This street is named in memory of Private Cecil Thurman.
Cecil Thurman was born on 7 December 1919 in London ON. Growing up on Webb Street, he attended Aberdeen Public School and enlisted soon after the start of the Second World War. Assigned to the Calgary Highlanders of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, he embarked for England with his battalion in August 1940.
Once overseas, the 2nd Division undertook a vigorous training plan and led the 19 August 1942 raid on Dieppe (OP JUBILEE). With the large losses incurred during this operation, the Division spent a lengthy period rebuilding and landed in Normandy in early July 1944. It went on to fight in the Caen- Falaise area and by end of August, the Division was just west of Rouen. September saw the Canadians advance along the coast of France to capture the channel ports and prepare for the Battle of the Scheldt.
By mid-September, the 2nd Division was occupying positions east of Antwerp and by end September was battling Germans forces to expand a bridgehead along the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal, 10km west of Turnhout. It is during these actions that Private Cecil Thurman was killed on 1 October 1944. He is buried at Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian Military Cemetery about 40km north-west of Antwerp.
