Bill Wilson, one of Canada’s last Second World War veterans, dies at 101

The obituary for William (Bill) Wilson, who partook in the bloody D-Day landings, said "Captain Bill" helped create the Naval Museum of Alberta and The Military Museums in Calgary.

Veterans Affairs Canada says one of the country’s last surviving Second World War veterans has died.

A social media post from the federal agency says William (Bill) Wilson died Monday at 101.

He was born in Manitoba in 1924, and served aboard the HMCS Ottawa and took part in the bloody D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, Veterans Affairs said in the post.

It went on to say after the war, Wilson was part of the Canadian delegations to D-Day and Netherlands anniversary commemorations.

Wilson’s obituary says “Captain Bill” helped create the Naval Museum of Alberta and The Military Museums in Calgary.

It says a celebration of life is to be held in August at Calgary’s HMCS Tecumseh, the Naval Reserve unit where he most recently served.

“Captain Wilson’s dedication to the Royal Canadian Navy, his unwavering commitment to service, and the lasting impact he had on those who served alongside him leave behind a legacy that will not be forgotten,” the unit wrote on social media Thursday.

Wilson was 14 when the war began in September 1939. He enlisted on his 18th birthday in November 1942.

In a 2015 video for Valour Canada, a non-profit for Canadian military history, Wilson said he and his unit “had no idea” about the magnitude of D-Day, code-named Operation Overlord.

“We really weren’t quite sure what we were going to see,” he said.

There on Normandy’s shores, the largest land, sea and air invasion — made up of almost 160,000 Allied troops and some 14,000 Canadians — took German defences by surprise.

The invasion is now remembered as the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

Amid the dark, choking smoke and “bloody noisy” gunfire, Wilson said sailor after sailor shot out from landing craft with their eyes on the beaches.

“You can’t visualize guys coming out of a barge and meeting machine-gun fire and mortars and shells from artillery,” he said. “We couldn’t visualize that.”

In all, 4,414 Allied troops, including 381 Canadians, were killed that day. And at the end of the 77-day Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded.

“I think (D-Day) was the best day of the war for the world,” Wilson told Valour Canada. “We did free all of Europe, and Canada was there. For a little nation like ours, it still amazes me.

Veterans Affairs Canada says on its website that Wilson joined the naval reserve when the war ended, and retired from active service in 1979.

In 2019, Wilson travelled to Normandy to recognize the 75th anniversary of the war effort. He also attended 80th anniversary commemorations in 2024.

In its social media tribute, HMCS Tecumseh said Wilson reflected on his time in the Navy with “clarity, humility and pride.”

“It was a privilege to listen, to learn and to preserve a small part of his story for future generations,” the post said.

His obituary says Wilson is survived by his wife ,Phyllis, along with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Veterans Affairs Canada estimates that as of 2025, there are 3,691 surviving Canadian veterans of the Second World War.