Written by The North Novie of the Week is Sgt. Maj. William Angus “Bill” Baillie of River John, NS!
Sgt. Maj. Baillie was an original North Nova Scotia Highlander who went overseas during WWII. He was one of the soldiers who liberated Authie, France in 1944. In order to get the Nazi Germans out of Authie, the North Novies had to destroy the Authie elementary school where the Nazis had taken up camp.
Instead of taking this as collateral damage, Sgt. Maj. Baillie went home to River John in Pictou County, Nova Scotia and wrote to the 20 memory clubs in Canada. He did not ask them, rather, he TOLD them that they were to send him a cheque every September until they had enough money to rebuild the elementary school in Authie. And rebuild it they did.
After his passing in 2002, the school was renamed in his honour. We thank Sgt. Maj. Baillie for his compassion, bravery, and sacrifice.
Nova Scotia Highlanders Regimental Museum 