Major Hugh Burnett MC
Survivor of WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Hugh Burnett Jr. was born in Montreal on 31 December 1911 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1934. He worked in purchasing for Dominion Oil Cloth & Linoleum Co. before joining the Royal Canadian Artillery in January 1940. Serving overseas from May 1940, he rose from Lieutenant to Major and served in the United Kingdom, the Mediterranean theatre and Continental Europe, including with the 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment. He was awarded the Military Cross for acition in Italy. He was released at Montreal on 20 November 1945. He died in Vancouver on 8 December 1995.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
NA
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Royal Canadian Artillery
Battalion:
1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Montreal, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
28 years
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
33 years 10 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
83 years 11 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Clerk, purchasing department
Next of Kin:
Hugh Burnett Sr., father, Montreal, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
Westmount, Quebec
Religion:
Anglican
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 9.0 in / 175 cm
Weight:
151 lbs / 68 kg
Chest:
35.0 in / 89 cm
Expansion:
3.0 in / 8 cm
Marital Status:
Married
Prior Military Experience:
Yes
Saw Service in:
Europe
Place of Discharge:
Montreal, Quebec
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
2137 days in service
Buried at:
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Major |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Acting Major |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Captain |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Lieutenant |
Royal Canadian Artillery |
Army |
1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA |
|
|
|
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
Military Cross |
|
|
|
London Gazette No. 36508; Canada Gazette No. 19, Vol. 78; Overseas R.O. 4579 |
| WW2 |
1939-45 Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Italy Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
France and Germany Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Defence Medal |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
War Medal 1939-45 |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
War Service Badge, General Service Class |
|
|
|
|
Service Chronology
1911-12-31 — Born in Montreal — Montreal, Quebec / Burnett family.
1929-08-31 — Entered the Royal Military College of Canada as a Gentleman Cadet — Kingston, Ontario / Royal Military College of Canada.
1934-08-30 — Graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada — Kingston, Ontario / Royal Military College of Canada.
1934-1935 — Worked as a sportsmaster at a private school — Brockville, Ontario / private school.
1935-1940 — Worked as a clerk in the purchasing department of Dominion Oil Cloth & Linoleum Co. — Montreal, Quebec / Dominion Oil Cloth & Linoleum Co.
1940-01-14 — Began active service as a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Artillery — Montreal, Quebec / Royal Canadian Artillery.
1940-05 — Embarked at Halifax for overseas service and disembarked at Greenock — Halifax, Nova Scotia to Greenock, Scotland / Canadian Army Overseas.
1940-05-11 — Taken on strength of 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment from RCA Training Centre — United Kingdom / 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA.
1940-06-23 to 1940-08-19 — On command to 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, then returned to 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment — United Kingdom / 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade and 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment.
1940-09-02 to 1940-09-18 — On command to 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, then returned to 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment — United Kingdom / 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade and 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment.
1941 — Completed an anti-tank gunnery course — Larkhill, England / Royal Canadian Artillery.
1941 — Completed a Motor Contact Officer course — Oxford, England / Royal Canadian Artillery.
1941-01-02 to 1941-01-24 — On command to School of Artillery — United Kingdom / School of Artillery.
1941-09-03 to 1941-09-09 — Attached to 47th Royal Tank Regiment — United Kingdom / 47th Royal Tank Regiment.
1941-10-06 to 1941-11-28 — On command to Liaison Officer School; returned from liaison course — United Kingdom / Liaison Officer School.
1941-11-23 — Became Adjutant of 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment — United Kingdom / 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA.
1942-01-14 — Promoted Captain — United Kingdom / Royal Canadian Artillery.
1943-04-25 — Vacated appointment of Adjutant — United Kingdom / 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA.
1943-06-16 — Struck off strength Canadian Army (UK) for movement overseas — United Kingdom / Canadian Army Overseas.
1943-06-17 — Taken on strength Canadian Army Overseas — Canadian Army Overseas / Royal Canadian Artillery.
