McNALL, Robert John
NAME McNALL Robert John
RANK Trooper 43054 1st Canadian Army - II Canadian Corps - 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade REGIMENT 10th Armoured Regiment - Fort Garry Horse
“deeds not words”
Royal Canadian Armoured Corp Born February 20, 1908 - Lucknow - Townships of Ashfield - West Wawanosh - County of Huron Township of Kinloss - County of Bruce Residence Blyth Died July 25, 1944 36 years 5 months
Cemetery Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery - Cintheaux - Calvados - France
XXIII E 4
Wife Mrs. Pearl McNall - Blyth Sons John and Paul both at home in Blyth Daughters Violet, Margaret, Rea, Betty and Muriel all at home in Blyth Parents Mr. Samuel and Janet McNall - Blyth
Robert was born in Lucknow on February 20, 1908. He very much enjoyed fishing and shooting and in fact
was an excellent shot with a rifle. He was raised Presbyterian and would have attended Lucknow Presbyterian Church. He left school when he reached the age of 16 and had his public schooling. He had been employed as a garage man for 2 years and prior to his enlistment he had been an Oiler for Canada Steamship on the Great Lakes for 5 years.
Canada
He traveled to London to enlist into the Canadian Army on June 25, 1940 and at the time stood 5' 7" tall and weighed 133 pounds. He had a dark complexion with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was able to drive a car, trucks and tractors. He knew motor mechanics as well. He received the rank of Private and was Taken on Strength with the Elgin Regiment in London. In the middle of October he is AWOL Private McNall receives furlough in February 1941. In the first week of March he is AWOL while in Valcartier at No. 13 Canadian Infantry Training Centre and again in November while in Sussex at the No. 30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre. Very early in 1942 he receives furlough while still in Sussex - New Brunswick. At the same time he is Struck off Service of the Elgin Regiment - Canadian Infantry Corps and Taken on Service with the 25th Armoured Regiment - Elgin Regiment which has now been converted to armour. On March 21 he is assigned to the Headquarters of the 3rd Canadian Armoured Brigade based at Debert - Nova Scotia. He now has the rank of Trooper. On March 12 he qualifies as a Driver I.C. Class III of wheeled vehicles and the Driver of a tank I.C. Class III.
Overseas
On September 26 Trooper McNall embarked from Halifax and Canada bound for overseas and was Struck off Strength of the Canadian Army in Canada. A day later on the North Atlantic he is Taken on Service with the Canadian Army overseas. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on October 10. During the month of November he receives leave. From January 1-25, 1943 he is at Canadian Military Headquarters taking a Driver Mechanic Course. Here he qualified as a Driver Mechanic of Armoured Fighting Vehicles Group "C". He receives leave during month of February. Between March 2-14 he is attached to the General Headquarters of the Home Forces. He has leave during month of May. On June 22 he is admitted to No. 22 Canadian Field Ambulance and then moved to No. 1 Canadian General Hospital for appendicitis and is released on July 29. He qualified as a Driver Mechanic of Motor Vehicles. He is Taken on Service with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade in the middle of August. In the middle of January 1944 he proceeds on a Sherman tank training course with the Royal Electric and Mechanical Engineers.
In the Field
On June 2 Trooper McNall embarks from the United Kingdom and disembarks onto Juneau Beach on June 6 as part of the Armoured Corps unposted reinforcement group. On June 8 Trooper McNall is Taken on Service with the 6th Armoured Regiment - 1st Hussars and on June 18 is Taken on Service with the 10th Armoured Regiment - Fort Garry Horse. He was involved in the fight for Caen, Carpitquet, Falaise, the Falaise Road, and Boulogne. Early on the morning of July 25th, the North Nova Scotia Highlanders began their move forward to the village of Tilly-la-Campagne, not knowing that the Germans were waiting for them under well - concealed artillery and tank positions. They allowed the Canadian infantry to come very close to the town before they laid down heavy fire onto the Canadian positions. The North Novas were close to being wiped out, and when the situation was assessed, and they realized just how serious the situation was, the tanks of the Fort Garry’s moved forward.
The Canadians were now subject to fire from all sides. The Germans were able to move about freely using
mining tunnels with ventilation shafts and because of that were able to bring fire onto the Canadian flanks. General Simmonds then ordered searchlights to be shone into the clouds to provide artificial moonlight, but
this order proved to be disastrous as it illuminated the Canadians.
When the order to withdraw finally was given, only about 100 men from the North Novas and Fort Garry Horse came back and only 4 tanks had survived. The tanks from the Fort Garry’s “B” Squadron moved quickly through the wheat fields but immediately came under heavy German fire from enemy tanks and anti-tank guns. Before the North Novas could warn the Canadian armour, 3 tanks had been destroyed. Within 30 minutes “B” Squadron had lost 11 of 16 tanks. It was during this battle when Trooper McNall lost his life.
On November 6 Trooper McNall's wife Pearl and his mother Janet received the Memorial Cross and in the fall of 1949 she received the medals awarded to her husband which included the 1939-45 Star, the France-Germany Star, the Defence and War Medals along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
Trooper McNall is honoured and remembered on the Fort Garry Horse Roll of Honour, on the Memorial Plaque in the Blyth Memorial Hall, on the Memorial Plaques of Lucknow Presbyterian Church and St. Andrew's Presbyterian church in Blyth. He is also honoured and remembered in the Books of Remembrance found in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
