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George William McDonald
Name: Service No Rank Battalion/Service Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Date of Enlistment: Place of Enlistment: Address at Enlistment: Age at Enlistment: Height: Complexion: Hair Colour: Eye Colour: Previous Military: Martial Status: Trade: Religion: Next of Kin: Date of Discharge: Date of Death:
George William McDonald 734403 Private 112th Battalion/25th Battalion March 2, 1875 Yarmouth, NS March 15, 1916 Yarmouth NS Yarmouth, NS 40 5 feet, 11 inches dark grey dark Brown 29th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery Married Machinist (boiler maker) Roman Catholic Catherine A McDonald (Wife), Yarmouth, NS January 18, 1919 (Halifax) Demobilization June 11, 1930 (Aged 54) Yarmouth, NS George McDonald, the son of James and Emmeline (Saulnier) MacDonald of Yarmouth, enlisted in with the 112th Battalion. He embarked Canada on the SS Olympic at Halifax on July 23, 1916 and disembarked Liverpool England on July 31, 1916. In England he transferred from 112th for oversea service in France with the 25th Battalion on October 5, 1916 and arrived at the Canadian Base Depot in France on October 6. He left for the front lines on October 22 and arrived with the 25th Battalion in the field on October 22, 1916. He was sent to a Field Hospital on December 24, 1916 suffering from an infection (furunculosis) and was admitted to No.5 Canadian Field Ambulance on December 26. He returned to the field on December 31, 1916. On April 28, 1917 he received a bullet wound to his left thigh above the knee and was admitted to No 1 Canadian Field Ambulance and on April 30, 1917 was transferred to the County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans. On July 7, 1917, his wound having healed but still painful, he was moved to the Military Convalescent Hospital at Woodcote Park, Epsom, Surrey where he remained until July 16, 1917. On discharge he was taken on strength with the 17th Reserve Battalion at Bramshott and transferred to the 25th Battalion in the field (France) on November 25, 1917. On June 18, 1918 while in the field Private McDonald was sentenced to 28 days of Field Punishment No 1. for being in possession of goods the property of the 25th Battalion and intoxication on June 12. Field Punishment No. 1, generally entailed labour duties and attachment to a fixed object such as a post for two hours a day. Soldiers viewed Field Punishment No. 1 as particularly degrading. He was again wounded in the field on August 11, 1918 with a gun shot flesh wound to his right thigh and was admitted to the Military Convalescent Hospital at Woodcote Park, Epsom until September 17, 1918. After a leave of absence until September 25, 1918 he was assigned to the 2nd Canadian Command Depot at Bramshott, England and struck off strength to the 17th Reserve Battalion on October 31, 1918. On December 12, 1918 he was transferred from the 17th Reserve Battalion to the the Canadian Expedition Force in Canada. He returned to Canada on December 12, 1918, sailing from Liverpool, England to Halifax. George McDonald died on June 11, 1930 from heart failure at the age of 54. He was buried in Our Lady of Calvary Cemetery, Yarmouth on June 14, 1930.