Private Joseph H King

Joseph Harry King (Harry) was born in Minto, New Brunswick, Canada, to Murray McNab and Edith Beal King. He married Mildred Irene king, of Londonderry Mines, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada on 11 May 1942.

He joined the Halifax Rifles on 27 June 1940. He was 5’ 6”, 122 lbs, Fair complexion, Blue eyes, Light yellow hair and with 20/20 vision. He volunteered for Airborne forces and transferred to 1st Canadian Parachute battalion on 6 November 1942 and attended a parachute training course at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA on 7 November 1942 and qualified as a parachutist on 5 December 1942.

Joseph arrived in the UK on 28 July 1943 and took part in Operation Overlord (Normandy).

Private King and the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion jumped into Normandy on the night of 5/6 June 1944. He was killed in action on 28 June 1944, aged 23, and was given a field burial at Le Mesnil de Breville and was re-interred to Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France, on 26 June 1945.

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