B6381 Dunsford, Alwyn James Roy joined the Queen’s Own Rifles in Toronto in 1940 and went on to join the First Special Forces (nicknamed The Devils Brigade). When they were disbanded in France in 1944 he was transferred to the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders as a replacement just after the Mountain Campaign and was then involved with the 48th in the rest of the Italian Campaign. Dunsford was wounded on 27 October 1944.
The battalion had just taken Rimini and from 10 October they chased the Germans fighting the mud as well. They used a tactic that the CO called “winkling”. A quote from one of our histories said: “From 10 October, they fought the mud, and chased the Germans, thirty-nine kilometres in thirty-three days. Eighty-three casualties were the cost, in sporadic fighting. The Germans delayed with every trick they could. The 48th met them with a narrow-front, leapfrogging tactic that pushed aside light opposition, brought more force to bear when needed, by-passed pockets when they could and used the mortars, machine guns and anti-tank guns of their Support Platoon at every turn.”
NOK: Edith Dunsford, Dundas Street, Toronto
Son: Norman.
Dunsford remarried to an English girl in 1945 and had a daughter born 28 Jan 46 and son Richard on 15 April 47. He is believed to have joined either the Toronto Police Force or the RCMP after the war.