Private George McCann of Co. Armagh served in 52nd (Lowland) Division during early 1945 encountering resistance from the enemy in the late stages of the war.
Private
14429060
Private George McCann (14429060) served in 7/9th Battalion, Royal Scots during the Second World War. He was the son of James McCann and Minnie McCann of 1 Florence Court, Portadown, Co. Armagh.
Commonwealth War Graves records list Private McCann’s age as 19 years old, however he was 18 years old at his time of death, having lied about his age to enlist two weeks short of his seventeenth birthday. In 1943, he first joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at Omagh, Co. Tyrone, transferring to the Royal Scots in August the same year.
McCann served in a home defence role with the Royal Scots until January 1945 when 7/9th Battalion, Royal Scots joined the advance into Germany with 52nd (Lowland) Division. The war was coming to an end but German units continued the fight.
Private McCann died on 17th April 1945 aged 18 years old. He and a comrade were killed after their platoon had captured 40 enemy prisoners of war. A German soldier fired a panzerfaust from a nearby building in retaliation, killing the two soldiers.
Private McCann’s grave is in Section 15, Row B, Grave 14 of Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany. His name is on the Portadown War Memorial and the Seagoe Church of Ireland War Memorial, Portadown, Co. Armagh.