Spr Alexander Bleoo, 6th Fd Coy

Spr Alexander Bleoo
Spr Bleoo's headstone at Beny-sur-Mer
Beny-Sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery – The Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, located at Reviers, about 4 kilometres from Juno Beach in Normandy, France. (J. Stephens)
Background 

Alexander Bleoo was born on 9 September 1917. He enlisted in the 3rd Field Company RCE in Ottawa on 19 January 1940. He had a hard time adjusting to military life and was found guilty of several military offences early in his training. However, after his release from His Majesty’s Prison Maidstone his record was almost spotless.

On 18 November 1943, he was transferred to the 6th Field Company RCE and he qualified as a concreter shortly after that. By this time the training emphasis of the Company focused on Assault Training and its training focus further sharpened in the first few months of 1944 in preparation for the D-Day landing and assault. 

Bleoo landed in the first wave with 2 Platoon in support of B Company of the Regina Rifle Regiment. Of the six sappers in his team, only Bleeo and the team leader L/Sgt G Chapman made it off the beach without being wounded. He didn’t survive the day, however, as at 1700 hrs while moving forward with the Regina Rifle Regiment one mile out of Reviers, the engineers and infantry came under heavy German mortar fire. A mortar round landed in a nearby ditch and he was killed. Due to heavy fire, it wasn’t possible to recover his body and he was initially listed as missing. L/Sgt G. Chapman, who saw him killed, reported his death and Bleoo’s status was changed to “Killed in Action.” His body was eventually recovered and he now rests in the Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in France.

..... Based on Research conducted by the 6th Field Engineer Squadron Museum Association.

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