Archibald Roy Rutherford was born on 9 May 1909 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Hollis and Grace Rutherford in Truro, Nova Scotia. He had three brothers, Douglas, Stewart and Charles.

A telegrapher by trade, he started his military career in September 1932. On completing his annual training in 1935, he transferred to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders that same year serving with C Company, 6th Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps until 1938 finishing as a Drill Sergeant.

He moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1939 enlisting on 5 September with the Winnipeg Grenadiers, R.C.I.C. Between 24 May 1940 and 13 September 1941 he was stationed in Jamaica as part of Y Force. The Winnipeg Grenadiers returned to Canada on 21 September 1941 and after fourteen days leave Archibald was deployed with them to Hong Kong as part of Force C.

He was wounded during the defence of Hong Kong and was taken prisoner when it fell to the Imperial Japanese forces on 25 December 1941. He was transported along with other Canadian prisoners to Niigata Prisoner of War Camp providing labour for the local industries.

Archibald died in Niigata on 5 December 1943 of Beriberi. Post war, his remains were recovered and reburied on 28 March 1947 in CWGC Yokohama War Cemetery in the Canadian Section, plot B.A.14.

In 1982, he was commemorated by the Manitoba government naming a lake the Rutherford Lake in his honour.