MacDONALD, Allan Daniel
DIVISIONAL UNIT: 2nd Canadian Infantry Division
4th Infantry Brigade
18th Battalion - Western Ontario
Canadian Infantry Corps
SERVICE NO: 654554
RESIDENCE: Bayfield – Ontario
DATE OF BIRTH: September 15, 1896
Bayfield – Goderich Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH: August 15, 1918 21 years 11 months
CEMETERY: Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery – Villers-Bretonneux –
Somme – France
VIA C 3
PARENTS: Mr. Donald and Mary Elizabeth MacDonald – Bayfield – Ontario
Occupation: Fisherman Religion: Presbyterian
Enlistment: Bayfield – March 2, 1916 – 161st Huron Battalion
Enlistment Age: 19 years 5 months
The 161st arrived in England on November 11, 1916.
On February 28, 1918, he was Struck off Strength from the 161st and on March 2nd proceeded overseas to France to the Canadian Reinforcement Depot. Private MacDonald then joined the 18th Battalion in the field on April 3, 1918.
Private MacDonald died from the wounds he received in battle while taking part in an offensive near Marcelave. He was seriously wounded by enemy machine gun fire in right hip during the morning of August 8, 1915. He died from those wounds a week later while in the care of No. 48 British Casualty Clearing Station - Montigny.
The weather in the morning was heavy fog giving very poor observation of enemy lines and objectives.
The advance was set for 4:20 am and half an hour before the support artillery from the Brigade was to begin the enemy laid down an artillery barrage with heavy fire on the woods south-west of Villers-Bretteneaux. The enemy artillery ended just before the Battalion artillery began. The Battalion was the right of the advance.
“C” Company on 2nd Platoon front responsible for right flank and making contact with 1st Division.
“B” Company in centre on 2nd Platoon front. “A” Company was the left flank and was to contact with 19th Battalion.
“D” was in support. The objective was 200 yards east of Marcri Cave and the quarry beside it.
By 7:45 am the extreme limit of the advance had been reached. Casualties were light.
The Battalion then pushed past the quarry about 300 yards and established a line of defence.
There was considerable enemy opposition from their well established and hidden machine-gun nests.
During the advance casualties were 30 killed and 320 wounded.