Willie Worsefield, England 1942

Willie came from Sault St. Marie, Ontario. When he enlisted, he became part of the First Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE), and was a dispatch rider working for Headquarter's Troop. Willie liked his job, but he loved to be out on that Norton motorcycle going wherever duty called for him to go. Willie was always cheerful.

On a morning in early May 1942, a bit before daylight, the whole of southern England was blanketed with heavy fog. Willie had just departed on a dispatch mission. It wasn't long after he left I got a call there was an accident. Our driver, Murray, and I arrived at the scene quickly. It was Willie. He had been rounding a curve and a British Army truck coming from the opposite direction collided with him. The motorcycle lay twisted in front of the truck, and Willie was the other twisted bundle at the side of the road.

He was conscious and as I checked him over, I spoke to him the whole time. Willie repeated "Don't leave me Doc". The flesh was scraped from the underside of both arms from wrists to elbows, and they were badly fractured. Both legs were fractured, and he must have had severe internal injuries.

I bandaged his arms, then applied splints to both arms and both legs. I got him a stretcher, covered him with blankets, and we carried him onto a truck headed for a British hospital. Because of Willie's terrible injuries, I did not expect him to survive. I never saw Willie again.

When I went back to look at the bike, the handlebars that are usually flat were twisted into a "V" shape. The gas tank that is usually round had a perfect impression of Willie's behind on it. This was evidence of the force with which he was hit.

About fourteen months later, we had been transfered out of England to Italy. I received a special letter. It was from Willie. He was home still recovering from his injuries. Willie thanked me, from his heart, for what I had done for him that foggy morning in May.