Gunner John Ferns Elliott
Survivor of WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
John Ferns Elliott was born at Calgary, Alberta, on 30 August 1912 and later lived at Huntingdon, Quebec. Before the war he worked as a weaver and carpenter. He enlisted voluntarily in the Canadian Army at Montreal on 21 June 1940 as D-7574 and served with the Royal Canadian Artillery, including the 14th Canadian Field Regiment, in Canada, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. He returned to Canada in September 1945 and was honourably discharged at Montreal South on 16 October 1945 on demobilization. Elliott died suddenly at Kitchener, Ontario, on 22 December 1986, aged 74, and was buried in Huntingdon Protestant Cemetery.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
D-7574
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Royal Canadian Artillery
Battalion:
14th Canadian Field Regiment, R.C.A.
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Calgary, Alberta
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
27 years 9 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
33 years 1 month
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
74 years 3 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Carpenter
Next of Kin:
Arthur Elliott (father), Huntingdon, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
Huntingdon, Quebec
Religion:
United Church of Canada
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 9.0 in / 175 cm
Weight:
140 lbs / 64 kg
Chest:
34.0 in / 86 cm
Expansion:
3.0 in / 8 cm
Marital Status:
Single
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Europe
Place of Discharge:
Montreal South, Quebec
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
1943 days in service
Buried at:
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Gunner |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
14th Canadian Field Regiment, R.C.A. |
|
|
|
| Final/default rank explicit on discharge records; effective reversion date is a source limitation. |
| WW2 |
Lance Bombardier |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
14th Canadian Field Regiment, R.C.A. |
|
|
|
| Exact later reversion date to Gunner is not legible with sufficient confidence. |
| WW2 |
Acting Lance Bombardier |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
14th Canadian Field Regiment, R.C.A. |
|
|
|
| Appointment effective 19 Nov 1943. |
| WW2 |
Gunner |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
66/81 Field Battery, R.C.A. |
|
|
|
| Initial rank. |
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
1939-45 Star |
Import |
|
|
Service file |
| p. 8 awards card |
| WW2 |
France and Germany Star |
Import |
|
|
Service file |
| p. 8 awards card |
| WW2 |
Defence Medal |
Import |
|
|
Service file |
| p. 8 awards card |
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp |
Import |
|
|
Service file |
| pp. 4, 8, 73 |
| WW2 |
War Medal 1939-45 |
Import |
|
|
Service file |
| pp. 4, 8, 73 |
Service Chronology
1912-08-30 — Born
1940-06-21 — Voluntarily enlisted as Gunner; joined No. 4 District Depot
1940-07-10 — Taken on strength 66/81 Field Battery, R.C.A., C.A.S.F.
1940-12-17 — Granted furlough
1941-07-19 — Struck off strength Canadian Army in Canada on embarkation at Halifax
1941-07-29 — Disembarked at Gourock and taken on strength Canadian Army Overseas
1941-08-11 — Granted landing leave with warrant
1941-10 to 1942-03 — Leave and administrative entries while serving overseas
1942-03-19 — Disciplinary entry for drunkenness, first offence; awarded 14 days C.B.
1942-06-13 — Granted 14 days leave
1942-10-30 — Granted seven days leave with ration allowance
1942-12-30 to 1943-01-08 — Privilege leave with ration allowance
1943-01-28 — Attached to field-hygiene/medical-support duties
1943-03-30 — Proceeded on CMHQ course
1943-04-25 — Granted nine days privilege leave with ration allowance
1943-05-03 — Attached to Canadian Engineers School
1943-11-19 — Appointed Acting Lance Bombardier
1944-02-19 — Promoted Lance Bombardier
1944-06-21/22 — Embarked from the United Kingdom and disembarked in France
1944-07 to 1945-05 — Operational service with 14th Canadian Field Regiment in Continental Europe; periodic leave and administrative entries
1945-07-30 — Embarked Northwest Europe and disembarked United Kingdom for repatriation
1945-07-31 — Attached to repatriation establishment
1945-08-02 — Granted 10 days leave
1945-09-01 — Embarked for Canada with repatriation draft
1945-09-10 — Taken on strength No. 4 District Depot from Canadian Army Overseas
1945-09-13 to 1945-10-14 — Granted leave with rations allowance
1945-10-16 — Honourably discharged on demobilization
1986-12-22 — Died suddenly
1986-12-27 — Funeral and interment
Notes
Completed two years of high school at Huntingdon and left school in 1928 at age 16. Worked seasonally as a weaver in a woollen mill from 1934–1936, then as a carpenter in his father's contracting business from 1938–1940. At release he intended to buy into his father's contracting business and work as a self-employed contractor. The personnel-selection interview described him as English-speaking and noted his prewar and wartime carpentry experience.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
Reported for duty June 17, 4940.
Born at Calgary, Alta. on August 30, 1912.
Birth 30 AUG 1912 • Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Death 22 Dec 1986 Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada
BURIAL Huntingdon Protestant Cemetery Huntingdon, Québec, Canada PLOT Section 12, Lot 07 S1/2, Grave 1G
atip Request confirmation number EA2026_0171644
Additional Service Notes
John Ferns Elliott enlisted voluntarily at Montreal on 21 June 1940 as D-7574. He joined No. 4 District Depot and was taken on strength of 66/81 Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, on 10 July 1940. He was struck off strength of the Canadian Army in Canada on embarkation at Halifax on 19 July 1941 and was taken on strength of the Canadian Army Overseas after disembarking at Gourock on 29 July 1941. He served overseas with the Royal Canadian Artillery, including the 14th Canadian Field Regiment, R.C.A. His record shows appointment as Acting Lance Bombardier effective 19 November 1943 and Lance Bombardier effective 19 February 1944. He embarked from the United Kingdom and disembarked in France in June 1944 and subsequently served in Continental Europe. By the end of the war he had reverted to Gunner; the exact effective date of that reversion is not sufficiently clear in the surviving service sheets. He returned to the United Kingdom for repatriation in July 1945, embarked for Canada on 1 September 1945, and was taken on strength of No. 4 District Depot from Canadian Army Overseas on 10 September 1945. He was honourably discharged at Montreal South on 16 October 1945 on demobilization.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
Father Arthur Elliott of Huntingdon was next of kin and received an assignment of pay. Family form also names mother Annabella Elliott. John was single and had no children during service. The 1986 obituary names children Ronald, Robert, Kathleen; grandchildren Michael, Christopher and Genevieve; brother William; sisters Almeta (Mrs. Kermit Aldrich) and Mervin; and predeceased siblings Edna (Mrs. Percy McCaig) and Lawrence.
Version: 3 Last modified: 2026-09-19 18:52:11
by: marc
