E. L. M. Burns

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Lieutenant-General E.L.M. Burns at I Canadian Corps HQ in Larino, Italy, March 18th, 1944

For other people named Burns, see Burns (disambiguation).

Eedson Louis Millard "Tommy" Burns, CC, DSO , OBE, MC, CD (June 17, 1897 - September 13, 1985) was a Canadian Army Lieutenant-General and diplomat.

“Tommy” Burns, student # 1032 graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario in 1914. He taught at the Royal Military College of Canada and attended the School of Military Engineering in Great Britain. During World War II General Burns successively commanded the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division (January 1944 to March 1944), and then finally the I Canadian Corps (March 1944 until November 1944). His performace as a corps-level commander proved to be controversial, despite the successes of the Canadian forces in the Italian Campaign, and so he was replaced as commander of I Canadian Corps by Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes.

He played a critical role in the Middle East peace process from 1954 to 1959. He was instrumental in developing UN peacekeeping as Chief of Staff in 1954, United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), which was designed to maintain the General Armistice Agreements until permanent peace could be formulated. In 1970, Burns' memoir was released " General mud : memoirs of two World Wars. Toronto : Clarke, Irwin.

In 1967 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. He was the 1981 recipient of the Pearson Medal of Peace for his work in the military of Canada.

Burns' grave is in Kingston, Ontario.

[edit] Memorial

A manikin at the Royal Military College of Canada wears “Tommy” Burns' khaki army uniform jacket, covered with medals and wrapped with a Sam Browne belt.