Regimental Number: 437257
Rank: Company Sergeant Major
Branch: 14th Battalion
John was born Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia on October 6, 1887. He came to the Peace Country to work as a forest ranger in 1911, and enlisted in the Canadian Army in Edmonton in May of 1915. On August 1, 1916, John cut his hip by sitting on a knife (see pages 49 and 53 of his service file for more details). On August 7, 1918, John received severe gunshot wounds to the head and neck at Amiens (see page 60 of his service file for details). He was paralyzed in both arms and legs for some time after the injury. On December 12, 1922, John married Mary Lundir MacBeth Lawson. They came to the South Peace in 1923 and filed on NW 33-73-3-W6. John was an instructor at the training camp in Grande Prairie during the Second World War. He died in Saanich, BC on March 25, 1958.
Sources: surname database (under Jack); Wagon Trails Grown Over p. 931-938; April 4 1958 p. 4 c. 5