Norman Brearley was born in London, Ontario, on June 13 of either 1897 or 1899. (Note: His Ontario birth records list his birth year as 1899. On his Attestation papers, he recorded his birth year as 1897). Norman was the son of Edward Brearley and Carlena (nee Broad, of England) Brearley, of Brantford, Ontario. His siblings included: Earl Watson (born 1891) and Vernon Adolphus (born 1894). Norman enlisted July 24, 1915, in Woodstock, Ontario with the 34th Battalion. He was a bachelor at the time, listing his occupation as a student. He would become a member of the Army, Canadian Infantry, Quebec Regiment, 13th Battalion, with the rank of Private. On April 20, 1917, Norman Brearley would lose his life while fighting shortly after the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Norman Brearley would later be officially listed as, Previously reported Missing, now reported Killed in Action. On the night of April 20th 1917, when his company had been relieved from Farbus Wood and were moving back to Nine Elms, this soldier fell out at the top of Farbus Hill to rest. He was No. 1 of his Lewis gun section and carried the gun. He was afterwards found dead, having been hit by a shell which landed in the shell hole in which he was resting. Nineteen-year old Norman Brearley has no known grave. He is memorialized on the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. On the Sarnia cenotaph, his name is inscribed as N. Brearly.
SOURCES: A, B, C, D, E, F, L, N, 2C, 2D, 2G