The life and death of a forgotten hero: George Fraser Kerr VC | Mount Pleasant Cemetery | Toronto

In this episode we explore the life and death of a forgotten Canadian hero. He survived the horrors of WWI only to die in a freak accident in his Toronto home.

Captain George Fraser Kerr, VC, MM & Bar was one of Canada’s most decorated soldiers of the First World War—yet his story remains remarkably under-told. Born in Deseronto, Ontario in 1895, his early life was unremarkable on paper.

But in September 1914, at just nineteen, Kerr enlisted in the 3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment), Canadian Expeditionary Force, beginning a journey that would carry him from civilian life into the brutal battles of the Western Front. His courage under fire earned him multiple gallantry awards, culminating in the Victoria Cross for exceptional bravery during the Hundred Days Offensive.

This episode visits Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, where Kerr is laid to rest, and reflects on how ordinary Canadians shaped and were shaped—by the Great War. His stone, like so many across the country, preserves a legacy of sacrifice.

If you travel through Toronto, Deseronto, or Cambridge, you’ll find plaques and memorials honouring Kerr’s service. Each one invites us to pause, reflect, and remember the thousands of Canadians whose courage never made headlines, yet changed history.

His medals are on display in the Canadian War Museum.

https://deadcanadians.ca

Timecode Description
0:00 Introduction
0:47 Who Was George Fraser Kerr? Early Life in Deseronto and Toronto/Galt
2:18 Joining the Fight: Enlisting in the CEF (3rd Battalion) in 1914
2:53 The Western Front: The Start of an Incredible Military Career
3:34 June 1916: Military Medal for Leadership at Mount Sorrel
4:13 August 1917: The Battle of Hill 70 (Canadian Operational Skill)
5:01 Oct-Nov 1917: Passchendaele (Endurance Under Unimaginable Conditions)
5:49 August 1918: Military Cross for Action at Amiens (The 100 Days Offensive Begins)
6:42 Sept 1918: Bar to the Military Cross at the Drocourt-Quéant Line
7:33 The Victoria Cross: Heroism at Bourlon Wood (Single-Handedly Taking a Stronghold)
8:51 The Highest Honour: the Victoria Cross for Conspicuous Bravery
9:29 Homecoming: A Decorated Officer Living an Ordinary Life in Toronto
10:35 A Sudden Tragedy: The Unexpected Death of a War Hero
11:08 The Final Resting Place: Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
12:27 Conclusion & How to Visit Captain Kerr's Grave

#VictoriaCross #GeorgeFraserKerr #CanadianHistory #RemembranceDay #WorldWarOne #FirstWorldWar #WWI #WW1 #MountPleasantCemetery #DeadCanadians #CanadianMilitaryHistory #CemeteryStories #OntarioHistory #Deseronto #CambridgeOntario #GreatWar #CanadianHeroes #HistoryPodcast #Bagpipes #FlowersOfTheForest