William Lyle “Bill” Izzard was born in Boylston, Guysborough County, on April 3, 1922, the eldest child of William Archibald “Archie” and Louise (Lawrence) Izzard. Archie (DOB April 1, 1898) was the son of Daniel Tynes Izzard and Mary Janette Sullivan, and a grandson of Joseph Izzard, Glenkeen, and Kitty Ann Dorrington, Sunnyville, Guysborough County.
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| Private William Lyle "Bill" Izzard |
During the First World War, two of Tynes Izzard’s sons served overseas. Alonzo, Archie’s older brother (DOB December 25, 1892), completed his medical examination at Guysborough on November 10, 1917, and attested with the 1st Depot Battalion, Nova Scotia Regiment, at Halifax on March 6, 1918. He departed for overseas on April 7 and spent the summer in the United Kingdom, awaiting assignment to an active unit.
On September 11, 1918, Alonzo proceeded to France for service with the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders). Seven days later, he joined the 85th in the field as it pursued retreating German forces in northern France. Alonzo suffered a shrapnel wound to his left shoulder on October 23, but returned to duty five days later and served with the 85th during its time in Belgium after the November 11, 1918 Armistice.
Alonzo returned to the UK on May 3, 1919, and departed for Canada in mid-August. Discharged from military service at month’s end, he initially returned to Port Shoreham, Guysborough County, his residence at the time of enlistment. By 1922, Alonzo had relocated to Kalevala Lake, a mining district 170 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, MB. No further information is available on his later life.
Archie Izzard enlisted with the 1st Depot Battalion, Nova Scotia Regiment, at Halifax, on April 12, 1918, and departed for overseas on June 25. Initially assigned to the 17th Reserve Battalion, he was transferred to the Canadian Forestry Corps (CFC), Sunningdale, UK, in mid-August. Archie briefly served in the UK with 142nd Company, CFC, before departing for France for service with No. 8 Company, CFC, on October 10, 1918.
Archie returned to the UK on April 1, 1919, and departed for Canada six weeks later. Discharged from military service at Halifax on May 29, 1919, he returned to Boylston, where he married Louise Lawrence, daughter of Nathaniel and Susan (Bowden) Lawrence, Boylston, on February 1, 1922. The couple raised a family that expanded to include 10 children—five sons and five daughters.
While Archie and Louise initially resided in the Boylston area, the family eventually relocated to Weavers Mountain, Pictou County, where Archie worked as a lumberman in the woods and was also employed at a local mill. At age eight, Bill Izzard began to attend Barney’s River Station School, located approximately three kilometers from the Izzard home. The eldest of the famly’s children, he left school at age 15 to work on the family farm. Bill was later employed as a “mill hand” in a lumber mill operated by John D. McIvor, Barneys River, for three and a half years. During his time there, his duties included “everything except saw[ing] and fir[ing the] boilers.”
In June 1940, the Canadian Parliament passed the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA), a law that gave the federal government special powers to marshall the country’s resources in support of the Second World War. One of its terms required all young men ages 18 and over to register with the federal government, providing a nation-wide list of those eligible for military service. Individuals could be “called up” to complete a four-week military training program, after which they were encouraged to enlist. The NRMA also gave the government the power to conscript the men into “home defence duties.”
In the autumn of 1942, Bill “got [the] first call” for NRMA training and decided to enlist for overseas service. On November 10, he completed his attestation papers at New Glasgow. An entry in Bill’s service file written shortly after he arrived overseas described him as “short, well-built,… cheerful, logical, with a pleasant personality…. Would seem to have guts, initiative, willingness, and one who would be loyal to good leadership.”
After completing his initial training at No. 60 Basic Training Centre, Yarmouth, during the winter of 1942-43, Bill proceeded to Camp Aldershot, NS, for advanced infantry training on April 1, 1943. He departed for overseas on June 18 and was assigned to No. 7 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. On August 5, Bill was transferred to the ranks of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders.
Initially established as a machine gun unit in 1936 after the amalgamation of militia units from Cumberland, Colchester and Hants Counties, the North Nova Scotia Regiment established its headquarters in Amherst after the outbreak of war overseas. The unit was subsequently re-designated an infantry battalion and was assigned to the 3rd Canadian Division’s 9th Brigade, where it served alongside the Highland Light Infantry of Canada (Waterloo, ON) and Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders (Cornwall, ON).
The “North Novas” departed for overseas on July 18, 1941, and spent the next three years training and supporting British “home defence” efforts. During the months after Bill’s arrival, its personnel participated in a series of training exercises in Scotland and England where they rehearsed amphibious landings, in preparation for a future Allied invasion of Western Europe.
On June 3, 1944, the battalion broke camp and travelled to Southampton, where its soldiers boarded a ship and awaited further orders while anchored off nearby Netley. The flotilla of vessels assembled in the inlet moved out open sea at 1400 hours June 5 and “formed up” in preparation for departure, their exact destination still a mystery.
