Emery Louis Geddry

Emery Louis Geddry, born in 1922 at St. Alphonse, Nova Scotia to Joseph Isaac Geddry and Françoise Marie Dugas, he was the only Canadian of the Guédry family to give his life in combat during World War II. Enlisting in the early 1940s with the Saskatchewan-based Regina Rifles, Emery Geddry trained in England for the Allies' invasion of France. On 6 June 1944 Rifleman Geddry and his fellow soldiers disembarked at Juno Beach and tasted battle for the first time. Among heavy fighting, the Regina Rifles trudged ashore through heavy seas and began their assault on the town of Courseulles. This was the first of several battles Rifleman Geddry would fight the next four months. His engagements included the counter attack at Brettesville-l'Orgueilleuse, the battle for Caen, the push to Falaise and finally the battle of Calais. On 28 September 1944, while fighting from a house near Les Fontinettes in the battle for Calais, Rifleman Emery Geddry was killed at the age of 22. Initially buried in a Catholic cemetery at Coquelles, Rifleman Geddry was reburied at the Calais Canadian War Cemetery in Leubringhen. His parents received written condolences from many including King George VI. A special Memorial Mass was held at St. Alphonse Catholic Church. Rifleman Emery Louis Geddry's name is inscribed in the Canadian Books of Remembrance for the Second World War. Emery Louis Geddry brought great distinction to the Guédry family through his courage while paying the ultimate sacrifice for his nation.