# Fallen Comrades (retired members)



## bossi

GORDON SELLAR, ARMY OFFICER AND HORSEMAN 1923-2004

Young lieutenant who survived the killing grounds of the Scheldt Estuary later commanded a Black Watch battalion and became a brigadier-general

By BUZZ BOURDON - Special to The Globe and Mail
Friday, December 17, 2004 - Page S9 

OTTAWA -- As a 21-year-old lieutenant not long out of RMC, Gordon Sellar faced danger on a daily basis as a scout officer in the Second World War battlefields of Northern Europe. Commanding 12 scouts and eight snipers, he took his men across no-man's-land and penetrated enemy lines. Moving stealthily by night, they were usually seconds away from capture or death.

The job required ice-cold nerves, a sound grasp of tactics and aggressive patrolling skills. He thrived on it, surviving almost a year in action without being wounded. A graduate of the Royal Military College in Kingston, he fought in all but a few of the 22 actions in which the Calgary Highlanders won battle honours.

On Nov. 1, 1944, Mr. Sellar displayed coolness under fire during the battle of Walcheren Island. The first battalion of the Highlanders had suffered 19 dead and 45 wounded in an engagement that was part of the overall battle for control of the Scheldt Estuary. 

The Germans had spared no effort in fortifying the 1,200 metre-long causeway leading to the island. They knew that losing Walcheren meant the Allies could move on to attack the key Belgian port of Antwerp. Concrete bunkers at both ends of the causeway anchored the German defences, while three 88-millimetre anti-aircraft guns swept it with fire and artillery from miles around had its range. In the middle of the causeway lay a large crater to prevent Allied tanks from easily crossing. 

As the Calgary Highlanders soon found out to their cost, the causeway became a killing ground. The day before, Mr. Sellar had watched grimly as a Montreal unit, the 1st Battalion, Black Watch, launched an attack that was stopped cold 75 yards before reaching the island.

Then it was the turn of the Calgary Highlanders. Just after midnight, B company led an assault through intense enemy fire. Their attack stalled at the crater and was beaten back. At 6 a.m., the Highlanders tried again. With a creeping artillery barrage providing some cover, D company advanced down the causeway. By 9:50 a.m., the men reached the end and started to fan out onto the eastern side of the island.

Soon afterwards, A and B companies began suffering heavy casualties from enemy machine guns, heavy mortars, artillery and snipers. The infantrymen dug slit trenches on both sides of the causeway and took cover. By the middle of the afternoon, matters appeared serious. Mr. Sellar, accompanied by Major Ross Ellis and Major George Hees (later to become a Tory cabinet minister), went to the causeway to see what was happening. Ignoring the heavy German fire, they moved from trench to trench, talking to the exhausted men. Years later, Mr. Sellar described that walk as the "longest of my life."

Despite their heroic efforts, the assault failed and the Highlanders withdrew from the bridgehead some hours later. Over all, the battle of the Scheldt Estuary had cost Mr. Sellar's unit 107 killed and 327 wounded. A week later, British commandos captured the island.

Even so, that wasn't the end of Mr. Sellar's war. He and his battalion fought on for six long months before Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. Mr. Sellar volunteered to fight in the Pacific but the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war against Japan before he got there.

Mr. Sellar decided to stay in the regular army, serving with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry before transferring to the 2nd Canadian Highland Battalion in 1952. After graduating from the army's staff college, he served in Korea with his new unit, now renamed the 2nd Battalion, Black Watch (RHR) of Canada.

Ten years later, in April, 1963, Mr. Sellar assumed command of the Black Watch's 1st Battalion. Retired colonel Bentley MacLeod of Kingston, Ont., knew Mr. Sellar well, having served as his operations officer in during field exercises. "We all worked very hard for Gordon, who was a fair, calm and balanced leader. He was not given to histrionics but led by example. He got the best effort from all ranks."

After promotion to brigadier-general in 1972, Mr. Sellar served three years in Ottawa as Director-General of Land Forces Reserves and Cadets and then retired to Kingston with his wife Gloria.

Over the next 30 years, Mr. Sellar spent much of his time indulging his life-long love of horses by participating in horse shows in Canada and the United States. Athletic from an early age, Mr. Sellar first competed in horse shows and polo at the age of 11, as well as tennis, badminton and football. At RMC, he made the varsity teams in hockey and football and had excelled as a marksman.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Sellar were stalwarts of the Ottawa Valley Hunt and the Frontenac Hunt, where he was senior master for 25 years. Unlike their British counterparts, the clubs use scented drags and do not hunt live prey. In 1976, Mr. Sellar was named Canadian representative to the Masters of Foxhounds of America and Britain. He regularly showed his horses at Toronto's Royal Winter Fair and bred a pack of prize-winning fox hounds.

Gordon Harper Sellar was born in Calgary on Nov. 15, 1923.
He died in Kingston, Ont., on Oct. 1. He was 80. He is survived by his wife Gloria; daughters Robin and Susan; and son Rodney.


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## Burrows

My condolances to his friends and family..this truly was a great man..


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## bossi

*Ottawa's last First World War vet had 'duty' to help others remember*
Jennifer Campbell; With files from Graham Hughes 
[urlhttp://www.canada.com/components/printstory/printstory4.aspx?id=9f8632d2-3149-43a2-99f4-96f66eba3ab1=]The Ottawa Citizen, Monday, December 27, 2004[/url]

The smell of warm blood oozing across the fields and roadways of battlefields was Paul Metivier's most vivid -- and horrifying -- memory of the First World War.

He was just 16 when he enlisted but he, along with so many others, lied about his age, telling authorities he was 19. Mr. Metivier, who lived long enough to be among Canada's handful of surviving Great War veterans, died last Wednesday, aged 104.

With his death, Canada has only six surviving First World War veterans. He was Ottawa's last.

Mr. Metivier had been in failing health over the past several months, said his daughter, Monique, of Ottawa, "but he still insisted on going to the Cenotaph at the National War Memorial for the celebration of Nov. 11, then insisted on accepting an invitation to the Governor General's for tea afterwards."

When talking to Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson "he was well enough to tell her that when he read criticisms of her that he was strongly disapproving and he thought she was doing a wonderful job."

His daughter said Mr. Metivier "may have been holding on just to do that, because he felt it was his duty to represent the First World War veterans whenever he could."

A classic gentleman, Mr. Metivier lived out his days in a tidy suite at the Sandy Hill Retirement Residence on Friel Street, not far from where he brought up his children on the corner of Chapel and Osgoode streets. Even in his final years, he got dressed every day in a natty cardigan and dress shirt complete with cufflinks.

His day bed was big enough for his small, still-mobile frame. In one corner he had his armchair and his television, but positioned more prominently was the magnifying reader machine that he used to read the newspaper and documents he had to sign. While he was talking to a reporter in 2003, his son-in-law dropped in with a passport application. Mr. Metivier was headed to California with his daughter to see her three U.S.-based siblings.

The room also accommodated an organ on which he played a full repertoire of songs, entirely by ear. Sheet music didn't exist. Rather, he had a pad of paper that listed songs with their beginning lyrics so he'd remember how they went. A word or two was all it took to get him playing a bouncy version of Lily Marlene.

"I'm a pianist, but I play by ear," he said at the time, as he sat down to play for a photographer.

"He was always positive," his daughter said yesterday.

"He was in the home and people often complain, but he just thought everybody was so great to him. He was so grateful and he would thank them and he'd be sure that when someone came to remove a tray from his room that they had candies on there -- that sort of thing."

Mr. Metivier grew up in Montreal and enlisted there. He joined the 4th Division Ammunition Column and used mules to carry ammunition to the guns behind the front lines.

"I did the things you can do with horses," he said, adding that he earned $1.10 a day and sent $20 a month home to his mother in Montreal.

See Metivier on PAGE C2

Metivier: kjhg jkhg

Continued from PAGE C1

Mr. Metivier was awarded the French Legion of Honour for his service in France.

When he returned to Canada, he studied mapmaking in Montreal. In 1920, he secured a job with the Department of the Interior in Ottawa and spent 45 years in the public service as a mapmaker. In 1921, he went home to propose to Flore, the girl who lived next door to his family in Montreal, a girl he'd known since he was 10 years old. The two married in 1921 and celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary here before she passed away in 1993 at 90.

"I kissed her goodnight one night and she said 'Thank you for the 72 years,'" he recalled. "That was a couple of nights before she died."

Mr. Metivier credited her with his longevity.

"She told me your body needs certain things so you make sure it gets them," he recounted. "We took vitamins A, B, C, D and E, zinc, copper, iron and magnesium. The result is I'm the oldest Metivier that ever lived."

In his suite, a picture of her with a grandchild hung on the wall. Their wedding picture, "taken at the very beginning of photography," was at one end of the piano. On the other was a black-and-white portrait of his son Roland, who was killed in action in 1942 while serving as a Canadian flier in the Second World War. The circumstances of his death are still unknown.

"We knew nothing at all," he said. "He used to fly across waters, watching for submarines. This was his mission and one day we received a letter saying he didn't return.

"A month later, we received a letter saying he was presumed dead."

For a long time, they hoped the 20-year-old had been picked up in France and was still alive but couldn't get in touch.

"Our hope disappeared after the war ended and we still hadn't heard from him," Mr. Metivier said.

At the age of 103, Mr. Metivier had poor eyesight and hearing but had no serious health problems. He still took 30- to 90-minute walks regularly. He liked to shop at the Rideau Centre, buy his books at Chapters and peruse the vegetable and flower stands in the Byward Market.

Veterans Affairs officials said he never refused an invitation to represent First World War veterans. He went to Vimy Ridge with as part of a Veterans Affairs pilgrimage to France in 1998. He was among the youngest of 17 veterans of the Great War who went on the trip to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the war's end. He also accompanied Canada's unknown soldier on his return from France to Canada in 2000.

He showed up every year for Remembrance Day ceremonies at the War Museum and the National War Memorial and regularly made appearances in the House of Commons. When acknowledged by the Speaker, he would stand up in the gallery and respond humbly to the whoops, cheers and claps from Members of Parliament.

Speaking about his role in countless Nov. 11 ceremonies, he said: "When I'm there, I think of my son, I think of the past and I hope that the care we take for veterans and the remembrance will continue. They gave their lives for Canada so it seems to me that they deserve to be remembered."

A staunch pacifist as a result of the horrors he witnessed in France, he called then-prime minister Jean Chretien to thank him for pushing for a United Nations resolution to avoid an attack on Iraq.

"UN resolutions should be backed by everyone, including the United States," he said. "If you don't submit to some rules, you don't have law and order."

He said he didn't think U.S. President George Bush would have called the war if he had to lead it.

"If he'd seen what I saw, he wouldn't have done it," he said. "War really is going back to being savages. We say we're defending our country and our honour but really we're doing what savages do -- killing innocent people."

Mr. Metivier is survived by his children Monique, Pierre, Jean Paul and Jeanne, 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

A funeral mass will be held Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. at Canadian Martyrs Church.


++++++

*WWI vet Paul Métivier, 104, carted shells to front*Lied about age to enlist and earned $1.10 a day 

Only six Great War veterans left in Canada

Toronto Star, Dec. 28, 2004. 01:00 AM  

OTTAWAâ â€The smell of warm blood oozing across the battlefields and roadways was Paul Métivier's most vivid â â€ and horrifying â â€ memory of World War I.

He was 16 when he enlisted but he, along with so many others, lied about his age, telling authorities he was 19.

Métivier, one of Canada's seven surviving WWI veterans, died Wednesday at 104.

He had been in failing health over the past several months, said his daughter Monique Métivier, a judge on the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

"But he still insisted on going to the cenotaph at the National War Memorial for the celebration of Nov. 11, then insisted on accepting an invitation to the Governor-General's for tea afterwards," she said.

Métivier lived his final days in a suite at an Ottawa retirement home. He was born on July 6, 1900, in Montreal and enlisted in March, 1917, two years short of legal service age. 

"He was poor, he'd been fired from a foundry he'd been working at because he passed out from the heat," his daughter said.

Métivier joined the 4th Division Ammunition column, and as a gunner led horse- and mule-drawn ordnance wagons to front-line batteries in Belgium and France, spending 15 months carting shells. 

"I did the things you can do with horses," he once recalled, adding that he earned $1.10 a day in the army and sent $20 a month home to his mother in Montreal.

He was assigned to the Canadian Boys' Battalion in 1918 after his mother informed officials of his true age, and was sent home from his 10-month Boys' Brigade assignment in England in October, 1918, a month before hostilities ended.

Métivier moved to Ottawa in 1921 where he got a job as an apprentice photographer. 

He worked the rest of his career in the map-making branch of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys, rising to chief of reproduction before his 1965 retirement. 

"He was a wonderful father and really an extraordinary man," his daughter told the Toronto Star's Joseph Hall earlier this year. He was dedicated to his children and "madly in love" with his wife Flore â â€ who died in 1992 after 72 years of marriage, she said. 

As well as being awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal, Métivier was awarded the French Légion d'honneur for his service in France.

Like all of the surviving vets from that war, Métivier possessed a "remarkably positive attitude on life" that precluded much dwelling on horror and carnage, his daughter said. 

It wasn't until she began looking for records of his service in 1998 that he was seized upon by Veterans Affairs to participate in their various ceremonies â â€ including a repatriation of Canada's World War I "unknown soldier" from Europe six years ago. 

Veterans Affairs officials said Métivier, whose son Roland was killed in action in 1942 during World War II, never refused an invitation to represent veterans of the first war.

He showed up every year for Remembrance Day ceremonies at Ottawa's War Museum and the National War Memorial and regularly made appearances in the House of Commons.

Speaking about his role in countless Nov. 11 ceremonies, Métivier once said: "When I'm there, I think of my son, I think of my past and I hope that the care we take for veterans and the remembrance will continue.

"They gave their lives for Canada so it seems to me that they deserve to be remembered."

Métivier leaves four children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.  

++++


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## Michael Dorosh

General Sellar was to be the guest of honour at our Walcheren Causeway dinner in November but unfortunately passed away.  

Bit of dramatic license with the story there, but overall accurate.


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## bossi

BOB MacDOUGALL, RCAF FLIER AND PRIEST 1924-2004
(denizens of Moss Park Armoury might be interested to know his connection to the Good Shepherd Refuge on Queen Street East)

*Shot down over the North Sea, he made a pact with God, accepted the German surrender in Denmark and then came home to take his vows and work among hardened criminals. Later, he starred on 100 Huntley Street as a evangelical priest*

By F.F. LANGAN
Special to The Globe and Mail,  Saturday, Jan 29, 2005 


No one wants to be the last man killed in a war. 

Hitler had just four days to live when Bob MacDougall found himself floating in the dark in the North Sea. Flying Officer MacDougall had about another 60 years to live, most of them as a Jesuit priest, but all he knew then was that the Second World War was almost over and his situation was desperate.

