Private Malcolm MacLeod was 24 year old miner originally from Stornaway, Scotland when he attested into the 56th Battalion at Calgary in June 1915. In June 1915, he was initially sent as a reinforcement to the 8th Battalion but upon arrival in France he was diverted to the 15th Battalion and assigned to No. 1 Company. He took part in the trench tours at : Givenchy in June, Ploegsteert in July & August, Hill 63 in August and the long September-December tour on The Messines Road. In 1916 he fought at Mount Sorrel in June and that year’s trench tours at: January-March back on The Messines Road, Hill 60 in April- May- June & July and Pozieres in September. He was wounded during the battle for Regina Trench near Courcelette on The Somme on September 26th and was evacuated and transferred to the UK for further medical treatment before rejoining the battalion in July 1917.
Private MacLeod was attach posted to the 3rd Brigade MG Company that same month and while serving with that unit, he suffered a GSW to the leg at Hill 70 in August. He was evacuated to No. 20 General Hospital, Camiers and from there to series of medical facilities in the UK — Leicester- Epsom-Ontario Hospital, Orpington- and the Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bromley. He returned to the battalion in September 1918 and took part in the battle of the Canal du Nord, the Pursuit to Mons and the Occupation Force in Germany post Armistice.
The battalion left Germany in early January 1919 and was in Bas Oha, Belgium awaiting embarkation to the UK when he contracted influenza on February 3rd. Tragically he died at 9:55 PM on February 9, 1919 at No. 50 Casualty Clearing Station and was buried at Huy (La Sarte) Communal Cemetery.
NOK: Son of John Macleod, of 17, Knock Point, Stornoway, Scotland. Also served in R.N.R.
