Name: Joseph Harry King Rank: Private Service Number: F/30136 Service: 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Date of Birth: November 14, 1921 Place of Birth: Minto, New Brunswick Date of Enlistment: June 27, 1940 Place of Enlistment: Halifax, NS Address at Enlistment: Eight Island Lake, Guysborough County, NS Age at Enlistment: 18 Trade: Farmer Religion: United Church Marital Status: Single at enlistment Married May 11, 1942 Next of Kin: Murray King (Father) at enlistment Mildred King, once married Height: 5 feet, 6 inches Complexion: Fair Eyes: Blue Hair: Light yellow Date of Death: June 28, 1944 Age: 23 Cemetery: Ranville War Cemetery, France Grave: IA. G. 7. Commemorated on page 353 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on July 29 Joseph Harry King was the son of Murray McNab King and Edith E (Beal) King. Prior to enlistment Joseph was working in farming for Ivan Cummings in Eight Mile Lake, Nova Scotia, and had been for five years. His plan was to return to farming after the war. He enlisted as a Rifleman with the Halifax Rifles on June 27, 1940 and volunteered for airborne forces, transferring to 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion on November 6, 1942. On May 11, 1942 he married Mildred Eileen Hicks, of Londonderry Mines, Colchester Co., NS in Little Shemogue, New Brunswick. Mildred was the daughter of Nathaniel Edward (1890-1958) and Georgie Etta (Robinson) Hicks (1892-1962). He completed parachute training at Fort Benning, Georgia, on November 7, 1942 and qualified as a parachutist on December 5, 1942. He went overseas to the United Kingdom arriving there on July 28, 1943. As part of Operation Overlord in Normandy, Private King serving with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion parachuted into Normandy on the night of June 5/morning of June 6, 1944. He was killed in action on June 28, 1944. He was initially buried at Le Mesnil de Breville and on June 26, 1945 was reinterred in the Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France.

Sources: Canadian Virtual War Memorial findagrave.com