1944-01-12 — Disembarked in Italy — Italy / Canadian Army Overseas.
1944-01-21 — Appointed Acting Major in the 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment — Italy / 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA.
1944-04-25 — Promoted substantive Major in the 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment — Italy / 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA.
1944-05-10 — Military Cross recorded in Overseas Routine Orders No. 4579 — Italy / Royal Canadian Artillery.
1944-05-11 — Military Cross published in the London Gazette — Italy / Royal Canadian Artillery.
1944-1945 — Served in the Central Mediterranean Area and Continental Europe — Italy and Continental Europe / Canadian Army Overseas.
1945-03-15 — Embarked from Italy, ending Central Mediterranean service — Italy / Canadian Army Overseas.
1945-03-17 — Disembarked in France for service in Continental Europe — France / Canadian Army Overseas.
1945-04-24 to 1945-05-07 — Granted nine days' privilege leave to the United Kingdom and returned — United Kingdom / Canadian Army Overseas.
1945-09-09 to 1945-09-12 — Hospitalized for French mouth / throat abscess — United Kingdom / Canadian General Hospital.
1945-10-05 — Married Sheila Joan Millar of Westmount — Westmount, Quebec / Burnett family.
1945-11-06 to 1945-11-16 — Hospitalized for enteritis and gastrointestinal symptoms — Montreal, Quebec / Montreal Military Hospital.
1945-11-20 — Released from the Canadian Army as a Major — Montreal, Quebec / Canadian Army.
1949-08-11 — Applied to join the Canadian Army Supplementary Reserve; application recorded employment in production control at the Marconi plant and summarized his pre-war and wartime service — Montreal, Quebec / Canadian Army Supplementary Reserve.
1995-12-08 — Died in Vancouver — Vancouver, British Columbia / Burnett family.
Notes
Hugh Burnett Jr. was born in Montreal on 31 December 1911. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1934. He then spent about a year as a sportsmaster at a private school in Brockville, Ontario, before working for five years as a clerk in the purchasing department of Dominion Oil Cloth & Linoleum Co. in Montreal. He spoke English and French and the 1949 Supplementary Reserve application also records some Italian. After the war he returned to civilian industry; by 1949 he was working in production control at the Marconi plant in Montreal. His wartime rehabilitation plan had been to return to Dominion Oil Cloth & Linoleum as a production manager.
[Previous notes - manual reconciliation required]
Served in Italy. MC for actions at Ortona Dec 21 1943
Son Mr. and Mrs. Burnett, of Whistle wings, Ville de Lery, Chateauguay, Que.
LIKELY
Born 1911, Montreal, died 1995 Vancouver BC
Request confirmation number EA2026_0173988
Additional Service Notes
Burnett was appointed a Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Artillery in January 1940 and embarked from Halifax for overseas service in May 1940, disembarking at Greenock. He joined the 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment and undertook brigade attachments, artillery training and liaison duties in the United Kingdom. He became adjutant of the regiment on 23 November 1941 and was promoted Captain in January 1942, vacating the adjutant appointment on 25 April 1943. His rehabilitation interview records about 18 months as an adjutant and about 36 months as a battery commander. He disembarked in Italy on 12 January 1944, was appointed Acting Major on 21 January and promoted substantive Major on 25 April, both with the 1st Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment. He was awarded the Military Cross in May 1944. He embarked from Italy on 15 March 1945 and disembarked in France on 17 March for service in Continental Europe. He was released at Montreal on 20 November 1945 as a Major.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
At enlistment Burnett named his father, Hugh Burnett Sr., as next of kin. He married Sheila Joan Millar of Westmount on 5 October 1945. The supplied 1995 obituary names his later wife Joan, son Jim of Vancouver, late stepson Blair Hodgson, children David, Joan and Deborah of New Brunswick and Susan of Victoria, and stepson Maurice Hodgson of Richmond, whose wife was Grace and whose children were Jonathan and Sarah.
Version: 4 Last modified: 2026-10-01 02:05:04
by: marc
