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Victory Medal
Biography
Corporal John S. MacIsaac was born August 22, 1895 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the son of Duncan John MacIsaac and Mary Isabell Mackenzie. MacIsaac’s parents where both from Nova Scotia, his father having immigrated to the United States in 1882 and his mother in 1894. MacIsaac’s paternal grandfather Donald MacIsaac married Bessie MacDonald of James River, Antigonish County and lived in Glencoe, Inverness County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. MacIsaac’s father Duncan returned to his hometown of Glencoe when his father died and sold the property at Glencoe. He then moved to his mother’s family home with his family in 1904.
MacIsaac enlisted in the 106th Battalion of the Nova Scotia Rifles, March 14, 1916 in Antigonish, Antigonish County. Prior to enlistment MacIsaac worked as a lumberman.
MacIsaac sailed from Halifax on the S.S. Empress of Britain to England with the 106th Battalion on July 15, 1916. Once in England, MacIsaac was transferred to the 26th Battalion on September 21, 1916 and fought in France with this unit. He was then briefly transferred to the 72nd Mining Company of the Royal Engineers from Feburary 14, 1917 to March 15, 1917 when he was transferred back to the 26th Battalion. With the 26th Battalion, MacIsaac served near Wimereux, Boulogne, Etaples and Dunkirk France. MacIsaac was appointed to Lieutenant Corporal May 7, 1918 and was then promoted to Corporal August 8, 1918. In 1919 MacIsaac was posted to various stations in England and was sent back to Canada on July 15, 1919 due to demobilization. MacIsaac was discharged due to demobilization on July 25, 1919 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
After the war, MacIsaac resided in Lower South River, Antigonish County and was listed as a farmer in the 1921 Census of Canada. He married Florence Anne Chisholm of Marydale, Antigonish County January 17, 1922 at St. Andrews Catholic Church, St. Andrews, Antigonish County. They had three daughters and a son. By 1930 they were living in Yonkers, Westchester, New York where MacIsaac was working as an automobile mechanic. MacIsaac continued to work as a mechanic until his retirement. By 1974, MacIsaac was residing in Antigonish County once more at the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home in Antigonish. He was listed as separated from his wife. MacIsaac died May 5, 1974 at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish, Antigonish County. He is buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, St. Joseph’s, Antigonish County.
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