 |
Alan Arnett McLeod
|
Soldier, pilot.
Born at Stonewall on 20 April 1899, only son of Alexander Neil MacLeod and Margaret Lillian Arnett, he attended Stonewall School and was still in school when he was accepted into the Royal Air Force. He left three days after his eighteenth birthday to report to the Flying Corps Training Centre at Toronto, Ontario. By November 1917 he was in France, one of the youngest officers on active service.
On 27 March 1918, he and his observer, Lieutenant A. W. Hammond MC, were attacked by eight enemy planes and eventually crashed in “no man’s land.” Both were wounded several times but Second Lieutenant MacLeod succeeded in pulling his observer from the burning wreckage at great personal risk. On 2 May the Official Gazette reported the awarding of the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant MacLeod. When he recovered from his wounds he returned to Canada, arriving in Winnipeg on 30 September. He was taken on the RAF staff in Winnipeg.
Shortly afterwards he contracted influenza and died on 7 November 1918. He was buried in the Kildonan Cemetery with full military honours. He was inducted posthumously into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame (1974). In 2010, his home at 292 Main Street in Stonewall was designated in the Memorable Manitobans: The Homes program.
“Death claims Lieut. Alan McLeod, Stonewall’s Victoria Cross hero,” Manitoba Free Press, 7 November 1918, page 1.
“Last respects paid Lieut. Alan M’Leod,” Manitoba Free Press, 11 November 1918, page 11.
Pioneers and Early Citizens of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Manitoba Library Association, 1971.
We thank Rick Mutton for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 22 October 2025
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
