Canadian Forces Geocoin "Lieut. H. McKenzie, VC,DCM, PPCLI/7th Machine Gun Company"

1. Mission ** To have this coin photographed beside his name on the "MENIN GATE MEMORIAL" Ypres, Belgium.** Coordinates : Decimal Degrees (WGS84) = 50.852138 2.891399, Degrees, Minutes & Seconds= N50 51 07 E2 53 29.
2. 
   Mission ** To visit all Canadian WW1 Battlefield Memorials & Cemeteries in France and Belgium.**

#1158,Hugh McKenzie , VC,DCM,Croix de Guerre; was born in Inverness, Scotland on the 5th of December 1885. Lieutenant McKenzie was one of the Original Patricia's, having joined the Regiment at its conception.

He later became part of the 7th Machine Gun Company and was promoted Lieutenant on the 28th of January 1917.

For his actions during the Battle of Passchendaele on the 30th of October 1917, Lieutenant McKenzie was awarded The Victoria Cross (Posthumously).

The Citation accompanying the award reads as follows: "

For most conspicuous bravery and leading when in charge of a section of four machine guns accompanying the infantry in an attack. Seeing that all the officers and most of the non-commissioned officers of an infantry company had become casualties, and that the men were hesitating before a nest of enemy machine guns, which were on commanding ground and causing them severe casualties, he handed over command of his guns to an N.C.O., rallied the infantry, organised an attack, and captured the strong point. Finding that the position was swept by machine-gun fire from a ' pill-box ' which dominated all the ground over which the troops were advancing, Lt. McKenzie made a reconnaissance and detailed flanking and frontal attacking parties which captured the 'pill-box', he himself being killed while leading the frontal attack. By his valour and leadership this gallant officer ensured the capture of these strong points and so saved the lives of many men and enabled the objectives to be attained."