B73577 Pte Ponsford, Raymond S. enlisted in September 1939 with the 48th Highlanders for overseas duty and was assigned to B Company. He, with the battalion, trained, largely on the CNE grounds with barracks in the Horse Palace, until they departed by CN train on 17 December 1939. They embarked on the Reina del Pacifico on 18 December as part of the convoy carrying the 1st Canadian contingent overseas. They landed at Gourock, Scotland on the Clyde on 31 December and took a train to Corunna Barracks, Aldershot arriving on New Year’s Day.
The next entry shows Pte Ponsford being taken on strength of the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders from 1 Cdn Recce Sqn on 8 February 1941. Our records don’t show when he was sent to the Recce Sqn after arriving in the U.K. He was sent to 2 Army Field Workshop, RCOC, on 8 March 1941.
We found no further entries for the balance of the war. However, his medals indicate that he was in the Italian campaign and then the liberation of Holland in 1945. He was part of the 1st Canadian Division for this period.
His medals are the 39/45 Star, the Italy Star, the France Germany Star, the Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with bar, 1939-1945 War medal and the Cdn Efficiency Medal (George VI). The Efficiency medal indicates longer service than just WWII.
NOK:
