Date of birth:

April 22nd, 1912 (Bangor/Maine, United States)

Date of death:

March 4th, 1945 (Uedem/North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)

Buried on:

Canadian War Cemetery Groesbeek
Plot: VII. Row: E. Grave: 3.

Nationality:

American

Lieutenant
17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars, R.C.A.C.
7th Reconnaissance Regt.

In the afternoon of March 4, 1945, Lieutenant Don Ayer was ordered to advance from Uedem, Germany, through the Reichswald. The roads were muddy and bad and the combat vehicles could hardly be used because they got stuck everywhere. So Ayer lead a foot patrol along the road to Sonsbeck on the west bank of the river Rhine and was covered by a carrier section and two Daimlers which managed to break free from the group. When the patrol reached a point just south of the Hochwald, they were fired upon by a 20mm. cannon and multiple machine guns. Corporal Johnson was hit by a grenade and Don went to help him. Before arriving at Johnson, he himself was hit by another grenade and killed. He had a wound in his chest and right lung, which was causing heavy bleeding. Don was transferred to 179 Field Ambulance, but he had already died of his injuries.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant

Unit:

17th Duke of York’s Royal Canadian Hussars, 7th Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, Canadian Army

Awarded on:

September 12th, 1944

“On August 14, 1944, during the attack on the River Liaison, under direct enemy fire, he recaptured a crossing of the river at Montboint for his entire squadron during an attack on the river Liaison under direct enemy fire, and pushes on with his section of six carriers to higher ground. And although he was seriously wounded in the chest by MG fire at the time, he refused to leave the ground until his small force was organized to maintain this vital point.
This action freed the entire crossing from perceived fire and directly affected the successful crossing by the entire regiment.”

Also on July 9, Don acted valiantly in the assault on Gruchy: the infantry was held back by heavy enemy machine gun fire, but Don gathered his men from B Squadron and stormed through it. With grenades and Bren cannons they drove the enemy from their hiding places, there were dozens of dead and wounded and they took twenty-five to thirty men captive. This brave action by all ranks allowed a complete battalion of infantry to advance towards Gruchy.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

January 15th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

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• - Lieutenant Donald Holman Ayer | War Casualty Details 2662577 | CWGC
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