Yukon who is who

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Anthony Blaikie, DMC, MM (1874 – 1918)
	
Anthony Blaikie was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick to parents John and Jane Blaikie. He came to the Yukon in 1898 and in the 1901 census he was listed as a miner. He was an active community member and belonged to the Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge in Dawson. In 1914 Blaikie was 40 years old, living in Dawson, and working as a clerk. When the First World War was declared Blaikie immediately joined Joe Boyle’s Yukon Machine Gun Detachment, a unit raised in Dawson and equipped by Dawson mining entrepreneur Joseph Whiteside Boyle.  The unit trained in Vancouver with the 29th Battalion and was later transferred to the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles before going overseas. After arriving in England in the spring of 1915, Boyle’s unit became part of the Eaton’s Motor Machine Gun Brigade and Boyle’s men were designated as the Yukon Motor Machine Gun Battery. Blaikie and his unit landed in France on August 16, 1916. He gained a field promotion to Corporal on June 14 and then Sergeant on November 30. He earned his first medal for bravery, the Military Medal (MM), in November 1917 for his good work and devotion to duty near Courcelette, France. For seven days his group was under fire practically day and night. On November 18 his belt filling machine was destroyed and organized belt filling by hand to supply badly needed ammunition. Blaikie’s second medal of bravery, the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DMC), was awarded for his actions at Passchendaele for his gallantry while in command of four machine guns, his officer and other NCOs having been killed. He repaired damaged guns and kept them in action under very heavy shelling and he also helped and dressed the wounded. Blaikie was killed in action in 1918 and is buried at the Pargny British Military Cemetery in France.((Tim Popp, Sgt. Anthony Blaikie, DMC, MM, Miner, Soldier, War Hero.” Yukon Historical & Museums Association newsletter, Summer/Fall 2018: 8-10.))