Name: Arnold Ernest Thornton Rank: Lance Corporal Service: Calgary Highlanders, R.C.I.C. Service No: F/8100 Date of Birth: September 30, 1921 Place of Birth: Amherst, Cumberland Co., NS Date of Enlistment: October 2, 1940 (Non Permanent Active Militia) June 3, 1942 ( Service) Place of Enlistment: Yarmouth, NS Age at Enlistment: 19 Height: 6 feet, 1 inch Marital Status: Single at Enlistment Trade: Stenographer Religion: Church of England Next of Kin: Edward Thornton (Father) Amherst, NS Date of Death: September 22, 1944 Age: 22 Cemetery: Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery Grave Reference: 7. D. 10. Commemorated on Page 462 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on October 4 (Not listed on the Yarmouth War Memorial) Arnold Ernest Thornton was the son of Edward Arnold Thornton and Doris Maud (McDonald) Thornton. He went by the name Ernest. He was the brother of Mary (Molly) Phyllis Phillips (1923-2013) and Doris Elizabeth Thornton (1919-2009), Doris served with the RCAF (Dartmouth, NS) during WWII. On October 2, 1943 Arnold married Ann Bernice (Muise) Thornton, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He left school at the age of eighteen and was first employed as a labourer for two weeks before working at Robb Engineering (Building Contractors) in Amherst, NS prior to enlistment. A stenographer by trade at enlistment he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Nova Scotia Highlanders and was employed as a Clerk at No. 60 CABTC Yarmouth, NS between September 26, 1940 and October 4, 1942. In October he was attached to No. 61 CABTC in New Glasgow, NS to attend a Clerks Course that he completed on December 23, 1942. He returned to his unit and was again attached to No. 60 CABTC Yarmouth, NS until August 29, 1943. He then returned to No. 61 Training Centre to undergo Basic Training until October 5, 1943. On October 6, 1943 he was assigned to Camp Aldershot, NS where he attended Assistant Instructors Course No. 2 completing the training on January 15, 1944. He remained at Aldershot until his departure from Canada on July 20, 1944. While at Aldershot, NS Arnold was married to Ann Bernice Amiro of Yarmouth, NS. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on July 27, 1944. He embarked England on September 1, 1944 and disembarked in France on September 2, 1944. He served in England and Northwest Europe with the 13th Battalion (Calgary Highlanders). During the Battle of the Scheldt in September of 1944, Private Thornton was killed in action at Wijnegem and was buried in the old civilian cemetery of Candocklaar and later re- interred in the Canadian Military Cemetery at Bergen-Op-Zoom, Netherlands. During his training, he was described by Lieutenant A. H. MacOdrum as: A tall young soldier of good appearance and manner. A clean cut, conscientious soldier, possessed of excellent military bearing and endowed with superior intelligence.

Arnold Ernest Thornton

Sources and Information: Commonwealth War Graves Commission Canadian Virtual War Memorial Library and Archives Canada findagrave.com