Tommy Falls - Liverpool Native and Canadian Army Boxing Champion

Thomas Falls Jr.

Tommy Falls with his mom, Reta.

Up until now all of my posts have been about places and buildings in Liverpool and Queens County. Tonight I thought I'd write a little about someone I never knew. Actually he died long before I was ever born, but throughout my research I've always had a strong interest in his short life. His name was Thomas Fall and he was born in Liverpool on July 24,1916. He was the oldest of 8 children born to Tom Sr and Reta (Harper) Falls and he grew up in Liverpool. Like many young men in Liverpool back then, boxing became a passion for him. He became best friends with Terrence Warrington who became Canadian Boxing Champion in the 1930s. Tommy joined the West Nova Scotia Regiment and served overseas during the second World War. It was here he met his future wife, Rose Golden and they were married January 17,1941. While serving in the army, he won the Canadian Army Boxing Championship 1940-41. After the war ended, Tommy and his wife came back to Canada and made their home in Montreal. They had a few children including sons, Thomas, Randolph and Derrick. One day in September 1948, Tom was arrested by the Montreal Police and beaten to death, apparently by the hands of those police officers. I've read the many articles describing what happened that day and without getting into great details, I can say that some people from the Liverpool area went to Montreal to an inquest held against the Police. I believe Hugh Byrne's dad was one of those people who went to Montreal. Honestly, I don't know whatever happened to the police officers, if anything, but the sad part was that a Canadian war hero, a boxing champion, a husband, a father, brother, uncle was needlessly taken far too young. I should also make note that Tommy's father Tom Sr was in Liverpool battling cancer and he died in November of the same year.

The Liverpool Advance revealed Tommy was buried in Pte. Claire, Quebec a few days after his death.
In 2003 while vacationing in Montreal, I went to find his grave site, something that I always wanted to do. I had heard so many things about this man from his sisters, Beatrice Jarvis of Liverpool (now deceased) and Pauline Martin of Montreal. Visiting his final resting place just added to my interest in this person that I had never known. Within 10 minutes of entering Pte Claire, just like I knew where it was located, I was standing at the foot of Tommy Falls grave. He is buried in the Field of Remembrance, a military cemetery operated by the Last Post Fund. (When I find photos taken at the cemetery I will add them later)

I came across an article I had written about Tommy's life and also a few photos so thought it would be time to write about some one rather than some thing. Tommy Falls certainly deserves to be the first person to be written about on my blog.