On April 9, 1917, Alexander Windram died on the first day of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
One hundred years later, his grandson is finding out that people still care.
Alexander McKinnon, a retired banker with thick, wavy, white hair, totes a briefcase with his granddad’s medals, photos and important family documents.
The thought of his namesake’s personal sacrifice and news that his grandfather is being honoured with an archival display — and, possibly, a local lake being named after him — almost brings him to tears.
“I’m pretty impressed,” Alexander McKinnon told The Tri-City News. “It’s a little bit emotional for me to talk about. He went to war so his children and his children’s children wouldn’t have to, and that’s me. I’m pretty grateful.”
This month, the city of Coquitlam will have a display of postcards that Alexander Windram, a Maillardville resident, sent to his wife, Mary, while in training in Vernon before shipping out to Europe. City archivist Emily Lonie has also prepared an online display about the family, which can be seen www.coquitlam.ca (see related story).
As well, the family is waiting to hear whether GEO BC will accept the family’s request to have three lakes between Eagle Mountain and Cypress Lake named for three members of the Windram family who all died in the First World War.
“I think the adults of the day are starting to realize the sacrifice and that freedom isn’t free,” McKinnon said. “It was paid for in one god-awful war. We have a responsibility to act accordingly.”
He gives special credit to the efforts of Port Moody resident Guy Black and Coquitlam Search and Rescue in helping the family make its place naming proposal.
McKinnon grew up in Maillardville; his mom Elsie was Windram’s daughter and his dad was Murray McKinnon, a log scaler. And with Elsie’s birthday and the anniversary of the first day of the Vimy battle both on April 9, the WWI tragedy was never far from family consciousness.
About 35 years ago, McKinnon said, Elsie visited her dad’s grave at the Arras Road Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France, and he made his own pilgrimage four years ago with his granddaughter, a special visit, McKinnon recalls, as it was like passing on the torch of remembrance.
It wasn’t always so easy, however, to obtain recognition for this family tragedy. In fact, the family nearly lost the medals and other commemorative items given to Alexander’s widow upon his death when a number of the items loaned to an acquaintance for a local Remembrance Day exhibit ended up on eBay.
Notified by a sharp-eyed memorabilia collector, the family managed to contact the seller but still couldn’t get the items back without paying the dealer $2,000 — a settlement that still stings.
“He traded on another man’s valour,” McKinnon said.
The Silver Mother’s Cross, a round bronze plaque bearing the dead soldier’s name and WWI Allied Victory and British War medals are back in the family’s possession, but the experience shows just how precious these family memories are.
Now, with the centenary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge approaching, it appears these memories are important for Coquitlam to remember as well.
• All three Windrams who died in the First World War were residents of Coquitlam who had immigrated from Scotland. A request has been sent to GEO BC to have lakes named after John Windram, who was killed on March 16, 1917; William Windram, who was killed Sept. 8, 1917; and Alexander Windram, who was killed on April 9, 1917. A number of other Coquitlam residents died in WWI and their names are contained in the Roll of Honour hung on the second floor of city hall.
