John Campbell was my great, great grandfather. He was born on 15 January 1882 in Branderburgh, Parish of Drainie, Elgin. On 25 September 1903, Perth, Scotland, he married Agnes Rankine Watson. Prior to emigrating to Canada, they had three children - Colin, Jean and Lilly. They moved to Edmonton, Alberta in 1911 where they had two more offspring - Ean and Patricia. During the first world war, my great, great grandfather signed up twice; the first time in 1915 (service number 436409), and then again in 1916. According to his attestation papers, in 1916 he changed his date of birth from 1882 to 1892 - likely because in the first instance he was dishonourably discharged for being drunk and disorderly! Regardless, the sacrifice that he and so many others made for future generations should never, ever be forgotten. Would that I had known him. Would that he had not died in vain. To plagiarize Jon Snow, war is "humankind’s most grievous cancer, for its cells infect conflicts in every corner of the world." When will we ever learn?

Flora Cain