Private James George Todd

James, the eldest son of Mr. James Todd and the late Mrs. Todd, was born on December 8, 1908 near Harrington, close to St. Mary’s, Ontario. The family moved to 77 Washington Street in Paris. He was educated in Paris and was a member of the Paris Presbyterian Church. He was employed at the Consolidated Sand and Gravel Ltd before he enlisted with the Black Watch Regiment on October 9, 1943. He trained at Petawawa and Debert before going overseas.

He had been serving with the Royal Canadian Engineers but had been transferred to the infantry. He was wounded on October 31, 1944 while in action in Holland, and he was in hospital in England for several months. The Black Watch had not been involved in the initial D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. The 3rd Canadian Division landed on D-Day, while the 2nd Canadian Division, which included the Black Watch, arrived in Normandy on July 6, 1944. The Black Watch served as part of the 5th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, fighting in North-West Europe until the end of the war. James was killed in action in Holland on April 5, 1945, less than two months before Germany’s unconditional surrender.