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Douglas Day celebrations held every November in the Township of Langley, B.C., commemorate the founding of the mainland colony of British Columbia by Sir James Douglas at Fort Langley, B.C., on November 19, 1858.

Richard (Dick) Straw was born in Saskatchewan in 1915 to parents Elizabeth and William Straw. The family moved to Willoughby in 1918 and established a chicken farm. The later address for the property was 20819 85th Avenue (roughly where the south-east side of the overpass is today). Dick's siblings were Kathleen (b. 1913) and Wilfred. Dick attended West Langley School.

Dick received a letter of conscription in the mail in 1942. He trained in Vernon, Vedder Crossing (Chilliwack), and Calgary before sailing to England in December 1942. Dick was trained with the Lee-Enfield rifle, bayonet, and Bren light machine gun once he arrived, and was ordered to join the Canadian Scottish Regiment where he received grenade, tank, and gas chamber training. Dick was a “batman,” or “runner,” who would maintain officer’s equipment, relay orders and messages, and fulfill other various tasks.

Dick Straw served in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. He was wounded on the third day of the invasion by two mortar explosions. Shrapnel from the first mortar hit him in the leg, and the second mortar exploded in the air and caused shrapnel to hit him behind the shoulder blade. This piece of shrapnel broke one of Dick’s ribs and lodged in his breastbone. He survived by mustering up enough strength to wander to a nearby medic. He was transferred back to England for operation.

Dick was taken back to Halifax on a hospital ship called the HMCS Lady Nelson in January 1945. From there he took the train to Vancouver and returned home to work on the family farm. Dick worked for the Seal-Kap Farm (where Trinity Western University is now located) for 13 years, but due to his injuries he had to eventually find other work.

Richard Straw joined the local Legion and lived in Walnut Grove before moving to Langley Gardens. He passed away in Langley in 2010 at the age of 94.