In memory of

Lieutenant Colonel

John McCrae
January 28, 1918
Boulogne, France
Military Service:
Age:
45
Force:
Army
Unit:
Canadian Army Medical Corps
Division:
No. 3 (McGill) Canadian General Hospital
Citation:
Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Additional Information:
Date and Place of Birth:
November 30, 1872 Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Family Members:
John McCrae was the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel David McCrae and Janet Simpson Eckford McCrae.
He had a sister, Geills, and a brother, Tom.
Interests:
John McCrae began writing poetry while he was a high school student in Guelph, Ontario. As a young boy,
he was also interested in the military. He joined the Cadet Corps at 14 and at 17. Anecdotes:
The day before he wrote his famous poem, (In Flanders Field), one of McCrae's closest friends was killed.
Wild poppies were already beginning to bloom between the crosses marking the many graves. Deeply
saddened at being unable to help his friend or the others who lost their lives, he used poetry to give a
voice to those who could no longer speak.
On January 28, 1918, after an illness of five days, he died of pneumonia and meningitis. The day he fell ill,
he learned he had been appointed consulting physician to the First British Army, the first Canadian so
honoured.