Henry Mareus "Harcus" Strachan (; 7 November 1884 – 1 May 1982) was a Scottish born Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Early life Strachan was born in Bo'ness, Scotland and attended the Royal High School, Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh before emigrating to Canada in 1905. He homesteaded a farm in the Chauvin district, near Wainwright, Alberta. Prior to winning the VC, Strachan was initiated into freemasonry in his birthplace, at the Douglas Lodge 409 Bo'ness, on 22 January 1917. World War I Strachan joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in July 1915. Strachan was 33 years of age, and serving in the First World War with the Canadian Cavalry Brigade as a lieutenant in The Fort Garry Horse, when he performed the action for which he was awarded the VC. It has become traditional for the Garrys to hold a Regimental dinner every year on the anniversary of Strachan's unlikely cavalry exploit. The action occurred during the Battle of Cambrai. It occurred on 20 November 1917 at Masnières, France, after Lieutenant Strachan took command of the mounted squadron of Garrys when his commanding officer, 'B' Squadron leader Captain Campbell, was killed by machine gun fire. Believing that the 29th Division with tanks already held the village of Masnieres, Brig. Gen. Nelson of the 88th Brigade, ordered the Fort Garry Horse to advance across the St Quentin Canal. On approaching the river bridge in front of Masnieres, the Garrys could see that the town was still held by the enemy and that the bridge across the St Quentin Canal was broken. The Garrys then found the Hampshire Regiment were crossing, in single file, over the lock gates. Tearing up a wooden pier, they built a bridge suitable for horses to cross. By 4pm 'B' Squadron set out through a gap in the enemy wire, and approached the German front line at a gallop. B Squadron leader Capt. Campbell was killed, and Strachan took command, leading 'B' Squadron at the gallop across the countryside toward Rumilly. Due to the state of the crossing at Masnieres and the limited available daylight Major-Gen W. H. Greenly commanding 2nd Cavalry Division, ordered any large-scale cavalry action to halt and ordered the recall of the units that had crossed the Canal.