Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Captain N. M. MacLean, 13th (Royal Highlanders of Canada) Battalion, Canadian Infantry, who having survived a chlorine gas attack at Ypres in April 1915, and three separate wounds in the interim, was killed in action in August 1918

1914-15 Star (24741 Pte. N. M. MacLean,13/Can. Inf.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. N. M. MacLean), very fine (3) £250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Canadian Forces.

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Norman MacLeod MacLean was born in Inverness, Scotland, on 10 March 1891. A Bank Clerk by occupation, he enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force at Valcartier in September 1914 - when he stated that he had previous service of four years in the 4th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders.

Embarked for England, he went out to France in February 1915, was present at the unit’s baptism of fire in the 2nd Battle of Ypres - when the Germans used chlorine gas for the first time - and was commissioned in the Field that June.

Severely wounded in the right leg by shellfire at Ypres on 24 January 1916, he returned to duty, only to be wounded again that June - in the thigh - when a shell exploded above his dug out on 29th. Having then once more returned to an operational footing, as a Company C.O. in the temporary rank of Captain, he was wounded in the neck at Vimy Ridge on 9 April 1917.

Finally, on 8 August 1918, he was killed in action, a costly day in the history of the Royal Highlanders of Canada and one in which two of their number won V.Cs.

MacLean was 27 years old and the son of Roderick and Isabella Maclean of Clifton Lodge, Inverness, who suffered the loss of two other sons in the same conflict. He is buried in Hangard Wood British Cemetery; sold with copied service papers.