Lest We Forget

Keith Harold Dale was born on October 29, 1923, in Stratford, Perth County, Ontario, to parents George Albert and Margaret Maud (McEwin) Dale. He was the second oldest of five boys, with older brother Wilson “Red” Dale and young brothers Bruce, Donald, and Douglas Dale.

Keith served in the Perth Regiment Reserve from August 1940 until his enlistment on May 22, 1942, to HMCS Prevost, a land-based Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve division in London, Ontario. He commenced active service shortly after on June 3, being drafted to the RCN shore base HMCS Protector in Cape Breton Island two days later.

About three months later, Dale was drafted to HMCS Cornwallis, also in Nova Scotia, on September 29, 1942. He remained here for eight months before being drafted to HMCS Stadacona on June 1, 1942. Two days later, he was rated Acting Stoker 1st Class RCNVR, at which point he began performing duties of Engineer’s Writer.

Over a year later, on December 19, 1943, Dale was drafted to HMCS Niobe in Greenock, Scotland. He remained there until being drafted to the ship HMCS Ribble on July 2, 1944. Starting July 24, 1944, he started getting paid as an Engineer’s Writer.

He returned to HMCS Niobe almost exactly a year later on June 12, 1945, two days after his marriage to Eleanor Bawdick, dockyard secretary (DND, Halifax). Ten days later, he was again drafted to HMCS Peregrine, another shore-based training base in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

About a month later, on July 26, 1945, he was drafted back to HMCS Prevost in London.

On August 21, 1945, Dale was discharged upon demobilization. Keith and Eleanor returned to civil life in Stratford, where they raised two sons, Gary and Ross. Keith joined the Ontario Hydro Power Commission then later the Stratford Public Utilities as a lineman. He was promoted to Underground Hydro Foreman in 1963, working in this position until his death on November 4, 1978.