LEST WE FORGET 239 McKAY, Arthur Edward WWI Arthur was born on March 14, 1885, in Finstown, Orkney Isles, Scotland, to William and Isabella (Smith) McKay. Arthur was working as a carpenter and his residence was Welwyn, Saskatchewan when he enlisted in Moosomin on November 23, 1915 with the 217th Overseas Battalion. He sailed from Halifax aboard the Olympic on June 2, 1917. Arthur arrived in Liverpool on June 10, 1917 and at Bramshott on June 14, 1917. He trained with the 15th and 19th Reserves. On September 12, 1917, Arthur’s partner (wife), Octavie Belhumeur died in Virden, Manitoba. Their infant son, Napoleon Joseph “Rusty” McKay, was raised by his Belhumeur grandparents in St. Lazare, Manitoba. Arthur was sent to France on November 8, 1917 with the 46th Battalion. On November 23, 1917, he received a Good Conduct Badge. From June 7, 1918 to June 30, 1918, he was on leave. “On the morning of September 2, 1918, after his company had reached its objective at Dury, he was wounded by enemy shrapnel. Arthur received first aid promptly and was sent out to a Regimental Aid Post, but succumbed shortly afterwards.” Private Arthur McKay was 33 years old and is buried at the Dury Crucifix Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France. The Memorial Cross and his medals were sent to his mother in Scotland. He is remembered on the Sask Virtual War Memorial and on the Welwyn Legion Cenotaph. His son, Rusty McKay, married Irene LeClair (of St. Lazare) and the couple had eleven children. Rusty worked for the railroad and died in Saskatoon in the 1970s. McKAY, David Ross WWI Ross was born on April 27, 1880, to William Sutherland McKay and Fanny Ross in Bruce County, Ontario. He was the fourth of ten children. He came west to Saskatchewan and was working as a printer in Swift Current when he enlisted on May 7, 1917 in Regina (he gave his address as Palmer House in Regina). He gave his next-of-kin as his sister, Annie, in Ontario and his brother, James, in Roland, Manitoba. Ross left Canada aboard Massanabie on April 24, 1918. He went to France on August 19, 1918 with the 95th Sask Rifles (2nd Canadian Machine Gun Corps) and at that time he changed his address to Rocanville, Saskatchewan. He was discharged with the 24th Canadian Battalion Unit, Group No. 7 in Montreal on May 20, 1919. After his discharge, he came to the Prosperity district (near Rocanville) and on the 1921 census, he was employed as “hired help” for John Byron Chase and family on their farm. On the 1926 census, Ross had left Saskatchewan and was living with his brother James and his wife in Manitoba. Private D.R. McLay died on November 3, 1958, at the age of 78, and is buried in Lilyfield Cemetery (near Winnipeg) with a military stone.
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