B157996 Rifleman Dalton Clair Burns was born in Detroit, Michigan, on 6 January 1925, the son of Charles Burns Pocock and Ada Minnie Tracey. He had two younger sisters and left school at age 15 having completed Grade 8.

Pocock worked as a labourer at the Robertson Bush Company when he enlisted in the active service army on 13 January 1944 at age 19. He trained at Brantford and Camp Borden and arrived in the United Kingdom on 27 July 1944 where he was assigned to a reinforcement unit.

On 17 August 1944, he arrived in France and, eight days later, was posted to The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada. He served with them across North West Europe, with the exception of November, when he was seconded to the Headquarters of 3 Canadian Infantry Division.

Rifleman Pocock was killed in action in Germany during Operation Blockbuster on 26 February 1945, aged 20. He is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference VIII. B. 13.

His family had the following engraved on his marker:

I OFTEN THINK I SEE
HIS SMILING FACE
AS HE BADE
HIS LAST GOOD-BYE