Sergeant (Drummer) Christopher Adle McKay was a 28 year old farmer from St. Stephen, NB with three years pre-war service in the Militia with the 71st York Regiment when he attested into the 12th Battalion at Valcartier in September 1914. He was initially sent as a reinforcement to the 14th Battalion in August 1915 but transferred to the 15th Battalion in October 1915. Sergeant McKay was posted initially to No. 3 Company but was transferred to Battalion HQ (Pipe Band) in December and served in the October-December trench tour in trenches 138-142 on the Messines Road.
During the January-February 1916 trench tour back on the Messines Road he came down ill with pleurisy and was briefly evacuated to No. 3 Canadian Field Ambulance before rejoining the unit at the end of that month and served in the trench tours on the Messines Road in March, Transport Farm and Hill 60 in April – May as well as the battle of Mount Sorrel in June. During the July trench tour near Hill 60 he injured his ankle and was hospitalized at No. 19 Stationary Hospital, Omer before being evacuated to England for treatment first at 2nd Western General Hospital, Manchester and then at the Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bearwood. He was transferred to Workingham and assessed as medically unfit for field service. He remained in England and was attach posted to the 1st Central Ontario Regiment Depot where he remained until he returned to Canada in April 1918. Sergeant McKay was posted to M.D. # 7 in Fredericton, NB until he was discharged later that year. His service file does not contain the details but he died of service related illness on February 19, 1919 and is buried in St. Stephen Rural Cemetery, NB.
NOK: Son of H. Dowling McKay and Mary E. McKay, of St. Stephen; husband of Kitty McKay, of St. Stephen, New Brunswick.