Private Harry Tucker, Royal Regiment of Canada

Private Harry Tucker, Royal Regiment of Canada

Family Life:

Harry was born to Harry George and Georgie McKay Tucker, of Owen Sound, on October 29th, 1899. Tragically, his mother died at birth and his stepmother was killed in a car accident in 1941.

Harry’s father was a practicing lawyer in Owen Sound. His older brother, Gordon, was killed during the First World War. Harry attended the Owen Sound Collegiate Institute for two years before enlisting with the 147th Grey Battalion in 1916. He was later attached to the First Canadian Works Company.

After the war, Harry settled in Toronto where he worked as a printer’s broker. Harry was married to Audrie and the couple had no children. 

Military Service:

Private Tucker enlisted with the Royal Regiment of Canada on September 20th, 1939, at the age of 39, just ten days after Canada declared war on Germany.

He served with the Royal Regiment in Iceland and the United Kingdom as the technical storeman in the Signals Section.

At age forty-one, Private Tucker took part in the Dieppe Raid on August 19th, 1942. He landed with the Royal Regiment on Blue Beach at Puys, France, “acting as an operator on a No. 18 wireless set. Harry was killed almost as soon as he put foot on the beach.” Private Tucker was one of 272 fatal casualties experienced by the Royals that day. Canada’s official historian of the Second World War wrote, “The episode at Puys was the grimmest of the whole operation, and the Royal Regiment had more killed than any other unit engaged.”  

Since Private Tucker has no known grave, he was memorialized at Brookwood Military Cemetery in the United Kingdom. He was also listed on the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute’s Second World War Plaque.

A good friend of Harry’s, A.E. French noted, “Harry always took a keen interest in veteran’s affairs, and it was largely due to his efforts that the 147th Bn. Toronto Association was formed here in 1920. He was our president for several years.”