Travel on the Scotsville-Lake Ainslie road in the early 1900's was still by horse and buggy. In those years the road was narrow and gravel, and brand new iron bridges spanned the Margaree at Scotsville, and Trout River. The five young men in this story were all born in the 1890's and grew up on small farms in Scotsville and Lake Ainslie, and like thousands of other young Canadians went overseas to fight in World War. They didn't return home. The steeple of the East Lake Ainslie Presbyterian Church was built to honour their memory. About a quarter mile west of Scotsville you arrive at the farm where Dan MacGregor lived with his parents and seven brothers and sisters. Today, his niece and nephew, Annie and Chris MacGregor, live on the farm. Dan was born Jan. 20, 1890. His parents were John and Annie (Robertson) MacGregor. He attended a one room school on the hill above the Scotsville bridge. Later he went to Pictou Academy for his grade twelve. He became a school teacher and moved out West where he taught in Eastwood, Saskatchewan. He also lived in Atwater, Sask. Out West Dan got to know his Robertson cousins who had moved there earlier . "One day", his niece, Annie , says "he was going up the street. This man was coming with a double team of horses. Dan stepped out on the street and grabbed one of the horse halters to stop the man. He said, 'You got to be related to me, you look so much like my Uncle Neil.' The man turned out to be his first cousin." Dan enlisted out West. He belonged to the Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment, 102 Battalion). In October of 1916 he came home to Scotsville for his embarkation leave. Judging from a letter he later wrote to his sister, Mary, he left home for overseas on Saturday, Oct. 27. Before leaving he removed the braid from his uniform and hung it on an upstairs bureau. Much to his family's credit it still hangs there. Continuing on from the MacGregor farm you go down the hill and cross the bridge. At the crossroads, a couple of hundred feet from the bridge, you turn right and head up the lake. About a quarter mile you arrive at the farm where John Grant MacKay lived with his parents and his nine brothers and sisters. Being born Feb. 20, 1890 John Grant was just a month younger than Dan MacGregor, and the two would have grown up together in Scotsville. John Grant's parents were John (Iain Iain Rouadh) and Kate (MacLean) MacKay. When John Grant was 17 both his parents died, only a month between them. The MacKay family home still stands, and is next door to Buck Campbell's. John Grant enlisted in the First Quebec Regiment where he was Private, number 3081960. About four miles up from John Grant's you arrive at Morris MacLean's. He, too, came from a large family, having nine brothers and sisters. He was born May 4, 1892. His parents were Allan (Ailean Iain) and Sarah (MacFayden) MacLean. In recent times Morris's brother Howard lived on the family farm. Morris was a boyhood friend of Charlie (CRF) MacLennan who was raised by his grandparents at Charles Neil MacLean's. The two boys would walk to school together. If Morris would leave early he would put a stake out by the road to let Charlie know he had already gone. Morris's nephew, Donald MacMillan, who lives in Halifax, remembers hearing that his uncle was talented in art. "He was a natural cartoonist," Donald says, "He could take a pencil and quickly draw a likeness of a person that was instantly recognizable." About two miles up the road from Morris's you arrive at Malcolm MacKay's. In the household were Malcolm's parents and his eight brothers and sisters. Malcolm was born Sept. 22, 1895. His parents were Donald (Domhnull Chaluim) and Maggie (Cameron) MacKay. Tragedy befell the family in 1908 when Maggie died during childbirth. Malcolm's sister, Annie, then about 18, look over her mother's duties of raising here younger brothers and sisters. But managing the household was difficult and the family struggled. Malcolm and his brothers would dive from the top of the Trout River bridge. His brother, Johnny, is especially remembered for his ability to swim. Malcolm enlisted with the Nova Scotia Regiment of the Canadian Infantry, Service Number 222611. Charles Neil MacLean, who went to school with some of the younger MacKays remembers Malcolm visiting the school while home on embarkation leave. "He was in uniform," Charles Neil recalls, "He was friends with the teacher. He came in to sign the register." This was the MacMillan's Mills School, located at the line fence between Peter MacMillan's and D.J. MacLean's, on the upper side of the road. It would have been the same school that Morris MacLean and Charlie MacLennan attended. To get to Colin MacRae's you would have to go right around the lake. He lived at Claver House, West Lake Ainslie. Colin had five brothers and sisters. He was born May 30, 1894, and his parents were Murdoch and Katie (McGonigal) MacRae. His mother was from Belfast, Ireland. The MacRae's attended the East Lake Presbyterian Church so, to save time and distance, they used a boat to come across to services. Lula MacDonald remembers watching their boat arriving at the shore below the church. Plus, in winter, they would travel back and forth on the ice. Colin enlisted in Inverness on Feb. 22, 1915. He belonged to the Canadian Infantry (Nova Scotia Regiment, 25th Battalion). Two letters that Dan MacGregor wrote to his sister, Mary, still exist. They are owned by Mary's daughter, Myrtle MacDougall. Following is the first letter, written from Edinburgh, Scotland, 1916: Dear Mary - I imagine it will be quite a surprise to hear from me out here in Scotland. But first I had better tell of our trip across the ocean. I arrived in Halifax about 8 P.M. that Saturday, waited till Tuesday night for our Batallion, spending most of the time with John Y. MacKinnon & his young bride, who used me generously. Went on board the ship Tuesday night - about 12 but did not sail till about 5 o clock Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 31st), we were packed in pretty tight, as we had about 6,000 troops on the "Empress of Britain" which, even if it was a large boat, it was about 2,000 too many. When