B134577 Rifleman Thomas Joseph Pierce was born on 21 Nov 1921 in Toronto, Ontario,  the adopted son of Thomas and Mary Pierce. He attended public school but not high school.

Although living in Toronto at the time Pierce recorded his occupation as a farmer when he enlisted with the Toronto Scottish Regiment on 26 October 1942 in Toronto. He trained in Orillia, Trois Riviere and Aldershot, Nova Scotia before going to England. At some point before March 1944, he was transferred to The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.

Rifleman Pierce landed on Juno Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944 and was killed in action at the age of 23. This was likely on the far side of Berniere-sur-Mer as he was originally buried in a temporary cemetery south of the town and not in the beach cemetery. He was re-buried in Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference V. C. 1.