Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1684
The Meakin Brothers from Birnie Manitoba ...
11/10/2009 at 1:31 PM
I wonder how many ebrandonites have ever heard of the Meakin Brothers who hailed from the tiny village of Birnie Manitoba, north of Neepawa ???
Frank and George Meakin both served with the Winnipeg Rifles at the Minto Armouries. They left for England in August of 1941, and served in England for the next 3 years.
In June of 1944 they were assigned to a unit preparing for the Normandy Invasion that occured on June 6th 1944.
George and Frank landed on Juno and were taken prisoner by the German Forces.
On June 8th 1944, the two brothers were among 22 comrades from the Winnipeg Rifles, and 2 British Soldiers who were executed by the 12th SS Panzer Division lead my Maj. Kurt Meyer.
One account of the shooting of the Meakin Brothers records Frank (age 20) diving in vain, in front of the bullet destined for George (age 23). Both men were killed.
They are remembered by a Memorial Arch in the tiny Village of Birnie, and by accounts recorded in several Canadian History books.
Frank signed up at the age of 16, George at the age of 19.
They are among the many we remember at this time of year ... Lest We Forget.