Roy Joseph Seymour, nicknamed “Mickey”, enlisted with the 48th Highlanders of Canada early in 1940 and received the service number B73664. He gave his date of birth as 09 August 1915. Following training he travelled by train to Halifax and embarked on 12 May, disembarking in Liverpool on the 22nd. He was assigned to 1 CIRU (a holding unit) and was transferred to the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders on 18 December 1940 while the battalion was in the Kingswood area of South Gloucester. Pte Seymour was a good athlete and was on the regiment’s baseball team competing in the Brigade Baseball League. Records in May 1941 show them winning 19 to 11 over the RCR followed by a 14 to 5 loss at an exhibition match versus the Toronto Scottish. Seymour would be elected the Baker Company representative on the Battalion’s club in May 42.
On June 8, 1941, he was sent to Command Asst. Instructors PT course at Comd. Central (Maida) Gymnasium returning to the battalion on the 29th. While on the PT course he was appointed A/L/Cpl. He was briefly at 9 Field Ambulance, admitted 18 September and again on 24 November. In May 42 he was sent to 2 Cdn CCS (hospital) and returned to the battalion on 13 April. On 1 January 1943 his daily rate of pay was increased for “Six months proficient service”. In March he was again at 4 Field ambulance then 4CCS from 29 March to 1 April.
In June 1943 Pte Seymour, with the battalion, was practicing in landing craft in Gourock, Scotland and on 28 June embarked on Troopship Derbyshire for the landing at Pachino, Sicily on 9 July.
Pte. Seymour, with B Company, fought through Sicily that month and was appointed in the field to A/L/Cpl on 23 July. On 3 September the battalion left Sicily and crossed the Straits of Messina to Reggio di Calabria to Italy. . The battalion was charged with penetrating the highlands there to see if the Germans would defend in the toe of Italy. They met only Italian Blackshirts with minor actions as General Kesselring had opted to withdraw to the north. Our history “Dileas” records that the battalion’s last thrust into the mountains saw Baker Company briefly become “mechanized” for a speedy 25-kilometre recce, riding on 200 liberated folding bicycles. The battalion returned to Foggia on the 9th to begin chasing the Germans and Pte Seymour was put on the X-3 list (hospital) on the 13th.
Records show him transferred to the X-3 List from 2 Cdn NETD (B) on 7 June 1944 and being discharged from hospital (1CGH) on 11 June back to 2 Cdn NETD. He went back temporarily to the X-3 List on 16 September, then back to 2 Cdn NETD on 1 October. (As he is not shown on the Padre’s Casualty record, he may have had malaria, contracted in Sicily).
Our records don’t show him again after October 1944. His service records will be required to complete his service for the gap from September 43 to June 44 and then again from October 44 to the end of his service.
NOK: Wife – Catherine (Kathleen?) Seymour, 113 Maria Street, Toronto
