Raymond Marshall Harley

Ray Harley was born on March 23 1908, likely at the home he grew up in at 37 Mill St. (formerly John St.). Ray was one of four sons (John Douglas, Gordon (WW2) and Brock ) born to Dean Stanley Harley (Veteran of the Spanish American War) and Mary Osmond. Tragically, Ray’s mother died in 1917, one day after giving birth to her fifth child, a son they named Ralph. Ray’s father remarried in 1919 to Bertha Follet and Ray later became big brother to Bruce, (WW2) Jean, Bessie and Terrence.

Ray married Mary Graham Arnold in 1933 and worked at Smith & Stone prior to enlisting on November 9, 1943. According to Ray’s son, he was sent to Nova Scotia for basic training and then to Camp Borden for advanced training. When Ray decided after one week that he did not like learning Morse Code he transferred to the Armoured (Tank) Division, eventually shipping out on the S.S. Mauritania (a luxury ship converted to a troop carrier). Ray later recounted to his son that the ship traveled in a zig zag pattern in an effort to avoid German U Boats. Other stories shared from father to son was that Ray crossed the Rhine River in a tank over a ½ mile pontoon bridge on his birthday in 1945 and on another occasion in 1945, 180 tanks lined up on the banks of the Rhine River and fired continuously for 36 hours, discharging over 300,000 shells. Serving in France and Germany, Ray recalled that he had made it to Holland when word came that the war was over, at which time they were instructed to turn their machines (tanks) off and start walking.

Ray arrived home to his wife and four year old daughter in 1946 and he returned to work at Smith & Stone in the Bakelite Department. That same year the family moved into their new home at 10 Durham St., where Ray continued to live until his death on January 1, 2000. Ray is buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Georgetown.

A true Canadian Hero. His story lives on.
Information taken from Ancestry.ca and personal interview with Mike Harley.

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