Image: Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery. From Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldier Spotlight highlights veterans from the Archives’ online Soldiers’ Memorial. Each week, our volunteers select a remarkable individual to showcase in this new blog series. The Soldiers’ Memorial commemorates more than 1,100 WWI veterans and 2,300 WWII veterans from our region. Three dedicated volunteers have contributed over 1,200 hours to this project by researching and writing biographies. Our goal is to have all South Peace soldiers acknowledged for their service. If you know of someone who lived in the South Peace and should be listed on the Memorial, or would like to get involved by researching a local veteran, please contact the Archives.
Regiment: Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C
Regimental Number: M/106777
Rank: Private
Andrew Bisson was born on February 6, 1923 in St. Edward, Alberta. Born to French-Canadian parents, Elzear and Marie Anna Bisson, he was the youngest of ten children. At age 15 he completed Grade 7, and he was interested in baseball and hockey. When he was older, Andrew helped his brother on the farm and was a sawmill hand from 1940 to 1942. He was living in McLennan, Alberta when he enlisted in the army in on March 8, 1943. Since Andrew was mischievous as a youngster and had a daring nature, he volunteered for paratroop training. When he was only 21 years old, he was killed in action on July 22, 1944. He is buried in the Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in France. (Grave Ref: VI B. 7.)
Source: Trails and Rails North Vol. 2 pp. 99 and 120
Attestation Papers – Library and Archives Canada