Barnard, William Thomas

Lieutenant Colonel W. T. Barnard, ED, CD 23rd Commanding Officer — Lieutenant Colonel W. T. Barnard, ED, CD
23rd Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Colonel William Thomas Barnard, ED, CD was born 12 November 1897 in London, England, son of William Charles Barnard.

Service Record

27 August 1915 – At the age of 18 enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Served in France and Belgium with 58th Battalion, with the rank of Sergeant.
March 1919 – Demobilized
28 October 1925 – Joined the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada – promoted in turn to Corporal, Sergeant and Company Quartermaster Sergeant
29 April 1929 – Commissioned as a Lieutenant – served as Platoon Commander and Assistant Adjutant
17 July 1938 – Promoted Captain
5 June 1940 – Acting Adjutant, Queen’s Own Rifles in Canada, Newfoundland and England
7 June 1940 – Promoted Major
16 August 1941 – Officer Commanding “HQ” Company, 1st Battalion, QOR
27 January 1942 – GSO2 at Canandian Military Headquarters. London, “G” Branch (SD)
21 July 1942 – Brigade Major, 16 Canadian Infantry Brigade at Prince George, BC and Nanaimo, BC
16 October 1943 – GSO2 (Ops) Pacific Command, Vancouver, BC
30 February 1944 – Civial Affairs Course at Royal Military College followed by appointment as Directing Staff, RMC
11 June 1944 – Proceeded overseas for second time
14 Jul 1944 – Attached to Headquarters ECAD, Army of the United States
17 September 1944 – Served in France, Belgium, Hollland and Germany as OC 612 (?) Detachment, CA at Walchuen Arrea, Holland and Duisling Area, Germany
13 August 1945 – Posted to 1st Battalion, QOR, Doon, Holland
21 August 1945 – Posted to Khaki University, Leavensden, Herts, England as instructor in physics
30 November 1945 – Sailed for Canada
28 January 1946 – Demobilized from Canadian Army (Active) and taken on strength Canadian Army (Reserve) with Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada
29 January 1946 – Officer Commanding “C” Company, QOR
19 May 1947 – Promoted Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer
16 May 1951 – Relinquished command
11 February 1952 – Awarded the Canada Decoration
1960 – Authored the history of the QOR entitled “The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada 1860-1960: One Hundred Years of Canada”
10 August 1966 – Appointed Honorary Lieutenant Colonel
1968 – Relinquished appointment
1970 – Appointed the Curator of the Queen’s Own Rifles Regimental Museum when it moved to Casa Loma in Toronto
1988 – Retired as Museum Curator