Michaels, John Lewis (M.M.)

Sergeant, Worcestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion

Born June 20th, 1911
Died April 7th, 1941

Son of Michael A. and Muriel Hart Michaels, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Born in Westmount.

John attended Argyle and Westmount High Schools prior to Bishop’s.

Received his B.A. in 1935 (The Quad, 1935, p.24).

Played for the Junior Rugby team in 1933 (The Quad, 1933, p.45).

Year representative on the 1933 Committee (The Quad, 1933, p.4).

John developed an interest in the Palestine throughout his time there after university. He spent months in Kfar Yeheskel and at Ain Harod. He undertook Zionist work while in London.

John specialized in tactics and mortars while serving with the Artists’ Rifles in London. His unit was later relocated to the Palestine in 1938, where John served with the Imperial Forces in subduing the Arab riots. There he was awarded the Military Medal (M.M.) for bravery. John’s regiment continued operations in the East at the start of the Second World War. He was killed in action. (Veterans Affairs Canada).

The late Archdeacon Scott of Quebec City wrote of John, in a letter to the family:

“In Honor, Chivalrous,
In Duty, Valorous;
In all things Noble,
To the Heart’s Core, Clean.”

Burial Information:

Khartoum War Cemetery, Sudan

Grave reference 7. A. 1.

Resources:

The Mitre Archives

Veterans Affairs Canada