In Remembrance of Clifford Angus McDonald (1922-1944)

Many descendants of John Culbert and Mary Ward served in the Second World War from 1939-1945. Too many to list, in fact.

Sadly, some of those men and women never came home. Such was the case for Bombardier Clifford Angus McDonald of Jasmin, Saskatchewan. 

Source: The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan), 25 July 1944, page 11.

Born 14 Sep 1922 in Tate, Saskatchewan, Clifford was the son of Culbert descendant, Verna Smith (1898-1982) and her husband, George Earl McDonald (1892-1982).

At some point, the McDonalds moved from Tate to Jasmin, Saskatchewan, northeast of Regina. Jasmin was once a thriving small community but the 2011 Census showed a population of just 5 people.

Clifford McDonald enlisted when he was 18 years old. He served as a bombardier with the Royal Canadian Artillery, Field Regiment 13. His service number was L/26396.

The clipping above shows that Clifford went missing, overseas. As the next clipping shows, Clifford was killed in action on 7 June 1944; one of the fallen heroes of Normandy, a battle which had just begun. Clifford Angus McDonald was 21 years old. 

Source: Star-Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), 1 February 1945, page 10. Clifford died on 7 June 1944 but the newspaper printed the date as 17 June.

Clifford was single with no children but he left behind his parents and nine siblings. The clipping above shows that one of his siblings, Corporal Clair McDonald was serving overseas. It should say that Clair was Clifford's brother not his sister.

Clifford is buried near Clintheaux, France in the Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery. Cemetery/memorial reference: XIV. G. 1. His surname is misspelled on the headstone as MacDonald instead of McDonald and his age is given as 22 although it was actually 21.

Clifford is commemorated on page 371 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance, housed in the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower of the Canadian Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario.

Clifford Angus McDonald's Family Tree:
Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (great-great-grandparents)
Elizabeth "Eliza" Culbert & Richard Dagg (great-grandparents)
Maria Matilda Dagg & Johnston Smith (grandparents)
Verna Smith & George Earl McDonald (parents)