B63407 Rifleman Earl James Elliot was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario on 17 June 1922, the son of Emil Edward Messing and Anna Ida Gress. He had three brothers and six sisters and was a member of the Church of England. He left school at age 14 having completed grade VIII and took 1 1/2 years of night school in carpentry work.

Messing worked as a rigger’s assistant for Ontario Hydro Electric Power at Niagara Falls when he enlisted in Hamilton in the active service Canadian Armoured Corps on 20 August 1942. For the next nine months, he trained in Toronto and Camp Borden and reported for duty in the United Kingdom on 23 May 1943.

He continued various training and postings and fractured his left hand in April 1944. Messing was transferred to the Infantry Corps on 13 October 1944 and posted to the Winnipeg Grenadiers for a month before being posted to a general reinforcement list.

On 11 November 1944, he married Mary Agnes Hamilton in Stockport, Cheshire, England despite receiving permission to marry on or after 20 November likely because that was the date he was scheduled to arrive in Europe.

On 20 November 1944, he arrived in North West Europe and on 30 December was posted to The Queen’s Own Rifles.

Rifleman Messing was killed in action during Operation Blockbuster on 26 February 1945, aged 22. He is buried in Groesbeek Canada War Cemetery, grave reference VIII. D. 8.

His wife remained in England and received his war service gratuity of $483.22 (worth almost $8,500 in 2024.  She had the following engraved on his marker:

MY DEAR HUSBAND EARL
MY GREATEST POSSESSIONS
MEMORIES OF YOU
LOVING WIFE MARY