Alexander Ian McFarlane

Alexander Ian McFarlane (known by his family and friends as Jimmy) was born on October the 1st 1921, on 6th Allan Place, Ottawa, Ontario. He was a confident, pleasant and mature young man that attended the Glebe from 1935 to 1940. His parents were Alexander Thomas McFarlane and Lillian Marceline McFarlane and he had two sisters called Edmund Kaufman and Margaret McFarlane. He lived his whole life in Ottawa, on 19th Fifth Avenue. Alexander was a blue eyed and dark haired healthy boy who enjoyed shooting, cycling and swimming in his leisure time. He was Anglican, Christian and was single.

When Alexander was only nineteen years old he answered the call of war. He had served in the army before in Artillery during four years, being winning war prizes one of his hobbies. He was smart and very appreciated in the army. Alexander was recommended as an air gunner at first but ended up being a W/O (Wireless Operator) in the R.C.A.F unit. He worked his way up, being Sargent and finally Pilot. He earned many awards: 1939-45 star, African star, the defense Medal award, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp and the War Medal 1939-45.

Alexander Ian McFarlane died in service on December the 30th 1942 in a flying accident overseas. He was the pilot of the No. 159 Squadron RAF when they crashed, after getting lost in the clouds. Alexander and his tribulation are buried together in the Commonwealth War Cemetery, in Damascus, Syria. This soldier is listed as Jimmy on his grave marker as he was mainly known by that name. On his his marker stone, the following epitaph was written in his honor: “Even now we see him smiling his good-bye, leaving us forever, far away to die”

Primary Source Documents : https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2937392?Alexander%20Ian%20McFarlane

Works Cited

Government. “McFarlane, Alexander Ian.” Government of Canada, Government of Canada, 17 10 2024, https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Search?DataSource=Genealogy|Military|Kia&FirstName=Alexander%20Ian&LastName=McFarlane&. Accessed 26 10 2024.

Government of Canada. “Alexander Ian McFarlane.” Government of Canada, Government of Canada, 29 01 2024, https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2937392?Alexander%20Ian%20McFarlane. Accessed 26 10 2024.

The biographies appearing on this website have been written by students, roughly the same age as the soldiers they are studying, using primary source evidence from Library and Archives Canada, in addition to primary source documents from The Virtual War Memorial on veterans.ca. We welcome any corrections or additions you may have to these biographies.

'If we do preserve it, we honour them, and when we in our turn pass on, we will know that behind us lives a generation of free men and of free women to be the keepers of this great heritage of ours - Canada.'

- Ian A. McPhee, former student at GCI, 1937.

Glebe Collegiate Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

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