Thomas George Harding

Police Constable 574, Toronto Police Force | Private, 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders of Canada) CEF

Thomas George Harding was born on September 18th 1891 at Feltham, Middlesex, England. Harding was a police officer with the Eastbourne Borough Police and served with the Middlesex Regiment of the British Army, prior to emigrating to Canada.

Harding joined the Toronto Police Force in November 1914 as Police Constable 574 at No. 7 Police Station (in the Ossington Ave and Bloor St W area). He lived at 12 Millicent St with his wife Nellie May and their two children.

On March 2nd 1916, Constable Harding, took leave from the department and enlisted in Toronto’s 169th Battalion (109th Regiment) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In October 1916, Harding sailed to England on the SS Metagama for further preparation. His unit was broken up for reinforcements, and he joined the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders of Canada) CEF, as a replacement after the unit’s losses after Vimy Ridge, for front-line service.

On Wednesday, August 15th 1917, Harding was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of Hill 70, near Lens, France.

With no known grave, Constable George Harding is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, France.

  • Research Sources:
  • H. Grasett – Annual Report of the Chief Constable of the City of Toronto for the Year 1914, Page 67. Toronto: The Carswell Co Ltd City Printers, 1915.
  • 15th Battalion Memorial Project – Battle of Hill 70. Website: http://15thbattalioncef.ca/commemoration/project-memorials-6/ Retrieved 15 August 2022. (incl. Photo 2)
  • Library and Archives Canada. Service File of No. 67804 Thomas George Harding
  • Library and Archives Canada. War Diaries of the First World War – 15th Canadian Infantry Battalion, 1916/05/01 – 1917/12/31.
  • Library and Archives Canada. Circumstances of Death Registers Card – No. 67804 Thomas George Harding
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Casualty Details for No. 67804 Thomas George Harding
  • TToronto Daily Star (Unknown Date). “Three Police Enlist”.
  • Toronto Daily Star (1918, January 5th). “Sergt. Harding Killed”.
  • Toronto Telegram (January 1918). “Sgt. Thos. Harding” (incl. Photo 1)