collection Fonds 68 - Al Stangowitz fonds

Born 13 February 1931 at Macklin, Saskatchewan, John "Al" Stangowitz worked as an apprentice welder in Edmonton before joining the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in February 1948. He completed Recruit Basic Training at Camp Borden in Ontario and was posted to B Company, 1st Battalion, PPCLI at Currie Barracks in Calgary, Alberta in May 1948. He was trained as a bren gunner and then sent to Rivers, Manitoba where he completed his jump course (parachute training) in May 1950. Private Stangowitz was reposted to the 1st Battalion in 1950 and then returned to Camp Borden where he completed the Driver Operator and Signals course. When he returned to the Battalion in July 1950, he was employed as a Signaller and passed the Air-Portability course in August. Stangowitz then was sent to Wainwright, Alberta to help train the Second Battalion, Signals for service in Korea. He was sent to Korea, arriving in September 1951, and was attached to B Company, 2nd Battalion, PPCLI. Al was wounded by a shell fragment to the head in April 1951 and evacuated to Japan where he spent three months recovering. He was then transferred to Movement Control at Iwakuni, Japan where he was employed loading priority supplies onto aircraft. When the 2nd Battalion was relieved by the 1st in October 1951, Private Stangowitz returned to Canada and applied for discharge in November. Following the War he worked as a carpenter for forty years. He was active in the PPCLI Association, the Korea Veterans Association and the Royal Canadian Legion, and volunteered at the PPCLI Regimental Museum. He was married to Dorothy Stangowitz (d. 2006) and to Doris Stangowitz. He had four children, James, Gordon, Brenda, and Douglas. He died in Calgary on 13 September 2012.