• Normandy Massacres

Date of birth:

November 10th, 1914 (Montreal/Quebec, Canada)

Date of death:

June 7th, 1944 (Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe, France)

Buried on:

Canadian War Cemetery Bretteville-sur-Laize
Plot: XIV. Row: E. Grave: 2.

Nationality:

Canadian

Before his military service, Thomas Windsor worked as a buyer for the T. Eaton Company, a prominent Canadian department store, and lived with his wife, Roma Windsor, at 4799 Grosvenor Avenue in Montreal. He was educated through high school and completed a six-month correspondence course in engineering at McGill University. Windsor was fluent in English and identified with the Church of England.

He enlisted in the Canadian Army on April 27, 1942, at the No. 4 District Depot in Montreal South, Quebec. Initially serving as a trooper in the Canadian Armoured Corps, Windsor quickly rose through the ranks due to his leadership qualities and military aptitude. He was promoted to provisional Second Lieutenant on January 16, 1943, and later confirmed as Lieutenant on April 15, 1943. His service included postings at various training centers across Canada, including Camp Borden and Brockville, Ontario, where he attended officer training courses.

In May 1943, Windsor embarked for overseas duty in the United Kingdom, joining the Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit. He underwent further specialized training, including anti-aircraft instruction at Clacton-on-Sea and a Sherman Tank course at the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Training Establishment in Arborfield. He qualified with high marks in multiple courses, earning designations such as “Q1” and “D.”

Lieutenant Windsor was assigned to the 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusiliers), part of the Canadian Army’s active force in the Western European Theatre of Operations. On June 7, 1944, during the intense fighting following the D-Day landings in Normandy, Windsor was reported missing in action near Authie, France. Eyewitness accounts later confirmed that he had been taken prisoner by German forces. Tragically, his death was officially confirmed a year later, and he was declared killed in action on the same day he went missing. It was later confirmed that he was murdered by Waffen-SS soldiers.

His remains were recovered and reburied with honor at the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian Military Cemetery in France. His widow, Roma Windsor, received the Memorial Cross and other commemorative items in recognition of his sacrifice.

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• Photo 1: veterans.gc.ca
• - CAMPBELL, I.J., Murder at the Abbaye, Golden Dog Press, Ottowa, 2000.
  - Service record(s)

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