Corporal William John Victor Yarnell

William John Victor Yarnell was born at Ottawa on 19 July 1918. His mother was Agnes Clarke, and his family later lived at Chateauguay Basin. He attended schools in Verdun and Chateauguay and worked as an apprentice mechanic, press operator and stockkeeper. His interests included canoeing, skiing, swimming, hockey, model aircraft, radio, stamp collecting, woodworking and raising mink. Service histories record that he was a Canadian canoe champion in 1938. After militia service with the 5th Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, he enlisted in the RCAF at Montreal on 20 June 1941, service number R-108055. He trained as an Equipment Assistant at St. Thomas and served at Summerside before sailing to Britain in February 1942. He worked at RCAF Overseas Headquarters in London, including buying and issuing motor spares and supervising motor-transport stores. He advanced to Leading Aircraftman in July 1942, attained the highest Equipment Assistant trade group in January 1943 and became a Corporal in November 1944. He underwent an appendectomy in February 1943 and recovered from influenza later that year. Persistent joint pains and headaches led to medical assessments in 1945, which diagnosed an anxiety state and recommended repatriation. After returning to Canada he married Ethel Jean Holmes at St. Andrew's United Church, Chateauguay Basin, on 1 December 1945. He was honourably released on medical grounds at Lachine on 11 January 1946. His recorded awards include the Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp and War Medal 1939–45. He planned to return to stockkeeping and later restart mink farming on a small holding. In July 1946 his final re-establishment credit was authorized toward acquiring a home at Chateauguay Basin. Yarnell died at Lachine on 18 September 1982.

1918-07-19 — Born at Ottawa, Ontario, according to primary RCAF attestation and repeated service records; existing CWVMP Montreal birthplace conflicts
1925 to 1934 — Schooling at Riverview, Verdun, 1925–1930, then Chateauguay Dissent school 1931–1934; later histories give Grade VIII completed around 17/18, last school 1936; Verdun; Chateauguay, Quebec.
1935 to 1941 — Odd jobs and farm work, mechanic apprenticeship with D.A.Huckle, press work Canadian Marconi, then stockkeeping in Montreal drug trade. Later forms also record three years raising mink and eleven-month machinist course; Chateauguay; Town of Mount Royal; Montreal, Quebec.
1938 — Reported as Canadian canoe champion in repeated service medical histories; another faint copy gives 1935. Active in skiing, swimming, track, hockey and soccer; Canada.
1940-07-02 to 1940-07-19 — References and RCAF application: faithful member St.Andrew's United Church; wanted stores/ground duties, hobbies model planes, radio/telegraphy and sharpshooting; Chateauguay Basin; Montreal, Quebec.
1940-08-05 — Attested NPAM 5 th Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, Montreal, as Gunner; no earlier service declared, mother Agnes next of kin, stockkeeper, fit Category B; Montreal, Quebec.
1941-04-01 to 1941-04-08 — Laurentian Laboratories employment reference, Equipment Assistant trade test/interview 3 April, RCAF medical 7/8 April: fit with glasses,66 in 136 lb,chest 33.5 expired/2.25 expansion; Montreal, Quebec.
1941-05-26 — Struck off militia strength; RCAF summaries give 24 May or 20 June to join RCAF, while primary SOS entry is 26 May; Montreal, Quebec.
1941-06-20 — Enlisted RCAF Special Reserve at Montreal as Aircraftman 2 nd Class, Equipment Assistant Standard, R-108055, duration of war. Home Chateauguay Basin, mother Agnes, single, United Church, prior RCA service; Montreal, Quebec; Toronto, Ontario.
1941-06-23 — Dental examination at No. 1 Manning Depot, prophylaxis required; vaccination and inoculations followed June–July; Toronto, Ontario.
1941-07-24 — Taken on strength No. 12 Equipment Depot, Montreal, after Manning Depot departure; fingerprint card 4 August names No. 2 Equipment Depot, retained as variant; Montreal, Quebec.
1941-08-30 — Taken on strength Technical Training School, St.Thomas; earlier 25 August transfer entry differs; St. Thomas, Ontario.
1941-09-01 to 1941-10-13 — 19 th Equipment Assistants Course at Equipment & Accounting Training School: passed 60%, average, willing worker and good soccer player; posting/advancement dates overlap course report; St. Thomas, Ontario.
1941-10-10 — Advanced to Aircraftman 1 st Class, Equipment Assistant Group C; St. Thomas, Ontario.
