Frederick Russell Hawke

Frederick Russell Hawke. April 13, 1919 — June 24, 1993. , In 1940, at the age of 21 years, Russell left Dryden to escape the great depression, and to join the Royal Canadian Regiment at London, Ontario. In 1943 he left the peaceful hills of England to land in Sicily as part of the British Army. When Russ's platoon was held up by machine gun fire, at what was called the Nissoria engagement, he rushed the section post, alone, while under continuous small arms fire, killing two and wounding one. This display of courage and determination forced the enemy to abandon their defensive position enabling his platoon to reach higher ground. , For this he was awarded the Military Medal. , At the battle of Ortona Russ was wounded by shrapnel which damaged his legs and arms. Russ received his discharge from the army in 1945 having attained the rank of Sergeant. He then joined Dryden Paper Company as a millwright following in his father's footsteps. Through the years he was promoted to safety Supervisor and then to the personnel department. He retired in 1981. , Russ met his wife, Margaret Jean Wright, in Dryden, where she was working as a nurse at the Dryden Red Cross Hospital. They were married at her grandmother's home in Rosthern, Saskatchewan, December 28, 1946. , He was active in a number of Dryden organizations. He loved hockey and managed the Rockets Hockey team for a short time. He served as roads commissioner for the Oxdrift area, was a member of the Odd Fellows and the Dryden Legion, as well as the Dryden Golf and Curling Club both as a participant and in the organizing of tournaments. , In his own quiet determined way, Russ tried to make things better for the people of Dryden for which he was well liked and respected. He was a loving father to his three children, son, Fredrick Russell (1947-1980), daughter, Janet Ruth, and son, William James. , [photo caption] , Shown being presented with the Military Medal in Italy by Lt. Gen. Sir Oliver Leese.