On June 6, 1944, the first wave of British, American and Commonwealth units came ashore on the beaches of Normandy around 0800 hours. Infantry units from the 3rd Canadian Division’s 7th and 8th Brigades landed on Juno Beach, where they successfully established a beach-head. The North Novas began to come ashore on the beach near Bernières-Sur-Mer, slightly east of the Juno Beach landings, at 1140 hours, one hour later than planned. The only recorded casualties occurred when a mortar carrier struck a mine after landing on the beach, wounding several crew members.
As the beach was crowded with landing craft, it took more than two hours for all North Nova personnel to come ashore. The 8th Brigade in front of the unit ran into stiffer resistance than expected, making it impossible for the unit to proceed as planned through the town to a designated assembly point near Bény-sur-Mer, approximately six kilometers inland. In response, Lieutenant Colonel Donald F. Forbes, the unit’s Commanding Officer (CO), decided to assemble the battalion in a nearby field.
At 1605 hours, the North Novas were finally able to “move off” to a designated assembly area, arriving there 40 minutes later. Its war diary commented, “We had just arrived in this…[location] when we came under shell and mortar fire, resulting in five casualties, two killed and three wounded,” the unit’s first Normandy campaign fatalities.
The battalion moved out at 1820 hours, heading toward its assigned objective—Carpiquet Airfield, on the western outskirts of the city of Caen, approximately 20 kilometers inland from Bernières-sur-Mer. The vanguard leading the advance consisted of the “recce” troop of 27th (Sherbrooke Fusiliers) Canadian Armoured Regiment (CAR), its tanks forming a screen in front of the North Nova soldiers following in their wake—two personnel carriers containing two C Company platoons, a Machine Gun platoon, one troop of M-10 mobile anti-tank guns, two pioneer assault sections, and four detachments of the unit’s anti-tank guns.
Behind the vanguard, A Company’s men moved inland aboard the tanks of 27th CAR’s A Squadron on the right side of the advance, while the 27th CAR’s B Squadron transported B Company’s soldiers on the left flank. D Company, riding aboard the 27th CAR’s C Squadron’s tanks, brought up the rear.
The vanguard encountered no serious resistance until it reached Villons-Les-Buissons, approximately 11 kilometers inland. As evening was approaching, military commanders realized that the unit would not reach its objective before dark. As a result, the vanguard was ordered to dig in for the night. The unit’s war diary reported a total of four “other ranks” (OR) killed and another six wounded during its first day in Normandy.
At 0300 hours June 7, 27th CAR tank fire dispersed an attempted German counter-attack. Shortly afterward, enemy mortar and machine gun fire was heard to the rear of the unit, indicating that German forces attempting to cut around behind the NNSH’s position had encountered the 8th Brigade’s Régiment de la Chaudières. Significant losses forced the enemy force to withdraw.
At 0740 hours, the North Novas moved off in the same order, following the main road from Villon-les-Buissons to Carpiquet. The unit’s war diary noted that the area “was full of [German] snipers and machine guns.” To the right of Villons-les-Buissons, an 88-mm gun opened fire on the lead tanks but was quickly eliminated. By 0930 hours, the vanguard had cleared enemy forces from the village and moved on to Buron, where a second 88-mm gun was captured.
The vanguard passed through Buron by 1150 hours and continued its advance toward Authie. D Company was assigned the task of “mopping up” any remaining enemy forces in the Buron area, while A and B Companies pressed onward behind the leading force. When D Company personnel reached the outskirts of Buron, they encountered heavy mortar shelling, in addition to sniper and machine gun fire from pockets of German soldiers hidden in the village.
Meanwhile, the vanguard reached Authie, where it encountered three German machine gun posts. “Hectic fighting” ensued as enemy mortar and artillery fire struck the area from both flanks, as well as locations beyond the village. Officers commanding the vanguard immediately radioed for tank and artillery support. Unfortunately, Allied artillery guns were out of range and could not respond to the request.
As a troop of 27th CAR support tanks arrived, several German 88-mm guns opened fire on the armoured vehicles. Meanwhile, realizing that further advance was not possible, the vanguard’s soldiers attempted to dig in and establish a firm base. Allied units on both flanks—the 3rd British Division on the left and the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade on the right—had not kept pace with the North Novas’ rapid advance, placing its soldiers in a perilous situation. In fact, the unit had advanced further inland on June 7 than any other Allied unit, leaving both flanks exposed to German infantry and armoured attack.
In response, vanguard personnel on each flank were ordered to join the vanguard’s C Company to form a “fortress.” A Company dug in on the right, just north of Authie. B Company, which had not kept pace with the vanguard, was instructed to do the same on the left flank as soon as it arrived. Meanwhile, the remainder of the battalion held its positions in the rear.
