September 12, 2023.  When Pieter begins researching a soldier whose name is on a photo wish list from one of the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands, he quite often finds current family members in various parts of Canada or the USA. 

A zigzag virtual search is not uncommon, but it’s rare that a search from one part of the country leads him right back to our own province of Prince Edward Island! But that’s what happened in the search for a photo of Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ MCLEAN of Edmundston, New Brunswick!

The son of Allan John and Mary Rose ‘Minnie’ (nee Comfort) McLean, Archie was born August 5, 1920 in Edmundston.  When he enlisted in Edmundston on May 14, 1941 at the No. 7A District Field Office, he listed his occupation as paper maker with the Fraser Pulp Company in Edmundston, a pulp mill. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Papers – the Edmundston mill is still in operation, owned by Twin Rivers Paper Company.)

His enlistment form recorded that he had been serving in the 2^nd Battalion Carleton & York Militia since July 1940.  It also noted that he enjoyed skating, and playing hockey and baseball.

Three of his brothers were also serving – and survived the war: Lawrence and Wilfred were in the Canadian Army.  Allan was in the Canadian Navy.  He also had five  sisters: Mae, Patricia, Emma, Theresa, and Hilda.

…The search for a photo of Archie led to two nephews….

The key to finding family came from two of the sisters.  Mae married Bertrand Clarence Michaud, and Pieter contacted her son Michael, who lives in Brunswick, Maine.   Michael didn’t have a photo but said his cousin, Donald Moore, who lives in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, and is himself a veteran, likely would.  Donald’s mother Theresa was another sister of Archie’s.

Pieter then contacted George Dalton, a veteran who lives in Summerside. Did he know him?  “…Yes…” George said.  “…He’s not been well, but someone from our group will contact him…”

In the mysterious way that the Island works, it turned out that Pieter had previously met Donald Moore’s daughter, Tina Mundy!  It wasn’t very long before Tina’s daughter, Erin Mundy Montgomery, sent photos and information.  And a few days later, we met with Donald.

Pieter with Donald Moore and Tina Mundy.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

“…Archie was a good guy…” Donald said.  “… I became 84 years old on July 23, and am the oldest of the cousins.  I spent 38 years in the military, with the RCAF, including a 4 year posting in France.  I made about 20 trips to Holland, but I never knew where Archie was buried…”  A planned trip to visit his grave in 2020 got cancelled due to Covid.

… Archie joined the Royal Canadian Engineers as a sapper….

On May 21, 1941, Archie was assigned to No. 71 Basic Training Centre in Edmundston.  After completing basic training, he was sent to the A5 Royal Canadian Engineers Training Centre in Petawawa, Ontario for training as a sapper on July 25, 1941. 

Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ McLean. (Photo courtesy of Donald Moore)

Life moved quickly for Archie, as on September 27, 1941 he was transferred to the 1^st Field Squadron of the Royal Canadian Engineers.  On October 1, 1941, he passed the Standard Army Trade Test for Pioneer Class ‘C’.   This classification took into account a soldier’s civilian trade skills and experience and meant formal training might not be needed. 

…Archie left Canada for overseas service….

Shortly afterwards, on October 6, 1941, he left Canada, arriving in the United Kingdom on October 19, 1941.

On March 9, 1942, he was reassigned to the Engineer Reinforcement Unit (ERU) for a short period, then was transferred to No. 2 Canadian Construction Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers.  Archie was sent for a number of courses.  He completed a firefighting course on April 6, 1942, a Steel Square course on May 23, 1942, and received a qualification as a Carpenter ‘B’ on June 5, 1942. Around this period, No. 2 Construction Company was designated as No. 6 Canadian Construction Company.

Among the tasks that Archie would have participated in was the building of an RCAF bomber airport in Dunsfold, a task that was completed in a record-breaking 6 months. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunsfold_Aerodrome)

Following the completion of the airport, the Company underwent training in bridge construction.  In January 1943, according to the Company’s Regimental history, ‘The Story of 2 Battalion R.C.E. 1940-1945’  “…we moved briefly into the Worthing area to construct pillboxes to a German design, for a tank outfit to shoot at…”

After that they were tasked with renovations to an airport in Cornwall, in what was not a happy experience. “…After a battalion movement by train, we arrived at scintillating St Eval in the most fearfully depressing rain storm imaginable.  Day after day it lasted…”  Their assignment was “…to construct extensions to the existing standings and runways of the airport….” 

However, “… as soon as the cement had been poured, the rain would drum down, ignore tarpaulins and matting placed over the cement to protect it, and rot it, before it had a chance to set. Yard after yard of it had to be torn up and re-laid…”   (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_St_Mawgan)

Renovations of the airport finally completed, the Company went to “…Bedford, for another spell of bridging…” so that heavy artillery could cross gaps in fields.

