"Archie"

John Archibald MacNaughton

"I am awful glad I was in it. No matter how things go..."

John Archibald MacNaughton was born in Black River Bridge, New Brunswick in October 1896. He had two sisters, Katie and Annie.

Archie, as he was called by all who knew him, enlisted in the First World War in November 1915. He served with the 104th and 236th battalions as a private, and was discharged in 1919 after fighting in France and Belgium.

Archie was a prolific writer. Throughout his service in the First World War, he wrote over a hundred letters home to his father John and his sisters Katie and Annie. He also kept a regular daily diary.

Black and white portrait. Archie poses seated, in uniform, during the First World War — Archie in the First World War

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Archie enlisted in the First World War in November 1915.
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A typed form with handwritten entries. — Archie's First World War Attestation Papers

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Archie enlisted in the First World War in November 1915, shortly after his 19th birthday. This attestation paper records the information he was required to provide in order to enlist. Please find transcription below.
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Letter from Archie to his father, handwritten on YMCA letterhead. — Letter to Father

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Archie details what a regular day looks like for him in this October 1916 letter to his father. The text is transcribed below the images of the letter and envelope.
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Handwritten letter from Archie to his sister. — Letter to Sister

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In this letter to his sister Annie dated 1 April 1918, Archie lists all of the things he must carry on his person. He also mentions Gracie MacNaughton, who would later become his wife. The letter is transcribed below the images of it.
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He returned home to Black River Bridge, where he would marry Grace, raise two children (Francis and Margie), and farm his own land. Archie was an active member of his community, and well-loved by all who knew him. He taught Sunday School and was a devout Christian. Archie attended annual summer training camps with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, rising in the ranks and esteem of his men.

Black and white photograph. Archie and Grace pose for the camera after their wedding. Archie wears a suit, and Grace is in a short gown and veil, holding a large bouquet of flowers. — Archie and Grace's Wedding

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Archie and Grace got married in September 1932.
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Black and white photograph. Archie and his family sit on the lawn of their farm. Archie holds on to the family dog Brownie. Daughter Margie, wife Grace, and son Francis are to his left. — Archie's Family on Their Farm

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Archie sits with wife Grace, daughter Margie, son Francis, and the family dog Brownie on their farm in Black River Bridge, New Brunswick, date unknown.
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Black and white photograph. Archie, in uniform, has his right arm around daughter Margaret. Wife Grace is to his left, and son Francis is to her left. — Archie and His Family

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Archie and Grace had two children: a son named Francis and a daughter named Margaret. Photo circa 1939.
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In 1939, he enlisted in the Second World War at the age of 42, quick to do his duty for his country and his men. By September 1940, he had earned the rank of Major. In 1942, he received the Extended Service Award.

Based in Aldershot, the regiment underwent extensive training with Archie always taking special care to ensure that his men were the best in appearance and soldierly bearing. In return, the men respected and admired him perhaps more than any other officer in the regiment.

Black and white photograph. Archie poses and smiles for the camera in his uniform, in front of a train car. — Archie in Uniform

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Black and white photograph. Archie, in full gear, sits on a grassy hill, surrounded by other lounging soldiers. He's looking away from the camera. There's blurred writing on the corner of the photo. — Archie During the Second World War

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Black and white photograph. Archie sits inside a small tent. The shadows make it difficult to see, but he is crouched over a letter he is writing. — Archie the Writer

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Black and white photograph. Archie, far right, sits on a bench with three much younger men. All are in uniform and are smiling. — Archie and 'A' Company

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Black and white photograph. Archie stands at attention, with a smile, in front of a military vehicle. — Archie in His Gear

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Major John Archibald MacNaughton

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John Archibald "Archie" MacNaughton, circa 1939.

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Archie was the Company Commander for 'A' Company of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment. In August of 1941, during a training exercise, they were selected to be inspected by General Andrew McNaughton. This event was described in Canada's Weekly magazine, a New Brunswick Newspaper, and in a letter Archie wrote to Grace.

Handwritten letter on blue paper. — Letter to Grace

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In this August 1941 letter to Grace, Archie details his impressions of General Andrew McNaughton and expresses his wish that they will meet again to discuss their shared heritage. The letter is transcribed below the images.
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Newspaper column. — McNaughton Inspects MacNaughton - Newspaper Clipping

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A newspaper clip dated 9 September 1941, taken from an undetermined New Brunswick paper, provides an additional perspective of Archie meeting Lt. Gen. Andrew McNaughton. The article is transcribed below.
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A series of 6 black and white photos show Andrew McNaughton inspecting various Canadian troops. Archie is in the left centre photo. The two men appear to converse casually. — Andrew McNaughton Inspects Canadian Troops

