Cyril Freeman was born in 1909 in Parkland, Devon, England. He enlisted in the Canadian Army on 28 May 1940 in Calgary stating that he was a truck driver by trade and that his next of kin was his wife Jessie Freeman.
Cyril was soon posted to Petawawa in June and commenced his sapper training there. Sapper Freeman’s daughter was born in Edmonton in November while he was in Petawawa. He was granted 13 days leave in December to go home to meet her. He arrived in the UK on 28 February 1941 and was posted to the 13th Field Company. He qualified as a Group C Driver/Mechanic and a Group B Engine Hand. Sapper Freeman was promoted to lance-corporal in October 1942 and corporal in February 1943.
Corporal Freeman arrived in Italy on 10 May 1944 and qualified as a Group C Engine Hand (heavy vehicles) the following month. He arrived in Italy in April 1944.
Corporal Freeman’s company was assigned to I Canadian Corps Troops and would have been employed in road and bridge building, often improving or replacing roads and bridges hastily installed by divisional engineers. On the night of 6 and 7 September, the 13th Field Company was working along the Foglia River which was under flood at the time and under fire from German artillery. Corporal Freeman was just short of his 35th birthday when he was killed on 7 September. He is buried in Gradara Cemetery.