Minutes before, he had been the tail gunner in a Halifax bomber, carrying war material to the resistance in Denmark. The crew was with 644 Squadron and had left their base in Dorset in England at 10 p.m. on April 26, 1945. To remain undetected by German radar, the plane flew between 50 and 100 feet above the water. "When we hit the west coast of Jutland, we had to climb," remembered Father MacDougall in an interview in 1988.

A short while after they made their drop, they were hit by fire from the ground. According to Sandy Barr, a pilot who now runs the Squadron's historical website, their pilot ditched the plane just off the coast. All six crew members -- one Canadian, three New Zealanders and two Brits -- made it out alive.

The frigid water numbed his legs. Later in life, vascular problems would confine him to a wheelchair. Father MacDougall wasn't particularly religious then, but as he struggled in the water, he formulated a pact. Years later, he told his brother Ian that he had made a promise to God. "He said, 'Save me from this and I'll spend my life doing good.' He was saved, and he kept his promise," said Ian MacDougall.

After a spell in the water, the crew was picked up by Danish fishermen. As soon as the crew members landed, they left the fishermen, since the Germans shot anyone who helped a downed airman. Father MacDougall wandered for a day or so, following instructions from the fishermen to look for a church steeple, since there he might find a sympathetic minister.

"I came to a brook and crossed over, but failed to see a German sentry on the other side. He raised his gun and brought me to a halt," recounted Father MacDougall. He and at least one other crew member were arrested and put in a prisoner of war camp. Their internment didn't last long. On May 7, 1945, far away at a schoolhouse in the French city of Rheims, senior representatives of Hitler's defeated forces signed a ceasefire and the war in Europe was over.

In Denmark, the Germans wanted to surrender, but not to the Russians, who were fast approaching from the East and had already occupied an offshore island. The German command resolved to surrender to a British or American officer, preferably a general or even a colonel. They scoured their prisoner of war camps and all they could come up with was a 21-year-old Canadian flying officer who only days before had been swimming about in the North Sea. His officer rank was the second-lowest in the RCAF, equal to a lieutenant in the army.

And that is how Bob MacDougall came to accept the surrender of the German garrison in Denmark. He was carried through the streets of Vejle, the town nearest his PoW camp, and hailed as a liberator. At that moment, no one was more surprised than he. A month later, the picture of the celebration found its way back home and the face and name of "F/O Robert MacDougall of 107 Henry St., Halifax," was splashed across the front page of the Halifax Chronicle.

Father MacDougall grew up in Nova Scotia but was born in Saskatchewan, where his father worked as a bank manager. The family moved to Halifax when he was a tot. Ralph MacDougall was a businessmen, and although not rich, he was successful enough to raise a brood of children and send them all to university. He was a Presbyterian but his wife May Webb was a Roman Catholic, so young Bob went to St. Thomas Aquinas elementary school and St. Patrick's high school.

His mother died when he was quite young and his father married Gertrude Macneil, also a Catholic. Together, they raised his six children, as well as two more the couple would have together.

Bob MacDougall joined the RCAF from high school. He was the third member of his family to join, and all three went overseas -- his brother Bill as a soldier in the army and his sister Betty as an army nurse. Like everyone who joined the air force, he hoped to be a pilot. Instead, he became a tail gunner, the most vulnerable crew position on a Second World War bomber.

On his return to England from Denmark, he visited his sister at the hospital where she worked. In their happiness, a rather raucous party developed during which "he wrecked my bicycle," she recalled.

When he reached Halifax, Bob MacDougall decided to attend St. Mary's University, where he was active in organizing the hockey team and also played football. Mindful of his promise to God, he considered becoming a journalist and instead opted for the priesthood. In 1950, he joined the Jesuits, the largest of all Roman Catholic religious orders. Many of his friends bet he wouldn't last.

"It was tough for a war veteran who had seen the world to settle into that routine," said Elmer MacGillivray, who attended the Jesuit Novitiate with Father MacDougall. "He was older than everyone else and the rules were tough for him."

Life was lived in silence, from rising at 5:30 a.m. to chapel at 5:55 a.m., followed by prayer from 6 to 7 a.m., a mass, and then breakfast 30 minutes later. "You could ask for sugar, but otherwise it was total silence," said Mr. MacGillivray, who later gave up the priesthood.

Because of his age and experience, Bob MacDougall was ordained after 11 years instead of the usual 13. One of his first assignments was Loyola High School in Montreal. There he coached sports teams and taught several subjects, including Latin. 

In one session, the boys learned to conjugate scio, the verb to know. In Latin, the words "I know," "you know," "he knows" are scio, scis, scit, with the "c" pronounced as an "h." His 14-year-old pupils fell about laughing at the sound of scit. To help them get over it, Father MacDougall had them conjugate the verb aloud 30 times. The giggles soon disappeared.

Father MacDougall had a varied life. He taught in schools, worked in parishes, was the priest at a veterans hospital and even worked as a missionary in South America. For several years, he served as the chaplain at Stoney Mountain Penitentiary near Winnipeg. There, he started a choir and convinced parishes in the area that his singing prisoners posed no danger. One of those he convinced was Elmer MacGillivray, who was then the parish priest at St. Ignatius of Winnipeg.

"On one trip, he stopped and he lost one prisoner when he escaped for a while. He was embarrassed about that," said Mr. MacGillivray who now lives in Edmonton.

Working at the maximum-security jail was tough and Father MacDougall sometimes found it depressing to deal with hardened criminals. Often dismissed by cynical and intractable convicts as just another man in a dog collar to offer them empty promises and meaningless rituals, Father MacDougall came to believe he was a failure and that the promise he made on that black, North Sea night had come to nothing. He was convinced he was a catastrophe as a prison priest and had not done good or helped any in his congregation. The truth, of course, was quite different. Until he learned otherwise, he grappled with more immediate demons at Stoney Mountain and found himself drinking too much. In the end, Father MacDougall succeeded in conquering both depression and alcohol.

Perhaps the most astounding part of Father MacDougall's religious life was his born-again status as a Christian evangelist. That occurred while working in a parish north of San Diego, California. Afterward, he remained a Roman Catholic and a Jesuit but embraced the scripture, the words of the Bible, and became the only Roman Catholic priest to preach on 100 Huntley Street, the Toronto-based evangelical Christian television channel.

He appeared on hundreds of television shows and started his own Food for Life program. Many conventional Catholics found his evangelism shocking and lodged complaints, but he persisted. "There are Catholic evangelicals, and he served them," said Rev. Jacques Monet, the archivist at Jesuit headquarters in Toronto.

Father MacDougall was unapologetic about his evangelism. "I know God wanted me to be an evangelist to the world -- my Roman Catholic world," he said. A natural performer, he appeared on television and at prayer meetings, sometimes in his Roman collar, other times in an open-necked shirt.

Even his brothers and sisters, all of them religious Catholics, were sometimes startled at what their brother was up to. For all that, they are intensely proud of the homeless mission he set up in Toronto.

"I think one of the highlights of his life was setting up the Good Shepherd Refuge on Queen Street East near Parliament [in Toronto]. He wanted to feed the street people, and he worked at gathering food from local restaurants to feed them" said his brother Ian. "He started it in the mid 1970s and it's still open."

He made good on that promise.

Robert Leonard MacDougall was born in Saskatoon, Sask., on Feb. 27, 1924. He died on Dec. 26, 2004. He was 80. He is survived by his brother Ian of Brampton, Ont., his brother Lorne of Truro, N.S., and by his sisters Bette Colford and Margaret Boudreau of Halifax.


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## Bruce Monkhouse

Soldier, lawyer, MNA, judge
Colonel Redmond Roche was a prominent Montreal lawyer and a civic-spirited Quebec Court of Sessions judge who commanded the Maisonneuve Regiment in the Second World War, served two terms as a member of the National Assembly and was the president of the Royal Canadian Legion in the 1970s.


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## Greg_o

Just wanted to post about Papa who passed away earlier tonight, since the army was his life(this is all from what I recall, its been awhile since we talked about this.) He joined when he was only 16, and had 2 or 3 birthdays oversea's, and was a part of the New Brunswick Hussars(I'm pretty sure that was it, a tank reg.) He was a machine gunner on a Sherman tank. I recall one story of where he was hit by a ricochet off the tank(in the leg), fell off of the tank and the they kept moving, he got up and ran all the way back to his tank and crawled back onto it. His CO said thats the fastest he has ever seen anyone run(even after being shot.) After the war he ended up with 3 wounds, the ricochet and 2 from straight bullets. I cant remember all of the medals he has and the rank, but I'm sure I'll see them in the weeks to come and Ill post more info. He was a tour guide at the Oshawa Military museum for a long time, and then stopped that a bit ago. If you live in Oshawa and went to the museum in the last 15 years or so, you probably where guided by my Papa. He also was at the regiment allot and the armouries. I'm sure during WW2 he wouldn't of seen himself living till 2005, letalone living till the end of the war. Now hes up there with all of his buddies that he lost touch with some 62 years ago. *R.I.P Douglas Smart* 

I wasn't sure where to post this, move at will though, I apologize for any inconvenience.


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## bossi

Greg_o said:
			
		

> ... I wasn't sure where to post this ...



Don't worry - you post about Papa belongs right here, along with all our other fallen comrades.
On behalf of Army.ca, our condolences go out to you.


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## Spr.Earl

Douglas Smart,you have served your country well in War and Peace.
Enjoy your rest with your freinds and may your God go with you.


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## big bad john

The Reverend Donald Peyton Jones was a Marines Officer of renown!  He was always there for members of the Corps.  He was the Founder of the "Special Boat Squadron", then named the "Special Boat Service".



The Reverend Donald Peyton Jones
(Filed: 14/01/2005)

The Reverend Donald Peyton Jones, who has died aged 90, was a founder of the Royal Marines' Special Boat Service before he became a clergyman, emanating a salty and down-to-earth belief in the Almighty.

  


As vicar of the North Devon fishing village of Appledore he wore a green Marines beret, white cassock and sandals. He liked to do his parish visiting on horseback, often leaving hoof prints in gardens, and allowed his two cream labradors to enter his church immediately before and after services. He was also an enthusiastic user of pubs where, he used to say, there was often more fellowship and more joy than in church. "A pub is a sort of confessional," he claimed. "People communicate freely after a few drinks; they tell you their personal problems."

"PJ", as he liked to be called, advocated burial at sea, church blessings for divorcees and christenings conducted in lighthouses. His success in getting Lundy Island incorporated into his parish reconciled his love of God with his need to be on the water. If bad weather broke the one telephone connection with the island, he used carrier pigeons to tell his wife that he was delayed, though the GPO warned him that he was infringing its monopoly.

PJ was not always emollient. When a woman told him that the only thing she remembered about her marriage was that the vicar had worn sandals, he replied: "Can't be much of a marriage." But Daniel Farson, hardly a natural sympathiser, concluded in a Sunday Telegraph article that, paradoxically, it was PJ's strict, personal discipline which allowed him to break free from convention rather than an apparent, light-hearted approach to his calling.

Donald Lewis Peyton Jones was born in Australia into a naval family on September 22 1914. His great-grandfather was a captain in charge of a convict settlement on Tasmania in the 1840s; his father served in the RAN and RN before becoming a tomato grower on Guernsey. Donald's younger brother Loftus won a DSO in 1942 for his attack in command of the destroyer Achates on the German heavy cruiser Hipper, and his cousin Loftus William Jones was awarded a posthumous VC for leading an attack on a torpedo-destroyer at the Battle of Jutland. 

PJ went to Eastbourne College, and was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1933. Sailing was then frowned upon as a sport for career-minded officers, but PJ immediately teamed up with the future cockleshell hero and transatlantic yachtsman "Blondie" Hasler to buy old hulks to develop their nautical and navigational skills.

When Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1935 PJ was ordered to join a mobile naval base defence organisation, which was to defend Alexandria by mounting 6in guns and mines. While waiting for the Italian fleet to attack, PJ and his friends pooled their uniform allowance to buy materials to build a 21ft gaff cutter, Sea Vixen, which afterwards was shipped home with the guns and mines.

Specialising in gunnery, PJ was sent at the outbreak of war to the anti-aircraft cruiser Coventry in which he served for the next three years. His first major action was in the Norway Campaign of 1940, when his guns gave cover to his friend Hasler who was landing French Foreign Legionnaires at Narvik. When Coventry was sent to the Mediterranean, PJ took part in some of the fiercest fighting of the war, including an action off Cape Spartivento between the Italian fleet and Admiral Somerville's Force H, and in the evacuation of Crete.

Coventry was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Neghelli, and had to limp into Alexandria for repairs. But a few weeks later the submarine was sunk in the Aegean, and her commanding officer, Carlo Ferracuti, was brought on board Coventry; he believed that he had already sunk the British cruiser. But when, with Peyton-Jones's gin in his hand, he discovered the truth he declared his delight at having been mistaken, and apologised for any inconvenience caused. During the withdrawal from Tobruk in September 1942, Coventry was set on fire by dive bombers, and had to be scuttled. PJ was awarded the DSC.

Appointments to the Eighth Army as naval liaison officer and in the cruiser Kent followed; he was officer of a flotilla of landing craft firing rockets at beaches, and assistant beachmaster on Sword Beach in June 1944.

After the war, PJ took over from Hasler the command of the Small Raids Wing, which had been melded into a team from a group of strong individuals, without breaking their characters. He devised many training methods which are still used, and turned the wing into No 1 SBS.

A German pilot who had helped to sink Coventry asked him after the war when he decided to become a priest. "When you were bombing me," PJ replied. On leaving the Marines as a major in 1959, he trained for the ministry at St Boniface College, Warminster. He served first as a curate at Wythecombe Raleigh, then moved to Salcombe Regis, where he championed local hippies.

He won election to the local council to fight their case, and did not enhance his popularity when his horse kicked the bicycle of his leading opponent, who had to wheel it home while the vicar's horse clip-clopped past. The open-air candlelit services, the scanty dress and dope-smoking by the worshippers present led to complaints and petitions. 

Despite the responsibilities of a large family, which he ran like a ship's company, PJ continued to sail competitively; he could be seen using the weight of a baby-filled pram to trim a whaler to improve its windward performance, and was still unbeatable. He was a watch officer in the Sail Training Association's schooners and honorary chaplain to the Royal Naval Sailing Association, in whose journal he would propound his views on the Almighty's interests in seafarers.

On retiring as a vicar, he moved with his large family, all of whom played musical instruments while he thumped on the bongo drums, to Cawsand, near Plymouth. There he devoted himself to the Mission to Seamen. He tried to visit every merchant ship anchored in Plymouth Sound, frequently sailing alongside single-handedly in a Drascombe longboat laden with Bibles in many languages. In the winters he liked to do similar work in Sri Lanka, Western Australia, San Marino and Marseilles. 

Despite the loss of his wife and two children, and the amputation of both legs, PJ's mischievous sparkle never dimmed. He drove himself in his electric wheelchair to the pub and old comrades' reunions, before returning to the care of the nuns of Nazareth House.

PJ, who died on December 23, married Anne Coode in 1938; she died in 1984. He is survived by four of their children.


