Captain Joseph Dosithee Lucien Rheaume
Killed in Action in WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Joseph Dosithee Lucien Rheaume was born at Montreal, Quebec, on 19 May 1919, the son of Armand and Eva Rheaume. He attended St. Henry High School and before the war worked for the Provincial Bank of Canada in Montreal, serving as a teller and accountant. After NRMA training in 1940, he enlisted in the Canadian Army Active Force at Montreal South on 6 March 1942 as D-132043. Serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery, he rose from Gunner to Acting Sergeant before receiving a provisional commission as Second Lieutenant on 8 August 1942. He completed an Artillery (Mobile) course at Petawawa and qualified as a Lieutenant on 19 October 1942. Rheaume proceeded overseas in December 1942 and served in the United Kingdom with 1 C.A.R.U. and the 5th Canadian Field Regiment. He later completed artillery officers' wireless-instructor and gun-position-officer courses. He embarked from the United Kingdom on 4 July 1944 and disembarked in France on 6 July. On 28 January 1945 he joined the 4th Canadian Field Regiment and was appointed Acting Captain, returning to the 5th Canadian Field Regiment on 11 February. Captain Rheaume was killed in action in Germany on 28 February 1945. He was initially buried at Bedburg Canadian Military Cemetery and was later reburied in the Netherlands; the CWVMP record identifies his present burial as Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. His service record explicitly records the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
D-132043
Cause of Death (in war):
Killed in Action
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Royal Canadian Artillery
Battalion:
5th Canadian Field Regiment
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Montreal, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
22 years 9 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
25 years 9 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
25 years 9 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Bank clerk
Next of Kin:
Armand Rheaume (father), 2398 Rue Parthenais, Montreal, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
Valleyfield, Quebec
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal South, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 7.0 in / 170 cm
Weight:
163 lbs / 74 kg
Chest:
Expansion:
Marital Status:
Single
Prior Military Experience:
Yes
Saw Service in:
Europe
Place of Discharge:
Discharge Type:
Died in Service
Discharge Notes:
Killed in action in Germany on 28 February 1945.
Battle Died/Wounded:
Killed in action in Germany on 28 February 1945.
Length of Service:
1090 days in service
Buried at:
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Captain |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
5th Canadian Field Regiment |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Acting Captain |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
4th Canadian Field Regiment |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Lieutenant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
5th Canadian Field Regiment |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Lieutenant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
1 C.A.R.U. |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Lieutenant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
A-1 C.A.T.C., Petawawa |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Second Lieutenant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
A-1 C.A.T.C., Petawawa |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Second Lieutenant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
Officer Training Centre |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Cadet |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
Officer Training Centre |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Acting Sergeant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
C.A.(B.) Training Centre No. 44 — Cadet Wing |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Gunner |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
C.A.(B.) Training Centre No. 44 |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Gunner |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
No. 4 District Depot |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
|
|
Army |
|
|
|
|
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp |
Import |
|
|
|
Service Chronology
1919-05-19 — Born.
1937 — Completed junior matriculation at St. Henry High School; officer information card records four years of high school and graduation in 1937.
1937-06 to 1942-03 — Employed by the Provincial Bank of Canada (Banque Provinciale du Canada), working as a teller and accountant.
1940-10-09 — Enrolled under the National Resources Mobilization Act for militia training.
1940-11-08 — Completed NRMA training course.
1942-02-25 — Medical examination; category A. History of muscular rheumatism noted.
1942-03-06 — Enlisted in the Canadian Army Active Force as Gunner D-132043; assigned to No. 4 District Depot.
1942-03-09 — Proceeded on command and was attached for all purposes to C.A.(B.) Training Centre No. 44.
1942-03-11 — Attachment for all purposes to Training Centre No. 44 confirmed.
1942-04-17 — Promoted to Acting Sergeant and posted from Basic Wing to Cadet Wing.
1942-05-14 — Struck off strength on transfer to Officer Training Centre, Brockville, for qualification.
1942-05-15 — Recorded as Cadet at Officer Training Centre.
1942-08-08 — Successfully completed officer course and received provisional appointment as Second Lieutenant.
1942-08-14 — Ceased to be on command at Officer Training Centre and was struck off strength on return to A-1 C.A.T.C., Petawawa.
1942-08-15 — Taken on strength of A-1 C.A.T.C., Petawawa.
