McLEAN, Arthur
NAME McLEAN Arthur
RANK Trooper 28577 1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade REGIMENT 27th Armoured Regiment - Sherbrooke Fusiliers
“in this sign conquer”
Royal Canadian Armoured Corp
Born March 16, 1922 - Ayr - Township of North Dumfries - County of Waterloo Residence Brussels Died August 12, 1944 22 years 5 months
Cemetery Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery - Cintheaux - Calvados - France
VIII C 3
Parents Mr. Roderick and Daisey McLean - Blyth Brothers Donald of Blyth Sisters Mrs. Janet Currie - Brussels Mrs. Mary Pennington - Brussels Miss Fannie, Doris, Ella, Ruby and Gracie all lived in Blyth
Arthur was born on March 16, 1922 in Ayr and then as a toddler the family moved Huron County. As he grew up he enjoyed skiing, tennis, boxing and baseball. He took his public schooling at SS #9 Morris and left school following Grade VIII at the age of 13. The family was Anglican and would have attended Trinity Church. Following his schooling he was a farmer working for Mr. Luis Carddiff on his farm and had been there 4 years. From 1940 through to enlistment he had been a truck driver earning $18 per week.
Canada
He traveled to London on May 6, 1941, enlisted into the Canadian Army with the rank of Gunner. At that time he was 5' 7" tall and weighed 123 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was Taken on Service with No. 1 District Depot and two weeks later on May 21 was posted to No. 10 Basic Training Centre in Kitchener. On July 7 he learned he was going to be posted to Trade School. On October 6 he was posted to Hamilton to the Canadian Army Trade School. He was still at Trade School when on May 19, 1942 he was posted to the Mechanics Training Centre in London. This was the Anderson Organization Mechanics Training Centre where Gunner McLean took a Driver Mechanic Course. While here he learned about the Ramm II tank, lubrication and oiling, the fuel system and carburetor, the electrical systems, the ignition, engine repair, engine tune up, trouble shooting, the power train and track system, inspection, and maintenance along with the operation of the tank. He received an average of 80-90%. On June 10 he was then posted to the Canadian Armoured Corps Training Establishment Camp at Camp Borden. He received the rank of Trooper He then received Embarkation Leave and following this he was Taken on Service with the 27th Armoured Regiment - Sherbrooke Fusiliers on July 30 while awaiting to embark from Canada. On August 31 he qualified as a Driver I.C. Class III.
Overseas
Trooper McLean is Struck off Service of the Canadian Army in Canada on October 27 and embarks from Halifax and Canada for overseas. The following day at sea he is Taken on Strength with the Canadian Army Overseas. He disembarked in Gourock - Scotland on November 5. Trooper McLean wrote his mother on February 19, 1943 and mentions this is the 38th letter to his mother out of 149 he has written so far. On May 16, 1943 he goes on course and following the completion of the course on June 5 he qualifies as a Driver Mechanic of Armoured Fighting Vehicles "C". Between December 8-16 he is at No. 5 Canadian Field Dressing Station. He is at No. 23 Field Dressing Station between December 19-19. Then, between January 10-17, 1944 he is a patient at No. 5 Field Dressing Station.
In the Field
On the 2nd Armoured Brigade which included the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and Trooper McLean embarked from the United Kingdom and three days later they came ashore onto the sands of Juneau Beach. Trooper McLean was involved in the fighting at Authie, at Caen, the crossing of the River Orne, Faubourg de Vaucelles, Bourgeubus Ridge, Operation Totalize and Operation Tractable. On D-Day he was the driver of a Sherman tank. Early in the invasion of Normandy most Shermans were
equipped with the 75mm gun and this was no match against the German armour. As time passed the
Shermans came with the 17 - pound gun and the 105mm howitzer and these guns were more than a match
for the German armour.
Hitler authorized the order for the German Army to begin a retreat to the Falais Gap on August 10. As
well, on this day, the Canadians were ordered to mount a reconnaissance mission in force on the German
defenders in France. The objective of this order was a small farming village with the name of Claire Tizon.
This village was located just west of the Caen-Falais road on the Laize River. On the way to Claire Tizon they were ordered to take the small hamlets of Barbery and Moulines.
On the 12th, the weather was sweltering with the Barbery attack being the main effort of the day and the
Sherbrooke Fusiliers were supporting the infantry. The infantry were able to reach the crossroads of
Barbery with the armour following. The village at this point seemed to be deserted and as they advanced
another few hundred yards, all the while they were keeping their eyes on a small group of trees on a small
hill ahead of them, they were suddenly under attack from German machine gun fire, Tiger tanks and Panther
tanks.
Several of the vulnerable Shermans were knocked out by enemy fire which had targeted the tanks of the 27th
Armoured Regiment. During this bitter and fierce battle Trooper McLean was fatally wounded with wounds
to his lower extremities
Trooper McLean was originally buried near the Franch village of Barbery about 92 yards south of the crossroads on the west side.
In early December of 1944 the mother of Trooper McLean received the Memorial Cross followed by in October 1949 the medals swarded to Arthur which included the 1939-45 Star, the France - Germany Star, the Defence and War Medals along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
Arthur is honoured and remembered on the Trinity Anglican Church Memorial Plaque, on the Brussels Cenotaph, on the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Memorial Plaque, in the Books of Rememberance in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and on the Virtual Canadian War Memorial.