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## Spr.Earl

John he must have been one character to meet and sup with.

I'm still laffing,
I like his remark why he chose the cloth.

Ah some may say crazy or ex centrich or just another nutty Brit.
Sorry,I'm still having a good giggle but I guess he would wish that we enjoy his life rather than weep over his death as I see it from his Obit.

But most of all his visiting Merchant Ship's and looking out for Seaman.


TTFN   PJ 

I don't have to say your God is with you because you are with him.

Must have been one hell of a Man!!


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## big bad john

A good Marine alawys watches out for his mates and a good Officer never stops looking after his men!


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## Spr.Earl

big bad john said:
			
		

> A good Marine alawys watches out for his mates and a good Officer never stops looking after his men!


BBj, it should be the norm for all never mind what Service we serve in.


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## big bad john

Very heartily agreed!


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## Edward Campbell

I am saddened to report that Col (ret'd) T.R. (Thumper) McCoy, formerly Commanding Officer of 1RCR and, later, Commandant of the Royal Canadian School of Infantry passed away over the weekend after a brief illness.

Col. McCoy was a tough old character who cared, until the end of his days, about soldiers and soldiering.   He made sure, from the depths of retirement, that his Regimental Association looked after troops in field â â€œ sending letters, care packages and the like to remind them that they were in the thoughts of the _Regimental family_.

Officers feared him, sergeant majors ducked behind cover when he was on one of his rambles, but the soldiers liked him - they enjoyed his rough good humour and they shared his obvious love of the infantry and its business.

I will post the obit when it is published.


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## big bad john

Colonel Geoffrey Powell
(Filed: 14/02/2005)

Colonel Geoffrey Powell, who has died aged 90, won an MC leading 156 Parachute Battalion at the Battle of Arnhem; later he served in MI5 and became a notable writer on military history.

  

Brigadier "Shan" Hackett's 4th Parachute Brigade was dropped north-west of Arnhem on September 18 1944 in the second lift of "Market Garden", an audacious attempt to capture the road and rail bridges over the Rhine. The Brigade had the task of moving into Arnhem to establish a defensive perimeter on the high ground to the north of the town in order to block the movements of German forces from that direction.

As Powell - then a major in command of C Company - left the Dakota, the Germans were on the dropping zone shooting up at him, and one of the bullets grazed his fingers. On the ground, the lightly equipped paras, without artillery, armour or air cover, found themselves confronted by determined, well-armed German troops in strong defensive positions.

A dawn attack by C Company the next morning was successful, but assaults by A and B Companies, with the objective of capturing a dominating feature, were repulsed with very heavy casualties. In the first 36 hours, two-thirds of the battalion was lost and food and ammunition were running short.

Amidst the carnage, there were acts of the greatest gallantry. Powell said afterwards that one of the Dakotas that had flown over them had been hit and was on fire; it was rapidly losing height, but the RASC dispatchers stood in the doorway throwing out supplies until it was too late for them to jump. The pilot was awarded a posthumous VC.

As the Brigade attempted to move from the woodland into the Oosterbeek Perimeter, it encountered ferocious German attacks from machine-gun fire and mortar bombs which burst in the trees with deadly effect. An attack by Messerschmitts on the Brigade HQ caused more casualties.

After his CO and second-in-command were killed, Powell took command of the remnants of 156 Battalion and elements of Brigade HQ, leading them out of the dense woodland towards Oosterbeek. When he took cover in a house, a round of solid shot came through the wall, passed over his head and exited through the other, showering him with debris and leaving a hole a foot in diameter.

Facing virtual annihilation, Powell led one bayonet charge to clear the enemy from a hollow in a wood and afford a brief respite for the beleaguered survivors. Then, Hackett led another to break through the encircling Germans and reach Oosterbeek, where 1st Airborne Division was clinging to a small bridgehead north of the Neder Rijn.

For the next six days, Powell and what was left of his battalion fought a rearguard action to defend the eastern sector of the perimeter. Here they saw some of the most bitter fighting of the week. Most of the British anti-tank guns had been destroyed, and German armoured vehicles were able to stand off out of range and smash each building in turn, compelling the defenders, by now hungry and exhausted, to fight from slit trenches in the gardens.

When orders were given to evacuate, Powell led the survivors downstream in darkness and pouring rain, guided by lines of parachute ropes, each man holding on to the smock of the man in front. At the riverbank, the first boat that he saw was riddled with bullet holes and its sapper crew dead.

As his men started to swim across a boat appeared, and Powell put half his group on board and waited for it to return, before departing with the remainder. Harassed by scarlet tracer from the German spandaus and with shells dropping around them, they reached the southern bank.

Powell formed up his 15 men and marched them, bayonets fixed and rifles at the slope, five miles back to the reception area. Although recommended for a DSO, he was awarded an MC. The citation stated that his bravery was an inspiration to all around him. Brigadier Hackett described him as a great fighting man in a great tradition; competent, courageous and self-effacing.

Geoffrey Stewart Powell was born at Scarborough, Yorkshire, on Christmas Day 1914, a few days after the German naval bombardment of the town. After attending Scarborough College, he started work with a firm of estate agents, but decided that it was not for him and was commissioned as a regular subaltern into The Green Howards in 1939.

Powell served with the 2nd Battalion at Ferozepore in the Punjab before transferring to 151 British Parachute Battalion (later 156 Parachute Battalion) in 1942.

Promoted major and given command of C Company, he served in Palestine and Tunisia, but broke a leg in a night drop and missed the invasion of Italy.

Arnhem was the end of Powell's participation in the Second World War. After attending Staff College, Camberley, he was posted to Java, and subsequently Malaya as brigade major of 49 Indian Infantry Brigade; he was mentioned in dispatches.

In 1954 Powell returned to the 2nd Battalion Green Howards to command C Company in the Canal Zone and then in operations against Eoka terrorists in Cyprus.

The next year, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel and appointed to the planning staff of the CIGS, Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer.

Powell commanded the 11th Battalion King's African Rifles in Kenya in 1957 and then moved to the MoD. In 1962, in his final appointment in the Army, he served as Brigade Colonel Yorkshire Brigade. He then applied for an appointment in the Security Service, took the Civil Service Commission examination and, having passed out close to the top, was accepted. For the next 12 years he worked for MI5, initially on security policy and then on counter-espionage.

In 1977 Powell moved to Chipping Campden and was able to devote more time to writing. He founded and ran the Campden Bookshop and helped to start the Campden & District Archaeological and History Society. He lectured on Army Staff College battlefield tours of Arnhem, and he was proud of being elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

As a young man, he enjoyed polo, hunting and beagling. In his latter years, he took to climbing and was a vigorous walker into his eighties.

Powell published a number of books, among them Men at Arnhem (1976); The Devil's Birthday: The Bridges to Arnhem (1984); Plumer: The Soldier's General (1990); and Buller: a Scapegoat? (1994). The History of The Green Howards (1992) was updated in collaboration with his son, Brigadier John Powell, Colonel of the Green Howards, and republished in 2002.

Geoffrey Powell died on January 5. He married, in 1944, Felicity Wadsworth, who survives him with their son and daughter.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Tim McCoy's obit; my emphasis



> MCCOY, Colonel T.R. (Tim) Retired 1918 - 2005
> 
> Passed away peacefully Sunday, February 13, 2005 surrounded by his children Terry, Susan and Cathy and grandchildren Sofie, Tamira and Timo at the Civic Hospital in Ottawa. Predeceased by his beloved wife Elizabeth Munroe and survived by his dear brother George. Fondly remembered by his niece Barb and nephews Larry and Doug in the Hamilton area and by his many friends around the world.
> 
> *Distinguished veteran of WWII, Dieppe survivor and career Army officer. His military career began with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry at the beginning of WWII. He was wounded in action during WWII and after the war he joined The Royal Canadian Regiment in London and was subsequently appointed Commanding Officer of the First Batallion RCR. Later in his career he was appointed Commandant of the Canadian Infantry Training School in Camp Borden, Ontario and served as a Senior Staff Officer at Headquarters Northern Army Group (NATO) based in West Germany.*
> 
> Following his retirement from the military in 1971, he contributed for many years to international development, as Executive Director of the Canadian Hunger Foundation, as well as project director for CIDA in Dominica and as a volunteer.
> 
> *He was also an active member of the RCR Association (Ottawa Branch), the RCMI  and other organizations.* He is fondly remembered by the many people whose lives he touched as a person who loved life and lived it to the fullest with zest, generosity, a sense of humour and incredible determination.
> 
> A Funeral Service will be held at All Saints Anglican Church, 347 Richmond Road, Ottawa, on Friday, February 18 at 11a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ottawa Heart Institute or the Intensive Care Unit at the Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus.


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## Edward Campbell

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret'd) John Hardy was, amongst other things, the Honorary Dominion President of the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada.   (An older _relative_ of the Legion; see: http://www.anavets.ca/ ).   John passed away this week.
   
John Hardy was born in Perth, Ontario and was a member of the 187th Cadet Corps and the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish (Militia). Upon graduation from the Perth Collegiate institute in 1944 he joined the Canadian Army active service force. He was posted overseas as a re-enforcement to the 1st Battalion of the Hastings and Price Edward Regiment and served in Italy and in the liberation Holland. After VE Day he volunteered to serve in the Pacific but the war ended before he left North America. 

After World War II, he was off to Victoria College in the University of Toronto where he graduated with a BA degree and was qualified as a Captain Militia, and regular forces Lieutenant. He accepted a position as management trainee with Moore corporation/Moore business forms and continued to serve as transport officer of the Toronto Scottish. He joined the Royal Canadian Regiment in Brockville in 1949 as a Lieutenant. 

With the 1RCR he qualified as a parachutist and was engaged in training 2 RCR troops for Korea. Promoted to Captain in 1951, he served for a year in Germany as Adjutant of the 1st Canadian Highland Battalion of the 27th Infantry Brigade. Upon return he was posted as the Resident Staff Officer and student advisor to the President of the University of Toronto. Many interesting postings followed; Graduate of the Canadian Army Staff College Kingston, ON; the Cdn Senior Officers Course; Staff Officer HQ's 1st Cdn Infantry Division under Gen. Rockingham; tours with 1st and 2nd Battalions, the Black Watch (RHR) of Canada in Gagetown; UN Chief Economics Officer UNFICYP HQ's Cyprus; Assistant Chief Instructor, Royal Canadian School of Infantry; and, Staff Officer in the office of the Vice Chief of Defence. 

John was seconded to External Affairs in the Military Affairs and Peacekeeping Division. He briefed Prime Minister Trudeau each morning before, during and after the FLQ crisis. Back to National Defence HQ, he then worked in the section responsible for aid of civil power, internal security and anti-terrorism, and staffing for establishing JTF2. He was the Canadian Secretary of ABCA-Z before retiring from the Army in 1975. 

Upon retirement from the Military, he became busily engaged in volunteer work. Serving as commissioner of the St. John's Ambulance Brigade, Federal District; President of the Ontario Amateur Football Association, North Eastern Region. An active member in the regimental associations of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, the Toronto Scottish Regiment, The Royal Canadian Regiment, The 1st Canadian Highland Battalion and the Black Watch (RHR) of Canada. He also served on the Central Committee of the Army Benevolent Fund. 

In addition, he has done interesting contract work for the Federal Government, the longest being 11 yrs with the Secretary of State as Director of Operations for 1st July Canada Day Celebrations. He also worked as an adviser on International Security and Anti-Terrorism. 

John Hardy enjoyed everyone he came in contact with as well as fishing, target shooting, horse back riding, sailing, and wild animal and bird watching.


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## big bad john

Alasdair Ferguson
(Filed: 21/02/2005)

Alasdair Ferguson, who has died aged 85, commanded one of the landing craft which carried Canadian soldiers into a hail of fire at Puits during the Dieppe raid on August 19 1942.

  

As second-in-command of the 10th Landing Craft Assault Flotilla, he had the task of landing on Blue Beach, on the eastern outer flank of the main landings. But, after launching from the converted Belgian ferry Princess Astrid, Ferguson's boats went in the wrong direction, with the result that they arrived 16 minutes late. Dawn was breaking, and the element of surprise had been lost.

Ferguson felt his boat scrape the bottom as enemy machine-gun fire poured down from a cliff, penetrating the thin hull. Then, crying "Down ramp!", he urged the men of the Royal Regiment of Canada and the Royal Canadian Artillery into the water. Some were cut down on the ramp, where their bodies piled up. Others fell as they struggled to cross the pebbled beach to the sea wall 40 ft away.

Seven craft made the first landing; but when Ferguson was sent back to Puits a few hours later to rescue survivors, only four were now available. Two of these were hit and sunk, and, when he saw that there was no sign of life on the beach, Ferguson reluctantly obeyed an order to withdraw. 

At about 10.30, all available craft were sent to the main beach at Dieppe, which was still under intense fire from mortars and machine-guns. As Ferguson grounded his boat, he could see no movement on the beach, so he stood up to shout. A soldier ran towards the craft, and Ferguson handed him the only weapon he had, a Lewis gun, with which the soldier fumbled as he fired over the prone bodies. Ferugson did not notice that the man was wearing German uniform, and was clearly attempting to desert.

By now so many troops were rushing his craft that it was swamped and, as Ferguson headed out to sea, his boat was hit by a shell and capsized. He helped his passengers board another craft, and the shocked sailors and soldiers returned to Newhaven. 

The allies learned valuable lessons, but the Canadians had suffered appalling casualties: on Blue Beach alone, 485 out of 545 Canadians were killed, wounded or missing. For the rest of his life Ferguson measured everything by Dieppe, saying that nothing else could possibly worry him. He was mentioned in dispatches. 

Alasdair Forbes Ferguson was born on April 11 1919 at Bearsden, Glasgow, where his father was a property developer. He was educated at Loretto, where he was head boy and captain of athletics, swimming, rugby and boxing. His Engineering studies at Clare College, Cambridge, were interrupted by the war. 

During the Munich crisis, Ferguson borrowed his mother's car and drove to the recruiting office in Glasgow to ask how he could become a naval officer. The recruiting officer told him: "You won't have to pass any test, because I know you and your father." A few months later, having had no training, Ferguson found himself a midshipman in the battleship Royal Oak at Scapa Flow. However, his captain, William Benn, was horrified, and ordered Ferguson back to Cambridge; a short while later, Royal Oak was torpedoed in her anchorage at night with the loss of 833 lives.

Ferguson fretted at university until Dunkirk in June 1940, when he insisted on being allowed to rejoin. Passing out top of his class, he was promised the choice of appointments and volunteered for destroyers or motor torpedo boats. Instead, he was sent to a flotilla of eight 25-ft long Yorkshire cobbles, in which he started to train for the invasion of France. Ferguson reckoned he was quite safe: if the Germans saw him coming in these open fishing boats, they would be unable to open fire for laughing. 

Later, his flotilla was re-equipped with American, 36-ft-long "Eureka" boats and, in early 1942, with the 41-ft-long, British-built landing craft in which Ferguson specialised for the rest of the war. 