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These images were printed in *Canada's Weekly*, 29 August 1941 edition, in a series titled “The Canadian Corps Commander Inspects the Third Division.” They offer an additional perspective of Archie's meeting with Andrew McNaughton. Archie and McNaughton can be seen conversing in the centre left photo. Without Archie's letters, there'd be no way to know what they were talking about! The caption of the image showing Archie simply identifies him by name: "Centre: Left - General McNaughton talking to Major J. A. MacNaughton (Black River Bridge, N.B..), with, at left, the O.C. of a New Brunswick Regiment."
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Lieutenant-Colonel D.B. Buell, commanding officer of the North Shores, several times offered Archie the opportunity to retire prior to D-Day or to return to the relative safety of Britain or Canada in a training role. Archie was 47 and had already served in a previous war. No one would have begrudged him the decision to accept Buell’s offers. But he consistently refused, insistent on leading his men into battle. They saw him as a father figure and he treated them as brothers and sons. In a letter dated 18 July 1943, the men of 'A' Company wrote to Archie:

"We who have had the honour and privilege of serving under you will always remember you as a commander who we trusted as a leader, and who was a friend and father to us when we needed help or guidance."

Archie continued his habit of letter writing from the First World War. He wrote Grace hundreds of letters while he was away from home. Two days before the invasion, on 4 June, he wrote to his wife, “Don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for some time…This has been a busy time, but I am awful glad I was in it. No matter how things go.”

A handwritten letter. — Letter to Grace

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In this 4 March 1942 letter to Grace, Archie addresses his two children as well as his wife. It's clear from his writing, which is transcribed below, how much he misses them and his home. The hand addressed enveloped is also shown.
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On D-Day, 6 June 1944, the North Shores assaulted Juno Beach at the seaside village of St. Aubin-sur-Mer. Historian Marc Milner has referred to MacNaughton’s 'A' Company as the “premier assault company in the whole 3rd Division.” And they lived up to their billing, thanks to Archie’s meticulous training, fearless leadership, and the men’s personal bravery. 'A' Company suffered 50 casualties that day. Despite being shot through the hand during the initial landings, Archie pushed on with his men beyond the village. One North Shore officer recalled that after Archie’s men had so successfully proven themselves, Archie was “all smiles.” The North Shores encountered unexpected German resistance in the nearby village of Tailleville. Of the nearly 800 men of the regiment who landed that day, 125 became casualties, including 34 killed. The only North Shore officer to lose his life was Major John Archibald MacNaughton, killed by German machine-gun fire at Tailleville.

Black and white photograph. A white cross stands at the head of a fresh grave, beside several others and near a French flag. The graves are under several trees. Each has a bouquet on top of it. — Archie's Original Grave

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Black and white photograph. Men in various uniforms stand among a field of white crosses, lowering a coffin into a grave. A military padre stands at the head of the grave. — Archie's Funeral

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A black and white image shows a white cross grave marker. — A Grave Marker

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Colour photograph. Archie's grave, in Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery. Flowers and small Canadian flags are planted in the ground at its base. — Archie's Final Resting Place

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In a letter dated 3 August 1941, Archie wrote to Grace:

"I don’t dread the future for myself for life will bring what is mapped out for us. I just wonder about those we have left behind. You have the hard part, but all we can do is trust the future, make the best of life as we meet it."

After hearing of the loss of her husband, letters Grace wrote to friends and family attest to the fact that she certainly did have the hard part. She was left with two children and a farm she couldn't maintain. To her brother Mack, on 5 July 1944, she wrote:

"He was such a good husband and father, and we had so many plans made for the future. I had hoped right up to the last that he wouldn’t go into action… I hardly know which way to turn. I can’t think yet. I was working so hard to keep the place going for Archie and now there seems to be nothing to work for."

She wore her Silver Cross with pride, eventually moving to Edmonton with her family. In the 1960s, she would finally get a chance to visit her beloved Archie's grave, saying one final goodbye.

Today, Margie, Archie's daughter - only 5 years old the last time she saw her father - still misses him, and wonders how different her life would have been if she had known him better. "He was a good man, and I only hope that I turned out half as good as he was."

Colour photograph. Grace, in a long purple coat, stands behind Archie's grave with her hands resting on top. Her Silver Cross is pinned to her chest. Emotion is visible in her face. Other gravestones can be seen in the background. — Grace at Archie's Grave

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Grace finally had an opportunity to visit her late husband's grave in the 1960s. She wore her Silver Cross, bestowed upon her when Archie died in 1944.
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Colour photograph. Margie smiles in front of photos of her father, with her mother's Silver Cross pinned to her pink shawl — Margie and Her Father

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Margie MacNaughton, now in her eighties, wore her Mother's Silver Cross with pride in front of the Juno Beach Centre's *From Vimy to Juno* display, which showcases Archie's story, 24 November 2016.
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Thank you to the family of Major J. Archie MacNaughton for allowing us to share his story.

Historica Canada, with the support of the Juno Beach Association and Archie's family, released D-Day Heritage Minute which tells Archie's story. You can watch it here on Historica Canada's website (external).