Private Hugh Orr Reay
Survivor of WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Hugh Orr Reay was born at Beauharnois, Quebec, on 11 October 1914, the son of Thomas Frederick Stewart Reay and Grace Lillian Wilson. A motor mechanic, he enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force at Montreal on 21 May 1940 as Private D-95725. After early service at No. 4 District Depot and No. 14 General Hospital, he transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps and served overseas in the United Kingdom, including Scotland. He briefly held acting rank as Lance Corporal and Sergeant in 1940 before returning to the rank of Private. He married Agnes Thompson Dick in Scotland on 14 March 1943. Reay returned to Canada in August 1945 and was discharged from No. 4 District Depot on 1 September 1945 under CARO 1029(5). He later returned to military service for the Korean War under service number D-800012.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
D95725
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Canadian Forestry Corps
Battalion:
No. 2 Company / Canadian Forestry Corps overseas
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Beauharnois, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
25 years 7 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
30 years 10 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
68 years 2 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Motor Mechanic
Next of Kin:
Mr. Frederick Stewart Reay, father, 3 St. Lawrence Street, Beauharnois, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
3 St. Lawrence Street, Beauharnois, Quebec
Religion:
Presbyterian
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 8.8 in / 175 cm
Weight:
135 lbs / 61 kg
Chest:
33.5 in / 85 cm
Expansion:
2.5 in / 6 cm
Marital Status:
Married
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Great Britain
Place of Discharge:
Montreal South, Quebec
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
1929 days in service
Buried at:
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Private |
Canadian Forestry Corps |
Army |
No. 2 Company / Canadian Forestry Corps overseas |
|
|
|
| Reverted to his permanent rank of Private at his own request. |
| WW2 |
Acting Sergeant |
Canadian Forestry Corps |
Army |
No. 2 Company |
|
|
|
| Promoted effective 16 Aug 1940; reverted at own request effective 4 Dec 1940. |
| WW2 |
Acting Lance Corporal |
Canadian Forestry Corps |
Army |
No. 2 Company |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Private |
Canadian Forestry Corps |
Army |
No. 2 Company |
|
|
|
| Initial service also included No. 4 District Depot and No. 14 General Hospital before CFC transfer. |
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
United Nations Service Medal |
|
|
|
DVA awards card |
| WW2 |
Defence Medal |
|
|
|
WWII awards card |
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp |
|
|
|
WWII awards card |
| WW2 |
War Medal 1939-45 |
|
|
|
WWII awards card |
| WW2 |
Korea Medal |
|
|
|
Korean service certificate/record |
Service Chronology
1914-10-11 — Born, son of Thomas Frederick Stewart Reay and Grace Lillian Wilson.
1940-05-21 — Enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force as Private D-95725; taken on strength of No. 4 District Depot.
1940-06-15 — Transferred to No. 14 General Hospital, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.
1940-06-17 — Taken on strength of No. 14 General Hospital, RCAMC.
1940-08-01 — Struck off strength on transfer at his own request to No. 2 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps.
1940-08-05 — Appointed Acting Lance Corporal.
1940-08-16 — Appointed Acting Sergeant.
1940-12-04 — Reverted to his permanent rank of Private at his own request.
1940-12-09 to 1940-12-20 — Admitted to and discharged from the Military Hospital (Isolation).
1941-03-05 — Trade-pay entry recorded for motor mechanic, Group B.
1941-03-15 — Trade-pay entry recorded for motor mechanic, Group B.
1941-03-21 — Granted landing leave.
1941-06-23 to 1941-07-03 — Granted seven days privilege leave and returned from leave.
1942-04-07 to 1942-04-15 — Treated at Gartloch for gonorrhoea and discharged to duty.
1942-05-03 — Medical/review entry recorded on casualty card following the April hospital episode.
1942-06-12 — Recommendation/administrative entry recorded on casualty card.
1942-08-07 — Command/attachment entry recorded on casualty card.
1942-09-09 — Administrative qualification/appointment entry recorded.
1942-09-10 — Awarded first Lance Corporal stripe entry recorded.
1942-12-25 to 1943-01-01 — Seven days privilege leave recorded.
1943-02-12 — Permission to marry entry recorded, effective 21 March 1943.
1943-03-05 — Attached for special duty; additional attachment/administrative entries recorded on the same date.
1943-03-12 — Ceased to be employed on temporary/administrative duty; casualty-card entry effective from 5 March 1943.
