Staff Sergeant James Gregg

James Gregg was one of seven siblings (William, Gerald, Richard, James, Gertrude, John, and Norman) born to Agnes and William Oscar Gregg, and William Onias Crossfield. He was born and raised in the small coal mining town of Corbin, B.C. At the young age of eighteen he decided to seek new adventures like many other boys and signed up for active duty in the Canadian Army much to the dislike of his Mother Agnes.

On June 3, 1940 James left Lethbridge by train for CFB Shilo Manitoba for basic training. He spent two months there and then it was back on the train and on to Halifax Nova Scotia where James boarded a ship for overseas.

Once on British soil they arrived at Sussex where training continued until the call came to deploy to Europe and immediately go into action.

A day they feared but approached with apprehension and anticipation to finally be going to the front line.

James, on some of his furloughs would visit relatives and friends in Scotland and England.

During one of these furloughs James would meet his "bride to be" (July 1940) and subsequently married Mary Price on February 9, 1944, in Llanelly, S. Wales. Continuation of the war made it difficult to carry on a normal life style.

The war campaign took James and crew through France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The war ended with victory proclaimed on VE - Day May 8, 1945.

On September 18, 1945 James' deployment ended and he returned to Canada on board the ship Scythia, disembarking at Quebec City.

James had been guaranteed work after the end of the war and was hired by Cominco's Sullivan Mine in Kimberley, B.C. where he continued to work until his retirement in 1978.

He continues to live there to this day.

For more information on the Gregg family visit: www.crowsnest-highway.ca

under communities - Sparwood, B.C.

under Family pages - A family history - Oscar Gregg/ Agnes McGovern/ William Crossfield