Full Name:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Antigonish District:
Service Rank or Number:
Date of Enlistment:
Location of Enlistment:
Theatres of Service:
Conflicts:
Rank on Retirement or Discharge:
Biography
James “Eddy” Edwin MacDonald was born on October 9, 1926, in Lower South River to John Joseph and Ellen Gertrude (Dunn) MacDonald.
He joined the Canadian Army in June 1944 in Prince Edward Island at the age of 17. He completed his basic training in Fredericton with the Canadian Technical Training Division. He was then stationed in Hamilton, with the war ending shortly after. As a result, he was sent to Vernon, British Columbia, where he trained alongside American soldiers in preparation for deployment to the Pacific. During his training, he earned his Cross Rifles with Crown qualification, which qualified him as a sniper. He was discharged in Halifax on October 10, 1945, at the age of 19.
After his discharge, James became a welder and worked in construction until his retirement in 1991.
He married Donna Marie Collins, and the couple lived in Hamilton, Ontario, where they had five children.
Return to the Antigonish Area Veterans Search