E.L.M. Burns

Eedson Louis Millard Burns
I Canadian Corps HQ in Larino, Italy, March 18, 1944
Nickname(s)	"Tommy" "Smiling Sunray"
Born	(1897-06-17)June 17, 1897 Westmount, Quebec, Canada
Died	September 13, 1985(1985-09-13) (aged 88)
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Canadian Army
Years of service	1914–1959
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Commands held	4th Canadian Armoured Brigade 2nd Canadian Infantry Division 5th Canadian Armoured Division I Canadian Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Companion of the Order of Canada Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Canadian Forces Decoration

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

E.L.M. Burns was born on June 17, 1897 in Montreal, Quebec. His father was a militia staff officer, a member of the Corps of Guides. He served with the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars (17th D.Y.R.C.H.). He had risen to the rank of signal sergeant by 1913. “Tommy” Burns, student # 1032 graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario in 1914. He joined the Royal Canadian Engineers, into which he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1915.

He served in Canada until March 1916 when he went overseas with the 3rd Canadian Division Signal Company which, was composed of engineers. He fought on the Western Front with the Royal Canadian Engineers from 1916 to 1918. He became a staff officer with the 9th Brigade in March 1917, dealing with supply and personnel. He became a "staff learner" and acted as liaison officer between forward battalions and brigade headquarters. He returned to Canada in 1919 and was stationed at St. John as an engineer officer.

He attended the School of Military Engineering, Chatham, England, for eighteen months. He was an instructor at the RMC in Kingston, Ontario. He returned to Halifax and served on duty during the miners' strike at Glace Bay. He worked in the Survey Department in Ottawa. In 1924, he was appointed as an instructor at RMC in field engineering. He attended the Staff College at Quetta, British India and returned to Quebec, Canada in 1930. In 1939, as a Lt-Col, he attended the Imperial Defence College in London, England.