Rifleman Gerald Armond Crawford

Rifleman Gerald Armond Crawford was born on January 30th, 1924, in Rosseau, Ontario, where he was the son of Alexander and Eleanor Crawford. Crawford was apart of a large family with 9 brothers and 4 sisters. At the age of 14, Crawford left school and started working as a farm helper in which he had further enlisted in Parry Sound, Ontario on March 9th 1943 with the Royal Canadian Artillery. Crawford trained in various places like in Petawawa when he was re-allocated to the infantry on May 28th 1943. After this he trained at Camp Borden and in Aldershot, Nova Scotia before arriving in England late September 1943. A few weeks later Rifleman Crawford had been posted as The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.

After many months, around April or May, Crawford had applied to marry Miss Peggy Joan Hayes of Bournemouth, England, however the results of the marriage hadn’t been recorded.

There was a letter recorded by the H.F.G Letson, Major-General, Adjutant-General on July 8th 1944, that had been sent to Mrs. Elenor Crawford, informing her of her son’s passing during battle.

Rifleman Gerald Armond Crawford had landed on Juno Beach on June 6th 1944, as he made it past the invasion, he was killed in action 5 days later on June 11th 1944 in the battle of Le Mesnil Patry at the young age of 20.

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2058895