MCEWEN, MELVILLE ‘MEL’ Reg. # K69617
Mel McEwen was born in 1907, son of Joseph and Ann (Davis) McEwen of Balsam.
Mel McEwen’s interview with John Macfie is recorded in John’s book ‘Tales From Another Time’ pages 287-290. Mel, together with Lloyd and Lester Quinn and Phil McEwen joined the army in Vancouver. Mel identified that the 4 were sent to Chiliwack for basic training and then to Dundurn, Saskatchewan. Mel was transferred to the 12th Manitoba Dragoons who were part of day two of the Normandy invasion. The story is continued in John Macfie’s book.
Mel recounted to John Macfie that he was in a support troop. Most of their work was at night. They would go ahead of the line and see what was going on , find out where their strong points were and come back and report it. We did most of our work on foot. Many times we would right in the midst of the enemy. There were eight of us with just two corporals as leaders.
“We never carried rations because we wouldn’t be gone that long, sometimes just an hour and a half, maybe an hour, see what we wanted to see and come right back. We usually took Bren guns and rifles. .”
Mel McEwen
Below, Mel McEwen is in the forefront carrying a Bren gun in this photograph taken in Holland in 1944.
James Melville 'Mel' McEwen
