D158001 Pte Ronald Olivier attested on 22 September 1943 in Regina and was taken on strength of A-27 Cdn Recce. He stated that he had prior service with #4 NRMA from 6 July 43 to 21 Sept 43. He remained in Canada, at Dundurn, until receiving the order on 25 August 1944 to proceed overseas to the UK. On 12 December 1944 he embarked from England and disembarked in Italy on 24 December.

On 7 January 1945 he was taken on strength by the 48th Highlanders 1st Battalion from the X-4 list (the list of soldiers available for reinforcement) and was assigned to A Company. With the battalion he would have been involved in the crossing of the Lamone River on 10 December, the battles between the Lamone and Senio Rivers until mid February, then in the Ravenna marshes area to face the Germans there until early March. The 48th Highlanders, and the entire 1st Canadian Division, were withdrawn from there and moved across Italy to the west coast, near Genoa. They embarked from Leghorn, Italy on 12 March to Marseille, France and went across country to Belgium to prepare for the final liberation of Holland.

On 12 April the 48th crossed the Ijssel River as part of Operation Cannonshot, whose goal was the liberation of Apeldoorn. On this day that Pte Olivier was killed in action. He, with 18 other Highlanders, was buried in temporary graves on the dykes at the town of Wilp. After war ended, they were moved to Holten Cemetery. His grave site is Grave 16, Row B, Plot 2.

NOK: Son of Paul and Elvira Olivier, of  5114 Henri Julien St., Montreal, Province of Quebec.