After Dieppe, Ferguson took command of the renamed 60th LCA and was sent to the Mediterranean, where he landed American troops at Arzeu in North Africa from the Canadian Pacific liner Duchess of Bedford. In March 1943 he began his very successful association with British 50th Division, taking part in the invasion of Sicily, the crossing of the Messina Strait, and the landings at Salerno and Anzio. He was awarded the DSC. 

At Normandy in 1944, Ferguson, now a lieutenant and in command of 524th LCA, launched his flotilla from its parent ship, Empire Arquebus, some seven miles off the coast and led the first wave of assault craft, with the 1st Battalion, the Hampshire Regiment embarked, to land on Gold Beach at le Hamel. He was awarded a Bar to his DSC for his gallantry, skill and determination. 

Ferguson left the Navy in 1945 and, six years later, began a lifelong association with the then ailing Hamworthy Engineering company at Poole. After the firm had grown at the rate of 50 per cent per annum, he and his brother Nick bought a small company, Bourne Steel, which he sold to its employees in the 1980s; it is now one of the south coast's biggest construction and engineering companies.

He also ran an English and a Scottish property company, took an interest in the Parkstone Boys' and Girls' Club and turned the Bourne Valley Club into a successful residential activities' centre for the young. 

Ferguson was a keen sailor throughout his life, though his sister recalled that, as a boy, "he always fell in and we had to take dry clothes with us". His yacht, Swan of Arden, was as well known on the French coast as in the Western Isles, but he could not cook, and the crew's rations consisted entirely of fruit cake. 

In 1972 Ferguson helped found the Poole Maritime Trust. When an early 16th-century Spanish wreck was discovered on the notorious Hook Sands in Studland Bay, he took the lead raising money for its conservation. 

Alasdair Ferguson, who died on December 26, was appointed MBE in 1984 and became a Deputy Lieutenant for Dorset in 1995. 

His first wife was Miranda Domvile, daughter of Admiral Sir Barry Domvile; she died in 1981. He married, secondly, Heather Baggley, who died in 1995; and thirdly, in 1997, Patricia Richards (née Johnson), who survives him with three daughters of the first marriage, a stepson and two stepdaughters.
   

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## Spr.Earl

WoW!

This link just shows how many of those who have served  before us "Young Sprog's" are dying  off so fast!!

Thanks all for passing on the little known Histories of our former Warriors.


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## big bad john

We have to honour those who came before.  "If you don't know where you're coming from, how do you know where you're going".


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## big bad john

Major Dick Rubinstein
(Filed: 28/02/2005)

Major Dick Rubinstein, who has died aged 83, won the MC and the Croix de Guerre serving on SOE Jedburgh missions in France and Burma.

  

On the night of August 6 1944, Rubinstein's team was parachuted into Brittany, north-east of Vannes. The "Jeds" were not spies, but primarily a liaison force, and Rubinstein was wearing the uniform of a British paratrooper and a captain's badges. He was armed with a.45 Colt revolver, M1 carbine and commando knife and was carrying five million francs for local supplies and wages for the French Resistance.

The money was handed over at the HQ of the Forces Français de L'Interieur and for the next week the team were concealed in a small oyster farm. Working with the SAS and the FFI, they helped with the landing of gliders carrying arms for 3,000 men and harassed the German garrisons in the naval bases. By the end of the month, most of the region had been cleared of the enemy. On his return to England, Rubinstein had to pay customs duty on a silk dress that he had bought for his wife.

On September 15, Rubinstein and his team were dropped by night into the Jura, south-east of Besançon, to assist the local Maquis in attacking the Germans along the Allies' main axis of advance from the south. After the setback at Arnhem, a Rhine crossing that autumn was ruled out and the team concentrated on reporting on enemy troop movements. When they were ordered to make their way home, they split up for safety reasons. Rubinstein found a German motorbike but ran into the French Army and was promptly arrested and tied to a tree while his future, which seemed likely to be short, was deliberated.

He persuaded his captors to verify his credentials by calling SOE HQ with a coded message giving his house number in London. He was released and flew back to England in October. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre and was mentioned in despatches.

In December 1944, Rubinstein was attached to SOE Force 136 and, the following month, was parachuted by night into Burma with two comrades. He said later that, despite being a veteran, before the drop he had "felt rotten all afternoon; very frightened and also irritated by the non-op types who kept saying, 'Don't worry, old boy, the chute won't open anyway.'" Guided by fires, the team was dropped in the Kutkai area of northern Burma to reinforce an SOE intelligence group led by Bill Howe, a former rice buyer. The "Jeds" sustained themselves on fruit, rice with chillies, stewed meat along with bartered eggs, buffalo milk and the odd chicken. They lived with the Burmese, sleeping in thatched huts or in the open under mosquito nets.

Intelligence on the movements of the Japanese was supplied by the local Kachin, tough, cheerful, hill people fiercely loyal to the British. Rubinstein organised fighting patrols composed of guerrilla groups who would set up concealed camps, reconnoitre for enemy bivouacs and attack at night, often going in close with their short swords. Japanese military targets were ambushed, roads were mined and convoys shot up.

Rubinstein's men were in action almost every day and by the end of February 1945, they had taken a heavy toll of the enemy. In March, General Chiang Kai-Shek's forces arrived from the north. The next month, in an operation code-named "Chimp", Rubinstein and his five-man squad were dropped into a dry river valley surrounded by forest north of Pyinmana. Two of them fell in the trees but by the time the Japanese had arrived they had made their getaway.

The Army was badly in need of intelligence about Japanese troop dispositions and Rubinstein raised 200 guerrillas through the local leader of the Communist Anti-Fascist Organisation. During the month, they ambushed enemy troops, called down air strikes on strategic targets, and captured arms and ammunition.

A Japanese major-general, six of his staff and 17 other ranks were killed in one ambush. Important documents found with them were despatched immediately by runner to General Slim's forces. When the news of this coup reached London, it had a marked effect on the willingness of the military planners to increase support for Force 136, the SOE and the Burmese resistance.

In June, Rubinstein was moved to Toungoo with orders to stop the Japanese crossing the Sittang and making for the border with Siam. So successful was his Burmese force that he questioned the number of kills reported. Proof was then produced in the form of amputated right ears carefully wrapped in green leaf packages.

Rubinstein afterwards estimated that his force of 1,000 fighters had accounted for 2,500 of the enemy as well as taking 200 prisoners. In October, after the Japanese surrender, he was posted to Calcutta to organise the reception and care of agents being withdrawn from operations. He was awarded an immediate MC.

Richard Arthur Rubinstein, the son of an importer of millinery, was born in London on August 29 1921. His grandfather, a Latvian Jew, had come to England in the early 19th century.

Young Richard went to University College School and won a place at Imperial College to read Aeronautical Engineering. But the outbreak of war intervened and he enlisted in the Royal Engineers and was posted to 321 Company 26 Anti-Aircraft Battalion. 

After being granted a commission, he commanded a searchlight troop in Norfolk, travelling by motor-bike on a 50-mile circuit to control six searchlight sites and 80 men. In 1943, he was promoted captain and had 24 searchlights in his charge. 

He then volunteered to serve in Occupied Europe and, after intense training, including parachute jumps at Ringway, was recruited into an SOE Jedburgh team.

In February 1946 Rubinstein returned to England from Burma to find that his parents' house had been destroyed by a bomb. He took charge of a POW camp in Devon for a few months and was then demobilised. He then spent two years at Imperial College and, after a spell with ICI, joined De Haviland Hawker Siddeley at Hatfield, Hertfordshire. He was later responsible for selling the company's gas turbine control systems to the Royal Navy and stayed with the organisation until he retired in 1986.

In retirement, Rubinstein lived in Hendon, north London, but his holiday home was a small boat moored on the Beaulieu River. He and his wife, Gay, spent many happy summers cruising on the Solent. He was an active member of the Special Forces Club and used to arrive for meetings on his motor-bike until he was close to 80.

He was proud of his Jewish roots but converted to the Church of England so that he could share his faith with his wife. 

Dick Rubinstein died on February 23. He married, in 1943, Gay Garnsley, who survives him with their two sons.


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## big bad john

March 01, 2005 - Sgt WE (Bill) Brown
Sgt Bill Brown of 2 Cdo died Sunday morning at the University Hospital in Edmonton at the age of 71 . Bill served with the PPCLI from 1950 through to 1970 when at that time joined the Canadian Airborne Regiment in Edmonton until 1976 serving for 26 years .

He served in 2 separate tours in Germany while with the PPCLI and in Cyprus with 2 Cdo of the Canadian Airborne Regiment .

Billy as he was known died after a long bout with Huntington's Disease passed away in his sleep . He is survived by his 4 sons Michael, Barry, Stacy and Roger and 8 Grandchildren .

A memorial service will be held March 4 2005 at Park Memorial Funeral Home in Edmonton at 3:30 p.m.


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## XHighlander

i tried to start a similar thread just after the D-Day Anniversary......... but there seems to be no takers.......... until now............ thanks Mike for the site and for the opportunity to show case my father's collections......... in the insignia section..........

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/16836.0.html


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## Edward Campbell

Joseph "International Joe" Grigas DCM departed this life early on 08 March 2005 in the Western Counties Wing of Parkwood Hospital in London 
Ontario.

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Joe was born on 15 February 1915. A self-described loner with a family that was not close he marched through life to his own drum. After serving a short enlistment in the US Army (14th Inf Regt in Panama Canal Zone) in the early 1930's Joe went to Spain as a volunteer in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the International Brigades of the Republican Army. He was captured by the Fascists and spent a year and a half in captivity before being released. He returned to the USA and in 1940 went to Montreal to enlist in the Canadian Army (Active). He joined The Royal Canadian Regiment in England. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions in leading his Section in the successful attack and capture of an Italian Coastal Artillery Battery at Pachino on 10 July 1943.

Joe was wounded and captured (again) at Regalbuto in Sicily but was left behind by the retreating Germans in an Italian hospital. On rejoining The RCR Joe continued to serve until mid 1944 when he was invalided out.   He returned to the USA where he spent the next half-century living, sometimes quietly sometimes not, on the fringes of society - hand to mouth but never with his hand out for a handout. 

Betrayed by his advancing years and increasing infirmity Joe related his story to a friend, Mr. Bill Carrick of Worcester.   Bill contacted The RCR and before too much time had passed Joe found the country he had once helped was willing to help him. Joe complained as only a soldier can (or has the right to) complain and when his complaining faded we knew the end was near. We thank the staff of 4th Floor Bruce at Parkwood for helping to smooth some of the bumps in the road on Joe's final journey. Cremation has taken place.

A Regimental Association Memorial service will be held at the Wolseley Barracks WO's and Sgt's Mess at 1100 on Saturday 12 March 2005. 

Memorial donations to The RCR Museum, 750 Elizabeth St, London ON N5Y 4T7 would be appreciated by his Regimental family. That is where some of the stories of Joe and his generation are told.

PRO PATRIA

--------

_*D105811 Private Joseph Grigas*

" On 10 Jul 43 in vicinity of PACHINO Airfield "A" Coy The Royal Canadian Regiment 

of which Pte Grigas was a soldier was operating against enemy coastal 

defences.   At 1000 hours the Coy commenced an assault on a coast defence 

battery immediately north of Pachino Airfield. Pte Grigas's Sec Comd became a 

casualty.   Pte Grigas took command of the section and, advancing under heavy 

fire managed to reach the perimeter wire.   The remainder of the Coy was by this 

time pinned to the ground. Pte Grigas breached a gap in the wire and led his 

section through to assault the enemy concrete posts which were knocked out in 

quick succession.   Although Pte Grigas' section was the only section of the Coy 

to enter the battery position the attack was led with such determination that it 

caused the surrender of the garrison of approximately two hundred men and in 

the capture of four 9.2" howitzers and large quantities of ammunition, small arms 

and stores.   The personal gallantry, determination and leadership of Pte Grigas 

was largely responsible for the success of this operation."_


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## Edward Campbell

Maj. (Ret'd) Richard D. Medland, D.S.O, C.D. died recently at the age of 85.

Dick was the first Coy commander of A Coy when was 2RCR was activated in 1950. He served with 2RCR in Korea and was Bn 2IC when 2RCR went to Germany in 1953.   The photo, below, shows him when he commanded the RCR contingent at the coronation in 1952.   Art Johnson will recognize some of the faces.


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## Edward Campbell

I don't know why it took so long to print this.

From today's _Globe and Mail_ at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20050323.OBCOWAN23/TPStory 



