We regret to advise of the death of Warrant Officer Class II George Fouchard, CD (Ret’d) in Ottawa on 10 February 2023 at age 101. George was a veteran of the Second World War.
George enlisted in Ottawa with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa in September 1939 and was recommended for transfer to the Royal Canadian Engineers in April 1943. After receiving specialist training and an initial assignment to 1st Canadian Corps Field Company Survey Company, he was posted to the newly formed 3 Field (Reproduction) Survey Company, RCE in May 1943 as a Map Draftsman. Three similar companies were busy in England throughout 1943 learning how to support the ever-expanding Canadian Army. By Spring 1944, they were making the maps of France inland from the planned D-Day Normandy beaches.
George’s company arrived in Normandy at Bernières-sur-Mer in late July 1944 in a Landing Ship, Tank with their trucks, printing presses, portable darkrooms and other stores. They were immediately put to work preparing the maps for the recapture of Caen and closing the Falaise Gap. As a cartographer, George’s job was to annotate the topographic maps from the latest air photography and to prepare overprints with known enemy dispositions. They moved regularly and worked under canvas or outdoors unless they could locate in suitable buildings for short periods.
George was in northern Holland when the war ended. He returned to Ottawa in September 1945 where he was demobilized. George then joined the Permanent Force with No 1 Survey Section in Ottawa in October. He served a full career with the Army Survey Establishment in Ottawa as a Lithographic Draftsman, Cartographer and Photogrammetrist. In 1960, George was the first secretary of the Army Survey Club, that later became the Mappers Club. George rose through the ranks to the rank of Warrant Officer Second Class and retired in 1966. He followed a second career with Geological Survey of Canada as a Cartographic Draftsman for seven years.
George received the French Legion of Honour in 2015 in recognition of his service during WW II during the Battle for France
The family will hold a Memorial Visitation on Saturday, Sat 27 May 2023 from 11:00 AM to noon at Capital Funeral Home & Cemetery {3700 Prince of Wales Dr, Ottawa}. Memorial Service will follow.
See: D-Day Digital Project Traces Canadian Regiments during Campaign - Video for a video interview with George in 2019 about mapping at the front during the Northwest Europe Campaign.
