www.ns.legion.ca 185 Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion continued ... L/Cpl. John Archibald McLean WW I Killed in Action September 25, 1915 John Archibald McLean was born in Lingan, Cape Breton, on March 12, 1883, the son of Donald and Mary (née McDonald) McLean. He grew up in South Bar, near Sydney. On November 26, 1914, only several months after the declaration of war, John enlisted in the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles) in Halifax. He was assigned the service number 67563. At the time, he was 31 years old, unmarried and his occupation was listed as teamster on his attestation form. He had served for several years in the 94th Victoria Regiment “Argyll Highlanders”, a local Cape Breton militia unit. The 25th Battalion was an overseas battalion authorized on November 7, 1914. It was headquartered in Halifax but recruited throughout the province. After enlisting, John trained with his new unit in Halifax. On May 20, 1915, the battalion boarded the troop ship R.M.S. Saxonia in Halifax harbour, and set sail for England, arriving at Devonport, nine days later. After disembarking, the men entrained to Westenhanger in Kent County and then marched to their new home at East Sandling Camp in the Shorncliffe area. Shortly after arriving in England, John was promoted to the rank of lance corporal. After a summer of intensive training, the 25th Battalion was earmarked to join the fighting on the Western Front. On the night of September 15, 1915, they crossed the English Channel to Boulogne, France, and then moved by train, lorry and by route march to an area of the front in the Kemmel Sector of the Ypres Salient in Flanders, Belgium. The battalion entered the trenches for the first time on September 20 and 21, replacing an English unit. They were the first infantry battalion from Nova Scotia to see action as a unit. The next couple of days were spent repairing their trenches, dugouts and parapets, and adjusting to their new lifestyle at the front. According to the 25th Battalion’s war diary for September 25, 1915, “L/Cpl. J.A. McLean was sniping and succeeded in hitting two Germans. He was in the act of taking a third shot when he was hit in the head,” probably shot by a German sniper. He died two hours later. John was the first man of the 25th Battalion to be killed in action. He was 32 years old. John McLean was laid to rest in La Laiterie Military Cemetery in Belgium. Pte. Neil McSween WW II Killed in Action January 17, 1944 Neil McSween was born in Sydney Mines, NS, but lived in Glace Bay from an early age. Shortly after his mother passed away when he was about 9, he moved to Frenchvale, NS, with his father and only sibling, a brother, Albert. On June 16, 1941, in Sydney, NS, Neil enlisted as a private in the CanadianArmy, No. 6 District Depot. He did his basic training in Charlottetown, PEI, and his advanced infantry training in Aldershot, NS. On January 10, 1942, he embarked for overseas and landed in the U.K. on January 19, 1942. Less than a week later, he was transferred to the Cape Breton Highlanders who were training in the U.K. at that time. He sailed for Italy with the battalion in October/November, 1943. Neil was killed in action with the Cape Breton Highlanders in Italy, on January 17, 1944. It was during an ill-fated assault across the valley of a stream called the Riccio, near Ortona, on the Adriatic Sector of the Italian Front. The battlefield later became known as “The Valley of Death.” Neil was a member of “D” Company which led the attack. He was 24 years old. Neil McSween is buried in Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, Ortona, Italy. At the time of his death he held the rank of private. continued ...
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==