Leo Joseph Nardilli enlisted with the 2nd Battalion, 48th Highlanders (militia) in Toronto on 9 October 1940 and was given the regimental number 488071.  On 30 July 1941 he was struck off strength of the 48th Highlanders while at #2 NRMA Clearing Depot.

On 6 September 1941 he attested for overseas duty with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) and was given the regimental number B53087. With RCEME in Ontario he qualified as Armourer Helper Group “B” on 14 May 1942 and on 2 September embarked for overseas arriving at No. 1 CIRU (Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit) in the UK. He was transferred to the RCEME battalion there and qualified as Armourer on 26 September. He embarked from the UK on 27 June 1943, sailing to Sicily, disembarking on 17 July 1943, 7 days after the Canadian Army landed at Pachino, Sicily.

In Italy on 14 September, he was struck off strength of RCEME to 3 Inf. RCOC (Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps) where he remained until transferred to 2nd Field Regiment RCA (Royal Canadian Artillery) attached to the 2nd Brigade on 7 December then returned to RCOC on the 17th. He was sent to hospital on 28 December from thee Ortona battlefield and died of wounds on 11 February 1944.

NOK: Mother: Antoinette Nardilli, 50 Laughton Avenue, Toronto