1940 - Canadian Grenadier Guards Application for Commission dated 1st February 1940 by John Douglas Gall (1919-1944) who was killed during the German V1 Rocket bombing of the Guards Chapel in London, UK

Object/Artifact

Musée Canadian Grenadier Guards Museum

Name/Title

Description

1940 - Canadian Grenadier Guards Application for Commission dated 1st February 1940 by john Douglas Gall (1919-1944) who was killed during the German V1 Rocket bombing of the Guards Chapel in London, UK ABOUT THE CGG OFFICER: John Douglas Gall was born in Westmount in 1919 and enlisted with The Canadian Grenadier Guards Officer Training Corps in 1939 (1 day after war was declared.) He was a Recruiting Officer for CGG and went overseas in April 1942. He was attending a Sunday Mass at the Guards Chapel in London UK when it was bombed by a German V1 Rocket on 18 June 1944. He is buried in BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY, Surrey, United Kingdom GUARDS CHAPEL PLAQUE COMMEMORATING CAPTAIN GALL: There is a plaque to him in the Guards Chapel, on the North wall: "IN MEMORY OF/ CAPTAIN/ JOHN DOUGLAS GALL/ CANADIAN GRENADIER GUARDS/ 22ND CANADIAN ARMOURED/ REGIMENT/ 1939 - 1944/ BORN 18TH MARCH 1919/ KILLED IN THE GUARDS CHAPEL/ 18TH JUNE 1944" ABOUT THE GUARDS CHAPEL BOMBING - 18 JUNE 1944 The Royal Military Chapel, commonly known as the Guards' Chapel, is a British Army place of worship that serves as the religious home of the Household Division at the Wellington Barracks in Westminster, Greater London. Completed in 1838 in the style of a Greek temple and re-designed during the 1870s, the first chapel on the site was damaged by German bombing during the Blitz in 1940 and 1941. On Sunday, 18 June 1944, the chapel was hit again, this time by a V-1 flying bomb, during the morning service. The explosion of the bomb collapsed the concrete roof onto the congregation, which left 121 people killed and 141 injured (both military and civilian).

Context

Applicant details: Name in full: John Douglas Gall House address: 354 Grosvenor Ave. Westmount Business address: Jenkins Bros. Ltd., 617 St. Remi St., Mtl. Profession or Occupation: Clerk Date of Birth: March 18, 1919 Place of Birth: Montreal, Que. Religion: Prot. British Subject? Yes Height: 6'1" Weight: 150 Married or Single? Single Education: Montreal High School (Junior Matric) (1932-1937) Particulars of any previous military training: Nil Name of father in full: Douglas Meikle Gall British Subject? Yes His occupation: Electrical Engineer His business address: Power Building, Craig St. W., Mtl

Created By

Bertille L. Hurel

Create Date

August 18, 2022

Updated By

Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.

Update Date

June 3, 2025