Spyer Road is named in memory of Lieutenant James Spyer.
James Spyer was born in Herhertfordshire, England on 13 Oct 1893 (some documents indicate his year of birth as 1895). He emigrated to Canada as a young man and settled in the Stratford area where he was employed as a labourer. He joined the military in November 1914 and was assigned to the 18th Battalion (Western Ontario), Canadian Expeditionary Force. On 18 April 1915, he embarked for England where his battalion trained until its transfer to France on 15 September 1915. The 18th Battalion served throughout the war, earning seventeen Battle Honours including Vimy, Hill 70, Ypres and Passchendaele. Lieutenant James Spyer survived these battles and returned to Canada, establishing himself in London, ON. He obtained a position at Westminster Hospital, a military hospital established to assist WW I soldiers suffering from psychological injuries.
With the declaration of the Second World War, James Spyer volunteered to serve his country once again. As with other older veterans of WW I, he was assigned to the newly formed Veterans Guard of Canada, formed in the early days of the Second World War as a defence force in case of an attack on Canadian soil. This force was also later tasked with the guarding of POW camps in Canada. It is while on active service with the Veterans Guard that James Spyer died on 18 August 1943. He is buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in London, ON.
