Royal Canadian Engineers

Keith Mabin McLean was born to Alex and Louise May McLean on 27 November, 1921, in Tomstown Ontario. He was working as a farmer in Temiskaming, ON, when he opted to travel to Toronto to enlist in the Royal Canadian Engineers on 15 October, 1941 (his brother Alan also enlisted in the RCE and served in NW Europe). Spr Kieth McLean arrived in the UK on 19 April, 1942, and qualified as Group C Pioneer in February, 1943. He arrived in Italy on 8 November, 1943. Sapper Keith McLean was posted to 10 Field Squadron. His older brother, Private Alexander J McLean, Canadian Forestry Corps, arrived in Italy nine months later as a Group C Forester (edgerman/log canter) assigned to the Log Centre of the West Nova Scotia Regiment. Keith and Alexander would serve together in the 5th Division. By September, 1944, it was apparent that both the 1st and 5th Divisions were not going to be reinforced in any significant way, as the vast majority of replacement troops in Canada and the UK were being sent to north-west Europe. The Canadian commanders in Italy became desperate to replace the wounded and the dead, of the combat units, with any soldiers who could be quickly taught some basic infantry skills. Those replacements came from the support trades. On 16 September, Private Alexander McLean, the Group C Forester, was posted to the Cape Breton Highlanders to be employed as an infantryman and was killed in action on 13 December, 1944, during the Lamone River Crossing. Alexander had a ‘direct burial’ in a cemetery that would become known as the Villanova Canadian War Cemetery. In January, 1945, the 5th Division was attacking the Germans north of Ravenna on the Adriatic coast. Sapper Keith Mabin McLean was killed in action on 12 January, near Conventello-Commachio. He was buried in the Ravenna War Cemetery. In July his mother requested that his body be moved to Villanova for burial with his brother Alex. In December Keith’s body was exhumed and transported south to the Villanova Canadian War Cemetery.

Sapper Keith McLean and his brother Private Alexander McLean share grave 7B3.