123 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca MacDONALD, Donald WWI Donald was born in Isle of Lewis, Scotland on January 18, 1895. In 1913, Donald came to Ninette, Manitoba where his relatives had started farming. Donald enlisted in Winnipeg in 1915 with the 43rd Battalion and proceeded overseas in England, France and Belgium during World War I. He was gassed in Belgium and developed tuberculosis. After stays in numerous hospitals in England, he was returned to Canada and the Ninette Sanatorium where he received treatment for close to two years. He was discharged as permanently unfit for service in 1918. Over the next twenty years, he experienced numerous procedures for his tuberculosis empyema including two thoracoplasty operations. Donald worked tirelessly for veterans and other TB patients and was honoured in 1935 by King George V with the Jubilee Medal and again in 1953 with the Queen Elizabeth Coronation Medal. He was heavily involved with the Ninette Legion serving in various executive positions. He was the local representative for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and Ninette’s postmaster for 36 years until his death in 1959. MacGARVA, Robert Alexander WWII Robert was born in Scotland on July 4, 1913. At a very early age, Robert immigrated to Canada along with his parents and siblings. They took up farming in Balmoral, MB and, in 1939, Robert joined the Fort Garry Horse Reserve. In 1940, he married and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force a year later. His wish was to become a pilot but his vision did not meet the criteria required so Robert then chose to join the Air Force Military Police where he remained until 1945 at which time he returned to Canada, bought a farm in Balmoral where he raised a family. He remained on the farm until his health failed in the late 1980s. Robert passed away on August 27, 1998. MacGARVA, Ronald O. WWII Ronald was born on April 14, 1922 on a farm near Whithorn in Scotland. He was the second son of Robert and Jean MacGarva who arrived in Balmoral, MB on May 28, 1928. When he was eighteen, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force; he wanted to fly and to shoot. He learned that this was possible with fighter planes which also dropped bombs. He proceeded through the ranks from Aircraftman to Flight Lieutenant while in Canada and then England and India. He returned to the farm after 1945 and took an Agricultural Diploma Course, and then by invitation, returned to the Air Force to become a Squadron Leader. His medals include the 1939-45 Star, the Aircrew Europe Star, the Burma Star, the Defense Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp, the War Medal 1939-45, the Canadian Forces Decoration and Clasp, the Operational Wings and Bar, Pilots flying Badge and Dieppe Clasp. He married Marion Brennan in 1952. Ronald passed away in January 2009 at the age of 87 in the Blairmore Hospital, AB.
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