B117669 Lance Sergeant John Wilbert Walsh was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 29 January 1918, the son of John Walsh and Zilla May Wallis. He completed Grade 8 before he left school at age 16.

His mother remarried after his father died and he had a younger half-brother Walter Ross Long and half-sister Norma May Long.

Walsh served with The Queen’s Own Rifles from 1935 to 1937.

On 14 February 1941, he married Bernice Etoile Campbell. They had a daughter, Georgina Enns Campbell born on 11 January 1942 and a daughter Norma Zella born on 6 Feb 1944.

Walsh was employed as a Fireman by the Canadian Pacific Railway when he enlisted with the Active Service Army on 6 October 1943. After training at Camp Borden and in Debert, New Brunswick, he landed in England on 9 May 1944 and in France on 3 July 1944. He was posted to the QOR 2 days later.

Walsh was appointed Lance Corporal in November 1944, and Acting Lance Sergeant in February 1945.

Lance Sergeant Walsh was killed in action in Germany on 3 March 1945, aged 27 and was later re-buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference VII. F. 14.