Mercer, William Thomas

Enlisting with the 11/69th Battery, 12th Field Regiment on June 15, 1940, L/Sgt. William Thomas Mercer had a long record of service when he met death near Caen, in France, on July 5, 1944. Now he lies buried at Beny-sur-Mer, and his wife, the former Miss Ida

Eade, who lives at 7 Lida Street, received pictures of her husband's grave by a curious route. Airman Pratt, Medicine Hat, was in that section of France during the heat of the battle and he was requested by a soldier to take a picture of L/Sgt. Mercer's newly completed grave. He did so and afterwards when the film was developed, was unable to find the soldier, so he contacted the Department of National Defense at Ottawa, to find Mrs. Mercer's address, the name and regimental number of her husband being clearly discernible in the photograph. Finally he sent the picture to Ottawa and the Department then forwarded it to Mrs. Mercer. Born near Manchester, England, William Mercer had lived in Brantford most of his life. After attending King Edward School and the Collegiate Institute he became a student of the violin and pursued his studies at the Ithaca College of Music. He was a member of Trinity and then St. Jude's Anglican churches and during his leisure time was interested in sports, particularly soccer. He was employed by the Dominion Natural Gas Company. Besides his wife, he is survived by three sons, Frederick, James and William, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eli Mercer, 75 Arthur Street.

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