Ted Paisley at Petrolia’s Remembrance Day Service in 2013.

Another Petrolia veteran will be honoured by the French Government.

Ted Paisley is to receive the French Legion of Honour Medal at the Petrolia Legion, Tuesday, March 31^st at 7 P.M.  This is the highest award France can bestow and is being awarded to Paisley in recognition of his significant contribution to the liberation of France in 1944 and also as recognition of his continuing contributions to Canada after the war, according to Gene Smith, a retired veteran who has been working to have local veterans recognized.

Lance Corporal Paisley was with the Canadian 4^th Division and participated in the breakout from Caen, the closing of the Falaise Gap, the capture of Caen and the capture of Cussy and l’Abbaye d’Ardene.  His unit was engaged in the attack on Verrieres Ridge, the operation to seize Bretteville-sur-Laize and the operation to capture Falaise.  He also fought in Belgium, Holland and Germany and was in Germany when the unconditional surrender of the German Army occurred.  Upon his return to Canada, Ted lived in Oil Springs  before moving to Petrolia where he still resides.

Smith says family and friends are welcome to attend the presentation which will be performed by Major Bernard Scheid, 2 i/c of the 1^st Hussars Regiment, one of the regiments that Paisley originally served with at the start of the war.

A reception will follow the Presentation Ceremony in the Club Room of the Legion.

“This is a rare honour and even more rare in that two WWII Veterans from the Town of Petrolia have now been selected to receive this special honour,” says Smith in a news release.  Sid McLean was awarded the Medal in December of 2014 for his contributions to the liberation of France in 1944.