Celebrated Canadian war hero remembered
CANADA’s most decorated military hero has been honoured with a special commemorative stone which has been laid in his memory next to the war memorial in his home town of Nairn.
A special ceremony last Saturday marked a century since the start of the Battle of the Canal du Nord, in which John MacGregor was awarded the Commonwealth’s highest military honour, the Victoria Cross for his valour.
The Nairn branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland organised the tribute which was attended by VIPs including Commander Corey Bursey of the Canadian High Commission.
He unveiled an impressive stone on a specially-built plinth in proud honour of his countryman.
MacGregor, a carpenter by trade, emigrated to Canada in 1909 aged 20. In 1914, he enlisted as a private in the 11th Canadian Mounted Rifles.
He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for outstanding bravery after leading the Canadian attack on Vimy Ridge in 1917. The following year he received the Military Cross and Bar, and later the VC for extreme bravery and leadership at Cambrai, France.
During heavy combat, and despite being wounded, he single-handedly put a series of German machine guns out of action and took eight prisoners. He and his company then captured the village of Neuville-Saint-Remy, which was a major contribution to the wider offensive.
He was a modest hero who, according to relatives, never spoke of his wartime achievements and shunned publicity until invited in 1929 to a London dinner for VC recipients hosted by the Prince of Wales. He was persuaded to attend as a tribute to his regiment.
MacGregor also served in WWII, from 1940 to 1946, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and commanding the 2nd Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s). He died in 1952.
Legend has it he considered Canadian citizenship his greatest award.
Speaking after the unveiling ceremony, Commander Bursey said: "The message that I’ve been trying to tell everyone when we do these commemoration events is to not just honour the legacy of some of the war heroes but also to teach the local youth how important it is for us to recognise their sacrifice, so they learn from theirs and our mistakes and not repeat history."
