James E. Schwerdfager

James E. Schwerdfager was born in 1924 at 344 Gilmour Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was a proud Canadian citizen, livin in Brookwood, London, before enlisting in World War ll. James had four brothers and one sister. He stood at 5 '10 and weighing 162 Ibs, had brown hair and brown eyes. He was a bachelor and was known for his courage and sense of duty.

James E. Schwerdfager enlisted in the military in October 1941 at the age of 17 and a half. He started his basic training in Toronto and then moved on to St.Eugene to further his training. In 1943 he graduated as an air bomber in Portage La Prairie. 3 months later he went overseas to the war. A few months after his arrival he was attached to bomber squadron 431. Squadron 431 had already seen much action in enemy territory when he joined.

James E. Schwerdfager tragically passed away October 25, 1944 at the young age of 20. After serving for almost a year with an overseas Royal Canadian Air Force (R.C.A.F) Halifax bomber squadron, Flight sergeant James E. Schwerdfager lost his life due to enemy action. His cause of death is not specified but his sacrifice, like so many others, reminds us of the cost of our freedom. He was buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, United Kingdom. Brookwood is the largest commonwealth war cemetery in the UK and is located about 30 miles away from London.

Photo of JAMES ELLIOT SCHWERDFAGER – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Newspaper Clipping – From the Ottawa Citizen. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me

Grave Marker

Primary Source Documents : Bibliography

Canada, Veterans Affairs. “Canadian Virtual War Memorial.” James Elliot Schwerdfager - The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada, 29 Jan. 2024, www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2928856.

The biographies appearing on this website have been written by students, roughly the same age as the soldiers they are studying, using primary source evidence from Library and Archives Canada, in addition to primary source documents from The Virtual War Memorial on veterans.ca. We welcome any corrections or additions you may have to these biographies.

'If we do preserve it, we honour them, and when we in our turn pass on, we will know that behind us lives a generation of free men and of free women to be the keepers of this great heritage of ours - Canada.'

- Ian A. McPhee, former student at GCI, 1937.

Lisgar Collegiate Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

Page updated

Report abuse