COMMISSIONERS JOHN AND FRANCES MCMILLAN

Converted as a child in 1879 in Glasgow, with his parents, John McMillan commenced his career as an officer in his early teens.

AS a boy, he assisted is father, the late Brigadier Alexander McMillan, in the North of England and later accompanied his parents to Canada, from which country he entered the work. His first appointment wat at a small town in Ontario; afterwards he held positions at Territorial Headquarters, eventually becoming the private secretary to the Territorial Commanders, including Commissioners Rees and Commandant Herbert Booth. In this capacity he traveled from Atlantic to Pacific coast. With the latter he was transferred to Australia in 1896. 

He married Captain Frances W. White in Melbourne, in 1901. His service in Australia covered a period of twenty years, during which he was Field Secretary for fourteen years.

In 1916, with the rank of Colonel, John was re-appointed back to the Canada East Territory as Chief Secretary, at the time when many of Canada’s leading officers had been lost in the Empress of Ireland disaster.

In 1924 John was appointed the Chief Secretary for the British Territory. Two years later he became the Territorial Commander for the USA Central and then the USA Eastern territories. In 1935 John was appointed to be the Territorial Commander in Canada.