Personal Profile Collections
John Donald Macintyre
Short Biography:
John Donald Macintyre was born in Sydney, NS, on November 13, 1895, the son of Dr. Duncan Kenneth and Winifred Margaret (Gannon) Macintyre. John, or John D as he was more commonly known, was raised and went to school in Sydney and was a student when he joined the 94th Victoria Regiment “Argyll Highlanders” a local highland militia unit. On November 16, 1914, after the declaration of war, John D enlisted in the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles), an overseas unit, headquartered in Halifax. The 25th Battalion recruited across the province and contained a large percentage of men from Cape Breton. After several months with the 25th Battalion, John was transferred to the Army Medical Corps before being discharged for unknown reasons on February 10, 1915. It’s possible that his father, who was a respected medical doctor in Sydney, may have worked behind the scenes to have his son transferred to the Army Medical Corps rather than see him serve at the front in an overseas infantry unit. Regardless of the reasoning, before long, John D managed to find himself in another overseas infantry unit.
On July 6, 1915, John D was attached to the 40th Battalion (Nova Scotia) for instruction. The 40th Battalion was an overseas battalion that recruited in Nova Scotia and had detachments in various communities across the province. The detachments came together at Camp Aldershot, NS, before relocating to the large Canadian training base in Valcartier, Quebec. On September 15, 1915, John D attested with the 40th Battalion at Camp Valcartier with the appointed rank of lieutenant. He went overseas to England with the 40th Battalion the following month.
While in England, the 40th Battalion became a reserve battalion to train and provide troops to Canadian units already at the front. John D took training courses in England and was sent to France for a month on what was called conducting duty, where he spent time at the front to gain valuable firsthand experience. John D was sent back to France on July 7, 1916 as an officer reinforcement for the 24th Battalion (Victoria Rifles). The 24th Battalion had mobilized in Montreal, Quebec, and had been fighting at the front since September, 1915. It was a part of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, as was the 25th Battalion, John D’s original overseas battalion.
In mid September, 1916, the 24th Battalion was involved in a major Canadian attack on the Somme battlefield in France, later known as the battle of Flers-Courcelette named after two towns. It was during this fighting that John D was wounded on September 17, 1916. He received a gunshot wound to his right upper thigh. He was admitted to the 20th General Hospital in Camiers, France, on September 21st and invalided to Military Hospital Chatham, in England, on September 25th. He was not discharged until December 6, 1916.
John D rejoined the 24th Battalion on January 26, 1917 but at the end of the March he was hospitalized again after coming down with influenza. After his discharge from Liverpool Merchants’ Hospital in Etaples, France, he returned to his unit on April 10, 1917.
John D remained with the 24th Battalion for the rest of the war. He was mentioned in despatches on May 28, 1918, and he was awarded a Military Cross for distinguished and commendable service in battle. The London Gazette for January 10, 1919 describes his actions that earned him a Military Cross:
“He was indefatigable in his efforts while in charge of a party evacuating wounded men from the field of battle, and his splendid example of cool gallantry under intense fire of all descriptions inspired the men he was commanding to their utmost efforts, in spite of casualties. In one instance wounded were rescued from the enemy wire.”
John D returned to Canada in May, 1919 and was demobilized from the army on May 21, 1919 with the rank of acting captain. He remained active with the militia in the 1920's and was an officer in the Cape Breton Highlanders when that unit was organized from the old 94th Victoria Regiment "Argyll Highlanders." In 1921 he held the rank of major and commanded "B" Company. In addition to his militia service, John D attended Dalhousie Law School in Halifax and graduated with his law degree in 1922. He became a partner in a law firm in Sydney and later moved to Antigonish. He married Frances Margaret MacGillivray of Sydney.
In 1939, with the beginning of the Second World War, John D volunteered for service again and was posted to the Headquarters Military District 6 in Yarmouth, NS. While John D and Frances were living in Yarmouth their son Ian was born. Later, in 1941, the family moved back to Sydney where John D was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion (Reserve) Cape Breton Highlanders. His posting was effective January 1, 1942, and he was responsible to organize the new battalion. Because of his legal background, John’s next position was in the Office of the Judge Advocate General in England. This required him to revert to the rank of major and move to London. His wife and young son moved in with her parents for the duration of the war while John D was away. In the late summer of 1944, after the liberation of Reims, France, John D took part in reorganizing and stabilizing postwar affairs. Shortly after that, John D was severely injured in a military vehicle accident that left him partially paralyzed and required him to be invalided back to Canada.
After the war, John D taught himself how to deal with his condition of partial paralysis and carried on with both work and family commitments. He returned to work in the legal profession and in 1951 accepted an appointment as Provincial Magistrate. He held court in the Cape Breton communities of New Waterford, Sydney, Baddeck, Ingonish, Louisbourg and Glace Bay until his retirement in 1956. John D passed away on August 4, 1966 at the age of 70.
John D was laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery in Sydney Forks, Cape Breton.
Notes on the Collection:
Thanks to Col. (Retd) Ian Macintyre, son of John Donald Macintyre, for allowing medals and newspaper clippings pertaining to his father to be copied for this profile. Ian commanded the 2nd Battalion The Nova Scotia Highlanders (Cape Breton) from 1975-1979.