He became a member of The Camel Corps in Palestine. of his six children Helen Nairn MacGillivray was a nurse on the hospital ship 'Oranje', Kenneth Macgillivray fought in the Pacific, David John McGillivray fought in Italy, was injured & captured inn the last weeks of WW2 & subsequently joined the Graves Commision, Morag MacGillivray was on final leave as a nurse aid when the war finished.