Georges LeClaire: Service and Sacrifice

Georges LeClaire (Leclerc) was born June 7, 1886, into Mary Cecilia Ferris and Frank Benjamin Leclerc’s growing Métis family. Born only five years after the railroad's arrival, Georges LeClaire's childhood unfolded during a time of rapid growth and rising tourism in Mattawa. 

In 1908, Georges married Mary Vanasse, and three years later, their only child, Margaret Ida, was born. Georges was working as a guide in Mattawa when he voluntarily enlisted for service overseas during the First World War on April 10, 1916, at the age of thirty.

Initially training with the 130th Battalion through the summer, Georges sailed with the unit at the end of September, arriving in England on October 6, 1916. His resourcefulness and leadership as a guide back home were evident when he was temporarily appointed to serve as acting lance corporal on October 9, 1916, following the battalion's dispersal to the 12th Overseas Battalion.

By December, Georges was prepared to be transferred to the front lines, arriving on December 6, 1916, and joining the 75th Battalion on the field just ten days later. However, by the end of the month, he had returned to the rank of private. 

In the months leading up to the Battle of Vimy Ridge, trench raids were becoming routine for the Canadian Corps. One such raid on the night of February 28, 1917, into the morning of March 1, took drastic measures, with all ranks in the 75th Battalion taking part near Zouave Valley. The raiding parties dealt with gas and artillery attacks, pushing them into No Man's Land during the early morning of March 1. 

Enemy casualties were presumed to be high, but the 75th Battalion also suffered a substantial loss during the battle. Over a hundred were wounded, sixty-eight killed, and thirty-one reported missing, including Georges. 

One week later, on March 8, 1917, Georges was officially confirmed to be killed in action during the March 1 morning raid. Two months later, on May 8, 1917, Georges’ wife, Mary, was finally notified of his death.

Georges’ service and sacrifice are commemorated at the Vimy Memorial, which stands on the highest point of Vimy Ridge overlooking the Douai Plain. His memory is also honoured at the Mattawa Cenotaph, and remains in the hearts of all who remember the countless Métis who served with such courage and conviction across generations.

See Our Sources

• Georges Leclaire CGWP

• Georges Leclaire Service File

• McDonell-McKay VMFL

• 75th Infantry Battalion War Diary, December 1916

• 75th Infantry Battalion War Diary, March 1917

• Mattawa Written Submissions to the Expert Panel

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