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Description area
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History
William Frederick Slater was born in Birmingham, England on September 2nd, 1908, to James and Julia Slater. When he was about 6 years old, his father was called up for service in the First World War and lost his life due to injuries from shrapnel. Slater started education at a grammar school in Chester, England, and, at the age of 14, he went to Canada, where he attended high school at Copetown and Hagersville along with his cousin. After graduation from high school, he worked at different jobs in Hagersville as a truck driver, a staff in a bakery and a worker in a stone quarry. In the meanwhile, he taught himself sociology and economics, getting acquainted with the intellectuals and philosophy of the left-wing politics. He also volunteered at the office of The Daily Worker (later The Clarion), the communist newspaper at that time.
With the outbreak of Spanish Civil War, Slater left for Spain in July 1937. He went from Toronto to La Harve, from La Harve to Paris, and Paris to Perpignan, marching over the Pyrenees and finally reached Figueras, an old fortress in the north of Spain. Along with other 95 or so volunteers, he was assembled at Albacete, the headquarter of the International Brigade. Due to his ability to drive and speak Spanish, he was kept around Albacete as an ambulance driver, serving for the 15th Division Service Sanitaire. Slater returned to Canada on 11 February 1939 and was later involved with the MacPap Veterans Association.
Slater passed away in 1982.