John Massey served in the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa during WW2 and was awarded the Military Medal, presented by Field Marshal Montgomery in Ghent, Belgium on 5 Movember 1944.

His citation reads:

On the night of 4/5 July 1944, at Map Reference 972695 Sheet 7 F/1 (France) during a heavy enemy infantry and tank counter-attack on our positions on the northern edge of Carpiquet, Corporal Massey, a No 1 Gunner of 7 Platoon, Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Gun) kept his gun going under heavy enemy machine gun and 75-mm fire. The gunner on the adjacent gun was wounded so Private Massey took over that gun too, and for some time with the help of two ammunition numbers, kept both guns in action, by running back and forth between the two guns over ground covered by heavy enemy fire. The count of enemy dead next morning, in front of the position, was over 100.

Jessie was a twin, unfortunately the other twin died at 1 month. Jessie had 3 children.