> JAMES COWAN, ARMY OFFICER 1928-2005
> As a raw lieutenant, he took command in the middle of a battle in the Korean War and was recommended for the Military Cross
> 
> By BUZZ BOURDON
> Wednesday, March
> 
> OTTAWA -- Jim Cowan achieved a rare distinction for an inexperienced 22-year-old army officer when he took command of his infantry company in the middle of a battle. On May 30, 1951, he was a lieutenant with the Second Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, commanding a platoon of 35 infantrymen during their first major action in the Korean War when his company commander was wounded.
> 
> Mr. Cowan's seniority got him the job, said John Woods of Ottawa, one of two other platoon commanders during the battle of Kakhul-Bong almost 54 years ago. "John Strickland of 9 Platoon had lost three-quarters of his platoon in the first five minutes of the attack. [My platoon] came up and took over his position, so Jimmy and I fought side by side up the hill."
> 
> Suddenly, word came that their commander, Major Harry Boates, had been hit by a Chinese mortar bomb. Mr. Cowan sprinted breathlessly over to Mr. Woods. "What date was your commission?" he asked.
> 
> Even in the middle of a battle, it was important for officers to observe certain professional niceties. "Feb. 16, 1948," Mr. Woods replied.
> 
> "That gave him three months seniority over me, [which] entitled him to take over the company."
> 
> They discussed what to do next. "We thought about making a full bayonet charge with both platoons, but we decided . . . it would have been suicidal."
> 
> The Second Battalion, which had formed at Camp Petawawa, Ont., less than a month after North Korea invaded South Korea on July 25, 1950, had trained at Fort Lewis, Wash., before shipping out on May 4, 1951. Placed under the command of the 25th U.S. Division, it had been advancing north of Seoul when it was ordered to capture the heavily fortified 500-metre summit of Kakhul-Bong and the village of Chail-li beyond it.
> 
> D Company, including Mr. Cowan and his men of 10 Platoon, had been told to take the main objective -- the twin peaks of Kakhul-Bong. At 6:30 a.m., Major Boates sent his three platoons leapfrogging forward until they were pinned down by Chinese machine-gun fire. A driving rainstorm that started at 7 a.m. didn't help matters. Not long after, Major Boates was wounded and Mr. Cowan took over the attack.
> 
> "Jimmy was very cool and very professional," said Mr. Woods, who remained a lifelong friend. "The way he accepted the responsibility of taking command was very impressive."
> 
> A handful of men advanced to within six metres of the summit of Kakhul-Bong, only to be stopped by heavy fire. "Victory was so near -- yet so far. Below, the Chinese could be seen concentrating in substantial numbers for a counterattack," wrote G. R. Stevens in The Royal Canadian Regiment, Volume Two, 1933-66.
> 
> "Determined to deny them access to the Chorwon Plains -- to which Kakhul was virtually the key -- the enemy opened up with mortar and artillery fire. In pelting rain and with no high ground for observation, it was obvious he was firing from guns which had been previously dug in and ranged," wrote correspondent Bill Boss of The Canadian Press. For three hours, both Mr. Cowan and Mr. Woods deployed their platoons "in a bombardment not seen by this correspondent since . . . the Second World War."
> 
> Mr. Cowan radioed battalion headquarters that his right flank was entirely exposed, reported that 3,000 Chinese soldiers in the valley below were preparing a counterattack and said he had only 70 men left. Brigadier-General John Rockingham, commander of 25 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group, ordered him to disengage.
> 
> Second Battalion had suffered six dead and 25 wounded. Both Mr. Cowan and Mr. Woods were recommended for the Military Cross. Years later, Mr. Cowan, who had been wounded that day, said that "becoming a company commander while under fire is an experience no young man ever forgets."
> 
> The son of a Toronto police officer, Mr. Cowan joined the cadet corps of the 48th Highlanders of Canada at 13. He was commissioned into the regiment seven years later before volunteering for the regular army in 1950. After the Korean War, he followed the conventional career path of thousands of officers, including battalion and staff postings in Canada and Europe.
> 
> In 1953, he enjoyed an unusual job for an army officer when he cruised the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Pacific as ground-liaison officer aboard the aircraft carrier HMCS Magnificent. While in Halifax aboard Magnificent, he met a navy nurse named Betty-June Ballantyn and they became sweethearts. Then, after spending a number of years in Vietnam and Laos as part of the International Truce Commission, Mr. Cowan returned home in 1957 and they married.
> 
> The next 13 years saw Mr. Cowan and his family assigned to postings around the world, including stops in India, Germany and the United States. He commanded his original unit, the Second Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, in Soest, West Germany, from 1968 to 1970. He retired from the Canadian Forces in 1982 as a brigadier-general. He later spent seven years as CEO and priory secretary of St. John Ambulance.
> 
> Brigadier-General James Albert Cowan was born on Sept. 30, 1928, in Toronto. He died of lung cancer on Jan. 1, 2005, in North Bay, Ont. He was 76. He is survived by his wife, Betty-June, sons Ian and Scott and brother Bill.
> 
> He was predeceased by his brother Dave and his sister Jean.
> 
> He will be interred with full military honours in Ottawa's National Military Cemetery in May.



'Big Jim' Cowan was my CO and, later, a friend.


----------



## bossi

Well - what can you say about a fellow who'd testify "... "Only if you were disguised as a doughnut or covered in gravy." ..." ... RIP, good soul.  



> Paul Edward Burden [DFC, CVSM]
> By CARL G. ERICSON and ERIC M. WRIGHT
> Globe and Mail, Monday, March 28, 2005 Page A16
> 
> Second World War hero, husband, father, grandfather, community leader. Born Aug. 7, 1920, in Pokiok, N.B. Died Feb. 18 in Fredericton, of Parkinson's Disease, aged 85.
> 
> Born and raised on a farm, he attended Montreal's MacDonald College, but left after one year to join the RCAF at the age of 19, enlisting on June 27, 1940. Paul was posted to the United Kingdom in 1943. As a pilot with the 434 Squadron and 405 Pathfinder Squadron respectively, Lieutenant Burden remained active until war's end, completing 43 missions.
> 
> In the post-war period, the story circulated that Paul flew a Lancaster bomber under the Carleton Street Bridge in Fredericton on his way to an air show, and decided to "salute" his mother on the way. This became one of this city's most famous and enduring myths. He was often questioned about it, and took great delight in never denying it. There was a military hearing to investigate the allegations, and although the air force testified that his was the only Lancaster in the air at that time of day, nevertheless he was acquitted. *A RCMP officer testified that he was about to walk across the intersection of Carleton and King Streets and he was glad he looked both ways because there was a Lancaster bomber coming up Carleton Street.*
> 
> Paul received his demobilization from the air force in 1946. During his career as an airman, Paul was awarded (among others) the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery; the France-German Star, 39-45 Star; the Canadian Volunteer Service medal and clasp, and the Victory medal for wartime service.
> 
> In recognition of service to country and community, he also received the Queen's Coronation, Silver Jubilee, Centennial and Golden Jubilee medals; Canadian Corps of Commissionaires Meritorious Service, Canadian Corps of Commissionaires Long Service and Fédération des Combattants Volontaires Alliés Canada medals.
> 
> He was devoted to his wife of 58 years, Iris, whom he met overseas and who served in the air force. They shared the joys and challenges of eight children, 16 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He enjoyed raising and grooming both dogs and Peruvian Passover horses and often rode the latter in local parades in full regalia.
> 
> In civilian life, Paul was well-known in the stationery profession and took the ups and downs of business without complaint. He was an active community volunteer, and gave willingly of his time to many local, provincial and national organizations.
> 
> Paul brought one of the first Bullmastiff breed of dogs into Canada. Walter, a descendent, was the Bullmastiff who helped Paul run his stationery store and is the dog behind the story of Walter The Farting Dog, a best-selling children's story that has been read around the world. The actual Walter was always with Paul and usually sprawled outside his office.
> 
> Walter was involved in a small altercation one time, which lead to litigation and the plaintiff's lawyer questioned Paul regarding Walter's disposition and the likelihood of his turning vicious. He brought up the fact that he often met Paul at the post office in the mornings and noticed that Walter was usually sitting in his car. He posed the question whether Walter would bite him if he were to get in the car and pretend to steal it. To which Paul, replied: "Only if you were disguised as a doughnut or covered in gravy." This brought the proceedings to an immediate halt.
> 
> Those of all ages who knew Paul smile at his memory through our tears.
> 
> Carl and Eric are friends of Paul Burden.


----------



## bossi

And then there were five ...
(I'm surprised this news was not reported more widely).

I've visited Holten several times, and have unwittingly visited his son's grave.   RIP, father and son.

*Lazare Gionet*
National Post, April 5th 2005
Nennifer Campbell, Canwest News Service
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oldest WWI vet was 109
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More than 600,000 Canadians enlisted to fight in the First World War. One in 10, or 60,000, died on the battlefields of Europe. Today, only five Canadians who set out to fight in the "War to End All Wars" remain. One more serviceman, Lazare Gionet, was, until his death on Friday, the oldest surviving Canadian participant in the war. In the lead-up to April 9, the anniversary of Canada's great victory at Vimy Ridge, CanWest News Service and the Dominion Institute relate the stories of these Canadian heroes. 
- - - 
Lazare Gionet was 20 years old when he set off in 1916 to enlist as a private with the First Depot Battalion. Born in Bas Caraquet in northeast New Brunswick in August, 1896, he was, until his death on Friday, the oldest surviving Canadian veteran of the First World War. ... [more]
++++++
Lazare Gionet (1896-2005)
l'Acadie Nouvelle - 4 avril 2005
http://www.capacadie.com/acadienouvelle/detail.cfm?id=109409


----------



## Jack Neilson

Douglas Gunter, Army Officer 1921-2005  

By BUZZ BOURDON 

Thursday, April 14, 2005 Page S9

Special to The Globe and Mail

 OTTAWA -- Colonel Douglas Gunter loved organizing things, so when National Defence Headquarters told him in 1972 to expect a Royal visit to Canadian Forces Base Shilo, he found himself in his element. For three months, he was everywhere, planning, inspecting and double-checking everything. He resolved that Shilo, the home station of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, would be in tip-top shape for a visit to Manitoba by the Queen, Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne.

Even his own family was involved. A possible rail strike meant they might have to be evicted to house the Royal Family. "When I told them that we might be moving out to make room for royalty, the children thought that would be exciting, while my wife, with her Irish heritage, was less enthusiastic," Mr. Gunter wrote in a 1993 family memoir.

His daughter, Anne Brigham, who was 10 at the time, recalled the havoc. "German shepherds were brought in to sniff for bombs. My mother's silver tea service was replaced by 'something better.' She was offended!"

The family was instructed on etiquette, she said. "I had to curtsey to the Queen, Prince Philip, Charles and Anne; my brother had to bow. My mother was a good girl and did what she was told for my father's sake." 

Advertisements

 Finally, the big day arrived on July 13, 1970. Father and daughter made a final tour of the base at 9 a.m. to see that everything was ready. Then the weather, the one thing beyond Mr. Gunter's control, went haywire. Appalled, he could only watch in horror as the clouds unleashed lightning, thunder and pelting rain on the royal enclosure. "Vicious rains were soon blowing chairs, bunting and children horizontally across the prairie," he wrote.

In due course, the Royal Family arrived and took their places on a reviewing stand to watch paratroopers from the Canadian Airborne Regiment make a free-fall parachute jump. Other soldiers then demonstrated rappelling by sliding down ropes from a hovering helicopter. That's when the spit hit the fan. Unexpectedly, backwash from the helicopter struck with a prolonged blast of air. Hats went flying and soldiers arrived at a dead run to steady the dangerously teetering structure. 

A young Princess Anne managed "to hang on to her hat while her lime-green mini-skirt was flying in all directions. The ever-alert members of the media rushed with their cameras to the front of the stand to capture the royal thigh on film," wrote Mr. Gunter.

Reacting quickly, he shielded her with his umbrella, earning him transatlantic kudos as "the gallant base commander, protecting the modesty of the young princess."

"Not since the days of Sir Walter Raleigh 400 years ago has such gallantry been seen," one newspaper reported.

Doug Gunter had joined the army in 1939 and attended the University of New Brunswick. He was posted to 12 Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. He landed in Normandy shortly after D-Day in 1944 and fought his way across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and into Germany.

In February of 1945, he took part in a major operation to clear the west bank of the Rhine River for the drive into Germany. The attack opened with 1,200 guns in the biggest artillery barrage of the war. "My guns started firing high explosive at 0400 hours -- the continual flashes of gunfire meant you could read a paper anywhere," he wrote. "We continued firing until 1600 hours."

Retired Major-General Reg Weeks of Ottawa first met Doug Gunter during the autumn of 1944. Operating about 150 metres behind the fighting, Mr. Gunter was acting as a forward observation officer, recording the fall and effect of artillery and calling in corrections amid the noise and confusion. A wrong move could mean untold casualties by friendly fire.

"I never knew him to make a mistake in bringing down artillery fire in the right place and the right time," said Mr. Weeks.

Those desperate months remained with Mr. Gunter for the rest of his life. "Our gun positions were usually littered with the purple, bloated bodies of horses, cows, pigs and enemy soldiers."

He never did become accustomed to the discovery of body parts. "I remember doing a reconnaissance for a gun position near a Dutch farm house. I discovered a teenaged girl and started to question her when artillery shells started to fall. We both dove for shelter in different areas. When the shelling stopped, I found [her] decapitated body in the farm yard. That I found very disturbing."

After the war, Mr. Gunter transferred to the regular army, moving his family 17 times before he retired in 1974 as director of artillery. He served in Canada, Korea, Germany, Britain and Cyprus. 

Mr. Gunter spent the next 10 years as the executive director of the Canadian Figure Skating Association. 

Douglas Hayward Gunter was born on Mar. 22, 1921, in Saint John, N.B. He died of cancer on Mar. 4, 2005, in Ottawa. He was 83. He leaves his wife, Josephine, children Anne and Richard, sister Dorothy and brother Harold.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050414/OBGUNTER14/TPObituaries/


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## Haggis

Major Roger Courchesne (Retired Air Force Pilot).

Surrounded by his family after a long battle with cancer, Roger passed away on Friday, June 10, 2005.  He is survived by his wife Claire Caron, son Richard, daughter Chantal (Jamie Risk) and his grandson William.  He will be missed by his mother Lucille, his brothers sisters, relatives and friends.  

Roger was employed by Director Human Resources Information Management (DHRIM) following his retirement from the Regular Force.  He was well liked and well respected by civilians and CF members alike within the Directorate and in the wider CF/DND HR community.

A memorial Mass will be held on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 at 1:00 p.m. at the St-Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 2757 St-Joseph Blvd., Orleans, Ontario followed by the military burial at Beechwood Cemetery.  A reception will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. the same day at the Officer's Mess, 158 Gloucester Street.  In lieu of flowers, donations to the Hospice at May Court or the Cancer research Foundation would be appreciated.  www.rogercourchesne.ca


----------



## Gunner

Major-General (retd) William Arnold Howard CM CMM CD QC


Maj.-Gen. Howard was born in Calgary to the late Horace and Elizabeth Howard (nee Johnson) on Oct. 19, 1918.  He was educated in the public school system and graduated in law from the University of Alberta in 1941.  Called to the Bar in 1942, he began practicing in 1946 and remained active in his profession until 1993.

The general enjoyed an outstanding military career, beginning with the University of Alberta Canadian Officers' Training Corps and later as a member of the Calgary Regiment and the 15th Alberta Light Horse.  He was enrolled as a lieutenant in the Canadian Active Service Force in 1942 and served overseas from January 1945 to August 1946.  

Upon discharge from the CASF as a captain, he joined The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) (Militia) and in October 1954 became the commanding officer.  In 1961 he was appointed Commander 22 Militia Group and in 1963 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier.  He became militia advisor for western Canada to the deputy chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves) in 1965 and on Jan. 10, 1970 he was named to the new appointment of Major-General Reserves.

Following retirement as an active reservist, Maj.-Gen. Howard served in the posts of Colonel Commandant Royal Canadian Army Cadets (1973-78), Honorary Colonel The King's Own Calgary Regiment (1978-87) and Colonel Commandant Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (1987-90).  His dedication to matters military extended to the presidency of the RCAC Association in 1959, the chairmanship of the Conference of Defence Associations in 1970 and the presidency of the Royal Alberta United Services Institute.  He was also the past Alberta chairman of DND's National Employer Support Committee.

The general found time also to support his province and his beloved community of Calgary.  He served in leadership roles with the McLaurin Foundation for Hearing Deficiencies, the development committee for the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary, Canadian Corps of Commissioners (Southern Alberta), Canadian Battle of Normandy Foundation, Calgary Military Museums Society, Calgary Police Museum Society, Council for Canadian Unity, Sir Winston Churchill Society, Senator Stan Waters Memorial Foundation and the Calgary Police Commission.  He enjoyed his memberships in the Ranchmen's Club, Calgary Golf & Country Club, Glencoe Club and the Royal Canadian Military Institute.

Professionally, Maj.-Gen. Howard was a past president of the Calgary Bar Association and a member of the Alberta Law Society and the Canadian Bar Association.  He was Counsel to the law firm of Howard, Mackie, where he was senior partner 1958-93.  He held numerous directorships on Canadian and international corporate boards. 

The general married Margaret Elizabeth, daughter of the late George and Mary Hannah, on April 8, 1950.  The couple had two sons, John Arnold and William George, and two daughters, Mary Louise and Barbara Joanne.  William died in Malaysia in 1975 whilst serving with Canadian University Students Overseas (CUSO).

