Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 61 continued ... 'D' Company, Skip served in a platoon with fellow Nova Scotian Clyde Cruickshanks as well as his mates Arnold Carver and Gerald Crouse. On May 26, 1940, performing rear guard actions that allowed others to proceed to the beaches of Dunkirk, Skip's platoon, after bitter fighting, was overrun by superior German forces and forced to surrender. Arnold and Gerald managed to escape but Skip had been wounded in the leg and he, along with Clyde, became POWs ending up at Stalag 20A, located just south of the town of Thorun in Poland. In January 1945 the Germans began the infamous 'Long March' of the already weakened POWs towards Germany to flee the advancing Russians. In one of the coldest winters in years, the POWs marched twenty to forty kilometers a day along snow-clogged roads and sub-freezing temperatures. Frost bite was severe, and many died from disease. Executions and beatings of those, unable to keep up, were frequent. Their eventual liberation by American forces in April 1945 found Private McCarthy in failing health. Repatriated home to Nova Scotia, he was unable to resume a normal life. He passed away at the Nova Scotia Sanatorium in Kentville on 7 August 1947 from tuberculosis contracted while a prisoner of war. He was 37 years old. Skip is buried at the Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Liverpool NS. NOTE: In 1936 when Skip's 75th Lunenburg Regiment merged with the 69th Annapolis Regiment and Skip's superiors, knowing of his artistic background and talent, tasked him to design the insignia for the new unit, the West Nova Scotia Regiment. Thomas ‘Tom’ McCarthy was the son of Denis and Edith McCarthy, of Dartmouth, and was born on 19 April 1915. In April 1939 he sailed aboard the Manchester Commerce to England where he enlisted in 2/Mancs. He was serving as an anti-aircraft gunner in ‘A’ Company when he was killed in action near Richebourg, France, on 13 May 1940. His anti-aircraft gun had been struck by an enemy shell. Tom is buried in the Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France. Kenneth Clifford McKenzie was born on 31 August 1919 to Franklin Mitchell and Alice McKenzie. At the time of his birth his father was a lance-corporal with the 66th Regiment 'Princess Louise Fusiliers' garrisoned in Halifax. Kenneth served in 2/Mancs during WW II. Ronald ‘Ron’ Arthur McKeown and Clarence 'Clary' McKeown were the sons of Edmund and Ella May McKeown of Halifax. Ron was born on 21 July 1920, while his older brother Clary was born on 13 December 1918. Ron and Clary enlisted in the 2/Mancs on 2 February 1939. Clary enlisted first and was assigned service number 3530647; Ron was next in line and was assigned service number 3530648. Frank Morgan of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Harold Morris was born in Armdale to Harold and Muriel Morris in 1913. He was residing in Armdale when he decided to leave Canada and join the British Army. In March 1939 Harold enlisted in the 2/Mancs and transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps before going to France. He was serving with 3 Petrol Field Depot RASC in France when his entire unit was captured on 20 May 1940 by Rommel's 7th Panzer Division. Harold became a prisoner of war and was transported to Stalag 20B Malbork, Poland. He died there on 26 December 1944. Like his father, who served in 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles during the Great War, Harold has no known grave. Harold is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial. continued ...
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