was forced by a Brigadier to return to Canada because he was Chinese
Wilfred Bing Tong Seto was born in Vancouver and as a University of British Columbia student, attended the Canadian Officers Training Corps and eventually enlisted with the Canadian Army.
He took his basic training at Camp Gordon Head which is now the site of the University of Victoria. There, he was told he was in a “special category”.
He was shipped to Philippeville, Algeria October 1943 and went on to Italy to join the Seaforth Highlanders as reinforcement officer. There he was met by the brigadier who told him he was not only a reinforcement but was Chinese; reason enough to order Seto back to Canada. The brigadier believed that the men would not accept Seto as a leader.
In Vancouver, Seto attended the Japanese Language School and after the war, was one of the original founders of Pacific Unit 280 of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada, the only Chinese Canadian Veterans’ unit in Canada.
Born August 21, 1914
Died March 11, 1960
