B74754 Pte Harold Wesley Rutledge joined the Lorne Scots (P.D. & H. Regt) on 5 June 1940. This was the militia regiment. He then went to Toronto and attested for the regular army on 01 July 40 at the 48th Highlanders recruiting depot and became a member of the 48th Highlanders of Canada and was assigned his service number. On his Attestation Papers he stated his date of birth as 7 Dec 1921 and that he was born in Mulmur, Dufferin County, Ontario.
He served in Canada attached for training and other duties as a qualified soldier. The key dates and locations were: 26 July 40 – reinforcement recruits for training with 2 CI(R)TC at Borden, Ontario from 27 July to 30 April 41; 9 October 41 to 7 August 43 as a sapper at Petawawa, Ontario – E.T. C. (Engineer Training); 8 Aug 43 at Huntingdon, Quebec then 1 Oct 43 at Aldershot, Nova Scotia; 19 Oct 43 at Barriefield, Ontario (S.T.C. – Signaller Training) and received Signaller qualification on 19 Oct 43.
His next move was to Europe: 16 Feb 44 – SOS (Struck Off Strength) in Canada and 24 Feb 44 embarked for the UK; 7 Apr 44 in the UK he was assigned to the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and put on their X-list (a holding unit for soldiers who would become replacements). On 7 Apr 44 he was transferred to the RHLI and sent to France joining them on 5 July. He remained with them until 22 Sep 44 when he suffered an ankle sprain dismounting from a truck. From 28 Sep 44 to 24 Feb 45 he was in hospital and in the UK then on 24 Feb 45 he was put back on the RHLI X-list and sent back to France to join the RHLI on 7 Apr 45.
When the war was over on 7 May 45 he remained with the RHLI until transferred on 19 Jun 45 to the 48th Highlanders (and then their X4 List on 8 Aug) to go home to Canada. He left earlier than the full battalion, who left in late September, and he was sent to Canada as a 48th Highlander with others of the battalion who left early. It is possible that the early departure was because he had volunteered for service in the Pacific Theatre. In Canada he was assigned to #2 D.D. on 7 Sep 45 and discharged from the army on 29 Sept 45.
NOK:Eileen Doris Rutledge (nee Rolatin) – 1378 St Clair Ave West, Toronto; earlier 130 Glenholme Avenue, Toronto
