Private Byron Randof Mailman was born February 25th, 1921, to Oliver and Myrtle (nee Weir) Mailman in Brookfield Mines.  The family were of the Baptist faith.  Byron had an older sister Irlean, and younger siblings Norman and Dorothy.  Byron did not follow his father into mining but instead became a forestry labourer.   Byron was 5 feet 7 ½ inches tall (172 cm), weighed 160 pounds (73 kg), and had blue eyes and brown hair.

 

      Byron enlisted on September 21st, 1939 just ten days after Canada entered World War two.  He joined the West Nova Scotia Regiment as an Infantryman Private and was assigned Service number F/39736.  The unit embarked on MS Chrobry for Great Britain on December 21st, 1939, arriving in Gourock, Scotland on December 29th.  On November 7th, 1940, the unit was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, West Nova Scotia Regiment, and continued to hone their skills in Scotland.

 

      Private Mailman landed in Sicily with the 1st Battalion on July 10th, 1943 as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division.  The Canadians advanced northward across the mountains and over the hot, barren terrain, taking the town of Agira on July 28th following five days of hard fighting in what proved to be the Canadians' toughest battle of the Sicilian campaign.  Private Mailman perished on July 31st, 1943, as the Canadians continued to push the Italian forces northward.  He was 22 years old.

 

      On August 15th, Private Mailman’s mother, Myrtle was informed via telegram that he was killed in action.  On September 8th, Myrtle was sent a follow-up letter confirming his death, ending with “We pay tribute to the sacrifice that he so bravely made”.

 

      Private Mailman left his estate to his mother, Myrtle.  Myrtle Mailman was awarded the Memorial Cross Medal (also known as the Silver Cross), and she received Private Mailman’s service Medals; the 1939-45 Star, the Italy Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-45, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal (with Clasp).  

 

      Private Mailman was initially interred in a temporary cemetery near Catenanova Sicily.  After hostilities in Sicily ceased, he was disinterred and moved to the Agira Canadian War Cemetery on a small hill in the heart of Sicily, approximately 70 kilometers from Catania.  It contains the graves of 490 Canadians (13 members of the RCAF and 477 members of the army), six of whom are unidentified.  Private Byron Mailman is interred in Plot A, Row D, Grave 52, with a personal inscription “THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH. ISAIAH XL.31”.

 

      Private Byron Randof Mailman is commemorated on page 186 of the World War Two Book of Remembrance.  He is also listed on the Caledonia Cenotaph.

 

 

 

 

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Online References

War Grave Search – https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2202707/byron-randof-mailman/

Local Grave Search - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56410908/byron-randof-mailman

Canadian Virtual War Memorial - https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2202707?Byron%20Randof%20Mailman

Second World War Personnel Records Database (file download size 9.6 Meg) - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=kia&IdNumber=22100&ecopy=44485_83024005506_0791-00046