Maj.-Gen. Howard's service to the nation were recognised by his appointment to the Order of Canada and his military contributions earned him the accolade of Commander of the Order of Military Merit.  The government of Alberta acknowledged his legal skills when he was made a Queen's Counsel in 1955.


----------



## tomahawk6

My condolences on the death of Maj.-Gen. Howard. He made a difference.


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## wotan

Excellent post, but a sad loss.  I'll toast the good General tonight.  Cheers.


----------



## Blacknight

Pro Patria to any other RCR..I spent thirty years in the Military and followed in my fathers footsteps to serve in the Military like he did. My Father passed away March 19 2005 after suffering a lengthy illness due to Parkinsons. George Thomas Grigg was born Dec. 19, 1924. He served in the second world war as a Bren gun driver. He then transferred to the Air Force as an Armorer and then had the opportunity to train in a new Radar trade. I know my father was proud of me as I was of Him for his service to our country and its time of need


----------



## bossi

Jul. 4, 2005. 10:06 PM 
Mountie (former CF) dies after cruiser hit by truck

CANADIAN PRESS

MILLET, Alta. - A Mountie was killed and another officer injured today after a parked cruiser was rammed by a truck on a flat, straight section of the main highway south of Edmonton, RCMP say. 
A male officer in another cruiser was taken to hospital with undetermined injuries and released. The driver of the truck was being questioned by police. 

Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan identified the dead officer as Const. Jose Agostinho, a nine-year member of the RCMP. 

The death was another blow to the Alberta RCMP still recovering from the fatal shooting of four officers near Mayerthorpe in March. James Roszko gunned down the Mounties on his farm before taking his own life. 

"It is just a shock," said RCMP Cpl. Al Fraser. "There is a great deal of pain in our organization here with Mayerthorpe and this incident. I can only imagine what they are going through right now in Wetaskiwin." 

Agostinho was responding to another traffic accident when his vehicle was struck from behind, said Jules Xavier, a photographer with the Wetaskiwin Times-Advertiser who was on the scene moments after the crash. 

"The semi-trailer smacked into the back of the cruiser, forcing it across the north lanes of the QE2, across the median, and across the southbound lanes into the ditch on the southbound side," Xavier said. 

"By that time the vehicle was just crumpled up like an accordion." 

Xavier said the officer's body was removed from the wreckage and a crew member from an air ambulance unsuccessfully tried to revive him. 

Agostinho, 45, leaves a wife and two children. He was previously posted in Cold Lake, Alta., and also served in the Canadian Forces, McLellan said in a news release. 

"This event is a sad reminder of the sacrifice and bravery of the men and women who serve in our national police force and who dedicate their career and their lives to protecting our country and our communities," McLellan said. 

McLellan, who is the minister responsible for the RCMP, also offered her condolences to Agostinho's family and colleagues. 

Traffic was rerouted from the Queen Elizabeth II Highway near Millet onto secondary roads and highways for hours as police investigated the accident. 

Queen Elizabeth II Highway is the main north-south thoroughfare between Edmonton and Calgary. 

The stretch of highway where the accident occurred is straight and level. Visibility in the area at the time of the accident was good, Fraser said. 

"The road is straight as an arrow. You have a minimum two kilometre sightline" he said. 

"Not a hill, not a mound, not a dip. Straight." 

Formerly known as Highway 2, it was given the new name by the province to honour the Queen during her recent centennial visit to Alberta. 

Millet is about 50 kilometres south of Edmonton. 

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1120513809860&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037&t=TS_Home


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## tynanfromBC

A lot of you fella's are very lucky to know these things about your grandparents, or your CO's. 

My grandfather died at the age of 84 in 2003. He joined at the age of 20, in 1939, as an armoured soldier(tanks... forgive me please, i don't know much of this military lingo), he was a young LT. who served in the army until the age of 45. Trained young recruits while deployed in england in the early parts of the war, fought in normandy, belgium, and holland. Lost half of his right sholder, and chunks of his skull when a grenade went off under his tank. In 1945 he decided to stay in the army. I don't know if he volunteered for the south pacific campaign, or if he was even able to, i doubt he would have, he had enough of death. After the war, he had my family tromping around europe while he was constantly redeployed, later to send his wife and son to quebec, while he was stationed in india. After his retirement from the military, he served as a proud member for the faculty of law at the University of british columbia, where he spent the next 20 years. Retired for what he thought was good, got bored basically, and became a marriage commissioner. 

My grandfather never told anyone about his experiences in the army, or during the war until he was diagnosed with Cancer in 2002, but decided it was a good idea to give his 8 grandchildren an idea of what he did. He never wore his uniform on rememberance day, he never bragged about any medals he may have, he was simpley proud of who he was. He was a well respected man, as hundreds attended his funeral. He died of cancer early in the morning with his relatives around him, do to Cancer. 

Anyways, i thought i would just add this, hoping someone would take some time to read it, there are a lot of great stories here. 

Currently i am looking for his military service records, but i have had no luck. Hopefully someone here can help me out. All i know about his time in the army, was that he commanded, or drove a tank nicknamed BOMB or BOMBtank. 

Tynan
tmg123@hotmail.com


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## DogOfWar

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/20/obit.doohan.ap/index.html


LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original "Star Trek" TV series and motion pictures who responded to the apocryphal command "Beam me up, Scotty," died early Wednesday. He was 85.

Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. (1330 GMT) at his Redmond, Washington, home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease, he said.

The Canadian-born Doohan fought in World War II and was wounded during the D-Day invasion, according to the StarTrek.com Web site. He was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents.

"The producers asked me which one I preferred," Doohan recalled 30 years later. "I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, 'If this character is going to be an engineer, you'd better make him a Scotsman.' "

The series, which starred William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the enigmatic Mr. Spock, attracted an enthusiastic following of science fiction fans, especially among teenagers and children, but not enough ratings power. NBC canceled it after three seasons.

When the series ended in 1969, Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the canny engineer with a burr in his voice. In 1973, he complained to his dentist, who advised him: "Jimmy, you're going to be Scotty long after you're dead. If I were you, I'd go with the flow."

"I took his advice," said Doohan, "and since then everything's been just lovely."

"Star Trek" continued in syndication both in the United States and abroad, and its following grew larger and more dedicated. In his later years, Doohan attended 40 "Trekkie" gatherings around the country and lectured at colleges.

The huge success of George Lucas' "Star Wars" in 1977 prompted Paramount Pictures, which had produced "Star Trek" for television, to plan a movie based on the series. The studio brought back the TV cast and hired director Robert Wise. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was successful enough to spawn five sequels with the cast of the original TV show; other films, featuring cast members of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," have followed.

The powerfully built Doohan spoke frankly in 1998 about his employer and his TV commander.

"I started out in the series at basic minimum -- plus 10 percent for my agent. That was added a little bit in the second year. When we finally got to our third year, Paramount told us we'd get second-year pay! That's how much they loved us."

He accused Shatner of hogging the camera, adding: "I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don't like Bill. He's so insecure that all he can think about is himself."

James Montgomery Doohan was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, youngest of four children of William Doohan, a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist, and his wife Sarah. As he wrote in his autobiography, "Beam Me Up, Scotty," his father was a drunk who made life miserable for his wife and children.

At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. "The sea was rough," he recalled. "We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans."

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren't heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. The chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.


Doohan (third from right) and the rest of the "Trek" crew in the film "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan."After the war Doohan on a whim enrolled in a drama class in Toronto. He showed promise and won a two-year scholarship to New York's famed Neighborhood Playhouse, where fellow students included Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall and Richard Boone.

His commanding presence and booming voice brought him work as a character actor in films and television, both in Canada and the United States.

Oddly, his only other TV series besides "Star Trek" was another space adventure, "Space Command," in 1953.

Doohan's first marriage to Judy Doohan produced four children. He had two children by his second marriage to Anita Yagel. Both marriages ended in divorce. In 1974 he married Wende Braunberger, and their children were Eric, Thomas and Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80.

In a 1998 interview, Doohan was asked if he ever got tired of hearing the line "Beam me up, Scotty" -- a line that, reportedly, was never actually spoken on the TV show.

"I'm not tired of it at all," he replied. "Good gracious, it's been said to me for just about 31 years. It's been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It's been fun."


----------



## Spr.Earl

James may your Gods except you.  
Thank you for the entertainment you have have given me and others.

UBIQUE

P.S. They forgot too mention that after being wounded he remusterd to the Air Force and again he had some more close encounters.
Shit to be hit by 6 rounds from a machine gun on D.Day and live to become a International Icon old James' God was looking after him.


----------



## Kirkhill

Lt. Edward Scott Buchanan C.E.  late of the Calgary Highlanders.

Scotty Buchanan passed away July 12th, 2005 at the Royal Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle, England at the age of 48.  He was visiting family in Scotland and touring the UK with his wife when he succumbed to a condition of longstanding.  Despite this his death comes as a surprise to all.

He is survived by his wife Cathy, his mother Jessie, his brother Alan and his sister Hazel.  

Scotty came to Calgary in 1967 from the town of Stonehouse in Lanarkshire, Scotland where he was born.  He attended Bowness High School and later the University of Calgary.  His military career started with the Calgary Highlander Cadet Corps and progressed to the Calgary Highlanders where he became a RESO qualified officer, completing Phase IV at CTC Gagetown in the early 80's.  It was during this time that he was given the designation C.E. by his fellow course mates.  C.E. stood for Corps Envelopment.  During an advance to contact exercise on Shirley Road Scotty was Platoon Commander.  Not wanting to do the conventional frontal advance he opted for a long flanking approach.  Apparently he led his platoon in an excursion that saw the platoon emerge from an unexpected quarter and the position was assaulted and secured in classic fashion.  However the fact that the approach took 40 minutes to an hour displeased the DS and the assault had to be put in again.  The duration of the approach varies with teller, time since the event and the amount of beer. 

At the Highlanders Scotty was well liked by his troops, being particularly appreciated for his concern for their well being, his enjoyment of their company and for the quality and variety of his training. He was also liked and respected by his fellow officers becoming something of a regimental fixture during the '80's.

Scotty would have made a fine regular force officer  but was disbarred due to a pin in his ankle installed as a result of an injury gained in pursuit of his other passion, rugby.  Scotty played for high school, university and city teams and coached many players during his life.  

Unable to pursue a military career Scotty became a high school teacher, teaching social studies in the Calgary system where his concern for his charges earned him many young admirers.  It also sometimes put him at cross purposes with others and the system.  He was not one to suffer fools gladly and firmly believed in the rightness of things.  At times this put him not just in professional jeopardy but in personal physical danger.  He was known to step in and break-up or defuse incidents amongst competing factions at schools where students had histories of assaults with baseball bats, knives, machetes and guns. His interventions were discouraged by authority.  He couldn't not intervene.

Scotty would eschew the label victim but in some respects he was.  He was a victim of his times and his society.  He followed an older path that many in modern society considered derisory.  Sacrifice, duty, honour, respect, loyalty, testing - these were Scotty's watch words.  

I have had reason to revisit the events of the massacre of Montreal Polytechnique of late, where 50 young men and two male professors left 10 young women to their fate at the hands of Marc Lepine (Gamil Gharbi).  I choose to believe that if there had been one man of Scotty's character in that group such an incident could not have occurred.  

With every lost Scotty our society is diminished.

I had the pleasure to serve with him and the privilege of calling him friend.

Safe home Scotty.

Christopher J. Pook - aka Kirkhill.


----------



## Edward Campbell

From today's _Globe and Mail_

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050803.wsmokey03/BNStory/National/


> Ernest (Smoky) Smith, 91
> 
> Ernest (Smoky) Smith, who was the last surviving Canadian Victoria Cross recipient, died Wednesday. He was 91.
> 
> Mr. Smith, a Second World War veteran in the Italian campaign, was a private with the Seaforth Highlanders in northern Italy when he almost single-handedly held off three German tanks, two self-propelled guns and 30 German soldiers on a rain-soaked night in October of 1944.
> 
> According to the citation for the Victoria Cross, the situation was virtually hopeless when the young soldier showed amazing gallantry in fighting off the enemy with a PIAT, a bazooka-like antitank gun.
> 
> Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson remembered Mr. Smith as a wonderful friend.
> â Å“ Every Remembrance Day, he came for tea (and Scotch!) and was a vivid reminder of our country's heroism in World War II,â ? she said in a statement.
> 
> â Å“Like many others who serve our country, he took his place alongside his fellow comrades at arms to fight for freedom. It was a daunting task, but he did it like his comrades without fanfare, without hesitation, with great pride and determination.â ?
> 
> Mr. Smith was 25 when he joined the Highlanders in 1940 in his native Vancouver. He had worked as a driver, a bricklayer before he signed up. He was shipped off to Britain and finally saw action in 1943 in southern Italy.
> 
> There, he was struck in the chest by shrapnel on the flanks of Mount Etna. Three months later, his chest still bandaged, he was back on the march with his unit.
> 
> He was one of the few privates to win the award, and he retained the ordinary soldier's disdain for the officer corps.
> 
> After a few years of civilian life, he decided to sign up again to fight in Korea. He then stayed in the armed forces until he retired as a sergeant at the age of 50. Then he started a new career as a travel agent, working alongside his wife. He retired again when he was 82.


----------



## FormerHorseGuard

so long smokey, been interesting reading about you over the years. A true Canadian Hero, we need Canadian Heroes and need them now. Who is next to step up?


----------



## armywoman

Canada.com has an amazing story on Smokey.

His death is certainly a great loss.   I remember when I first joined. My first Remembrance Day I went to Billy Bishops and to Seaforth.   Smokey spent alot of time chatting up the ladies.   I even got a pinch on the bottom, saucy devil!!!!   
The funeral arrangements are in full gear.   This is going to be a military gathering such as the tree huggin Vancouverites have never seen before!!

(P.S I am one of the tree huggers so that is not meant in a rude way)


----------



## Gunnar

I'd love to be remembered like this crazy SOB!  One of ours, and a VC to boot!

=========
By Pat McAdam


Ernest "Smokey" Smith was the last living Canadian to wear the Victoria Cross. Sixteen Canadians won a VC during WWII. Smokey was the only private soldier. 

He went through war and life "raising hell." Smokey did for good order and discipline what Don Cherry does for grammar and diction. He was promoted to corporal nine times and "busted" back to private nine times. It was fortuitous he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He couldn't win a Good Conduct Medal if he lived to be 150. 

Smokey was built like a fire-plug, short, stocky, barrel chested, muscular and powerful. He didn't go looking for fights but he never backed away from one. He didn't look for trouble. Trouble looked for him. He was like Joe Bfstplk in L'il Abner. Joe Bfstplk walked about with his own personal black rain cloud over his head. 

Smokey got to Europe the hard way - as a Seaforth Highlander hitting a beach on Sicily. He was seriously wounded and not expected to live when fragments from a rifle grenade hit him. 

