Bates, William Dale

Date of birth:: February 13th, 1924 (Cookshire/Quebec, Canada)
Date of death:: July 30th, 1945 (Apeldoorn/Gelderland, Netherlands)
Buried on:: Canadian War Cemetery Groesbeek
Plot: III. Row: E. Grave: 13.
Service number:: E/101274
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

Private
Calgary Highlanders, R.C.I.C.

On Saturday, July 28th, 1945, twenty-five young men of “A” Company set off for an organized outing to Apeldoorn. Around two o'clock William met two of his comrades in the Stationsstraat. The two boys had just bought a bottle of liquor (cognac) from a Dutchman. This despite strong warnings from the army leadership not to buy bootleg liquor. The boys enjoyed an evening out dancing in the Canada Club in Apeldoorn, returning to camp around 10:30 PM, where they drank the bottle of cognac. This bottle was not the only illegal liquor sold in Apeldoorn that weekend. On Saturday, a further three bottles were purchased by Canadian soldiers for 500 cigarettes. It is unclear whether William was one of those buyers.
However and unfortunately, it has become clear is that the drink proved fatal to William. On Monday, July 30th, he was found in his tent by one of his comrades miserable and feeling very unwell. Immediate medical assistance was called for and ten minutes later William was rushed to a first aid post by jeep. Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do to help him anymore. According to the autopsy report, William Bates died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 21.

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