BETTS, Charles Robert WWII Private Betts was born on November 4, 1919 to parents Artemas and Katherine (Matheson) Betts of Rocky Point, PEI. His siblings were: James, John, Harold, Ruth, Ewen, Catherine, and Margaret. Private Charles Betts served with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. The Allies invaded the Italian mainland in the fall of 1943. By the winter of 1943, the German armies in Italy were defending a line stretching from the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Naples to the Adriatic Sea south of Ortona. The Allies prepared to break through this line to capture Rome. For its part, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division was to cross the Moro River and take Ortona. In January 1944, the Canadian Corps selected this site, intending that it would contain the graves of those who died during the Ortona battle and in the fighting in the weeks before and after it. By November 30, the Allies had taken the Sangro River positions. On December 6, the Canadians crossed the Moro River against stiff opposition and took Ortona on the 28th. Fighting was stalemated at Ortona with no movement east of Appennines until after the fall of Rome. Charles was with the Canadian Armoured Regiment when he was killed during the fighting at Ortona on January 8, 1944. He was 25 years old. Private Charles Betts is buried in the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery which lies in the locality of San Donato in the Commune of Ortona, Province of Chieti, and is sited on high ground near the sea just east of the main Adriatic coast road. Today, there are 1,615 graves in the cemetery, of which over 50 are unidentified and 1,375 are Canadian. VETERANS’ SERVICE RECOGNITION BOOK – VOLUME 19 / 31 THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND COMMAND BETTS, Willard Martin WWII Willard was born on February 24, 1925, the son of Ruban and Rosanne (MacDougall) Betts. He enlisted in World War II to serve his country with the Canadian Army. In 1944, he earned his stripes as Corporal serving overseas in Belgium, Holland, Germany, and France with the Algonquin Regiment II Platoon. Willard and his wife Vertis raised one son. Willard passed away on March 18, 2009. He was laid to rest in New Dominion Cemetery, PEI.
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