Eadie, George Fraser

Date of birth:: July 20th, 1917 (Winnipeg/Manitoba, Canada)
Date of death:: August 11th, 2003 (Oakville/Ontario, Canada)
Nationality:: Canadian

Biography

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Distinguished Service Order (DSO)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Acting Lieutenant-Colonel
Unit:: 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, 3rd Parachute Brigade, 6th Airborne Division, British Army
Awarded on:: January 24th, 1946

For great gallantry and devotion to duty.

Lt.Col. Eadie joined the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in Normandy in August 1944 and assumed temporary command of the Battalion at Annebault during the advance to the Seine. His leadership and determination to pursue and get to grips with the enemy inspired his men enabling them to achieve a series of outstanding successes until the Division was withdrawn from the Seine on 3rd September 1944.

Lt.Col. Eadie carried out his duties as second-in-command of the Battalion during the battles in the Ardennes in December 1944 to January 1945 with great distinction, and on dropping over the Rhine on 24th March 1945 he immediately had to assume command of the Battalion on the death of the Commanding Officer on the DZ. His brilliant handling and inspiring leadership of his Battalion enabled them in spite of heavy opposition and considerable casualties to capture all their objectives and inflict tremendous losses on the enemy. Throughout the campaign until 10th May Col. Eadie's inspiring leadership and utter disregard of danger enabled his Battalion to kill and rout the enemy wherever they found them. The battles of Greven, Dortmund-Ems Canal and Ricklingen Bridge, and the rapid advance of his Battalion to Wismar on the Baltic are instances where his outstanding leadership had a decisive influence on the result of the engagements.