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Second World War veteran honoured with Jubilee medal By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville resident and Second World War veteran Roy Forbes, 91, was recognized Friday with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for his lifetime of community service. Oakville MP Terence Young presented the medal during a ceremony at the Vistamere Retirement Residence where Forbes resides. During his presentation, Young noted Forbes had joined the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry following the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 and was taken prisoner during the Allied raid on the occupied French coastal town of Dieppe in 1942. He was only 21 at the time. Forbes, along with the other Canadian prisoners captured at Dieppe, were sent to a prisoner-ofwar camp. They spent months in shackles after their captors learned German soldiers, also captured during the raid, had been shackled and therefore drowned when the ships the soldiers had been moved to were sunk. Forbes' son, Bill, said his father and the other prisoners actually found ways to get out of their shackles, but had to be careful when they did this as some guards would look the other way and some would not. Forbes was released at the end of the war in 1945. "After the war, Roy returned to Oakville where he was an active Christmas parties, poppy drives and bingos." Young said Forbes also worked as an Oakville volunteer firefighter for 21 years and after retiring from that, coached children's baseball teams and umpired the Oakville Fastball League. "Roy has a deep sense of patriotism and has selflessly given his time not only to serving the veterans, but to serving the whole Oakville community," said Young. "I am honoured today to present the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal to Roy Forbes for his service to Canada and to the Oakville community." The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was established to honour Queen Elizabeth's 60 years of service to the Commonwealth by recognizing others for their outstanding acts of community service. "That's great. I've never gotten anything like this before," said Forbes. "This is a big day." Members of Forbes' family, who were present for the ceremony, were happy to see him receive the medal. "We're proud and impressed with all the work he has done, not only his volunteer work as a volunteer firefighter, but coaching baseball and his time with the Legion and charity work," said Bill. "We're proud of his military career," said Bill, noting the family has much respect for the man who survived being a prisoner of war for three years in Dieppe. 15 · Wednesday, January 9, 2013 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com HOME IMPROVEMENTS 905-845-3824 ext. 278 ahowe@oakvillebeaver.com AIR CONDITIONING/APPLIANCES Danny's Appliance Service 905-827-9559 ARBORIST Superior Tree Solutions 905-849-6395 BLINDS Emcoss Blinds 416-888-3444 www.emcossblinds.ca CHIMNEYS A.M. Masonry 416-893-7354 Chimneys Brick & Concrete 905-335-8943 CONTRACTOR ATD Contracting Services 905-510-7724 www.atdcontractors.com DECKS Alpine Deck 905-828-1320 www.alpinedeck.com Artistic Deck & Fence 905-844-4456 Sunshine Deck and Fence 905-875-3325 EAVESTROUGHS/ROOFING Roof Pro + 1-888-677-7757 ELECTRICAL D. Sayers Electric Inc. 905-257-3728 Furena Electric Ltd. 905-274-2363 Warren Electrical 905-580-9408 FLOORING/RENO Wood N' Floor 905-338-1881 www.woodnfloor.ca GARAGE DOORS B&M Garage Doors 905-569-9133 www.bmgaragedoor.com GROUT Grout Expectations 905-257-0055 www.groutexpectations.ca HANDYMAN Ely Building Contractors 416-339-6075 Elybuilding@cogeco.ca Handyman 905-510-0015 HEATING/COOLING Ralph's Heating & Cooling 289-259-9121 To Advertise in this section call Alycia Howe Roy Forbes member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 114 for 67 years," said Young. "He served as president, vicepresident and as an executive member. Caring deeply about Second World War veterans, Roy worked tirelessly as a veterans' welfare assistance officer. He also contributed his time to the many volunteer activities of the Legion, helping to organize the children's HOME IMPROVEMENTS Canadian Home Pro 416-708-7269 Ceiling Restoration 905-541-5292 Clarke Renovation Services 905-465-5387 DB Contracting 416-417-6600 Dunn-Right Contracting 416-988-1382 Eastlake Home Improvements 905-847-7054 Halton Home Improvements 416-543-2081 License to Art & Design Inc. 905-464-5129 National Construction Services 416-455-8350 P. Jay Contracting 905-616-3150 Ruby Renos 905-691-0124 www.rubyrenos.com Total Upgrade 647-898-3753 HOME RENOVATIONS Optibuild Design Inc. 905-464-2261 MASONRY A&M Masonry 647-618-4261 PAINTING Halton Painting & Decorating 905-339-0952 Inter-Can Painting Inc. 905-469-0092 Paint All 905-822-9338 Pipe's Paint 416-558-8756 Richard Professional Painting 647-449-1775 Xtreme Pro Painting 905-334-2120 PAVING C. 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