner of war in Germany during World War I and was released in 1918. Cyril Weddell, when he joined up, gave his age as a year or two older than it really was and so was sent over seas at 17. He fought at the Battle of Vimy Ridge and was hit by a German bomb which left him with many severe shrapnel wounds. He was evacuated to England and back to Canada in 1917 where he received a draft notice. He had just reached the age for the call-up and the recruiting office didn’t realize he had already been to war and had come home wounded. The bureaucracy didn’t work any better then than it does now.

Jack Hepton and Allan Smith were both killed in World War II. Wayne Slyter went through the allied invasion of Europe in a tank and was wounded in the leg. He was shipped back to England, recovered and returned to his unit to finish out 5 years and the end of the war. Charlie Philpott was sent over seas, but Cecil was a ‘bad boy’ and spent most of the war peeling potatoes in Canadian army camps. Marcia Aitkens, the only Joe Rich woman who was at war, was a nurse in the Canadian forces. The experience deeply affected her attitude to life and taught her to smoke and drink. Vern Emerson fought in Holland and for many years received tulip bulbs each year as recognition of his contribution. Allan France was a bomber pilot with the Canadian Air Force during the time when our men flew out of England to bomb Europe each night. The loss of Canadian air crews shot down in those raids was terrifying, but Allan was young and perhaps lucky. By the age of 23, he rose to be a Wing Commander in charge of 25 four engine bombers. He has met regularly with his flight crew for the past 60 years.

Reg Marlatt and Aime Beaulieu went to the Asian wars. Aime Beaulieu was with the American forces in Vietnam and survived the horror of that experience.

Although Kelowna has many old German soldiers, we do not know of any in Joe Rich.

Mr. Giesa was a Hungarian displaced to Canada by the Hungarian Revolution.