William Joseph Carruthers
Trooper William Joseph Carruthers (Service Number M-103532) was a Métis World War II Veteran born on May 8, 1917, or 1918, in Little Red River, Alberta. He enlisted in the Canadian Army on August 19, 1942, serving for over four and a half years into peacetime. Trooper Carruthers deployed overseas, seeing active service in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Continental Europe. During his wartime service, he served as a peace officer in Holland for a year and was awarded the 1939–45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal & Clasp, and the War Medal 1939–45. He was honorably discharged on January 9, 1947. Following his military service, he worked as a trapper, in construction, and with Alberta Forestry as a Fire Boss, radio operator, and seasonal Towerman. He also served as President of the Métis of Fort Vermilion. On November 7, 1955, he married Ethel Yvonne Lambert in Fort Vermilion, Alberta, raising ten children. Trooper Carruthers passed away on October 24, 1984, in Fort Vermilion at 67 years of age. He was commemorated through the Métis Veterans Legacy Program with a Recognition Payment presented to his surviving spouse, Ethel Carruthers, in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 30, 2021.
Recognition Payment Recipients
- Ethel Yvonne Carruthers Surviving Spouse
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