John McGregor Private The Calgary Highlanders M/50360 John Mc Gregor was born 22 July, 1920 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the son of Thomas and Tillie Mc Gregor. When John was five years old, he and his parents, together with his brothers Robert and William, and his sisters Nellie and Barbara, emigrated to Canada. They came to live in Bonnyville, Sandy Rapids in Alberta, beginning a new life and building up a farm. Until he was fifteen, John attended the local school in Alberta but his parents moved to another district and John went out to work on farms for eight dollars a week. Bonnyville Sandy Rapids circa 1940 On 15 April, 1941 John joined the army in Edmonton and was placed with the Edmonton Fusiliers. Four days before Christmas in the same year, he was given leave which he spent with his parents. In 1942 he had a spel in the Prince Rupert Military hospital from 11 to 27 April.. At this time his two brothers Robert and William had also joined the Canadian army.. At the end of 1942 on 16 December, John joined the Calgary Highlander's where he continued his military training until 13 May, 1943; at this point he was sent to England to complete it. Here he met Constance Brown who was a member of the W.A.A.F. (Women's Auxiliary Air Force). The next year, on 22 June, 1944, her father, G. Brown applied to the Canadian army asking permission for them to marry. This was granted but too late for the marriage to take place; John was sent to France with his Regiment on 9 July to join the fighting for the liberation of northwest Europe. John was wounded 1 August in the Falaise battle and sent back to the Royal Sussex hospital in England. Royal West Hospital Sussex When he was discharged, he married Constance May Brown on 16 September. Their daughter, Patricia-An was born 28 September. John stayed in England until 12 December and then rejoined the Calgary Highlanders; they had reached the Netherlands by this time, in the Nijmegen and Groesbeek area. Here the Canadian army was preparing for the Rhine offensive, which under the name Operation Veritable began on 8 February, 1945. John McGregor Three weeks later, presumably 26 February, John came in contact with men from the Essex Scottish Regiment in which his brother William was serving and went to look for him. William was with the 11th Field Ambulance; the two brothers met and were able to chat for a short while. This was their last meeting together. John Mc Gregor was killed 27 February near Kleve in Germany by gun fire and was temporarily buried in Bedburg Hau nearby. He was only 24 years old and left his wife Constance May, aged almost 23 and his five month old daughter behind. Later he was reburied 4 September,1945 in the Canadian Military Cemetery, Groesbeek, plot VII. E. 4. Life story Fred Hulsman, Research Team Faces To Graves. Bronnen: Patricia Szalay, John’s dochter Family McGregor http://search.ancestry.com http://svwm.ca/ http://www.cwgc.org http://www.prairie-towns.com http://www.thenovium.org https://www.francisfrith.com http://www.cwgc.org John’s brother William visited the grave together with his son. .