6^th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers

Leo Lacroix was born on 28 May 1910 in Pentetanguishene ON to Napoleon and Dilma Lacroix. He left school when he was 16. Leo enlisted in Toronto on 5 August 1942. At enrolment, he was working as a marine oiler and fireman for the Patterson Steamship Company aboard one of their ships out of Fort William,ON.

Sapper Lacroix completed his basic training in Canada and on the last day of 1942 he sailed for England. He qualified as a stoker when he arrived and on 19 June 1943 was transferred into the 6^th Field Company RCE. At this time the training emphasis in the unit focused on Assault Training with its focus further sharpening in the first few months of 1944 to the preparations for the D-Day landing and assault.

Leo was a member of Corporal P.H. Wilkinson’s sub-section supporting No 11 Platoon of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles in the first wave of the landings. Cpl Wilkinson was wounded by machine gun fire and Sapper Leo LaCroix was killed. He is buried in the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery in France.

..... Based on Research conducted by the 6^th Field Engineer Squadron Museum Association.