Wiles, Ernie

Ernie Wiles was born April 1, 1926 in Omemee, Ontario.  He was born into a large farm family, and his father was a veteran of the Great War who had suffered in one of the gas attacks of that war.  Ernie grew up against the backdrop of the Great Depression, and he was 13 when the war started.  One of his older brothers joined a Highland battalion and lost an arm in overseas combat.  When his time came in 1944, the now 18-year old Ernie opted to join the paratroopers; he trained at Camp Shilo in Manitoba and was ready to go overseas.  He arrived in England via troop ship, to be followed by additional training with the British paratroopers in the final months of 1944.  Ernie was assigned to the First Canadian Parachute Battalion, and he took part in the liberation of Western Europe. The conditions that he saw left an indelible mark. The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion served in Europe until after the German surrender on May 8, 1945. However, Ernie’s service at the front ended when he was wounded. Once he had recovered enough to assist, he helped to load ammunition and supplies to be shipped to Europe. Ernie remembered his trip home on the SS Ile de France—which prior to the war had been a luxury passenger liner. His unit arrived in Halifax on June 21, being the first unit in the Canadian Army to come home after the war, and it was disbanded on September 30. Leaving the army behind, Ernie rejoined the rhythms of Canadian life, building a career and marrying and raising a family.  Ernie was interviewed by Zach Dunn and Scott Masters at his home in Lindsay, Ontario in August 2025.