1942-08-17 to 1942-10-19 — Attended course of instruction and qualified as Lieutenant, Artillery (Mobile), Active Force.
1942-10-19 — Rank/qualification as Lieutenant, Artillery (Mobile), effective.
1942-10-30 to 1942-11-13 — Granted leave of absence.
1942-12-09 — Struck off strength to port of embarkation.
1942-12-13 — Struck off strength Canadian Army (Active Force), Canada, on embarkation.
1942-12-14 — Taken on strength Canadian Army (Active Force), Overseas, on transfer.
1942-12-18 — Disembarked in the United Kingdom.
1942-12-19 — Taken on strength of 1 C.A.R.U.
1943-02-12 to 1943-02-21 — Granted privilege leave.
1943-03-19 — Struck off strength of 1 C.A.R.U. to 5th Field Regiment.
1943-03-20 — Taken on strength of 5th Canadian Field Regiment.
1943-04-12 to 1943-04-18 — Attended Serial 16, Artillery Officers' Wireless Instructors course.
1943-09-20 to 1943-10-09 — Attended C.S. of A. Course C.4, Serial 4, Gun Position Officers.
1944-01-15 — Awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp.
1944-07-04 — Embarked from the United Kingdom.
1944-07-06 — Disembarked in France.
1945-01-27 — Struck off strength of 5th Canadian Field Regiment to 4th Canadian Field Regiment.
1945-01-28 — Taken on strength from 5th Canadian Field Regiment and appointed Acting Captain.
1945-01-28 to 1945-02-05 — Granted nine days' privilege leave to the United Kingdom; returned 5 February.
1945-02-10 — Struck off strength of 4th Canadian Field Regiment to 5th Canadian Field Regiment.
1945-02-11 — Taken on strength from 4th Canadian Field Regiment.
1945-02-28 — Killed in action.
1945-02-28 — Initially buried at Bedburg Canadian Military Cemetery, row 20, grave 9.
1946 — Reburial recorded at Nijmegen Canadian Military Cemetery, grave 1, row D, plot 7.
Notes
Officer and occupational records document Rheaume's prewar education and employment. His officers information card records four years at St. Henry High School, junior matriculation and graduation in 1937; the Occupational History Form separately states five years of high school and that he left school at age 18. He worked for the Provincial Bank of Canada (Banque Provinciale du Canada) in Montreal from June 1937 to March 1942, as a teller and accountant; his recorded civil occupation was bank clerk. His hobbies included skiing and radio construction. The medical examination recorded a history of muscular rheumatism but placed him in medical category A.
Additional Service Notes
Joseph Dosithee Lucien Rheaume completed NRMA training in 1940 before enlisting in the Canadian Army Active Force at Montreal South on 6 March 1942 as D-132043. He began as a Gunner in the Royal Canadian Artillery, was promoted Acting Sergeant effective 17 April 1942, and transferred to Officer Training Centre, Brockville, in May. He was provisionally appointed Second Lieutenant on 8 August 1942, then attended the Artillery (Mobile), Active Force course at A-1 C.A.T.C., Petawawa, from 17 August to 19 October 1942 and qualified as a Lieutenant. He embarked from Canada on 13 December 1942, disembarked in the United Kingdom on 18 December, and was taken on strength of 1 C.A.R.U. on 19 December. He transferred to the 5th Canadian Field Regiment in March 1943. He attended Serial 16 Artillery Officers' Wireless Instructors course, 12–18 April 1943, and C.S. of A. Course C.4, Serial 4, Gun Position Officers, 20 September–9 October 1943. He was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp on 15 January 1944, embarked from the United Kingdom on 4 July 1944 and disembarked in France on 6 July. On 28 January 1945 he transferred to the 4th Canadian Field Regiment and was appointed Acting Captain; after nine days' privilege leave to the United Kingdom he returned and rejoined the 5th Canadian Field Regiment on 11 February. He was killed in action in Germany on 28 February 1945.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
He was single and had no children. His father, Armand Rheaume, a mechanic, and his mother, Eva Rheaume, were both living at 2398 Rue Parthenais, Montreal, Quebec in March 1942. Rheaume named his father as next of kin and left his estate to him in his service will. The estate distribution record identifies Armand Rheaume as sole beneficiary under the will.
Version: 4 Last modified: 2026-09-19 18:52:10
by: marc
