Joseph Young and Frank Krepps

by Firefox Sat 17 Jul 2021, 9:15 am

Two central Alberta D-Day veterans have died

Joseph Young and Frank Krepps fought through Europe in Second World War

PAUL COWLEY / Jul. 14, 2021

Two central Alberta veterans who landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day and fought throughout Europe have passed away.

Red Deer’s Richard Franklin “Frank” Krepps, 98, passed away on June 25 and Joseph Harold Young passed away on July 7.

Krepps told the Advocate in 2018 he left Canada to serve overseas in 1941 and fought throughout France, Holland Germany. He was only 17 years old when he joined up, having lied about his age.

The Saskatchewan-born man was a motorcycle dispatch rider who delivered orders for the Royal Canadian Engineers and landed on D-Day.

“I was scared, I was alone. I had the loneliest job there was,” he told the Advocate.

On one of his missions, he was hit in the eye by shrapnel and woke up in a British hospital, not having any idea how he got there.

At the time of his passing, Krepps was the oldest surviving D-Day dispatch rider.

A celebration of Krepps’ life attended by an honour guard will take place on Friday at 2 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Red Deer branch.

Krepps, who had two sons and a daughter and was predeceased by his wife Eleanor, will be buried in his birthplace in Brock, Sask. on July 25.

Young, 102, enlisted in 1941. A farm boy from near Carrot River, Sask. he was lured by the promise of adventure.

On one of his missions, he was hit in the eye by shrapnel and woke up in a British hospital, not having any idea how he got there.

At the time of his passing, Krepps was the oldest surviving D-Day dispatch rider.

A celebration of Krepps’ life attended by an honour guard will take place on Friday at 2 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Red Deer branch.

Krepps, who had two sons and a daughter and was predeceased by his wife Eleanor, will be buried in his birthplace in Brock, Sask. on July 25.

Young, 102, enlisted in 1941. A farm boy from near Carrot River, Sask. he was lured by the promise of adventure.

https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/two-central-alberta-d-day-veterans-have-passed-away/