Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 103 MacKEIGAN, William “Bill” WWII Bill was born in Sydney Mines on September 15, 1916. Bill enlisted with the Cape Breton Highlanders in 1937. Along with his brother Johnny, Uncle Albert and many of his friends he was assigned to Company “C” and they trained locally. As a member of the reserves he was immediately called upon when war broke out in 1939. He spent the first years of the war guarding local strategic installations and maintaining coastal watch. In November 1941 he was sent overseas where the Highlanders were merged into the 5th Armoured Division. Bill was deployed to Sicily and subsequently served in Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. As a driver with the 5th Armoured, Bill regularly transported supplies to the front lines; these loads often made him a choice target for the enemy. On one occasion he and a friend were spared when an armour-piercing round hit the pavement between them and ricocheted away without detonating. After the war, Bill worked in sales for various concerns and eventually opened his own business “Cape Breton Trailer Sales” which he operated until his retirement in 1989. He and his wife Irma had four children. Bill was a Life Member of Armstrong Memorial Branch 19 of The Royal Canadian Legion in North Sydney for sixty years. Bill passed away in 2016. Submitted by Armstrong Memorial Branch #19, The Royal Canadian Legion MILLER, Duncan Edward PEACETIME Duncan joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1965. He served as Commanding Officer of HMCS Cowichan, HMCS Nipigon, the Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare Centre and the First Canadian Destroyer Squadron. During the Gulf War in 1990-91, he commanded Canada’s Naval Task Group and served with distinction as Commander of the sixty-ship Allied Combat Logistic Force. His staff appointments have included that of the Privy Council Office’s Defence Advisor to the Prime Minister, Director General Policy Operations in NDHQ and Commander Canadian Defence Liaison Staff London where he was also Defence Advisor to the Canadian High Commissioner. In September 1977, he was promoted to Rear-Admiral and in October 1997, RearAdmiral Miller was appointed Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic. In December 1998, he was appointed Commander in the Order of Military Merit. Rear-Admiral Miller has co-authored a book with Ms. Sharon Hobson of Jane’s Defence Weekly concerning the Canadian Navy’s involvement in the Gulf War entitled “The Persian Excursion”. He and his wife, Ann, have three children all born in Halifax in the 1970s. Submitted Independently
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