Lieutenant Colonel Donald William Allan, DSO
Lieutenant Colonel William Donald Allan, DSO was November 25, 1879, the son of James D. Allan, of Toronto, Ontario, and the late Minnie C. Allan. He attended Harbord Collegiate in Toronto and was member of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. In his civilian life he was a meteorologist.
Allan served in the First World War with the 3rd Battalion which he rose to command but unfortunately died later in England of wounds he had received at Langemarck and The Somme.
He is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Grave 11-27.
Military Service Record
- c. 1897 he joined the Queen’s Own Rifles probably as a rifleman (per WWI attestation papers)
- June 5, 1901 – Provisional Lieutenant
- July 30, 1901 – Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant
- September 1914 – he was a Captain when he attested for CEF at Valcartier
- November 17, 1915 – Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF
- October 1, 1916 – Died of wounds.
This is a photo of L.Col Allan’s gravemarker in a Toronto cemetery. It was taken by Padre Craig Cameron of The Queen’s Own Rifles in 1998.
Front page of 1914 CEF Attestation papers for the Captain William Donald Allan
