WAR REPORT: Joel Gilfert of Eldred tells us quite a few McKean
County residents served in the armed forces in Canada in World War
I and World War II, and that several were killed in action.

His comment was in response to a column about former Era
columnist Bob Rogge who had served with Canada in World War II.

“During World War I and II, many McKean County residents went
north to Canada to join their war effort prior to our involvement
in both wars. Several of these men were killed in action serving
the Canadian Commonwealth forces or even in the French Foreign
Legion,” Joel says.

He also passed along a list of the names which we reprint
today:

McKean County’s first casualty of World War I was Pvt. Francis
Guy Dwyer, a native of Port Allegany, who was killed in action on
Feb. 4, 1915, in France, at the age of 20. He was a member of the
2nd Company, 505th Regiment, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light
Infantry, Eastern Ontario Regiment. He is buried at a Canadian
military cemetery in Belgium.

Pvt. Charles Edward Courtwright, a Bradford native, was killed
in action in April 1917 in France, at the age of 28. He served with
the 16th Battalion, Manitoba Infantry Regiment, Canadian Army. He
is buried at a Canadian military cemetery in France.

Pvt. Alexander A. MacDonald, a Bradford native, died of the
wounds he received in France on Jan. 29, 1920, at a Toronto
military hospital. He is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Bradford. He
served in the 19th Battalion, Central Ontario Regiment, Canadian
Infantry.

Pvt. Ernest G. Richardson, a Betula native, was killed in action
on Sept. 22, 1916, in France at the age of 22. He was serving with
the 1st Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment, Canadian Infantry, and
is buried at a Canadian military cemetery in France.

Harmon Dunn Hall, 5th Company, 1st Regiment, French Foreign
Legion, enlisted in October 1914. The Bradford native was killed in
action on June 15, 1915, in France, at the age of 24.

Flight Sgt. Homer W. Muisiner, a native of Kane and graduate of
Kane High School, served with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was
killed in action on April 15, 1944, over Europe, at the age of 23,
and is buried at a Canadian military cemetery in Yorkshire,
England.