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Medal Ceremony, 1916


This image captures the moment when L/Cpl. William Alexander McLean (426144) of the 10th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, moved forward and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal from Lieutenant‑General Sir Edwin Alderson in early August 1916. The two men face one another in an open field near Locre, the soldier rigid with discipline, Alderson leaning in slightly as he fastens the ribbon to the soldier’s tunic. Both can be seen wearing the heavy, practical uniforms of 1916 — puttees wrapped tightly around their legs, tunics squared, steel helmets put aside for the ceremony — while the soldier’s expression, though somewhat obscured, did manage to exude a mixture of pride, exhaustion, and solemnity typical of those brave men decorated in wartime. Behind them, soldiers stand at attention, their formation creating a quiet frame of witness to the moment.

The site chosen for the ceremony added depth to this momentous scene. Locre (Loker), a small Flemish village west of Kemmel Hill, served as a rear-area rest zone for Canadian units rotating out of the Ypres Salient. The open ground, the clear daylight, and the relaxed spacing of the assembled troops all signal that this is a temporary reprieve from the front rather than a battlefield presentation. Yet the men’s bearing — straight-backed, boots planted in the churned earth — reminds the viewer that they have come directly from the violence of Mount Sorrel / Sanctuary Wood (June 1916) only weeks earlier. The ceremony is both a pause and a continuation of the war: a moment carved out of chaos to acknowledge courage under fire.

The official citation, published in the July 27, 1916, issue of the London Gazette, told us that McLean had shown a high level of conspicuous gallantry during the vicious fighting at Mount Sorrel in early June 1916. He continued to carry messages under blistering shell and rifle fire, which maintained critical communication between forward and supporting positions when lines had been cut, and he also continued his duties despite being partially buried by shell explosions. His actions enabled orders to reach isolated forward elements during the German assault and Canadian counterattack. His conduct was singled out as exceptionally brave and steady under fire.

What the image does not show us but is present in its atmosphere is the transitional nature of Alderson’s role in the Canadian Army. He had been removed from command of the Canadian Corps earlier in 1916 after a dispute that started with Sam Hughes, and he remained in France for several months performing inspections and award presentations. His presence in this photograph, decorating a junior NCO of the 10th Battalion, exemplifies both the continuing respect many front-line units held for him and his role in helping ensure the army’s need to maintain continuity and morale during a period of heavy casualties and reorganization. The image, therefore, is much more than a simple medal ceremony — it captures the Canadian Corps in mid‑transformation, honouring bravery while quietly absorbing the cost of the year’s fighting.

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