• Normandy Massacres

Date of birth:

March 12th, 1914 (Burks Falls/Ontario, Canada)

Date of death:

June 8th, 1944 (Audrieu, France)

Buried on:

Canadian War Cemetery Beny-sur-mer
Plot: XIII. Row: D. Grave: 7.

Service number:

B/112474

Nationality:

Canadian

Alvin John James Harkness was a truck driver by trade. He lived at 14 Cowan Avenue in Toronto with his wife, Velma Marjory Harkness, whom he married on November 22, 1941. He enlisted in the Canadian Army on May 4, 1942, at the age of 28, joining the Royal Canadian Artillery and eventually serving in the 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment.

Harkness underwent basic training at various Canadian military camps, including No. 2 District Depot in Toronto, No. 25 Basic Training Centre in Simcoe, and No. 22 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in North Bay. He was later transferred to Petawawa for advanced training and was allocated to the Royal Canadian Artillery (Medium). His military records describe him as a steady, hard-working, and dependable soldier with good mechanical aptitude and a background in rubber factory work, farming, and bush labor.

In July 1943, Harkness was deployed overseas to the United Kingdom in preparation for the Allied invasion of Europe. On June 6, 1944—D-Day—Canadian forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. Just two days later, on June 8, 1944, Gunner Alvin John James Harkness was captured by German forces and subsequently executed while a prisoner of war. He was one of several Canadian soldiers murdered in what became known as the Château d'Audrieu massacre, reportedly carried out under the orders of SS Lt. Col. Wilhelm Mohnke.

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• - Service record(s)

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