Robert Daniel Tarlington was born in Brockville ON to Robert R. and Catherine M. Tarlington on 19 April 1914. At the time he joined the 3th Field Company, RCE in Ottawa on 16 January 1940, he was working as a truck driver for International Movers.
Tarlington arrived in the UK on 1 August 1940. As he had apprenticed as a baker he was initially enrolled as a cook and was posted to the 1st Battalion, RCE where he worked as such. For most of his army career he was a cook but, on 7 December 1943, he qualified as a bricklayer and was transferred to the 16th Field Company, RCE. He was transferred to the 6th Field Company, RCE on 28 April 1944 as a sapper. By that time the Company was into its final training in preparation for the D-Day landing and assault.
On D-Day, Sapper Tarlington was in Corporal P.H. Wilkinson’s sub-section supporting No 11 Platoon of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles in the first assault wave. Cpl Wilkinson was wounded by machine gun fire during the landing. Sapper Tarlington was badly wounded and died of wounds later that day. He was 30 years old. He is buried in the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery in France.
..... Based on research conducted by the 6th Field Engineer Squadron Museum Association.