Military legend Léo Major is best known for single-handedly liberating the Dutch city of Zwolle. The multiple retellings of his story have portrayed him as a true hero.

Léo Major is most likely the best-known military servicemember from Quebec, with many street names, stamps, statues and memorials in both Canada and the Netherlands—where his legend was forged—created to honour his memory. His story has been chronicled in popular history in professional documentaries as well as YouTube videos that have amassed millions of views.

His truly impressive prowess indeed transformed his military exploits into a veritable myth. While it could be easy to get carried away by his remarkable story, we must be careful not to distort historical reality or, above all, ignore the true experience of the man behind the legend. Read on to rediscover the story and achievements of Léo Major.

Major as a child

The eldest of thirteen children from a typical French-Canadian family, Léo Major was born in Massachusetts in January 1921. At the time, many Quebec families had migrated to parts of the northeastern United States, such as New England, in search of work. Léo’s father therefore moved his family for an initial temporary railroad job. However, as they were still in a very poor situation, his father brought them back to Montreal in search of steadier employment, and they arrived just before Léo’s first birthday.

In Montreal, Léo’s childhood was not very stable. His father worked out of the house for long hours, leaving his mother to raise the children by herself. Léo often experienced various forms of abuse from his mother, prompting him to leave home at the age of 14. For several years, he stayed with various family members, one of whom lived on a farm, before returning to Montreal to find work.

As he came from a poor Francophone family with many children and had a tragically difficult relationship with his parents, Léo’s childhood may unfortunately have been very familiar to an entire generation of Quebeckers. Although his humble beginnings may seem at odds with his future military success, they are probably why many Quebeckers felt a certain connection with him. In fact, when he left for Europe, Major was not really that different from many other Quebec recruits.

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Article written by Julien Lehoux for Je Me Souviens.