1941-10-11 — Taken on strength No. 9 Service Flying Training School, Summerside; departure 10 October in duplicate; Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
1941-11-01 — Assigned pay$10 monthly to mother Agnes and apparent$2.57 to Sun Life; later mother assignment$20; Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
1942-01-04 to 1942-01-18 — Fourteen days leave; duplicate start 5 January differs from date span; Canada.
1942-01-20 to 1942-01-24 — Initially unfit for overseas without service spectacles; prescription authorized 23 January and fit after glasses obtained 24 January; Summerside; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
1942-01-22 — Taken on strength No. 1 Y Depot, Halifax, after Summerside departure 21 January; Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1942-02-12 — Embarkation statement: mother Agnes Clarke Yarnell and stepfather Thomas Mortimer Yarnell at 25 Desroches Avenue, permanent home address; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1942-02-27 to 1942-03-09 — Embarked Canada 27 February, Britain landing 9 March. Overseas administrative strength backdated 27 February; another embarkation copy 24 February and medical-board January dates differ; Canada to United Kingdom.
1942-03-10 — Taken on strength No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre; United Kingdom.
1942-04-03 — Transferred from No. 3 PRC to RCAF Overseas Headquarters, H 2 London; later administrative amendments backdate HQ strength to 27 February without proving physical London arrival then; London, England, United Kingdom.
1942-05-11 to 1942-05-18 — Seven days annual leave; United Kingdom.
1942-06-26 to 1942-07-23 — Equipment Assistant Group B test 80%26 June, LAC effective 1 July, promotion recommendation 22 July and publication 23 July; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1942-08-31 to 1942-09-07 — Seven days annual leave; United Kingdom.
1942-09-16 — Equipment Assistant Group A attempt marked failed; copied score 53/63% differs; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1942-10-19 — General conduct sheet certified no entries, year somewhat uncertain; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1942-12-14 to 1943-01-01 — Equipment Assistant test 80%14 December, Group A qualification effective 1 January 1943; highest trade group within 18 months; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1942-12-30 to 1943-01-04 — Dental restorations and prophylaxis; United Kingdom.
1943-02-25 to 1943-03-17 — No. 14 Canadian General Hospital, Horley: subacute appendicitis, appendectomy 27 February under spinal anaesthesia, uneventful recovery. Passes 12/15 March, discharged 17 March; copied 23 Feb/15 Mar and No 23 hospital variants differ; Horley, England, United Kingdom.
1943-05-10 to 1943-05-17 — Seven days annual leave; one copy starts 11 May; United Kingdom.
1943-11-20 — Attended funeral at Brookwood; became ill on journey home; Brookwood, England, United Kingdom.
1943-11-21 to 1943-12-04 — Influenza, No. 10 Canadian General Hospital, apparent Leavesden; admitted 21 November, recovered and returned duty 4 December. A history card instead records 23 November; Leavesden, England, United Kingdom.
1944-01-10 — At his request Bank of Canada sent$50 Victory Loan bond to Miss Ethel Jean Holmes, Box 1 Chateauguay Basin; later his wife; London, England, United Kingdom; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1944-01-13 to 1944-01-15 — Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp recorded;13/15 January dates differ in copies; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1944-03-20 to 1944-03-26 — Seven days annual leave; United Kingdom.
1944-09 — Bank of Canada sent$100 Victory Loan bond to Ethel Jean Holmes at Box 1, exact September day obscured; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1944-09-11 to 1944-09-18 — Seven days annual leave; one copy ends 17 September, another 18 September; United Kingdom.
1944-10-20 to 1944-10-27 — Promotion assessment recommended ordinary advancement; good worker, superior trade proficiency, dependable, no conduct entries in preceding 12 months; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1944-11-01 — Appointed paid Acting Corporal and Temporary Corporal, Equipment Assistant Group A; same effective date, not two successive promotions; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1945-01-02 to 1945-05-31 — Further$100 Victory Loan bonds sent to Ethel Holmes,56/36 Desrochers Avenue; address numbers differ, no forced correction; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1945-02-23 to 1945-03-07 — Dental X-rays, restorations, scaling and prophylaxis; United Kingdom.
1945-03-19 to 1945-03-26 — Seven days annual leave; faint April 1945 entry in duplicate not preferred; United Kingdom.