On June 1, 1944, Archie was transferred to No 1 Canadian Engineer Reinforcement Unit (CERU).  He briefly entered the world of show business between September 18, 1944 and October 10, 1944, when he was attached to ICA Shows when the Canadian Army Show came to England to perform for troops. He would have been involved in preparing stages and sets. (See https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/canadian-army-show-first-canadian-army-in-the-north-west-europe-campaign-of-1944-1945)

On November 18, 1944, Archie was transferred to the Canadian Infantry Corps (CIC) and assigned to No. 3 Canadian Infantry Training Regiment (CITR).

…Archie joined the Carleton & York Regiment in Italy….

The Carleton & York Regiment was north of Rossi on February 13, 1945.  (Map source: http://www.gosur.com)

On January 4, 1945 Archie left the United Kingdom for Italy.  Then, on February 13, 1945 he was transferred to the Carleton & York Regiment, and reclassified from Pioneer ‘C’ to General Duty.   He joined them as the Regiment was north of Rossi, part of a group of reinforcements, at the tail end of the Italian Campaign. (See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_campaign_(World_War_II))

On March 16, 1945, he left Italy as part of Operation Goldflake, arriving in Marseilles, France two days later.  Operation Goldflake was the codename for moving troops from Italy to North-West Europe.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Goldflake)

The Carleton & York Regiment was now part of the 21^st Army Group. From France, troops were moved up to the Belgian front, into The Netherlands, through the Reichswald Forest in Germany, and then back into The Netherlands.

On April 12, 1945 the Regiment was part of Operation Cannonshot, which led to the crossing of the IJssel River between the villages of Gorssel and Wilp in the eastern part of The Netherlands. (See https://www.liberationroute.com/stories/190/operation-cannonshot)

According to the April 12, 1945 war diary entry of the Carleton & York Regiment, they “…moved across the Ijssel River at 14:30 hours….” to relieve the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada.

On April 13, 1945, the war diary of the Carleton & York Regiment noted that troops were south of Deventer. “…Weather – morning, dull and foggy, sunny in the afternoon, cold at night….”

The objective was to clear Posterenk and move further up. Four Companies of the Carleton & York Regiment were engaged.  ‘D’ Company was to clear Posterenk, while the rest followed in support.  After Posterenk was cleared in the early afternoon, “…At 1538 hrs ‘B’ Company began to move up in carriers with one platoon of tanks in support…”  ‘D’ Company was then held up due to enemy fire.

“… ‘B’ Company pushed through ‘D’ Company but were held up … by small arms and mortar fire…. At 1723 hrs ‘B’ Company moved forward again under heavy mortar fire, these mortars were engaged, also an enemy SP firing on ‘B’ Company from their left…” SP refers to self-propelled weapons.

It got worse. “… ‘B’ Company met with stiff enemy resistance….”  However, “…at 1925 hrs ‘B’ Company had cleared enemy and were moving forward slowly…” Then came a report of more problems. “… ‘B’ Company ….are now … meeting considerable enemy resistance…”

“…So far during B Company’s attack they have eight wounded and one killed, Lt. W.E. Brousseau being one of those wounded…”

Both ‘B’ and ‘D’ Companies came under attack from high explosives. ‘D’ Company reported two wounded during the liberation of Posterenk.  One of these was Daniel ‘Dan’ Peter MACKENZIE. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/06/29/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-victoria-cross-fatally-wounded-during-the-liberation-of-posterenk/) 

Archie was among those wounded on April 13, 1945. While it’s possible that he was one of the two wounded from ‘D’ Company, he has never been mentioned as one of the soldiers that liberated Posterenk.  Therefore, we believe that he was one of the 8 soldiers wounded from ‘B’ Company.

The medical file stated that Archie received shrapnel wounds from a high explosive that penetrated his left chest.  He was taken to No 3. Casualty Clearing Centre, a Canadian military field hospital in Lochem, where he died in the very early hours of April 17, 1945.  He was 25 years old.

The records of his death go back and forth between April 16 and 17, but an ‘Amendment As To Date Of Casualty’ finally determined it was April 17, 1945.  That was the date that he was ‘struck off strength’ for his final pay, for the Estates Department, and on his New Brunswick Death Certificate.

…Archie is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten….

On April 17, 1945, Archie was temporarily buried in the Lochem Civil Cemetery, before being reburied in 1946 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.   

Grave of Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ McLean in Holten, The Netherlands.  (Photo credit: Henk Vincent)

Thank you to Erin Mundy Montgomery, Don Moore, and Tina Mundy for sharing photos and information on Archie McLean.  Thank you to George Dalton and Michael Michaud for help in finding family. Thank you to Barry Miller for helping with information on troop movements on April 13, 1945.  Thank you to Edwin van der Wolf and Henk Vincent, volunteer researchers for the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten and at the Information Centre Canadian Cemetery Holten, for placing Archie’s picture beside his grave and taking a photo for us.

If you have a story to tell, please let Pieter know. You can email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

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