Born in Newcastle in 1918, Brigadier Gen. Edward “Ned” Amy attended Kings County Academy in Kentville, Nova Scotia, before joining the militia as a young man. In 1936, he was accepted to the Royal Military College (RMC). With the outbreak of the Second World War, he graduated early in 1939 and joined the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. After training at the Armoured Fighting Vehicles Training Centre at Camp Borden, he was deployed overseas and became a tank troop leader with the Ontario Regiment.
In 1943, Edward “Ned” Amy fought in Sicily and Italy, where he was promoted to Major and transferred to the King’s Own Calgary Regiment as a squadron commander. That year, he earned the Military Cross for his leadership in securing and holding a crossing at the Moro River against German panzers and infantry. In 1944, he took command of a tank squadron with the Canadian Grenadier Guards and played a key role in the battle to close the Falaise Pocket, breaking through German defenses to relieve the Polish Armoured Division.
During the liberation of the Netherlands later that year, Amy was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for establishing and holding a critical bridgehead. By February 1945, at only 26 years old, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of the Canadian Grenadier Guards during the fierce fighting at the Hochwald Gap. He was wounded twice during the war—first in 1943 and again in 1945.
At war’s end, Amy was selected to command Canada’s sole tank regiment assigned to the contingency force preparing for the continued war against Japan. Following the war, he commanded the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps School at Camp Borden and later served in Korea (1952–53) as General Staff Officer (GSO 1) with the 1st Commonwealth Division. For his service, he received the U.S. Bronze Star and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Amy went on to hold numerous prestigious commands: leading the Royal Canadian Dragoons at Camp Petawawa (1953–56), serving as Director of Armour for the Canadian Army (1961), and commanding Canada’s first United Nations contingent in Cyprus (1964). After serving with NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Paris, he was promoted to Brigadier in 1966. He later commanded the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade Group in Calgary and the 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in Europe, Canada’s NATO brigade attached to the British Army of the Rhine.
Returning to Canada, he assumed senior staff positions, including Director General Land Force Operations. In protest of Canada’s decision to retire its tanks, Amy resigned his commission. In retirement, he continued to serve, acting as Colonel of the Royal Canadian Dragoons (1970–75) and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (1978–80). He also founded E.A.C. Amy & Sons Management Support Services, a company dedicated to helping former servicemen transition to civilian careers.
Brigadier Gen. Edward Amy passed, away February 2, 2011 at Camp Hill Veterans’ Memorial Building in Halifax N.S
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