McKean Trophy (Best Soldier) awarded to Master-Corporal Savage
Westmount, Quebec – 12 June 2026: At the RMR’s battalion review held after their annual church parade on 03 May 2026, Master-Corporal William Savage was named the 2026 recipient of THE CAPTAIN G.B. MCKEAN, VC, MC, MM TROPHY (BEST SOLDIER), which is awarded annually to the best soldier in The Royal Montreal Regiment.
The trophy honours Captain George Burdon McKean, a decorated First World War RMR hero who embodied the warrior ethos through his courage and leadership in battle. The prestigious award recognizes the soldier who best represents the highest standards of conduct, leadership, professionalism, and overall excellence throughout the training year.
The award also includes a bursary generously provided by the Royal Montreal Regiment Foundation, which continues to support the professional development and recognition of deserving RMR members.
Congratulations to Master-Corporal Savage for earning this well-deserved honour and for upholding the proud legacy of Captain McKean, VC, MC, MM.
WHO WAS GEORGE MCKEAN?
The trophy is named after George Burdon McKean, who was born in northern England, and orphaned young. In 1902, at the age of 14, he moved to Alberta to join two brothers who had already emigrated. After working on a cattle ranch and farm near Lethbridge, he studied at Robertson College, an affiliate of the University of Alberta.
When war broke out, the 26-year-old, who was the assistant to the pastor at Robertson Presbyterian Church, tried joining up three times before being accepted and sent for overseas service.
After serving as a Scout (now known as Recce Platoon) McKean had been promoted to officer when he led a raiding party April 27-28, 1918 near Vimy Ridge as part of The Royal Montreal Regiment (14th Battalion, CEF). He and his party were trying to dislodge a German garrison using Mills bombs, known as pineapples, but when those failed, he took a more direct route.
The “wiry little whippet of a man”, as he had been described, jumped into the trench head first, landing on a German soldier. He was then rushed by another soldier with a bayonet. He shot and killed both with his revolver before the rest of his party followed his example and swarmed the barricade.
He was later made acting captain and a senior manager at the Canadian Khaki University in England, married a British woman, and settled in Brighton, where he operated a sawmill. After surviving four years of war, he was killed in 1926 when a circular saw broke and pieces flew into his head. He is buried in Brighton.
Captain George McKean, VC, MC, MM is one of very few men to have ever earned three different awards for bravery under fire, and he is a RMR hero who led by example and set the highest standard for soldiering, leadership, and personal courage.
