• Normandy Massacres

Date of birth:

November 11th, 1923 (Ottawa/Ontario, Canada)

Date of death:

June 7th, 1944 (Authie/Somme, France)

Buried on:

Canadian War Cemetery Beny-sur-mer
Plot: II. Row: A. Grave: 9.

Service number:

C/103290

Nationality:

Canadian

Oscar Joseph Beaudoin was born into a large French-Canadian family. He grew up at 152 Alonzo Street in Ottawa, the son of Wilfrid Beaudoin and Cordelia Beaudoin (née Blanchard), and one of several siblings in a household that included both full and half brothers and sisters. Oscar attended public school from the age of seven and left at sixteen, having reached grade five before transferring to an auxiliary class. Feeling he was too old for the grade level, he left school and began supporting himself through a series of short-term jobs.

Before enlisting, Oscar worked as a delivery boy for three stores, operated a woodworking machine, and briefly worked in the Canadian Pacific Railway shops in Winnipeg. His most recent employment was with a British Columbia bridge dredging company, which had paid his fare out west and back. He served there as a labourer for four months. At the time of his enlistment, he was not a member of any trade union or professional society, though he had begun a short-lived apprenticeship as a welder. He was fluent in both English and French, though his written French was limited, and he was noted to have difficulty following training in French. His evaluators recommended he be assigned to an English-speaking unit.

Oscar enlisted voluntarily in the Canadian Army on April 8, 1943, at the age of 19. He was described as a small but well-built young man, standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 124 pounds. He had no dependents and was single at the time of enlistment. His father and brother were both serving overseas with the Governor General’s Foot Guards, and Oscar expressed a desire to join the same unit. His military examiners noted his pleasant manner, stable disposition, and cooperative attitude. Despite a limited formal education, he was seen as sincere and eager to serve, with a good attitude toward military life.

Oscar trained at various Canadian Army facilities, including Basic Training Centre #31 in Cornwall and the A-13 Canadian Infantry Training Centre in Valcartier, Quebec. He was deemed suitable for overseas service and was eventually posted to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division.

Private Oscar Joseph Beaudoin was murdered by Waffen-SS troops on June 7, 1944, during the second day of the Normandy invasion. He was 20 years old. His remains were initially buried in the field near the site of his death and later reinterred with honour at the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery in France. His mother, Cordelia, was designated the recipient of his medals and memorial cross. Oscar left behind a modest estate, including a war savings bond and a life insurance policy. His military will named his mother as beneficiary.

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