We regret to advise of the death of Master Warrant Officer George Angus “Mac” McCracken (Ret’d) passed away on 3 November 2005 in Surrey, BC.
Born in 1926 in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Mac joined the Canadian Army in 1944 in the Infantry Corps, but with the end of the war, was released in December of 1945. He re-enlisted in 1948 in the Royal Canadian Engineers. After his Initial posting to the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering, Mac was posted in 1951 to Camp Borden as an instructor in Physical Training and Unarmed Combat. In 1953 he returned to Chilliwack to serve with 57th Field Squadron and was then posted to Germany with 2 Field Squadron. This was followed in 1955 with a two year exchange posting to England with the Royal Engineers, after which Mac was posted to 3 Field Squadron in Chilliwack. On completion of this posting he served a tour with the United Nations Emergency Force, followed by two postings with the Regular Support Staff to the reserve units in Montreal and Rouyn Noranda, QC. He returned to the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering as an instructor in 1965. With the formation of 5e Escadron du Genie du Canada in Valcartier, QC in 1968, Mac was selected to be that new unit’s first Squadron Sergeant Major. In 1969 he returned to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering as an instructor but completed the last six months of this tour as the School’s Regimental Sergeant Major. His final posting was to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa where he served a year with the Directorate of Land Mobility Systems Maintenance and Engineering before retiring in 1975.
In retirement, Mac maintained contact with the sapper community as a member of the Canadian Military Engineers Association, Retired Sappers, the Association des Sapeurs à la Retraite du Quebec and a Life Member of the Canadian Military Engineer Museum. He was active with various cancer related charities, belonged to the Shriner and Mason organizations and also became a lay minister.
A Funeral Mass will be held at The Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Surrey, BC on 8 November 2005. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The BC Cancer Agency, Fraser Valley Cancer Center, Surrey, BC.