Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 145 continued ... continued ... George Murdock Burke WW II George Burke was born on December 29, 1920 in Lower L’Ardoise, Richmond County, Cape Breton. He came from a family of five children born to Alice Sophie (Landry) and Henry Placide Burke. In 1939, upon declaration of war by Canada, George immediately joined the Cape Breton Highlanders. He became a signaller and served with “D” Company. He trained in Canada with the battalion and then went overseas with them to the U.K. in November, 1941, then to Italy in October/November, 1943, and finally to Northwest Europe in March, 1945. George saw action with the Cape Breton Highlanders throughout their battles in the Italian campaign and the liberation of Holland. After the war, George travelled and worked in numerous locations both in Canada and outside the country, including Venezuela. In 1948 he married Margaret Vanclieaf of Baysville, Ontario. The couple decided to move to Cape Breton where they settled in Lower L’Ardoise and raised a family of five children. Throughout his life George loved to garden, boat and vacation in hot climates. George Burke passed away in January, 2015 at the age of 94. He was a proud Cape Breton Highlander. Cpl. Patrick Michael Cahill WW II Killed in Action May 25, 1944 Patrick Cahill, or Pat as he was better known, was born and raised in L’Ardoise, Richmond County, NS. He came from a large farming family of eleven children born to Julia (nee Sampson) and William Cahill. Pat attended grade school and worked on the family farm. His trade was listed as blacksmith. Pat enlisted in the Cape Breton Highlanders in June, 1940 in Sydney, NS. At that time, the battalion was still training and performing guard duties in Cape Breton. He trained with the battalion in Canada and went overseas with them to the U.K. in November, 1941 and on to Italy in October/November, 1943. Pat was promoted to lance-corporal while still in Canada and corporal while in the U.K. Pat was killed in action in Italy on May 25, 1944, during the fighting to break through the Adolph Hitler Line defences south of Rome. The Cape Breton Highlanders were involved in the push to enlarge a bridgehead across the Melfa River. They worked closely with the tanks of the 8th Princess Louise’s New Brunswick Hussars. As discussed during a 1992 interview with Pat's sister, Mrs. Beulah Middleton, she had heard that Pat had been killed when run over by a friendly tank during the confusion of battle. Pat was in Support Company when he was killed and held the rank of corporal. He was 27 years old at the time. He was laid to rest in Cassino War Cemetery, Cassino, Italy. Pat’s brother Henry was also in the army. He served in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and died of wounds on February 28, 1945. He is buried in Holland.
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