Nadalin, Kenneth Earl

Kenneth Earl Nadalin was the fourth son to be born to Anthony and Mary Beatrice (Mote) Nadalin October 04, 1922.
He joined the army in October 1942 at the age of 20. He wanted to join the navy as a stoker but the navy wanted him as sick bed attendant which wasn’t what he wanted to do, so he went next door and joined the Royal Canadian Army Service Corp. Kenneth’s basic training was in Listowel and North Bay. He was then sent overseas where he saw action in France, Caan and into Belgium, Holland and then Germany. Kenneth said he slept in private homes in Holland for about six weeks, before advancing into Germany. He mentioned when he was interviewed that the Patriotic Society of Beahville supplied all of the “Beachville Boy’s” with cigarettes every month, and also that they were all given a watch by this society when they enlisted. He said that, every person who fought in the war was given a medal.  Kenneth began his service as a Private and was one of the tank drivers to land in Caan on D-Day. Near the end of the war, he was promoted to Lance Corporal and became the unit’s medic. He was in the Elgin Regiment, 2nd Battalion. Their Battalion led the troops from Caan through Holland and Belgium to Germany on D-Day.

Kenneth was discharged in March, 1946 and returned to Beachville, where he returned to his job as a truck driver at the Gypsum Quarry in Beachville. Although he was not needed as a truck driver right away, he stayed there for about a year before leaving. Kenneth later got a job at Massey Harris in Woodstock, and when the Plant closed in Woodstock he moved with the Company to Brantford.

Two years later he married Helen Muriel Armstrong on August 07, 1948 in the Beachville United Church. On December 19, 1950 they welcomed their daughter Brenda Lynn Nadalin and four and a half years later, a son, Stephen Martin Nadalin, on June 28, 1955. Both were born in Ingersoll, Ontario.  He retired in 1978.

Kenneth was a member of the Lawn Bowling Club in Woodstock and participated in lawn bowling tournaments for several years. In 2005, Kenneth had the opportunity to return to Holland celebrating the 70th year since the war. This program was through the Royal Canadian Legion. It started at the War Museum in Ottawa and then toured throughout Holland participating in several memorial services at selected war cemeteries. Kenneth was in awe of the transformation over the last 70 years.

Kenneth lived with his wife in their family home until the death of Helen on August 31, 2015 when he then moved to Ingersoll to live with his daughter. Kenneth suffered a massive stroke and passed away on April 05, 2017. He was the longest living brother. Kenneth is buried in the Beachville Cemetery in Beachville, Ontario.