TOPIC:

Statement Of Service

Served in the ranks of the Permanent Force “B” Squadron Royal Canadian Dragoons from 5th December 1893 to 1st January. 1900.

Awarded: Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Medal in Bronze.

Served in action in the South African War, 251 – Squadron Sergeant Major, 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles / Royal Canadian Dragoons 1st January 1900 to 1st December 1900,

Served in action in the South African War, Lieutenant / Captain Canadian Scouts, 1st December 1900 to 15th May 1902. Commanding Officer Canadian Scouts 1st February 1902 to 15th May 1902, Commanding Canadian Scouts Coronation Contingent.

Awarded: Distinguished Service Order, (London Gazette - 31st October 1902), Queen's South Africa Medal – Cape Colony / Orange Free State / Transvaal / Diamond Hill / Belfast, King's South Africa Medal – South Africa 1901 / South Africa 1902, Mentioned in Dispatches

Served Canadian Militia as a Lieutenant in the Canadian Mounted Rifles from 11th December 1902 to 13th August, 1903.

Appointed Lieutenant 14th August, 1903 in the Royal Canadian Dragoons Permanent Force.

Brevet Captain 14th August 1908, Captain, 21st January, 1911

Proceeded Overseas for service in World War One, with Royal Canadian Dragoons, Promoted Rank Major, 4th October, 1914

Proceeded to France 4th May 1915, with the Royal Canadian Dragoons

Attached to Headquarters 1st Canadian Division, 3rd June, 1915 and appointed Assistant Provost Marshal.

Transferred to Headquarters Canadian Army Corps as Assistant Provost Marshal, 3rd September 1915.

Commanding, Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion, 17th May 1916 to 9th December 1916.

Camp Commandant, Canadian Corps 10th December, 1916

Appointed Lieutenant-Colonel 1st June, 1917

Awarded: Bar to Distinguished Service Order, (London Gazette – 18th July, 1918), 1914 – 1915 Star, 1914 – 1919 War Medal, Inter-allied Victory Medal,
Mentioned in Dispatches 15th June 1916, 4th January 1917 (London Gazette 29890)

Proceeded to England from France, 11ths May 1919

Returned to Canada, 6th June 1919

Assumed Command, Royal Canadian Dragoons, 18th June 1919

Retired from the Permanent Force, 4th September, 1919[/size]







He was the last Commanding Officer of the Canadian Scouts....

Now to find all the rest of his medals......

Mike

Good find Mike

Hi Mike,

I'm a new member here, and I have a story to tell:

Last week, a co-worker of mine (knowing that I have an interest in all things Military) asked if I would be interested in taking a look at some old photos she had of her relatives.
Of course, I very interested. The next day she arrived with a box full of old photo albums and studio portraits of what I could see was QUITE an impressive Military family.
One photo in particular caught my eye: it appeared to be a studio portrait of an officer or the Royal Canadian Dragoons, and I immediately pointed out to her that he had been awarded the DSO.
Turns out it was a photo of her Great Grandfather Lt. Col. Alexander McMillan. She could tell I was somewhat impressed.



Next day, she called me into her office. She told me that she had visited her mom after work the day before, and told her of my interest.
She then pulled out an old cigar box and asked me to take a look inside. I think you can guess what was inside: the full rack of her Great Grandfathers medals.



After catching my breath, I explained to her what each medal was, and showed her that most of them were also named (she had no idea)

Here are the naming details of the medals in the group:

DSO: Un-named
QSA: 251 S-S-M: A. MC MILLAN. R. CANDN: DGNS: (impressed)
KSA: Capt. A McMillan , Candn. Scouts. (engraved)
14-15 Star: MAJOR A. McMILLAN. R.CAN.DNS: (impressed)
BWM: LT. COL. A. MC MILLAN. (impressed)
Victory Medal: LT. COL. T. F. RITCHIE. (impressed)
1897 Jubilee: Pres.T.d. by H.R.H. Prince Wales to Sergt. A. McMillan B.S.R.Cd. (engraved)
1902 Coronation: Un-named

I was of course curious as to why the Victory Medal was named to Lt. Col. T. F. Ritchie.
She told me that Thomas Ritchie was the brother of her Great Grandfather's wife!
We then noticed that the Victory Medal was SEWN onto the ribbon.
I suggested that perhaps he had lost his Victory Medal somehow, and "borrowed" his brother in law's as a replacement.

A quick Google search led me to your forum post Mike.
I can tell you that his Great Grand Daughter is grateful for having the Mystery of The Missing Medal solved!

PS: I also discovered that Lt. Colonel Alexander McMillan lived to the ripe old age of 98, and was awarded the 1967 Canadian Centennial Medal just before his death in 1968.

Craig Robins

Hello Craig......

I guess I can give up the last comment that I made in my first post about putting the group back together...... But knowing that they still exist and are with the family makes a great deal of difference..... I will now have to delete my automatic search on echo bay.....

Now all that has to be done is put together the group belonging to LT. COL. T. F. RITCHIE.

Mike

I visited his gravesite in 2018 at Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada