Alan Arnett McLeod was born in Stonewall, Manitoba in 1899. He was drawn to a military life and at the age of 14, he enrolled with the 34th Fort Garry Horse.
One year later, he was sent home as the First World War began and he was underage. He tried to enlist several times but it was not until he turned 18 that he could join the Royal Flying Corps.
After only three hours of flight time, he was flying solo and he graduated with 50 hours of flying experience. On Aug. 20, 1917, he went overseas.
Under a year later on March 27, 1918, he was flying over Albert, France with his observer Lt. Arthur Hammond. Across German lines, they were attacked by a triplane, which McLeod shot down. Eight more German planes appeared, and McLeod shot three of those down.
It was a hard-fought battle and the plane was riddled with bullet holes. Both McLeod and Hammond had been shot. McLeod had three bullet wounds, Hammond had six.
To make matters worse, a bullet punctured the gas tank, leading to a fire on the plane.
McLeod put the plane into a side-sleep but the flames were burning him so he jumped out of the cockpit, crouched on the left wing and pulled the stick hard over with his right hand. With his left hand, he punched a hole in the fabric of the plane and controlled the rudder-wire.
While standing on the wing of the plane, he guided it back to Allied lines. Through his efforts to fly the plane at an angle, he was able to keep the plane from burning up, and protected Hammond from the flames. When the plane crashed in No Man’s Land, McLeod, despite his injuries, dragged Hammond from the wreckage.
The Germans at the front lines started to fire at them, and McLeod carried Hammond to safety. Having reached Allied lines, McLeod collapsed from blood loss and exhaustion.
McLeod received the Victoria Cross for his actions. Hammond, who lost a leg, was awarded a Bar on his Military Cross.
After he recovered, McLeod returned home but sadly died of the Spanish Flu on Nov. 6, 1918. A street in Stonewall is named for him. He is also a member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.
Thanks to the heroics of McLeod, Hammond survived the war. He died in Victoria in 1959 at the age of 69.