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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
CSM. David McMillan
Canadian Army 43rd Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
from:Observatory Terrace, Dumfries Scotland
David McMillan was my greatuncle on my mother's side. He was born and raised in Dumfries, Scotland on 16/7/1887. He was one of five children two girls and three boys. All the males served during WW1 and all were wounded but survived. David immigrated to Canada in 1910 and was a bank clerk when he elnisted in the Canadian Militia the 43rd Battalion Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada and was promoted to Sgt very quickly. On 20/02/1916 he went to France. He was promoted to CSM after a few months and was wounded at the Battle of Ancre Heights near Courcelette on the Somme on 8th of October 1916. He wrote later of his experiences before, during and after his arrival in France. On the day he was wounded he said that his Battalion was chosen to attack a German trench they had nicknamed Regina. Zero hour was 4.45am. At that time they went over the top to horrendous fire, and found that the wire protecting the German trench was still intact. They were decimated, having gone into action with 800 men and the next day there were only 65 officers NCO's and men who had survived. My uncle says that they were up against 'Big Husky German Marines' and were slaughtered with rifle fire, bombs, grenades, and shells from the German rear. As he reached the German wire he realised that there were very few men left standing. He decided to make his way back to the jumping off trench to reform. As he was discussing this with a colleague, he felt the shock of a shell as it passed over his left shoulder, a large piece of shell casing embedded in is left arm and almost severed it. His colleague made a rough tourniquet of rope and tied it round his arm. He then attempted to make his way to dressing station but collapsed through lack of blood. As he lay waiting for death a runner from the Royal Canadian Regment passed him and stopped, picked him up and struggled with him to the medical station, then went on his way. My uncle never managed to identify this soldier, but he undoubtedly saved his life.
David was eventually taken to England after having is arm amputated. He was sent ultimately to Kings Canadan Hospital Bushey Park meded and discharged back to Canada on 19/11/1917. He went on to become a bank manager A piece of shrapnel was taken from hs face 50 years later and died in 1975.
I have put his experiences into a little booklet called 'Trench Tea and Sandbags' copies of which are in the Imperial War Museum, London, and the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa. It gives his first hand account of daily life with his Regiment from the day he landed till the day he was discharged and is a facinating insight into the daily life of a Canadian soldier in WW1.
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