D Company, Irish Regiment of Canada

Private David Devor, known in his family by his hebrew name, Tevi, was born on April 1, 1924, in St. Catharines, Ontario, the fifth of ten children in a large and complex family. His parents, Harry and Kate Devor, had separated, leaving David to navigate the challenges of a fractured household alongside his siblings. Among them were Staff Sergeant John R. (serving in the U.S. Army), Corporal Sidney (serving with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals), and brothers Berko and Louis, as well as sisters Anne Philippa, Sarah Marion, Zipporah Rachel, Helen Bess, and Rhina Rose.

David completed Grade 7 before leaving school to work as a woodworker, crafting billiard cues for Brunswick-Balke-Collendar Ltd. Despite his modest education and difficult family circumstances, David demonstrated a determined spirit. Standing 5’9” tall and weighing 130 pounds, he had a dark complexion, grey eyes, and dark brown hair. A member of the Jewish faith, David was single and enjoyed swimming and skating, though he had no specific hobbies.

David’s path to military service began on July 16, 1943, when he was called up and chose to go active. He enlisted in Brantford, Ontario, and was assigned to the Number 2 District Depot, later joining the Irish Regiment of Canada. Though his initial enlistment was marked by ambivalence—he expressed dissatisfaction with military life and displayed a flippant attitude—David nevertheless committed to the duty before him.

After initial service in Canada from May to December 1943, David was deployed to the United Kingdom, where he underwent further training before joining the Italian Campaign in March 1944. As a member of the Irish Regiment of Canada’s D Company, David faced the grueling realities of war in one of the most challenging theaters of the Second World War.

The regiment’s efforts in Italy were pivotal but perilous, involving intense combat and relentless artillery fire. By December 1944, David’s unit was stationed near the Munio River, engaged in operations as part of the broader effort to breach German defenses along the Senio River. On December 20, 1944, during a period of heavy shellfire, David was killed in action at just 20 years of age.

Private David Devor was laid to rest in Villanova Canadian War Cemetery in Italy, Plot III, Row A, Grave 4. His grave serves as a solemn tribute to a young man who gave his life in the pursuit of freedom.

David’s story reflects the sacrifices made by so many young soldiers who, despite personal challenges and doubts, rose to serve their country during a time of great need. His journey, from a woodworker in St. Catharines to the banks of the Munio River, is a testament to duty, courage, and resilience. Though his life was tragically brief, his sacrifice remains a poignant reminder of the cost of war and the enduring legacy of those who fought for a better future.

From page 194 of “DOUBLE THREAT, Canadian Jews, The Military, and World War II.” When David Devor and Toronto’s Michael Bernstein were killed in Italy in December 1944, they had been sharing the same slit trench near the Senio River. After the Canadians captured Bagnacavallo, the senior Jewish non-commissioned officer in the Irish Regiment of Canada, Charlie Drubich, went back to help collect the boys’ bodies. Drubich made sure the Protestant chaplain said all the right things when the two were buried side by side at the Canadian war cemetery in nearby Villanova. Then Sergeant Drubich let the boys’ families know what had been done. “He was buried by Capt. Rowland, Protestant Padre, as a Jewish man should be buried, Star of David, etc.,” Drubich wrote to Devor’s mother, Kate." A week later, the Canadian Jewish chaplain, Rabbi Isaac Rose, went to the cemetery to hold his own services for good measure. From page 197 After David Devor’s funeral, Rabbi Isaac Rose also wrote to Devor’s family, calling David a “very brave boy. Stating pure facts he was very highly regarded by his comrades. “Then he told them that David had been part of an informal network of Canadian Jewish servicemen who helped rescue Holocaust survivors in Italy. The chaplain had asked all his men to be on the lookout for Jewish refugees and to pass their addresses on to him.  Unbeknownst to his family, just before he died, Devor discovered a Jewish refugee in need. He had dutifully sent the information in a letter to the chaplain. Unfortunately, probably due to his poor spelling, the letter went to the wrong address and arrived on the chaplain’s desk only after he was killed. Rose nevertheless felt it would comfort the family to know about their son’s noble gesture. “Well, help is being brought to this refugee. So you see David’s good deeds live after him;’ Rose told them.  From page 237 … In 1966, Kate Devor [David’s mother] paid for the planting of a thousand trees in Israel through the Jewish National Fund. She did it in memory of her son David, and also in memory of the relative for whom he had been named: her brother, David Tuvya Risidore, killed in action during World War I.

Letter written to David Devor by Michael Chorney, a young Canadian student visiting the Cemetery with his hockey Team in April 2009 March 31st, 2009

Dear David Devor,

I must thank you for all that you sacrificed in order to serve and die for Canada, so that we may have freedom in this country. You were forced to die at such a young age, and not be able to fully experience life, making the ultimate sacrifice, mostly for people you didn’t know. You defended our country, fighting with pride and courage in your heart, knowing that even a stray bullet or a tiny piece of shrapnel could mean that it was all over You died, along with thousands of other soldiers, so that I may be here today to write this thank you letter to a true Canadian hero. For it is the ones like you, not Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe, that are the true idols in this country for something you did, and without you, we would have lost the war, along with our freedom, and everything else we hold dear to our heart. For I writing this letter, as with every other Canadian, should regret not knowing more about you, and not just paying a tribute once a year, but every morning we wake up, in this beautiful country. For this, I thank you, David Devor. You are a true Canadian hero.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Chorney