Alan Campbell Panting, from Bala, Ontario, enlisted with the 48th Highlanders of Canada in Toronto. He was given the service number B73682, which is an early number for the battalion indicating that he enlisted very early in the war. He is not on the sailing list with the battalion for December 1939 so appears to have sailed later, in 1940. In the UK he was assigned to C Company and the first record of him is for leave from 22 Jan to 19 Jan 1941. Pte Panting remained with the battalion through 1941 and 1942.

After a short time in hospital in early 1943 he returned to the battalion on 6 April. On the 29th the battalion moved to Scotland, practicing assault boat landings at Gourock in preparation for the voyage to Sicily and the landing at Pachino, Sicily on 10 July.  On 29 July, Panting fell sick and was sent to the Field Ambulance as the battalion was preparing to attack Regalbuto. He returned to the battalion at the end of the Sicilian campaign having participated in the battles for Assoro, Nissoria and Agira,

Pte Panting continued with the battalion for the crossing of the Straits of Messina on 3 September, then chasing the retreating Germans to the taking of Campobasso in October, then the crossing of the Moro River and the battle at The Gully to take the roads leading into Ortona. On 21 December, Panting, now promoted A/L/Cpl as of May, was transferred to the X-3 list (hospital), likely suffering from malaria he had acquired in Sicily. He returned to the battalion, (likely early January) missing the outflanking of Ortona when the battalion on 24 December penetrated over 2km behind the German lines, threatening the only roads available to the Germans in or out of Ortona.

On 2 September 1944, after the conclusion of the Gothic Line battles at Rimini, and with the battalion at rest in Miramar,  Panting , now L/Sgt, was sent to Sniper Course at Wpn Trg School CMTC, returning to the battalion on 16 October as the battalion was fighting through the mud of Lombardy. Panting remained with the battalion for the Lamone River Crossing, then the transfer to NW Europe in March 45 with the 1st Cdn Division, tasked with the final liberation of the Netherlands. While the battalion rested and prepared, A/Sgt Panting went on leave to the UK, 26 March to 5 April. Returning to the battalion he was confirmed Sgt and was with the battalion for Operation Cannonshot, from 12 to 17 April, the liberation of Apeldoorn.

Sgt Panting was not on the sailing list from NW Europe to the UK on 4 September as the battalion began the first stage of returning to Canada. (Service records required to complete service details)

Sgt Panting was unique, one of the handful of 48th Highlanders who were with the battalion for the entire campaigns of Sicily, Italy and the Netherlands. He met and married in England to Doris Hedley.