Private Pierre Henri Mercier
Survivor of WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Pierre Henri Mercier was born at Lewiston, Maine, on 22 June 1911. He had very little formal schooling and worked as a farm hand, lumberjack and labourer before the war. He enlisted at Sherbrooke, Quebec, on 14 August 1940 as D-113113 and served as a Private with the Canadian Forestry Corps in Canada and the United Kingdom, principally with No. 9 Company. While overseas he married Jolly Gordon Morrison at Tain, Scotland, on 17 October 1941; the marriage was initially without military permission. They had two sons, David Henri Joseph and Omer Philip Joseph. Mercier returned to Canada in October 1943 and later served with No. 26 Company at Sussex, New Brunswick. Following psychiatric and medical assessment in June 1944, he was found unable to meet the required Military Physical Standard and was medically discharged at Montreal South on 5 July 1944.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
D-113113
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Canadian Forestry Corps
Battalion:
No. 9 Company
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Lewiston, Maine, USA
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
29 years 1 month
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
33 years
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
72 years
Country Born:
Trade or Calling:
Labourer
Next of Kin:
Mrs. Jolly Mercier (wife), 4 Cromarty Place, Kildary, Ross Shire
Address at Enlistment:
Chambly, Quebec
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Place of Enlistment:
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 7.0 in / 170 cm
Weight:
133 lbs / 60 kg
Chest:
36.5 in / 93 cm
Expansion:
2.5 in / 6 cm
Marital Status:
Married
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Great Britain
Place of Discharge:
Montreal South, Quebec
Discharge Type:
Medically Unfit
Discharge Notes:
Unable to meet the required Military Physical Standard
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
1421 days in service
Buried at:
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Private |
Canadian Forestry Corps |
Army |
No. 9 Company |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Private |
Canadian Forestry Corps |
Army |
No. 26 Company |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
|
|
Army |
|
|
|
|
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
Defence Medal |
|
|
|
PDF pp.3-4 |
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp |
|
|
|
PDF pp.3-4 |
| WW2 |
War Medal 1939-45 |
|
|
|
PDF pp.3-4 |
Service Chronology
1911-06-22 — Born
Circa 1919 — Left school at about age eight after approximately one year of schooling
Circa 1924 — Father died when Mercier was about 13
1940-08-14 — Enlisted as Private D-113113, Canadian Forestry Corps
1940-11-06 — Admitted with gonorrhoea Military V.D. Section, Valcartier Camp, Quebec
1940-11-15 — Discharged to duty after treatment
1941-04-05 — Embarked for overseas service
1941-04-20 — Disembarked overseas
1941-06-30 — Admitted to Gartloch Emergency Medical Service Hospital, Scotland
1941-07-10 — Discharged from Gartloch Hospital fit for duty
1941-10-17 — Married Jolly Gordon Morrison without military permission, Tain, Scotland
1942-03-15 — Son David Henri Joseph Mercier born
1943-07-27 — Son Omer Philip Joseph Mercier born
1943-09-13 — Granted permission to marry Jolly Gordon Morrison
1943-09-29 — Struck off strength No. 9 Company on posting to No. 21 Company
1943-09-30 — Taken on strength No. 21 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps
1943-10-09 — Embarked for Canada
1943-10-19 — Returned to Canada with Canadian Forestry Corps
1943-10-24 — Attached to No. 47 Valleyfield for pay/administration
1943-11-14 — Posted to No. 26 Company, Canadian Forestry Corps
1943-12-08 — Commenced forestry leave without pay
1944-06-08 — Returned from leave without pay
1944-06-21 — Personnel-selection / psychiatric assessment
1944-06-22 — Psychiatrist recommended discharge
1944-06-27 — Medical Board recommended discharge
1944-06-28 — Medical Board approved
1944-07-05 — Medically discharged — unable to meet required Military Physical Standard
1946-02-10 — Wife and two children arrived in Canada from overseas
Notes
Had very limited formal education: detailed interviews say about one year of schooling and that he left school at Johnville, Quebec, at age eight; another form records two years of public school. Personnel selection records describe him as almost completely illiterate: he could sign his name but could not read or write. He spoke French and English. Before enlistment he worked as a farm hand and lumberjack; his formal trade was Labourer. His father died when he was 13. The psychiatric family history records two brothers and five sisters; one sister, Miss Antoinette Mercier of Chambly Canton, was recorded as a supported dependant. He married Jolly Gordon Morrison at Tain, Scotland, on 17 October 1941 without military permission. The marriage register identifies her as a 31-year-old domestic servant at Balnagown Hotel, Tain; her father David Morrison, railway ganger, was deceased, and her mother was Jessie Morrison, née Campbell. Their son David Henri Joseph was born at Pitmaduthy Farm, Kildary, on 15 March 1942; Omer Philip Joseph was born at Kildary on 27 July 1943.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
1911-1983
Birth 22 juin 1911 (22 Jun 1911) Death 28 juin 1983 (28 Jun 1983) Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada Residence Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
Wife Jolly Morrisson 1910-2011
Buried Valleyfield Catholic Cemetery Field of Honour
Request confirmation number EA2026_0172240
Additional Service Notes
Enlisted at Sherbrooke, Quebec, on 14 August 1940 as D-113113 and served as a Private in the Canadian Forestry Corps. He trained at Valcartier and served in Canada before proceeding overseas in April 1941. Overseas he served principally with No. 9 Company as a lumberjack/labourer. He was admitted to Gartloch Emergency Medical Service Hospital on 30 June 1941 and discharged on 10 July 1941. He returned to Canada with the Forestry Corps in October 1943, was attached to No. 4 District Depot and then posted to No. 26 Company at Sussex, New Brunswick. In June 1944 he underwent psychiatric and medical assessment. The wartime psychiatric record used the diagnoses 'mental retardation' and 'temperamental instability with neurotic features'; the specialist recommended discharge and the Medical Board considered the condition permanent and not likely to benefit from further treatment. He was discharged at Montreal South on 5 July 1944 under R.O. 1029, paragraph 10, because he was unable to meet the required Military Physical Standard.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
At enlistment his widowed mother, Mrs. Henri Mercier of Chambly Canton, Quebec, was next of kin. His father had died when Pierre was 13. The psychiatric family history records two brothers and five sisters. He supported his widowed mother and sister Miss Antoinette Mercier. After marriage, wife Jolly Mercier, 4 Cromarty Place, Kildary, Ross-shire, Scotland, was next of kin. Sons: David Henri Joseph, born 15 March 1942 at Pitmaduthy Farm, Kildary; Omer Philip Joseph, born 27 July 1943 at Kildary. Jolly's father David Morrison and mother Jessie Morrison (née Campbell) from the marriage registration.
Version: 3 Last modified: 2026-10-01 00:38:24
by: marc
