George Burdon Mckean
Lieutenant, 14th Canadian Infantry Battalion*. Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Register No.
- 795 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Lieutenant all Lieutenants →
- Unit
- 14th Canadian Infantry Battalion*. Canadian Expeditionary Force (register: 14th Battalion, CEF) all CEF VCs →
- Date of action
- 27–28 April 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 28th June 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Born
- 4th July 1888 at Willington, Bishop Auckland, Durham
- Died
- 28th November 1926 at Cuffley, Hertfordshire
- Memorial / grave
- at Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery, Brighton, Sussex and at the Canadian War Museum
Digest of citation
Lieutenant Mckean's party, operating on the right flank, was held up by grenades and intense machine-gun fire from a Block in the communication trench. The block was well protected by barbed wire and a machine-gun, 30 yards to the rear. The Block should have been destroyed by a previous bombardment, but had been too close to our lines to have been engaged. Realising that the block must be destroyed if the operation was to be successful, Lieutenant McKean ran to the right flank of the Block, disregarding all danger, jumped over the Block, head first, right on top of the enemy. Whilst lying on top of one of the enemy, he was attacked by another, using a bayonet. Lieutenant McKean, shot his attacker, then shot the man lying beneath him who was struggling fiercely. He ran out of bombs and he sent back to the line for a new supply, during which time, he single-handedly engaged the enemy. With the fresh bombs, he attacked the second Block, killong two, capturing four and driving the remainder of the garrison, which included a machine gun, into a dug out. The dug-out, its occupants and the guns were destroyed. If this position hadn't been captured, the raiding party would have been exposed to a dangerous enfilade fire, thus due to his action, many lives had been saved
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
McKEAN, George Burdon. (reg No. 795).
Lieutenant. 14th Canadian Infantry Battalion*. Canadian Expeditionary Force.
London Gazetted on 28th June 1918.
Born on 4th July 1888 at Willington, Bishop Auckland, Durham.
Died on 28th November 1926 at Cuffley, Hertfordshire.
Memorial on grave at Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery, Brighton, Sussex and at the Canadian War Museum.
Digest of Citation reads: Lieutenant Mckean's party, operating on the right flank, was held up by grenades and intense machine-gun fire from a Block in the communication trench. The block was well protected by barbed wire and a machine-gun, 30 yards to the rear. The Block should have been destroyed by a previous bombardment, but had been too close to our lines to have been engaged. Realising that the block must be destroyed if the operation was to be successful, Lieutenant McKean ran to the right flank of the Block, disregarding all danger, jumped over the Block, head first, right on top of the enemy. Whilst lying on top of one of the enemy, he was attacked by another, using a bayonet. Lieutenant McKean, shot his attacker, then shot the man lying beneath him who was struggling fiercely. He ran out of bombs and he sent back to the line for a new supply, during which time, he single-handedly engaged the enemy. With the fresh bombs, he attacked the second Block, killong two, capturing four and driving the remainder of the garrison, which included a machine gun, into a dug out. The dug-out, its occupants and the guns were destroyed. If this position hadn't been captured, the raiding party would have been exposed to a dangerous enfilade fire, thus due to his action, many lives had been saved.
* Quebec Regiment.
Additional information: . Captain McKean also held the Military Cross (MC) and the Military Medal (MM).
Additional information
Captain McKean also held the Military Cross (MC) and the Military Medal (MM).
* Quebec Regiment.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: at Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery, Brighton, Sussex and at the Canadian War Museum
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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