Fletcher, John James

Service Highlights

  • Born December 14, 1913 in Toronto, Ontario.
  • Moved with his family to St. Marys in 1915.
  • Served overseas with Canadian Army during the Second World War.
  • Served with the 11th Army Tank Battalion.
  • Work after war, St. Marys Cement Company & Hammond Fuels, delivering coal.
  • Member of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 236, St. Marys.
  • Died in 1957 as the result of a car accident.
  • Commemorated through the St. Marys Legion Veterans Banner Program.

A Life and Service Remembered

John James Fletcher, known as Jack, was born in Toronto in 1913 and moved with his family to St. Marys as a young child in 1915. From that time forward, St. Marys remained his home and the community he was closely tied to throughout his life.

During the Second World War, Fletcher served in the Canadian Army for three years with the 11th Army Tank Battalion. His service took him overseas to England and later to Italy, where Canadian armoured units played a key role in supporting Allied advances.

Family recollections and local accounts note that he wrote home about working on Churchill tanks and about meeting friends from St. Marys while overseas. Those small but meaningful details provide a glimpse into both the technical nature of his service and the strong personal connections that remained important to him during the war.

At this time, his service records are not publicly available, so the exact details of his wartime movements have not yet been confirmed.

After the war, Fletcher returned home to St. Marys and resumed civilian life. He worked briefly at the St. Marys Cement Company and later for Hammond Fuels, delivering coal. He also remained connected to fellow veterans through Branch 236 of the Royal Canadian Legion.

His life reflects both service overseas and a continued connection to his hometown. Though his life was cut short in 1957, he is remembered through the St. Marys Legion Veterans Banner Program and through the ongoing effort to preserve the stories of local veterans.

Major Battles and Operations

  • Service with the 11th Army Tank Battalion
  • Service in England during the Second World War
  • Service in the Italian Campaign
  • Armoured operations involving Churchill tanks

Learn More

Royal Canadian Legion Military Service Recognition Book Volume IV
https://on.legion.ca/remembrance/military-service-recognition-book/msrb/