they had been sailing about 4 hours it was some place. It was some desperate. I was so sick I wished I would die, in fact I ate about three meals all the way across, and we did not land untill Nov. 11th So we were on the water for ten days, my food for that time was oranges and pickles. Landed in Liverpool about noon Nov. 11th, got on the train and went to East Sandling, a camp about 60 miles from London, and about 3 miles from Shorncliffe. Landed about 2 o'clock Sunday morning (12th Nov,) we were given huts and slept for a couple of hours, and believe me they had some time to wake us we were so tired, but there was no mercy we had to be on prade at 7 a.m. we were examined by two Drs. most of us passed, we were then transferred from 195th to the 32nd Reserve Battalion, Our officers were all taken from us, one of them, Major Weir, cried when he heard he could not go with us and asked to be reverted to the ranks in order to go with us, but they would not do it. We were on parade for two days, and got along fine, Then we were given a 6 day pass and our fare to any place in the Kingdom so thats how I happened to be in Edinburgh and it certainly is some town, went all through Edinburgh Castle today, which was a rare treat, was in the room where Henry I was born, Queen Margaret's Chapel, which is 800 years old, saw the carriage on which the remains of Queen Victoria was carried from Osborne to Cowes (Isle of Wight) and the arms of the Knights of old, also where they used to keep their prisoners, I cant tell you all I saw, it certainly was grand. Our leave will be up on Nov. 21st, and then for hard, we will be in the trenches for Xmas, Saw in the paper where Mervyn Robertson was wounded in the trenches last week, Too bad. Kind regards to all, Write soon The second letter of Dan's was written from France, Dec, 7, 1916. Dear Mary - Just a few lines to let you know Im living and enjoying life, arrived in France about 2 days ago, during most of that time we have been marching across country, and when you are loaded down with a heavy pack, ammunition, rifle, masks, etc. and tramping through muddy roads, bully beef and hard-tack to eat, So you see it is no snap. However thats we started out to do, and we are game to carry it through. Norman was left at the base in France, D.D. Robertson is with me, so with two of us it is not so bad. We are resting here for a short time before going into the trenches, This is a small French Hamlet where we can get lots of wine and some of the boys have a great time you hear nothing but French all the time, I want to you a post card and a souvenir of France but they wont allow such things to be sent to U.S.A. from here, well my news are limited so must ring off with love and best wishes for Merry Xmas & Happy New Year to all, Be sure and write soon, Try and send me some reading material anything in the reading or eating line will be much appreciated. Your loving brother Pte Dan E. McGregor (90753) 102nd Batt (Can) B.E.F. Army Post Office London, Eng. The conditions in the trenches of World War One have been said to be indescribable to anyone who wasn't there. It was the primary method used by both sides to fight the war. Dan MacGregor writes, "and then for the hard, we will be in the trenches by Xmas" On Jan 9, 1917, just over a month from when he wrote his last letter to Mary, he was killed. Dan is buried in the Zouave Valley Cemetery, France, which lies on the western side of Vimy Ridge. John Grant MacKay survived the war but contracted tubercolosis while overseas. He died in Montreal on his way home. His remains were taken home to Scotsville, and he is buried with other members of his family in the East Lake Ainslie Cemetery. Both Morris MacLean and Malcolm MacKay fought in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The battle was launched at 5:30 A.M. on Apr. 9, 1917. It was a well-planned attempt by the Canadians to capture the ridge from the Germans who had held it for two years. 983 artillery pieces and 150 machine guns started to fire in unison at the German army. The overhead sound was said to be deafening. The Canadian Army was successful in capturing Vimy Ridge, and it is remembered as being one of Canada's greatest moments in warfare. But it came at great cost. 10,000 Canadian soldiers were killed or wounded. Among those were Morris MacLean and Malcolm MacKay. Malcolm MacKay died Apr. 11, 1917. Charles Neil MacLean, who remembered Malcolm visiting his boyhood school while home on embarkation leave, also remembers that later on a lady came to the school to tell about Malcolm. "She came and told the news that he was killed. The rest of the family went outside bawling and crying. It was a sad day for them," Charles Neil says. Malcolm is buried in the Villers Station Cemetery, near the village of Villers-au-Bois, France. Morris MacLean was injured at Vimy Ridge, and taken to a hospital in England where he died on June 19, 1917. He is buried in the Manchester Southern Cemetery, Lancashire, United Kingdom. Colin MacRae died a year earlier on Apr. 14, 1916, in Belgium. His name is on the Menin Gate (Ypres) Memorial, Belgium. The memorial bears the names of 55,000 men who were lost without trace during the defence of the Ypres Salient. But Colin's military medals were managed to be saved, and later sent home to his family. Plus, a small Bible, its pages stained with his blood, that he carried in his breast pocket. Following is Colin MacRae's obituary. A Brave Nova Scotian Private C. J. MacRae killed while fighting for the cause. Ottawa May 18 - Private Colin J. MacRae, of Claver House West Lake Ainsile Inv. Co. is another brave Nova Scotian boy who has been killed in action at the front. He was a sturdy young, Canadian soldier, very popular in his battalion and his death is keenly regretted by his "pals" and the officers. Private MacRae knew no fear and was always anxious to attempt the most difficult and dangerous tasks at the front. His coolness in action and good spirits made him a general favourite with his comrades-in-arms. He had many friends in Inverness Co. who will long remember the brave lad who died for his country, nobly doing his bit for the great cause."