Memorial Cross, ERII (R-135795 LAC J.K. MacMILLAN), in sterling silver, maker marked with the C. Lamond Fils insignia and marked "STERLING" on the reverse, suspended from a hanger bearing two maple leaves with pinback; Defence Medal; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas Clasp; and War Medal 1939-1945. Un-mounted, the MC exhibiting contact marks, the three medals pristine with their original ribbons and in their boxes of issue. Accompanied by a Reproduction Photograph of MacMillan in Uniform (black and white, measuring 102 mm (w) x 152 mm (h)), along with copies of his Attestation Paper, Service Records, Discharge Certificate and a Canadian Pension Commission Memorandum.
Footnote: James Keith MacMillan was born on June 2, 1923 in Sudbury, Ontario, the son of James Alexander MacMillan and Ada Gillis MacMillan (nee Poapst). He attended Wales Public School, Milleroche School and Lunenburg Public School (1928 to 1938) and Wales Continuation School (1938 to 1940) in Wales, Ontario. Wales is a ghost town and is one of Ontario's "Lost Villages", which was permanently flooded by the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958. MacMillan was a resident of Wales when he signed his Attestation Paper as an Aircraftman 2nd Class (R.135765) with the Royal Canadian Air Force "for the duration of the war", on October 27, 1941 at No. 12 RCAF Recruiting Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, at the age of 18, naming his next-of-kin as mother, Mrs. Ada Gillis MacMillan of Wales, stating that he had no previous military service, that he was Single, that his religion was Baptist and that he was a Tradesman (Farming). He listed sports that he engaged in as swimming and skating.
MacMillan was posted to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto, Ontario as a Standard Tradesman with the rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class, later achieving the rank of Aircraftman 1st Class on March 2, 1942. Two weeks later, he was transferred to No. 5 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) in Brantford, Ontario on M1942, then returned to hospital the following day on the 28th for another two week stay, until April 12th. Five and a half weeks would go by before he was once again hospitalized, this time for nine days, from May 20th to 29th. The reasons for these hospitalizations are not stated within his service records. He was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman on June 2, 1942, then transferred and posted to KTS Trenton (Composite Training School) in Trenton, Ontario on September 14, 1942, until October 1st, before returning to No. 5 SFTS in Brantford on February 1, 1943, his character noted as "very good".
Leading Aircraftman MacMillan was destined for overseas service, his departure from No. 1 Y Depot in Halifax, Nova Scotia taking place on March 8, 1943, arriving in the United Kingdom on March 17th. He was posted to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre located at Bournemouth in the south of England on March 18, 1943 and subsequently assigned to 402 Squadron at the RCAF Station at RAF Digby near Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England on March 27th. It was here that he joined No. 3047 (RCAF) Servicing Echelon on August 1st. However, LAC MacMillan was declared "non-effective sick" at RCAF Station in Digby on December 23, 1943 but returned to service with No. 6402 (RCAF) Servicing Echelon on April 1, 1944. As he was in ill health, he was posted to "R" Depot, RCAF PDC (Personnel Despatch Centre) in Warrington, Cheshire, England on June 16, 1944, the centre used for Canadians returning home. LAC MacMillan was invalided to Canada, where he was posted to RCAF Station Rockcliffe in Ottawa, Ontario on July 13, 1944 for a little over two and a half months, before seeing his final posting, to No. 3 RCAF Training Command Discharge Unit in Montreal, Quebec on October 6, 1944.
R.135765 Leading Aircraftman James Keith MacMillan Royal Canadian Air Force was discharged at No. 3 RCAF Training Command Discharge Unit in Montreal, Quebec, "on medical grounds and transferred to the general section of the Reserve Class "E" ", effective October 10 1944, credited with having served two stints in Canada (October 29, 1941 to March 17, 1943 and July 13, 1944 to October 10, 1944) and one in the United Kingdom (March 18, 1943 to July 12, 1944), his trade proficiency stated as "satisfactory". He listed his upcoming residence as 151 Pitt Street in Cornwall, Ontario. For his Second World War service he was awarded the Defence Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Overseas Clasp and the War Medal 1939-1945.
A little over six years after being discharged from the RCAF, the illness would claim his life. James Keith MacMillan died on December 27, 1950, in Cornwall, Ontario, at the age of 27. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Ontario, his grave marker bearing the RCAF insignia and engraved "R.135765 L.A.C. / JAMES K. / MacMILLAN / R.C.A.F. / 27th DEC. 1950". In a Canadian Pension Commission Memorandum dated January 27, 1951 at Ottawa, Ontario, it stated his cause of death as "tuberculous meningitis with probably a tuberculoma of the brain". It went on to state that "In the opinion of the Commission, death was related to military service (World War II)." The Memorial Cross was awarded to his mother, however, he had married after the war and it was determined that his widow, Mrs. Jean C. MacMillan was not eligible for the cross.