1943-03-14 — Married Agnes Thompson Dick.
1943-04-16 — Seven days privilege leave plus 48 hours recorded, beginning 10 April 1943.
1943-05-28 — Moved with permission; movement effective 19 May 1943.
1943-07-16 — Seven days privilege leave plus 48 hours recorded.
1943-08-06 — Reported with fracture of the first metacarpal of the left hand; injury considered moderate and unlikely to impair future efficiency.
1943-08-13 — Taken on strength of a Canadian Forestry Corps reinforcement organization and moved to Oldmill House.
1943-08-30 — Transferred from Oldmill House to another Canadian Forestry Corps organization.
1943-09-22 — Transferred to Oldmill House.
1943-09-24 — Struck off strength of a reinforcement organization and posted to a Canadian Forestry Corps organization.
1943-10-04 — Nine days privilege leave recorded, ending 26 October 1943.
1943-12-31 — Nine days privilege leave with ration allowance recorded.
1944-06-16 to 1944-07-04 — Hospitalized for gonorrhoea; discharged to duty after 19 days of treatment.
1944-07-06 — Taken on strength from a Canadian Forestry Corps reinforcement organization and attached to No. 4 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps.
1944-08-30 — Off command.
1944-10-06 — Placed on command effective 4 October 1944.
1944-10-21 to 1944-10-28 — Seven days privilege leave with leave allowance.
1944-11-06 to 1944-11-14 — Admitted to Peebles Military Hospital for gonorrhoea; discharged to duty with three weeks surveillance.
1945-06-27 — Granted seven days privilege leave; record notes London Bridge leave centre.
1945-08-08 — Overseas service terminated.
1945-08-09 — Taken on strength of No. 4 District Depot from overseas.
1945-08-18 to 1945-08-31 — Granted leave and ration allowance after return to Canada; ceased leave effective 31 August.
1945-09-01 — Discharged under CARO 1029(5); final rank Private.
Notes
Reay was born at Beauharnois on 11 October 1914, son of Thomas Frederick Stewart Reay and Grace Lillian Wilson. He was bilingual in English and French and worked as a motor mechanic. His 1940 enlistment medical recorded a height of 5 ft 8¾ in, weight 135 lb, chest 33½ in with 2½ in expansion, hazel eyes, red hair and Category A fitness; venereal warts were noted. During WWII he briefly held acting rank as Lance Corporal and Sergeant before reverting to Private at his own request in December 1940. He married Agnes Thompson Dick in Scotland on 14 March 1943. A 1943 medical report records a fracture of the first metacarpal of the left hand; it was considered moderate and unlikely to interfere with future military efficiency.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
14th General Hospital, RCAMC May 21 to July 20. then to Canadian Forestry Corps
Bom at Beauharnais on Oct 11, 1914.
Death Date: 1 Jan 1983 Death Place: Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada
atip Request confirmation number EA2026_0171666
Additional Service Notes
Enlisted in the Canadian Active Service Force at Montreal on 21 May 1940 as Private D-95725. He was taken on strength of No. 4 District Depot, transferred to No. 14 General Hospital, RCAMC, and in August 1940 transferred at his own request to No. 2 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps. He was appointed Acting Lance Corporal on 5 August 1940 and Acting Sergeant effective 16 August 1940, then reverted to his permanent rank of Private at his own request on 4 December 1940. He served overseas in the United Kingdom with the Canadian Forestry Corps, including service in Scotland. His overseas service ended on 8 August 1945; he was taken on strength of No. 4 District Depot from overseas effective 9 August and discharged on 1 September 1945 under CARO 1029(5). He later re-enlisted for Korean service in 1950 under a different service number; that later service should be handled as a separate Korea service record.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
At WWII enlistment and on early unit records, Reay's father was recorded as next of kin at 3 St. Lawrence Street, Beauharnois. The family forms identify him more fully as Thomas Frederick Stewart Reay; some unit cards shorten this to Frederick Stewart Reay. His mother was Grace Lillian Wilson Reay, also of 3 St. Lawrence Street. Later records sometimes name Grace as next of kin. Reay was single at enlistment. He obtained permission to marry Agnes Thompson Dick in Scotland and his personnel card records the marriage as 14 March 1943. By his 1950 Special Force enlistment he was recorded as a widower.
Version: 3 Last modified: 2026-09-19 18:52:11
by: marc
