William A Snowie enlisted with the 48th Highlanders in Toronto in September 1939, not long after war had been declared. He was given the service numberB73356. Training was held largely on the CNE grounds with soldiers staying in temporary barracks in the Horse Palace. On 17 December, the 1st Battalion, 48th Highlanders boarded a CN train for Halifax where they embarked on the Reina del Pacifico as part of the convoy carrying the 1st Canadian Contingent Overseas. They disembarked at Gourock, Scotland on the Clyde on 30 December, and took a train to Aldershot, Corunna barracks arriving on New Year’s Day. Pte Snowie was with the battalion in June 1940 when they were sent to France, 2 weeks after the evacuation from the beaches at Dunkerque of the British and Allied Forces. Prime Minister Churchill, realizing he did not have an army to send to France, as the evacuated soldiers had left all their weapons in Dunkerque, sent the only armed troops, the Canadians and the 52nd Lowland Division, to France. The 48th penetrated 300 km into France before being ordered to return to the UK, which they did by commandeering their train at gunpoint to take them to St Malo to catch one of the last 2 ships there.
On 31 March 1941, Pte Snowie was given permission to marry, and gave his Next of Kin as his wife, Maud Snowie. His wife moved to 4 Hamilton Close, Epsom, Surrey in July, moving to stay within range of the battalion as it changed locations. On 29 July he was struck off strength for a posting to Canadian Provost Corps Depot (a hospital location). In September, his wife, Mrs. Henrietta Maud Snowie moved to 8 Campbell Road, Brighton, Sussex when Pte Snowie returned to the 48th Highlanders battalion on 26 September, being assigned to HQ Company. His wife gave birth to a son, William Alexander, on 11 October. He received the Good Conduct Badge in December and in February 1942 changed his wife’s address again to 43 Botolph Rd., Bow, London E3, and again in January 1943 to 11 Ferrer House, Glaucus St., Bow, E3, London.
On 10 February 1943 he was attached to the (British) School of Infantry, Barnards Castle as the batman to a 48th Highlander officer training there, Lt. Marshall Stearns, for the period 10 February to 10 March. Upon returning to the 1st Battalion he went to Gourock, Scotland with the battalion to train in landing craft. When the battalion embarked from Gourock on 28 June for their landings at Pachino, Sicily on 10 July 1943, Snowie was one of those assigned to the “Slow Convoy” carrying supplies, Highlanders’ personal effects, vehicles and support staff. His ship, the City of Venice, was torpedoed on 4 July. Pte Snowie and many others were rescued and continued on, to North Africa, likely Oran, for recovery, new uniforms and equipment. Snowie caught up to the 1st Battalion in Italy (Date missing in records) and remained with them until transferred on 1 November 1943 to Headquarters 5 Cdn Armoured Division. The battalion, in October, had advanced to Campobasso and beyond to the town of Torella, to drive the Germans back so that they could not shell the Canadians in Campobasso.
Service records will be required to fill in the dates from July to October 43 and detail his service after he left the 48th Highlanders on 1 November.
Pte Snowie was entitled to 5 medals: a. Italy Star, b.39/45 Star, c. The Defence Medal, d. 1939-1945 War Medal, e. Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, f. Canadian Efficiency Decoration. If he went with the 1st Canadian Division from Italy to Holland in March 1945 he would have been entitled to a 6th, the France/Germany Star.
NOK: Wife – Henrietta Maud Snowie (see addresses in description above)
Canada address: Mother Mrs. F.L. Snowie, 1 Linden St. Toronto.