As the North Novas attempted to establish a firm defensive formation, nine German tanks and two German infantry companies attacked from Saint-Contest on the left flank and Cussy directly beyond Authie. The action effectively eliminated any possibility of a North Nova retreat. In response, the officers in charge of the vanguard decided to “fight it out in front of Authie.” The North Novas’ June 7 war diary entry reported, “Nothing further was heard from this small formation and no one escaped to tell the story of their gallant action.”
Shortly after the first German counter-attack, additional tanks launched a second assault from the area beyond Authie. All available 27th CAR tanks quickly moved forward from positions south of Buron and a major tank battle ensued. A total of 27 Canadian and 40 German tanks were destroyed before enemy forces withdrew.
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| Source: C. P. Stacey, "The Victory Campaign" |
Unfortunately, B Company had only advanced to a location south of Buron and was unable to assist the besieged party at Authie. By 1630 hours, Battalion Headquarters deemed it impossible for the remainder of the unit to push ahead and issued orders to “bring the forward troops back” and form a fortress south of Buron.
The Buron area itself soon came under heavy German artillery and mortar fire. Enemy tanks broke through on the flanks, making the location untenable. In response, the remnants of B Company withdrew to previously dug slit trenches to the rear of D Company and the battalion “went to ground and prepared to hold on to the last.”
As the German tanks approached on the flank, the remaining 27th CAR tanks and the available self-propelled guns opened fire from a wooded area near Villons-les-Boissons, with the support of machine gun and rifle fire from positions north of Buron. The German guns immediately neutralized the fire from Buron, allowing enemy soldiers to penetrate D Company’s forward slit trenches. Unable to rise and engage the attacking soldiers, two D Company platoons surrendered after expending their ammunition. When a heavy Allied counter-barrage forced the attackers to the ground, two sections of one D Company platoon managed to escape.
By that time, D Company reported that enemy forces had overrun its forward positions and that it required immediate support. A rapid counter-attack force was assembled and fierce fighting followed under a heavy Allied artillery bombardment. With the support of the 12 remaining 27th CAR tanks, North Nova soldiers pushed forward under the barrage’s cover and drove enemy forces back toward Authie.
The North Novas managed to recapture Buron, but lacked sufficient manpower to consolidate and hold the position as darkness set in. What remained of the North Novas and 27th CAR received permission to withdraw to high ground in a wooded area near Villons-les-Buissons, where the 9th Brigade’s Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Highlanders were also encamped.
Meanwhile, A Company near Authie found itself surrounded by German infantry and tanks, unable to withdraw to safety. After holding out for several hours against a much larger enemy force, its remaining soldiers surrendered at 1700 hours June 7. Some vanguard personnel managed to slip into the surrounding wheat fields during the late afternoon and evening hours and retreated to Villons-les-Buissons, where they joined the remainder of their comrades in the wooded area.
No counter-attack developed during the night as the North Novas and 27th CAR prepared to re-occupy Buron in the morning. Military commanders subsequently cancelled the orders as 9th Brigade units moved forward and occupied the town of Villons-Les-Buissons to the right of the wooded area.
The North Novas’ June 7 war diary entry recorded the day’s losses as known at that time—one officer and 10 “other ranks” (OR) killed; three officers and 27 OR wounded; and a shocking nine officers and 195 OR missing. Over the next several days, additional information allowed officials to account for many of the missing. In total, 16 North Nova officers and non-commissioned officers and 37 OR were killed on June 7, 1944, while 20 officers and NCOs and 88 OR were wounded.
Approximately 84 soldiers were officially listed as “missing.” While the majority were later accounted for as prisoners of war, 12 of the missing North Novas were part of a group of 18 soldiers executed by German SS at Abbaye d’Ardennes on June 7 and 8, 1944. Their remains were not discovered until after Allied forces secured the area weeks later and local civilians returned to their homes.
Private William Lyle Izzard was among the soldiers killed in the fierce June 7 fighting near Authie. He was initially buried “in the field southwest [of the] church in Authie.” A later Commonwealth War Graves Commission document described the location as “behind [a] hedge, 25 yards east of [the] Authie to Buron [road].” Bill’s grave and those of other fallen North Nova comrades were not discovered until Allied forces had pushed inland beyond the city of Caen in mid-August, allowing non-combat personnel to search the area for gravesites.
An Official Canadian Army Overseas Casualty Notification form in Bill’s service file, dated August 16, 1944, officially recorded that he was killed in action on June 7, 1944. Almost a month later—September 11, 1944—Canadian military authorities sent a letter to Bill’s mother Annie, informing her that her eldest son had been killed. Bill’s remains were re-interred in Beny-sur-Mer Canadian Military Cemetery, Beny-sur-Mer, on December 18, 1944.
William Archibald Izzard passed away in Camp Hill Hospital, Halifax, on May 29, 1972. Archie had been in hospital for one month prior to his death, having suffered a stroke at age 74. His wife Annie Louise died in Halifax in April 1994 at 95 years of age.
Photograph of Private William Lyle Izzard courtesy of Clyde Macdonald, New Glasgow, NS.
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