In Memoriam: Corporal William James "Jimmy" Shipton SD 91545

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Corporal William James (Jimmy) Shipton - SD 91545
Apr.01/09-Aug.14/76
Native of Kingston Ontario
Veteran of the 1st Canadian Division RCASC (D-Day Dodger)
CMP Ammunition driver
1939-1945 Star
Italy Star
France/Germany Star
Defence Medal(England) 1939-1942
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Maple Leaf Clasp (Overseas Service)
1939-1945 War Medal
Canadian Decoration (CD)

Died at 2:00PM this date in 1976 at Queen Mary's Veterans Hospital
The most kind, gentle man that I've ever known

Miss you dad

Garry

[Snowtractor]

a very sad time, our hearts go out to you.
Sean

[Mark W. Tonner]

Garry;

At the going down of the Sun
And in the Morning
We Will Remember Them......

Hi Garry,

I'm sorry to hear you lost your Dad way too soon too ... and hope you have many many memories and stories of his life to hold close and pass along to the younger ones.

From the heart,

Karmen

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

The following was told to me by my dad, Jimmy Shipton,the old CMP driver from the 1St Div,who served from 1939 to 1945 overseas.He related his experience to me on a ccld Christmas Eve around 1969,, while we were in our scuppers after supper.(I remember that year buying him a gallon of Australian Port wine that he loved),Anyway,we were listening to Bing Crosby singing "I'll be home for Christmas"on the phonograph when his eyes welled up in tears as he told me the following,which,I have since confirmed in one of my military books as a true incident.On the ship coming home in April 1945,as they crossed the Atlantic to New York of all places,with thousands of Yanks and Canucks on board,in a holiday mood,a number of officers were sitting around their lounge,having a couple of aperatifs,while Bing was singing the above song over the tannoy(Loud speaker on the ship).One of the officers asked if the ship had Bing's newest song on board(It was from Xmas of 1944 on radio & as a record )The ship had the new song,and at the request of the officers,the ship,played it over the loud speakers-"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas".As old William James related that cold eve,,the whole ship went silent,as nobody had heard the song,although they knew of it through rumor overseas.As the tears rolled down his cheeks that cold night he told me that after the song was over,there was not a dry eye on the ship.
Merry Christmas dear old vets,may yours ,of all our Christmases,be the best.

Garry,

Thank you for sharing this ... one Special Christmas story to be handed down for generations to come

Karmen (I'll do my official Christmas wishes to you and all very soon ... in another thread )

Karmen

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

On a lighter note,remember last easter when the cops stopped me with the golden retriever with his bunny ears on??Tonight,my buddy Hari the Mohawk(yes-a real mohawk)& his family were over for our annual pre Xmas supper,as they go to Toronto to see family every year.So,Hari brings up the subject,as to where Shadow's reindeer antlers are this year??.After supper.I went a hunting,et voila!!I found them.(Shadow generally looks like the Grinch's dog with them on).WELL,I don't know if you've ever seen a dog doing a crawl away from the subject antlers,with his tail between his legs!!: He still won't come near me,even as I type this.But he doesn't know about the sleigh out in the back shed that I'll introduce him to on Xmas eve!!Must call the cops to let them know what's up that night.
Will report back that night from either here at home base--or from the local cop shop or animal shelter!!

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Need pics, I miss my Goldens! They would look great with antlers...

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Gary, I enjoyed your story about your fathers trip home in 1945 and the story about Bing Crosby's song ( I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas). I came home in April of 45 also on a Liberty ship from Naples to New York. We were a mixed lot of Americans and Canadians. Was it a Liberty ship your dad came home on. I wonder if we were both on the same ship?

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Hi Norm
He came home from the continent on the Ile de France,an ocean liner,I think if my memory is right.For years he talked about the food on board with real white bread,and ice cream!!They were railed to Montreal and points west.He vividly remembered the casualty rail cars when he disembarked here in Montreal.Apparently all the car windows were blacked out.My mother & brother met him at Windsor station.No parade,no bands playing,or crowds waving flage.Shoved his kit bag over his shoulder(his war chest wud be delivered to my grandma's place where my mom & brother were living.)-went outside the station,caught the streetcar to Verdun,Quebec,standing all the way.

[Norm Cromie (RIP)]

Gary
Thanks for answering my question. Apparently I came home on a different ship. There were approximately 12 in my group (Canadians) and the rest were American wounded. We landed at New York and were sent by train to the Exhibition grounds in Toronto and pulled in to the same siding that I had left from back in December of 1939. Do you know the name of the ship your father left Halifax on in 1939. Was it by any chance the Reno del Pacifico? Did his ship have the menu for Christmas day like the one I posted on Pier 21 under Equipment and History?

Norm

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Hi Norm,Keeping warm??
The only thing I can confirm is that he left in Jan/40.My uncles of the RCHA frrom Kingston left in the first Div movement in December /39.Hope this helps

Garry

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
Need pics, I miss my Goldens! They would look great with antlers...

Easy for you to say GWB.Do you want the photos with a frontal profile & a side profile with the words "Greenfield Park Police "under with a number under that??
Well,me & the Shadow the Golden have just been released under supervision to my irate wife Debbie under our own recognisense,whatever that means!!.I must admit Shadow liked all the affection,what with a bowl of water & a milkbone from the cops.The whole thing went south after they pulled up & found me staggering along(too many rum & eggnogs)pulling the damn toboggan with the Shad sitting on it.The problem was I accidently put on the bunny ears on him instead of the antlers.
I think I'll sneak up to bed now.(note to self-avoid the dog)

Merry Christmas friends(I'll probably need all of you as character witnesses at the trial)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hi all,

Does anyone know the current whereabouts of MLU member Garry Shipton?

I believe he lives in the Montreal, Quebec, Canada area as he is (was) a member of the 306 (Maple Leaf) Wing Concert Band (which I have contacted through http://306wingconcertband.com/en/home.html).

I would like to get in touch with him regarding his father, Corporal William James "Jimmy" Shipton SD 91545, who was Section commander with the RCASC in May 1945, leading a convoy of trucks into occupied territory to supply the starving population with much-needed food - see pic below and http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1081

Any tips and hints are welcome!

Thanks,
Hanno

[Paul Singleton]

Sorry Hanno,

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obit...79#remembering

[cletrac (RIP)]

This could explain it Hanno but I'm not 100% sure.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Paul, David,

I'm sorry to hear that - thanks for informing me. He had not been on MLU Forum since May 2007.

I wanted to tell him about our plans for Operation Faust in 2020. Given his father's involvement in 1945, I think he would have liked to hear about it.

Rest in Peace, Garry!

Hanno

PS: I have moved this thread to his father's tribute.