Murdock McPherson MacKinnon

by Marilyne Lambert

Murdock McPherson MacKinnon was born in Guysborough, Nova Scotia on June 4, 1894. He had been a member of the 19th Alberta Dragoons for 3 years when he signed up for the Overseas Expeditionary Forces on Feb. 3,1915 in Edmonton. He then served with the 61st O. Battery C.E.F. 15th O/S Brigade C.F.A. His Regiment # was 501286. Murdock was a Surveyor by trade.

His younger brother Chambers, a Student, born Sept.3, 1896, also in Guysborough, signed up with the Overseas Expeditionary Forces, 4th Overseas University Co. C.E.F. on Oct. 8th, 1915 in Montreal. He had also been a member of the 19th Alberta Dragoons. Chambers, Regiment #475401, was wounded on May 2, 1916 while on service in Europe. He recovered and was promoted to Lieutenant. He was then attached to the 3rd Echelon Headquarters where he continued to serve until he was demobilized.

The boys had come to Edmonton around 1901 with their mother Christiana and younger brothers to join their father, D.H. MacKinnon, (my great grand uncle). D.H. was a lawyer in Strathcona with offices in Dawson, Yukon during the gold rush days. Unfortunately D.H. passed away on March 26, 1919. I don’t know if he ever had the chance to see his two eldest sons again.

The brothers returned to Edmonton after being demobilized in early 1919 and continued their lives in Edmonton where their descendants still live today. They are both buried in the Edmonton Mount Pleasant Cemetery in the family plot.