DEVREKER, ANTHONY M.M.

Awarded the Military Medal. On September 10, 1944, the South Alberta Regiment was part of a force which had est of bridgehead over the Leopold canal at Moerbrugge, Belgium. Trooper Devreker was a member of the crew of a tank which was knocked out by a German Anti Tank projector. The members of the crew although badly burned were able to escape with the exception of one member who had been seriously wounded. Trooper Devreker although suffering great pain from burns got this soldier out of the tank and carrier him through ditches towards the main regiment position. On the way the party was under heavy shell fire and enemy infantry were also close that Trooper Devreker using a pistol personally shot and killed two Germans and captured 5 others.

Wounded on March 28, 1945. Corporal Rose states: On 28 March '45 I was acting as gunner in a tank engaged in an indirect shoot across the Rhine river, Netherlands. Corporal Dick was standing on the back deck of the tank, crew commanding and Trooper Devreker was the loader. At about 1500 hrs we had been firing at the rate of approximately two and one -half rounds per minute for about twenty minutes when one of the rounds did not go all the way into the breech. Trooper Devreker picked up an empty casing to drive home the round. When he struck the round in the breech it exploded wounding himself, Cpl. Dick and myself. I climbed out of the tank and members of another crew removed Tpr. Devreker and we were evacuted along with Cpl. Dick to the RAP.

Died of wounds on March 30, 1945. Laceration of the left hand, blast burns to the face and multiple wounds to the abdomen and legs as well as traumatic amputation of the right wrist.