He recovered, fought his way up the boot of Italy and survived Ortona and the Hitler Line battles. 

He won his VC the night of October 21-22, 1944, "raising hell" against a German mechanized unit. 

Smokey and two Highlanders were sent ahead across the Savio River to establish a beachhead. During a torrential rainstorm the river level rose six feet in a few hours. They were cut off. 

They found themselves facing three Mk V Panther tanks, two self-propelled guns and 30 German infantry soldiers. At point-blank range, 30-feet from his target, Smokey fired a PIAT rocket and took out a tank. 

Shielded injured comrade 

He mowed down advancing German soldiers with a Tommy gun and then destroyed a second tank and both self-propelled guns, all the while shielding a badly wounded comrade. 

He fired every weapon he could lay his hands on. 

"I was firing PIATs from the hip." 

Smokey told me the Germans thought they were up against at least a platoon. The surviving Germans retreated. 

In December 1944, Smokey was told to pack his kit. He was going to Naples. When he arrived in Naples he was locked in the guardhouse. He would not be allowed on the loose to sample the juices of local vineyards. 

He was told he was going to receive the Victoria Cross from King George VI at Buckingham Palace. 

When he arrived in London he was locked up again until shortly before the ceremony. There would be no English pub crawl. 

After the war, the City of New Westminster established an annuity for him and he started up a travel agency. 

Retired Ottawa travel agent, Ray Sally, met Smokey in the 1960s. They were on a British Airways, all expenses paid, 30-day familiarization junket to Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. Ray recalls that, before departure, BA hosted a farewell cocktail party in a Los Angeles hotel suite. 

"I overheard one lady say to another: 'I'm really looking forward to this trip now that that horrible Mr. Smith won't be with us.' 

"I was curious so I asked who Mr. Smith was and where he was. She told me he was passed out in one of the bedrooms of the suite. So, I woke him up, got him on the plane and we've been fast friends ever since." 

The pair cut a wide swath on the "fam." 

"One night, BA hosted a dinner/dance and after dinner the band struck up a conga tune. We all got out on the floor and the next thing I heard was a lady saying to her husband 'do you know what that horrible man just did?' 

"Smokey was in the conga line and maybe his hands slipped down a little from the lady's waist. The next thing we knew we were on our asses outside. 

"When the German manager of a night club attempted to curb his boisterous conduct, Smokey told him what he had done to 30 Germans in World War II: 'You'd take me all of 10 seconds.' " 

Smokey took delight wearing the maroon VC ribbon. All ranks, from field marshal down, are required to salute the medal. If Smokey saw a pair of red collar tabs across a parade square he'd walk hundreds of yards out of his way to intercept the officer. If the officer didn't salute, Smokey would tap the ribbon with his finger until the officer got the message. 

He brought a firestorm down on his head during a Royal visit. Queen Elizabeth noticed his miniature VC and paused to speak. Afterwards, he was scrummed by media and asked if he was nervous when the Queen spoke to him. 

Smokey replied: 

"Naw, when you've met one you've met them all." 

Monarchists went ape 

That was the banner headline in the next day's newspapers. West Coast monarchists went ape. Broadcaster Jack Webster pulled Smokey's chestnuts out of the fire on his radio show: "You didn't say that, did you, Smokey? You must have been misquoted." 

Smokey agreed. 

He was invited to attend a mess dinner to sit at a head table with Lt. Col. Cecil Merritt, another VC winner. Smokey's reply was: "You have a portrait of Cece Merritt hanging over your bar. Put my picture up alongside his and I'll come." 

"But, Smith, you are only a private. This is an officers' mess." 

"Makes no difference. If you don't put my picture up I'm not coming." 

The picture went up. 

In the early 1970s, Smokey and I linked up for three days in London where he was attending a VC reunion. I had met him through Ray Sally in Ottawa a week earlier when the three of us put a fair dent in a keg of cold draft at Sammy Koffman's Belle Claire Hotel one Saturday afternoon. I was just off the plane from Canada and checking in at the Kingsley Hotel in Bloomsbury Way when the desk clerk said: 

"There's a call for you." 

It was Smokey. He was on his way over. For the next three days we terrorized High Holborn, Piccadilly and Mayfair. The man had the constitution of a canal horse and refused to accept there was such a medical condition as a hangover. 

We came back to the Kingsley from a ceremony at St. Martin-in-the-fields Church one noon and repaired to the saloon bar. Smokey was wearing his miniatures. A well dressed Brit approached, excused himself for interrupting and asked: "Is that the 'effing' Victoria Cross?" 

Smokey allowed that it "effing" well was and, from that moment on, we couldn't buy another drink. The Dom Perignon flowed until closing time. I have no recollection of being put to bed. The next morning my stomach was returning drop kicks to my head and there was Smokey -- tucking into a full cooked English breakfast. 

That evening I went to the Cafe Royale on Piccadilly to help Smokey make an early getaway from a stuffy dinner. Princess Anne was at the head table and Smokey was sitting next to her. 

Before I could tell him I had a (phoney) "urgent message" for him, he turned to the Princess Royal and asked: "Your Highness, have you met Pat MacAdam from Glace Bay?" 

The Princess looked as if she had been struck between the eyes with an axe handle. She hadn't the foggiest idea who I was and I am sure she didn't know what a Glace Bay was. 

Smokey left with me and off we went into the night looking for new territories to conquer. Somewhere along the route we linked up with an off-duty bobby, a Soho publican and a retired British Army major whose service in India was guarding a maharajah's tigers. 

Woken by pounding 

I was awakened next morning by pounding. I hoped it wasn't my head. It was my hotel room door. There, booted and spurred in full uniform, was our bobby friend. He was carrying a couple of cold cans of best bitter. There is a Santa Claus. 

Smokey never entered a bar; he stormed it. But he was a warm human being, always entertaining and always fun to be with. There was never a dull moment travelling with Smokey Smith. 

I know the pain those unfortunate Germans must have felt that night in Italy.


----------



## RangerRay

Great story, Gunnar!  

Do you have a link?

Smokey will be missed.


----------



## Roy Harding

tynanfromBC said:
			
		

> A lot of you fella's are very lucky to know these things about your grandparents, or your CO's.
> 
> My grandfather died at the age of 84 in 2003. He joined at the age of 20, in 1939, as an armoured soldier(tanks... forgive me please, i don't know much of this military lingo), he was a young LT. who served in the army until the age of 45. Trained young recruits while deployed in england in the early parts of the war, fought in normandy, belgium, and holland. Lost half of his right sholder, and chunks of his skull when a grenade went off under his tank. In 1945 he decided to stay in the army. I don't know if he volunteered for the south pacific campaign, or if he was even able to, i doubt he would have, he had enough of death. After the war, he had my family tromping around europe while he was constantly redeployed, later to send his wife and son to quebec, while he was stationed in india. After his retirement from the military, he served as a proud member for the faculty of law at the University of british columbia, where he spent the next 20 years. Retired for what he thought was good, got bored basically, and became a marriage commissioner.
> 
> My grandfather never told anyone about his experiences in the army, or during the war until he was diagnosed with Cancer in 2002, but decided it was a good idea to give his 8 grandchildren an idea of what he did. He never wore his uniform on rememberance day, he never bragged about any medals he may have, he was simpley proud of who he was. He was a well respected man, as hundreds attended his funeral. He died of cancer early in the morning with his relatives around him, do to Cancer.
> 
> Anyways, i thought i would just add this, hoping someone would take some time to read it, there are a lot of great stories here.
> 
> Currently i am looking for his military service records, but i have had no luck. Hopefully someone here can help me out. All i know about his time in the army, was that he commanded, or drove a tank nicknamed BOMB or BOMBtank.
> 
> Tynan
> tmg123@hotmail.com



Tynan:

The story of your Grandfather is typical - great men made greater by their humbleness.

As far as getting more information, try the Department of Veteran's Affairs, the more information you have (Regimental Number, Unit, etcetera, etcetera) the better off you'll be.

Their website can be found here:  www.vac-acc.gc.ca

Good luck and Godspeed.  It's men like your Grandfather that not only defended this country's way of life, but showed those of us who followed in their footsteps how it's done.


----------



## 1feral1

I had been thinking of doing this for some time now. I knew every single one of these men listed below, and as one grows older, sadly the list grows even more. For those that knew these men, think of them with a smile today.



Hon COL (RRR) 'MAJ' Don Scott-Calder, 28th Battalion CEF, d.1983
LTCOL J. O'Kane, 10 Fd RCA, d.2003
MAJ D.J. Hendrickson, RRR, d.1985
MAJ F. MacCallion, RRR, d.2001
MAJ D.G. Ritchie, SaskD, d.1997
CAPT R. Cameron, 155 RRR RCACC, d.2003
CAPT G. Nagy, RRR, d.2001
MWO Les Lidgett, 16 Svc Bn Det, d.1981
MWO R. Sinclair, RRR, d.2005
WO B. Binnie, Sask DISTHQ, d.1989
WO L. Hartenburger, RRR, d.1990
SGT T. Champion, 16 Svc Bn, d.1983 
SGT Bob Jarvis, 10 Fd RCA, d.1977
MBDR Tadpole Taylor, 10 Fd RCA, d.1996
MCPL H. Lundy 16 MP PL, d.1983
CPL Festus MacDonald, SaskD, d.1999
CPL Billy Neil, NSaskR, d.1990
CPL I. Routledge, RRR, d.1986
CPL Woulfe, 16 Svc Bn Det, d.1993
RFN M. Appleton, RRR, 1977



A quote from the Canadian Army's 'Young Soldier's Manual, dated 1942,"Sons of the Empire, forget it not, for there are such things as love, honour and the soul of man which cannot be bought or die with death"

For they have gone to the last reunion, and they'll be waiting in the Mess with a cold beer for the rest of us when its our turn.


Stand easy Mates,

Wes


----------



## Spr.Earl

Wes,  
I have never sat down and thought of how many I have known in my 29yrs who have passed.
I'll sit down and write my list.

As to WO B. Binnie, Sask DISTHQ, d.1989,did he have a brother by the name of Dwyane?


----------



## 1feral1

I don't know Nick. Bruce was truly a real character both in and out of the RGSM. He was liked and respected by all who knew him. He was the CCLK/UCC of 16 Svvc Bn before going up th DISTHQ's BOR.  Sadly he lost a lengthy battle to cancer, and this shocked us all, as we thought he had it beat. Truly a good man.

I have the same list on my website, and I hear of the post 1995 passings thur the INet with friends back in dear ole Canada. After now over 10 yrs in the ADF, I have started a similar thread (on the L1A1 Armourer) of the same thing, and it too is growing.

Our Armies are a small world, and I am sure someone on here will recognise a name or two.

Cheers,

Wes


----------



## Gunnar

It was one of the Sun papers, a couple of days ago.  I found it on SOMNIA, so it's probably still there....

Here we go...Ottawa Sun:

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/Columnists/MacAdam_Pat/2005/08/04/pf-1158605.html


----------



## Gunner

> MBDR Tadpole Taylor, 10 Fd RCA, d.1996



Wes, a few of those names were certainly recognizable, particularly Tadpole, who was my instructor on my drivers course in 1986 in Shilo.  I am sorry to hear that he passed away so many years ago as he certainly made an impression on me and will forever be a "legend".

Cheers


----------



## 1feral1

Remember that 'guitar playing frog' tatt he had on his forearm? He too was a colourful man. After he retired from the Army, he worked for the Commissionaires. His Son joined the Militia not long after Tad was posted to Regina, and was a MBDR when I left in 95.


----------



## Roy Harding

Wesley H. Allen said:
			
		

> I had been thinking of doing this for some time now. I knew every single one of these men listed below, and as one grows older, sadly the list grows even more. For those that knew these men, think of them with a smile today.
> 
> 
> 
> Hon COL (RRR) 'MAJ' Don Scott-Calder, 28th Battalion CEF, d.1983
> LTCOL J. O'Kane, 10 Fd RCA, d.2003
> MAJ D.J. Hendrickson, RRR, d.1985
> MAJ F. MacCallion, RRR, d.2001
> MAJ D.G. Ritchie, SaskD, d.1997
> CAPT R. Cameron, 155 RRR RCACC, d.2003
> CAPT G. Nagy, RRR, d.2001
> MWO Les Lidgett, 16 Svc Bn Det, d.1981
> MWO R. Sinclair, RRR, d.2005
> WO B. Binnie, Sask DISTHQ, d.1989
> WO L. Hartenburger, RRR, d.1990
> SGT T. Champion, 16 Svc Bn, d.1983
> SGT Bob Jarvis, 10 Fd RCA, d.1977
> MBDR Tadpole Taylor, 10 Fd RCA, d.1996
> MCPL H. Lundy 16 MP PL, d.1983
> CPL Festus MacDonald, SaskD, d.1999
> CPL Billy Neil, NSaskR, d.1990
> CPL I. Routledge, RRR, d.1986
> CPL Woulfe, 16 Svc Bn Det, d.1993
> RFN M. Appleton, RRR, 1977
> 
> 
> 
> A quote from the Canadian Army's 'Young Soldier's Manual, dated 1942,"Sons of the Empire, forget it not, for there are such things as love, honour and the soul of man which cannot be bought or die with death"
> 
> For they have gone to the last reunion, and they'll be waiting in the Mess with a cold beer for the rest of us when its our turn.
> 
> 
> Stand easy Mates,
> 
> Wes



Wesley - that's fantastic.  I, too have a list that I reluctantly add to upon occasion.  Mine only includes those I've known who have died or been wounded "in service", and those in some way related to me - your list has given me reason to reconsider this proviso.  I send it to my friends and relatives on Remembrance Day every year.  Following is my email from last 11 November.

*QUOTE*

I will remember them:

These Canadian warriors who died on operations I remember personally, having either served with them, or being involved in repatriating their remains:

Sgt Cornelius M. RALPH - Croatia '92
MCpl Mark R. ISFELD  - Croatia '94
Cpl Daniel GUNTHER - Croatia '93
Pte Kirk D. COOPER  - Croatia '94
MCpl Terrence S. McCREA - Croatia '94
Sgt. Marc LEGER - Afghanistan '02
Cpl. Ainsworth DYER - Afghanistan '02
Pte. Richard GREEN - Afghanistan '02
Pte. Nathan SMITH - Afghanistan '02

These Canadian warriors who were wounded on operations I remember personally, having served with them:

Lt Anderson - Croatia '94
Pte Lunney - Croatia '94
Sgt Lorne Ford - Afghanistan '02
Cpl René Paquet - Afghanistan '02
MCpl Curtis Hollister - Afghanistan '02
Cpl Brett Perry - Afghanistan '02
Pte Norman Link  - Afghanistan '02
Cpl Shane Brennan - Afghanistan '02
MCpl Stanley Clark - Afghanistan '02
Cpl Brian Decaire - Afghanistan '02

These Canadian warriors with whom I served who died as a result of peace-time accidents:

MCpl John MacKinnon - Alaska '88 (thanks for taking my place on that Herc, John)
MCpl Marc McCRAE - Cyprus '86

These veteran warriors, who have gone to their reward, to whom I am related:

Pte Frederick Collins - The Great War 1914 - 1918 - The Royal Irish Rifles (My Grampa)
Pte Herbert Collins - The Great War 1914 - 1918 - The Royal Irish Rifles (My Great Uncle)
MWO John Martin - Cyprus '74 (My Father-In-Law)

God bless 'em all - 

*UNQUOTE*


Edit:  grammar.


