Lieutenant Hugh M MacLeod

Hugh Murray MacLeod was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, the son of Alexander Ford and Margaret Marion MacLeod (nee Ross), of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada.

He was 5’ 9½”, 155 lbs, Dark complexion, Brown eyes, Brown hair and with 20/20 vision. He enlisted in the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, and was commissioned as Lieutenant on 26 December 1940. He volunteered for Airborne forces and transferred to 1st Canadian Parachute battalion on 30 April 1942, and qualified as a parachutist at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA on 21 December 1942. He was promoted to Captain on 17 March 1943 and to Major on 16 January 1944 and was posted to command C Company. He arrived in England on 28 July 1943, and took part in Operation Overlord (Normandy).

Major MacLeod and the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion jumped into Normandy on the night of 5/6 June 1944. He was killed in action on 6 June 1944, aged 25, and was given a field burial at Varaville. He was re-interred to Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France, on 3 September 1945.

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