Perth Regiment, R.C.I.C.

Cornelius MARYS, a young farmer from Wallaceburg, Ontario, was born on March 16, 1924, to Cornelius and Gertrude Marys. Raised in a family of five with Dutch roots, Cornelius was the eldest of his siblings, including brothers Joseph, William, and Johannus, and a sister, Lena Emory, who lived in St. Thomas, Ontario. Known as a quiet, hard-working youth, Cornelius had left school at 14 after completing the seventh grade. He spent much of his young life working on mixed farms, where he earned a modest wage of $20 per week and gained valuable experience in agriculture and animal management, particularly with horses.

Cornelius’s early ambitions were practical and straightforward. He planned to return to farming after the war and hoped to secure employment as a truck driver, a natural progression from his labor work at Webster Air Equipment in London, Ontario, where he had spent three months manufacturing truck parts. He enjoyed playing baseball, taking up the position of third baseman, and found simple pleasures in adventure stories and movies. Though he was quiet and somewhat shy in social settings, he longed to try dancing, yet remained slightly reticent. A young man of Presbyterian faith, Cornelius had a stable, unassuming nature, embodying a down-to-earth and unpretentious spirit.

On February 26, 1943, Cornelius enlisted in the Canadian Army in London, Ontario, and was assigned to the No. 1 District Depot for training. Though he didn’t have a clear reason for enlisting, his records suggest a steady resolve to fulfill his duties. Standing at 5’6” and weighing 137 pounds, he was physically accustomed to the demands of hard work, though still young and not fully developed. His assessment noted that with training, he would make a good soldier, suited for the role of a rifleman in the infantry.

Cornelius’s military service led him from Canada to the United Kingdom in December 1943 and then to the Italian front on March 28, 1944, with the Perth Regiment of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps. Over the next months, he bore witness to the intense and challenging conditions of the Italian campaign. Tragically, on January 2, 1945, Cornelius was killed in action between Conventello and Sant Alberto at just 21 years old. He was laid to rest at Villanova War Cemetery in Italy, where he lies in Plot II B 9.

Though his life was brief, Cornelius Marys’s story reflects the quiet courage of a young Canadian who left behind the familiar life of farming and family to serve his country during a time of great need. His legacy endures, honored by his family, who remember him as a humble and devoted son and brother, a true testament to his roots and the values of his upbringing.