E.N. Gilbank

Ernest Nelson Gilbank was born on May 2, 1905, to William and May Gilbank. He grew up in Owen Sound, Ontario, where he worked as a carpenter for most of his life. Prior to joining the Permanent Forces, Gilbank was a member of the Grey and Simcoe

Foresters for just over two years earning the rank of sergeant. He was married his wife Roberta in August of 1942, just a year and a half before being shipped overseas.

Gilbank enlisted on March 4, 1943, at the age of 37 years. Private Gilbank was assigned to the Regina Rifles Regiment upon arriving in England in May of 1944. Gilbank did not take part in the storming of Juno Beach, as he was held back as a reinforcement. Given the high casualties suffered by the Regina’s he landed two days later to join the fighting near Bretteville-l'Orgueilleuse. On the night of June 9, 1944, Rifleman Gilbank and another soldier named L.W. Lee were assigned outpost duty near a known group of the enemy. The two men were discovered by members of the 12th SS Panzer Division and taken prisoner. They were then marched 500 meters to a location just behind the Caen-Bayeux railway and interrogated by a 12th SS officer. The officer was displeased with the lack of information he received during the interrogation of Rifleman Gilbank and fired his pistol killing him in cold blood.The officer then shifted his attention to Rifleman Lee and fired a round at him but the bullet did not prove to be fatal. Lee feigned death until the angry Germans were forced to leave quickly due to incoming shellfire. It took the severely wounded Lee a day and a half to crawl back to his regiment’s front lines and recount what happened. Without the determination of Rfn. Lee, the story of Gilbank, a murdered Prisoner of War, would remain unknown to this day.

Ernest Nelson Gilbank is buried in Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery.