Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Joseph Léo Philias Bouchard
In memory of:
Captain Joseph Léo Philias Bouchard
July 27, 1943
Mount Scalpello
Military Service
30
Army
Royal 22e Régiment, R.C.I.C.
1939-1945 Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, 1939-1945 War Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with bar
Military Cross
Additional Information
March 19, 1913
Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec
September 1, 1939
Rimouski, Quebec
Son of Émile Bouchard and Bernadette Silvain from Rivière-du-Loup Station, Québec. Brother of Private Lucien Bouchard, service number E-41995, Royal 22e Régiment, who also fought in Europe. He survived the war.
Enrolled in the Canadian Militia in 1928, he joined the Fusiliers du Saint-Laurent on 1 September 1939. Transferred to the Royal 22e Régiment, he took part in the Allied landing in Sicily on 10 July 1943, Operation Husky. He took part in the fighting at Grottacalda, Operation Grizzly. Following a company engagement in the face of continuous enemy fire on 18 July 1943 at Grottacalda, Bouchard got so close to the Germans that he was able to hear them talking. From his position, he was able to direct Canadian artillery fire on enemy positions, earning him the Military Cross (MC). He charged forward, bayonet fixed, at Catenanuova. He was killed in action during an assault on Mount Scalpello, Sicily, near Catenanuova. He was mortally wounded by a fragment of a mortar shell.
A street bears the name Léo-Bouchard in the St-François-Xavier of Rivière-du-Loup. A bridge on the Canadian Forces base at Valcartier, Québec, also bears his name.
Commemorated on Page 138 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.
Burial Information
A, F, 87.
Agira Canadian War Cemetery lies in the Commune of Agira, Province of Enna, in the centre of Sicily. From the autostrada A19, Catania-Palermo, take the exit to Catenanuova. Follow signposts to Regalbuto, then pass Regalbuto, going in the direction of Agira. The Cemetery is then signposted about 12 kilometres from Regalbuto. On 10 July 1943, following the successful conclusion of the north African campaign in mid May, a combined allied force of 160,000 Commonwealth and American troops invaded Sicily as a prelude to the assault on mainland Italy. The Italians, who would shortly make peace with the Allies and re-enter the war on their side, offered little determined resistance but German opposition was vigorous and stubborn. The campaign in Sicily came to an end on 17 August when the two allied forces came together at Messina, but failed to cut off the retreating Axis lines. Agira was taken by the 1st Canadian Division of 28 July and the site for the war cemetery was chosen in September for the burial of all Canadians who had been killed in the Sicily campaign. Agira Canadian War Cemetery contains 491 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Digital Collection
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Newspaper clipping – From the Montreal Star. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me -
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Photo of Joseph Leo Philias Bouchard – Captain Léo Bouchard, MC, R22eR -
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Other – Citation for the award of his Military Cross -
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Entrance -
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Agira Canadian War Cemetery -
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Photo 2 of Agira Canadian War Cemetery -
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View of Mt. Enna -
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Newspaper Clipping – Joseph Leo Bouchard Left. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me
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