Remembering a fallen Tavistock soldier: Cpl. Francis Roy Weitzel

The family of Cpl. Francis Roy Weitzel, killed in action near Buron and Gruchy, France, on July 8, 1944, gather in remembrance ahead of Remembrance Day. From left, are Glen Weitzel (kneeling), Francis Weitzel, Sharon and Ken Weitzel, Shirley and Linda Weitzel. Kneeling in front is Amy Weitzel. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Across the region, Remembrance Day services on Nov. 11 once again brought communities together to honour those who gave their lives in service to Canada.

In Legions, churches and small-town cenotaphs, the names of local soldiers were spoken, remembered and revered – each representing courage, sacrifice and love of country.

One of those names is Cpl. Francis Roy Weitzel, a young soldier from near Tavistock who never returned home from the battlefields of France during the Second World War.

Though more than 80 years have passed since the war’s end, the Weitzel family’s love and pride have not faded. His memory endures in family stories, cherished keepsakes and in the gratitude of a nation that continues to honour its fallen.

A grave marker for Weitzel and two other area soldiers – Clarence Kalbfleisch and Alfred Kingsley – stands in the cemetery of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sebastopol, where Weitzel once attended Sunday school as a boy.

Weitzel was killed on July 8, 1944, during the battle to liberate the French village of Buron. In the fierce fighting, he single-handedly neutralized two German machine gun posts while firing a Bren gun from his hip – an act of bravery that made him a Canadian war hero both in Buron and back home in Tavistock.

Over the years, members of the Weitzel family have travelled to Buron, France, to visit his grave in the Commonwealth War Cemetery and to meet local residents who still honour the Canadians who liberated their village. They also continue to visit the memorial stone at Trinity Lutheran Church, ensuring their uncle’s sacrifice is never forgotten.

Weitzel’s legacy lives on – not only in stone and soil, but in the hearts of those who gather each November to remember.