1945-04-18 to 1945-05-07 — In charge of M.T.Stores and Spares, very good capable steady work; Temporary Corporal recommended, promotion-board note 7 May. Earlier effective 1 November 1944 retained, not displaced by recommendation; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1945-07-09 — Personnel counselling: Grade 8, eleven-month machinist course, stockkeeper, mink raiser; intended small holding alongside employment; good mechanical/clerical ability; RCAF Overseas Headquarters, London, England, United Kingdom.
1945-07-24 to 1945-07-27 — Knee and shoulder pains, headaches: knee X-rays negative 25 July, eye consultation 27 July myopia/astigmatism corrected 20/20, headaches not ocular. Board diagnosed mild anxiety state, temporary static/home category 3 months, planned review 26 October; London, England, United Kingdom.
1945-09 — Reported storage battery fell on right foot about a month before October board, causing pressure pain; exact day not established; United Kingdom.
1945-10-09 to 1945-10-11 — Repeat medical board, persistent knee/shoulder pains and mild anxiety state; limited category, unfit full category, Class B repatriation recommended. Some sheets dated 9 October, signed summary 11 October; London, England, United Kingdom.
1945-10-10 — Later signed statement reports identification discs lost while swimming at Torquay Repatriation Centre on/about 10 October; precedes 17 October formal depot posting; Torquay, Devon, England, United Kingdom.
1945-10-17 — Transferred from Overseas Headquarters to RCAF R Depot for repatriation; United Kingdom.
1945-10-19 — Embarkation declaration: Corporal EA Group A, mother assigned$20, leave/home 25 Desroches Avenue; United Kingdom; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1945-11-15 to 1945-11-19 — Repatriation: blue-pencil return 15 November, No. 1 Repatriation Depot Lachine strength 16 November, official overseas credit ends 19 November. Dates preserved separately; ship/port not supplied; United Kingdom to Canada; Lachine, Quebec.
1945-11-24 — Taken on strength RCAF Station Lachine, non-effective strength, for treatment/disposal; order effective 23 November report 24 November; Lachine, Quebec.
1945-11-24 to 1945-12-23 — Thirty days disembarkation leave; Quebec.
1945-12-01 — Married Ethel Jean Holmes at St.Andrew's United Church, Chateauguay Basin, A.Mc Kinley Rose officiant, Keith H.Yarnell/Jean Davidson witnesses; wife became next of kin; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1946-01-03 to 1946-01-07 — Neuropsychiatric consultation found persistent anxiety state, unfit duty; recategorized Ap Bp, medical discharge recommended, Lachine requested Release Centre posting; Lachine, Quebec.
1946-01-10 to 1946-01-11 — Station Lachine SOS 10 January, No. 2 Release Centre report/TOS 11 January; official release 11 January controls earlier 10 January entry; Lachine, Quebec.
1946-01-11 — Honourably released Corporal on medical grounds, KR(Air)195(12)(a), anxiety state; not transferred General Section Reserve. Badge 481459, clothing allowance/rehabilitation entitlement; civilian employment assessment fit for work does not change military release; No. 2 Release Centre, Lachine, Quebec.
1946-01-11 — Release counselling recommended former stockkeeping work, then restarting mink farming and VLA small holding; ESS Beauharnois and DVA/VLA Montreal referrals; Lachine, Quebec.
1946-01-31 — Original will, birth certificate, militia discharge certificate, education letter and name affidavit returned to Desroches Avenueaddress; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1946-02-20 — War Service Gratuity$1010.37:412.50 service+340.50 overseas+257.37 supplement;1667 qualifying/1362 overseasdays, seven 144.33 instalments=1010.31; source amount discrepancy preserved; P.O. Box 1, Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1946-06-11 to 1947-05 — Post-service dental relief examination 11 June 1946, prophylaxis/restorations later signed satisfactory; authorization amended/cancelled if not begun by 17 March 1947, actual treatment dates partly unclear; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1946-07-08 — Final re-establishment credit$753 for home acquisition outside NHA, cheque joint to Mrs.Louis Gibson Smith and veteran; no relationship to payee inferred; Chateauguay Basin, Quebec.
1952-04-21 — Outpatient anxiety reaction/functional dyspepsia after stress associated with wife's major illness, examination otherwise negative; no new military service; Montreal; Chateauguay, Quebec.
1960-07-05 — Queen Mary Veterans Hospital eye consultation, left-upper-lid meibomian cyst/hordeolum, ointment/hot compresses; longstanding glasses; Montreal; Chateauguay, Quebec.
1982-09-18 — Died at Lachine on this date, as recorded by CWVMP; Lachine, Quebec.