Effects of World War I and II
World War. I can recall two of Willie MacDonald’s
brothers, Hector and Murdock. Hector lived in Wood Islands and had several children. Murdock went to the United States. I do not know what he did for a living, but he was able to return home on several visits and was always a well—dressed gentleman.
Malcolm Smith’s brother, James MacNeill Smith, went to war at the age of 18 years. I passed the house every day on my way to school, but I had never heard of him. He was killed in battle. How I got to know about him was that When Dr. John Bonnell was digging in his gar- den in Murray River, he found a disc to be worn around one’s neck for identification in case of accidents or death. Dr. Bonnell gave it to me when I was a Pension Medical Examiner at Veterans Affairs. I sent it to Ottawa and it came back with the information that it belonged to a James MacNeill Smith. As I knew that Malcolm Smith’s mother was a MacNeill, I was able to trace who he was. I asked several people, including some who had gone to school with him, but none could remember him except Alvin MacKenzie. Alvin said to me, “Don’t you remem— ber that picture of a soldier hanging inside the kitchen at Malcolm Smith’s?” We used to go to Malcolm Smith’s for water for the school. Mary Grace, his sister, used to give us cookies. Will all us old veterans, who thought we
I do not recall all the men that joined up in the first
115