Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C.

John Sidney WATSON was born on July 18, 1916, in Severn Bridge, Ontario. He was raised by his mother, Mabel Annie Watson, and stepfather, Fred, after his father, John P. Smith, was killed while serving in France during World War I. John had a full sister, Mabel Eileen Cooke, who also used the surname Watson, as well as three half-brothers: William Francis, Herbert Henry, and Eugene Frederick. The Watson family eventually settled in Wynyard, Saskatchewan, where John would spend much of his youth.

John completed grade 7 before leaving school at the age of 15 to help support his family. His home life was stable, and his conduct during his school years was considered normal. His favorite pastimes included hunting, skating, and playing baseball, where he excelled as a catcher. While John was not noted for his academic abilities and was described as “dull mentally,” he was physically alert and capable. Despite these challenges, he could perform certain tasks in the army well and was regarded as having a positive disposition and good physical aptitude.

After leaving school, John worked alongside his stepfather in Wynyard, engaging in mixed farming from 1936 to 1941. During the earlier years, from 1934 to 1936, he also worked at the Pondosa Pine Lumber Company in Monte Lake, British Columbia, as a sawmill hand, earning $20 per week. Farming was his main occupation, and he planned to return to it after the war, feeling confident in his ten years of experience.

John enlisted in the Canadian Army on March 29, 1941, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, driven by a sense of duty. He was initially assigned as a gunner in the Canadian Artillery and underwent extensive training across various Canadian training centers. After training at Fort William and Petawawa, he was deployed to the UK on October 7, 1941, where he continued to serve as a gunner in different units, including the 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. His service took him to the United Kingdom and then to the Central Mediterranean Force when he arrived in Italy on October 25, 1943, as part of the Allied armies.

John served through the harsh conditions of the Italian Campaign, a brutal theater of war that demanded great resilience. On October 26, 1944, John was redesignated from the artillery to the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps and took on the rank of Private. Just a few weeks later, on December 14, 1944, during heavy fighting in the campaign, John Sidney Watson was killed in action at the age of 28.

He was laid to rest in Plot VII, Row C, Grave 7 at the Villanova War Cemetery in Italy, alongside many of his fallen comrades.

Despite facing challenges in life, John Watson’s service in the Canadian Army was marked by perseverance, loyalty, and a commitment to the greater cause. His sacrifice, like that of so many, remains a poignant reminder of the cost of war and the bravery of those who answered the call to serve.