Cemetery: Vimy Memorial

Country: France

Area: Pas De Calais

Rank: Corporal

Force: Army

Official Number: 140001

Unit: 14th Bn. Canadian Infantry (Quebec Regiment).

Country of Service: Canadian

Details: 26th September 1916. Age 18. Son of Robert J. and Mona L. Allan of 156 Queen's Drive Weston Ontario. The three Allan brothers from Weston, Ontario (now north-west Toronto) seemed overly eager to join the fight. Jack, the eldest at 22, gave up his job as the accountant and office manager of a furniture company to enlist in the 19th Battalion (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada) in November 1914. His two younger brothers – Robert and Leonard – did likewise the following July, but in the 75th Battalion (later the Toronto Scottish) which was raised from the 9th Mississauga Horse, the local militia regiment in which both boys claimed membership. (Jack also stated having militia experience but didn’t identify the regiment.) There would appear to have been a bit of skulduggery regarding Leonard’s age because his date of birth on the Attestation Paper has been obviously altered. Library & Archives Canada can’t decide, so they have put a question mark against it. It is quite clear that Leonard wrote his true date of birth (13 February, 1899) and then realized (or it was pointed out to him) that he was well under the age limit at 16 years and 5 months. So the last digit was changed to a 7, and it is quite obvious. What is also strange is that his regimental number (140001) is the one immediately before Robert’s, but the form is signed and dated July 30, 1915, seven days after his brother’s. After reaching England in the Fall of 1915, both boys were transferred to the 14th Bn (The Royal Montreal Regiment). They participated in the major engagements of 1916 and were promoted to corporal, but Leonard fell at Regina Trench during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. By April 1917, Robert was a Sergeant-Major and through his courageous actions a Vimy Ridge not only won the Military Medal, but was promoted to Lieutenant. He topped that a year later by winning the Military Cross for his night raid on enemy lines. He was scheduled to return to England in September to receive his MC from the King, but while on a course in France an urgent call went out for officers, so he returned to the front. He died August 11, 1918 at the age of 22, once more leading his men in battle. Jack was the only one of the three to survive the war, although wounded three times. He also received a battlefield commission (in 1916) for gallantry under fire. Sources: Toronto Star; Library & Archives Canada

Photograph by David Milborrow