In Memory of
CATLEY, HENRY OSCAR
Private A/11268
Royal Canadian Regiment,
who died 22 age
23 August 1943
AGIRA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
He was born on march 18th 1921,to Louis and Charlotte Catley in the small Bruce Peninsula town of Wiarton,Bruce County, Ontario, Canada.
By the time that World War II broke out, he was married to his wife, Myrtle A. and the father of one child but he decided to enlist anyway.
On september 19th,1939, he joined the Perth Regiment in Stratford, Ontario, and, after nearly four years of training in both Canada and the United Kingdom, was finally shipped out with the Royal Canadian Regiment as part of Opertion "Husky", the Allied invasion of Sicily.
They landed on July 10th 1943, and began moving north, battling tough German forces as they advanced.
On July 28th, after five hard days of fighting, they captured the hilltop town of Agira, but their battle was not yet over so they continued forward.
He lived to see Sicily fully liberated from German control by August 18th, 1943, but just five days later, on the 23rd, he lost his life in battle at the age of 22.
Now he rest in Agira Canadian War Cemetery, one of 490 soldiers who gave their lives fighting so hard during this campaign.
Private Henry Catley, Royal Canadian Regiment. Born on the 18th of March 1921 in Wiarton, Ontario and accidentally killed on the 23rd of August 1943.Henry landed on the Pachino beaches on the 11th of July and fought the whole Sicilian campaign. On the 23rd of August he went AWOL (absent without official leave) and was found drunk in the town of Militello by Corporal Pruner of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. Corporal Pruner arrested Henry and wanted to escort him back to his regiment, but they came in a fight and Corporal Pruner used his Thompson to defend himself. Henry was killed during this struggle and died on the scene. After a court of inquiry was ordered by Brigadier Graham it was stated that the cause of death of Henry was self defence and that Corporal Pruner had only the intention to wound Henry and not to kill him. Corporal Pruner was absolved from all the blame of Henry's death.
Henry lived in Hamilton, Ontario with his wife Myrtle Almeda Burley and their son Russel. His parents also lived in Hamilton together with his two younger brothers. Henry enlisted on the 19th of September 1939 in Stratford, Ontario and was added to the Perth Regiment. In 1943 he was transferred to the RCR.
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