----------



## bossi

A truly remarkable RCAF vet:

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1124920225306&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home



> Pashby changed the face of the game
> 
> Players blinded in 1974 season â â€ before his efforts to make masks mandatory in minor hockey: 43. By the 1978 season: 0
> 
> Glen Colbourn and Lois Kalchman, Sports reporters (The Star)
> 
> When Dr. Tom Pashby began searching for hockey helmets for his sons in 1959, he found only flimsy shells better suited for use as fruit bowls than safety equipment.
> 
> Pashby devoted the next 46 years of his life to making helmets stronger and face protection mandatory in Canada and around the world. In doing so, he quite literally changed the face of hockey.
> 
> Pashby, the game's foremost safety pioneer for the last half-century, died at his Leaside home yesterday surrounded by his family. He was 90.
> 
> "Thousands of kids have been saved from serious injuries because of him," said Frank Selke Jr., a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee and a long-time friend of Pashby.
> 
> "Unfortunately the masses don't know how much work this man has done and that is the tragedy."
> 
> Pashby's labours haven't gone completely without recognition. He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1981 and inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, among two dozen national and international awards.
> 
> An ophthalmologist, Pashby launched his crusade to prevent catastrophic injuries in sports after his eldest son Bill suffered a concussion while playing in a Leaside house league game in 1959. Bill smacked his bare head on the ice and was rushed to the Hospital for Sick Children.
> 
> "He took what was potentially a very dangerous incident involving me and as a result has saved many other young people from waking up in an ambulance like I did," Bill Pashby told the Star. "It was scary."
> 
> The elder Pashby already knew about the seriousness of concussions, having suffered one as a high school football player.
> 
> "I was out like a light. I don't remember any pain," Pashby recalled last month. "I do remember going to East General Hospital. I said I was all right, got out of the car, went to walk and fell flat on my face."
> 
> After Bill Pashby's injury, the senior Pashby forbade his two sons â â€ Bill, 13, and Bob, 11 â â€ from playing hockey again without a helmet. It was a hard rule to enforce.
> 
> "All I could find were these crazy things made out of cardboard," Pashby told the Star in 1983. "There was a lot of junk out there."
> 
> So Pashby, a consulting physician with the Maple Leafs, got forward Bert Olmstead to help him import a polycarbonate helmet from Sweden.
> 
> "They called Bob `Caesar' the first time he wore it, but the other parents caught the fever after that game," Pashby said.
> 
> That's believed to be the first time a player wore a helmet in the Toronto Hockey League (now the Greater Toronto Hockey League) and Bob Pashby's original "white eggshell" headgear has gone to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
> 
> But even the early Swedish helmets were unsatisfactory to Pashby, who began seeking ways of testing and improving them.
> 
> "The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association said if I would set a standard they would make (helmet use) mandatory," he recalled this summer. "And so I did."
> 
> That was the beginning of a long second career as a hockey safety innovator â â€ "a hobby that blew up into a big job," Pashby said when he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
> 
> In 1975, Pashby was named chair of the Canadian Standards Association committee that approved hockey and box lacrosse equipment, a position he held for two decades. His influence was felt almost immediately. In 1976, the CAHA ordered that all amateur players wear CSA-certified helmets. In 1979, the NHL made helmets mandatory for incoming players.
> 
> Pashby also pioneered the development of visors and wire facemasks. He took great pride in the number of blindings they prevented.
> 
> In the 1974-75 season, before facemasks were mandatory in minor hockey, the number of players who suffered a permanently blinded eye in Canada was 43. By 1978, the number among players using CSA-certified, full-face protection was zero.
> 
> "He affected a lot of people," said Murray Costello, who, as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, worked with Pashby for three decades.
> 
> "You knew he was right in what he said."
> 
> Pashby continued his crusade for safer hockey until his last days. He used Vancouver Canucks' forward Todd Bertuzzi's attack on Colorado's Steve Moore in 2004 to call on the NHL to ban all hits to the head. The International Ice Hockey Federation, USA Hockey and Hockey Canada had already adopted such a rule â â€ at Pashby's behest.
> 
> Over the years, he also pushed to ban unsafe moulded goalie masks, introduce neck protection and disallow hitting from behind to reduce spinal injuries. He set up the charitable Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Fund, which has raised approximately $600,000 for research and education and annually confers a $10,000 award for outstanding contributions to preventing catastrophic injuries in sport.
> 
> "He has had phenomenal impact on amateur hockey," said GTHL president John Gardner.
> 
> That impact is evident in Pashby's personal collection of hockey safety gear, which shows the development of facemasks and helmets through the decades. Earlier this year, the Hockey Hall of Fame selected 50 items from the collection for the Hall.
> 
> Pashby was born into a family of butchers in east-end Toronto in 1915. He grew up in the Danforth and Pape area and graduated from University of Toronto's medical school in 1940. He married high school sweetheart Helen Christie in 1941 just 10 days before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force. In the military, he conducted eye tests on would-be pilots, bombardiers and tail-gunners and became interested in ophthalmology.
> 
> In 1948, he started his own practice in Leaside, which his son Bob joined and still runs.
> 
> Helen died in 2003 of colon cancer. Pashby is survived by their three children, Bill (Elizabeth), Bob (Penny) and Jane, as well as six granddaughters, one grandson and a great granddaughter.
> 
> The family is planning a private funeral.


----------



## Danjanou

Didn't see this posted elsewhere. One of the original SAS warriors has left us to rejoin his old comrades in that eternal mess in Valhalla that awaits us all someday. 

Johnny Wiseman 
(Filed: 17/09/2005)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=PT4CQYRMIZP0HQFIQMFCM54AVCBQYJVC?xml=/news/2005/09/17/db1701.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/09/17/ixportal.html

Johnny Wiseman, who has died aged 89, was awarded an MC in 1943 for leading an SAS assault on a coastal battery during the invasion of Sicily. 

In the early hours of July 10 1943, the Special Raiding Squadron (formed after the temporary disbandment of 1SAS), left their troopship and embarked in landing craft in heavy seas. Wiseman, in command of the forward section of the leading troop, ordered the pilot of his LCA to stop and pick up a group of men who were clinging to the wing of their ditched glider. 

One of them was the commander of the airborne force who, like many others, had been dropped short of the target by inexperienced pilots. "Look, old boy," Wiseman told him firmly, "I can take you into the beach, but you will have to keep out of my line because I have a job to do." 

After landing on Cape Moro di Porco, Wiseman led his men up the cliffs while mortars provided covering fire. He reached the perimeter of the enemy position without being detected and cut through the wire. As soon as the mortar fire was lifted, he and his section attacked. 

Wiseman achieved complete surprise and his small force captured, killed or wounded 40 of the enemy without sustaining a single casualty. Wiseman's CO, Paddy Mayne, then got him on the wireless to order him to remove his men from the battery because sappers were coming to destroy the guns. Wiseman mumbled, and Mayne had to tell him to speak up. 

"I managed to tell him that I had lost my false teeth," said Wiseman. "It was amusing afterwards, but it didn't seem so at the time." He had been hit in the mouth playing cricket at Cambridge and had worn false teeth ever since. He had been shouting orders when they flew out of his mouth into the long grass. 

Despite this mishap, he was awarded an immediate MC. 

John Martin Wiseman was born on January 27 1916 at Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, and educated at St Paul's before going up to Pembroke, Cambridge, to read History and Modern Languages. He went into the family optical instrument business in 1937. 

The company had been founded by his father, Max, who arrived from Germany in the 1920s and started selling spectacle frames. In 1926 he began to build up a group of purpose-built factories. 

On the outbreak of the Second World War, Wiseman joined the North Somerset Yeomanry as a trooper and saw action in Syria against the Vichy French. He was fluent in French and German and was selected for OCTU in Cairo. 

Shortly after his commission, he heard that David Stirling was expanding his detachment to a full regiment and went to meet him. Stirling's batman answered the door of the flat in Cairo. His master was in the bath, he said, and could not see anyone. Wiseman persisted, and Stirling, who valued people who were not easily discouraged, agreed to take him on. 

For the next months, Wiseman and his men, mounted in three Jeeps, operated in the Great Sand Sea, mining the coastal road and strafing enemy vehicles when they were forced to halt. Then they slipped back into the desert. 

Following the taking of Sicily and shortly after the capture of Termoli on the Italian mainland, the Germans counter-attacked. Wiseman had just left his truck to talk to a messenger from his CO when the vehicle received a direct hit from a shell. His whole troop was killed or injured. It was, he said afterwards, the worst moment of his life. 

Wiseman returned to England to train for the invasion of France. He was promoted captain and placed in command of 1 Troop "A" Squadron, and in June 1944 they were dropped into France in Operation Houndsworth. 

Operating from near Dijon, the most exposed of the Houndsworth bases, Wiseman's objective was to help prevent the Germans from reinforcing their units in Normandy from the south. His troop blew up the Dijon-Beaune railway line three times, the Beaune-Paris line once and derailed two trains. 

In August, Wiseman got wind of a joint assault on his hideout by the Germans and the Milice. He rapidly evacuated his troop and, when the pincer attack was launched, the two parties opened fire on each other, inflicting numerous casualties. 

He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. 

The following month, Wiseman brought his troop back to England. He was exhausted, and Paddy Mayne put him in charge of SAS HQ while the rest of "A" Squadron went to Norway. 

Wiseman and Mayne did not always see eye to eye. Wiseman said afterwards that Mayne, one of the most highly decorated soldiers in the war, was a great warrior but a difficult man to serve under. A man of considerable physical strength, on one occasion Mayne wrestled Wiseman to the ground, pinned him there with his knees and called for a cut-throat razor. He then shaved half of Wiseman's beard without using soap or water. 

At the end of the war in Europe, Wiseman retired from the Army in the rank of major and returned to his family business. He was a director of what became a large-scale manufacturing organisation with affiliated companies overseas until he retired in 1982. 

Wiseman lived in London for a time, and then moved to Sussex. He led an active life in the country and greatly enjoyed racing. 

Johnny Wiseman died on August 23. He married first, in 1944, Jill Sinauer. He married secondly, in 1994, Eileen Finch (née Gill) who survives him with a step-son and a step-daughter.


----------



## bossi

I only received this info today:


> Sadly, WO I Ken Andrews, Former RSM (R Regt C?), passed away on 12 Oct.  A Funeral Service will be held at the Scarborough Funeral home, 2966 Eglinton East on Saturday 15 October at 2 p.m. There will be no visitation.


----------



## armyvern




----------



## Kat Stevens

Roy Harding;
Corneleus "Mike" Ralph was killed in Croatia in '92, not '93, while serving with 4 CER as CANENGBAT for UNPROFOR.  Mark Isfeld was killed in Jun of '94, not '93.  Trivial corrections, maybe, but important to me.... 

CHIMO,  Kat


----------



## Rifleman62

Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret'd) Lockhart Ross Fulton, C.M., D.S.O., E.D.
Birtle, Man.
Member of the Order of Canada

A successful farmer and distinguished veteran of World War II, Lockhart Ross Fulton has always served his country and his community in an exemplary manner. Highly respected for his courageous wartime leadership, he later shared his military experiences with younger generations of officers at the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College for over a decade. He has also been active in his community, serving as president of the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and as chairman and trustee of the Birdtail River School Division Board.

LCol Fulton will be greatly missed. He was most assuredly well respected by all.   I had lunch with two of our Vets in Thunder Bay three weeks ago, and they were very appreciative of Locky's leadership even after 60 years.

I can remember years ago at the D Day reunion at the Minto Sgts Mess, ( the days when these events were packed). LCol Fulton was there. He was going to speak, and you could here the message been passed in that noisy atmosphere. As " Locky is going to speak'" went around the room, a immediate hush prevailed. That's respect. We should all aspire to lead our soldiers at that apex.

Locky was OC D Coy on D Day. D Coy was the only coy that was not over run by the 12 SS on 8 Jun 44. In 48 hours the unit took 480 casulties.   Locky took command of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles in late 44. After the war, Locky went back to his farm in Birtle, MB. Remarkable, commanding an Inf Bn in battle, to farming. Thats the kind of man Locky was.

Locky died in Birtle at 0400, Friday 21 Oct 05


----------



## Rifleman62

LT. COL. LOCKHART R. FULTON CM, DSO, ED It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Lt. Col. Lockhart Ross Fulton on October 21, 2005 , in Birtle MB. Lt.Col. L.R. (Lockie) Fulton was born in 1917 in rural Manitoba. Raised on a mixed farm in Birtle, MB, the fifth of a family of seven children, Lockie quickly learned the benefits of hard work tempered by familial love and affection. At the early age of 16, Lockie began his military career by joining the 12th Manitoba Dragoons, a unit of the militia, where he excelled in skills such as horsemanship. When war came, he transferred to the 1st Battalion, Royal Winnipeg Rifles which was awaiting mobilization in Nova Scotia. At this time, he also seized the opportunity to marry his childhood sweetheart from Birtle, Nellie Finch. In August of 1941, the Regiment was sent to England where it spent the better part of the next three years organizing, training and gearing up for eventual combat. During this period, Lockie rose steadily in the ranks, performing a number of duties and at one point being selected for the elite British training program at Barnard Castle, one of the few Canadians so honoured. In February, 1944, he was promoted Acting Major (later confirmed) and given command of D Company, one of the four rifle companies of the Battalion. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles were part of the initial assault on Juno Beach. Landing with the first wave, Major Fulton led his company past intense enemy fire, rapidly overcoming the defenders and capturing the town of Graye-sur-mer, gapping a minefield in the process. Almost immediately, as lead company for the Battalion, Lockie's men fought their way several kilometres inland to the town of Cruelly, where the battalion encamped for the night. The following day, the Battalion pushed on to the village of Putot-en-Bessin, abutting the crucial Caen-Bayeux Railway, becoming one of the first Allied units to reach its final D-Day objective. On June 8, significantly larger and more heavily armed German forces, overran 3 companies of the Battalion. Many of those taken prisoner were later murdered by the infamous 12 SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. The assault on Major Fulton's company, however, was decisively thwarted, preserving a key portion of the objective until a counter-attack by the Canadian Scottish Regiment fully restored the situation. For his accomplishments on D-Day and at Putot-en-Bessin, Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery presented Major Fulton with the Distinguished Service Order, a recognition second only to the Victoria Cross. Major Fulton continued to lead his company with considerable success, often against formidable odds. In the assault on Carpiquet Airport in July, 1944, they had to advance across a large, wide-open field while being subjected to a fierce mortar and artillery barrage. Despite heavy casualties, Major Fulton and the remainder of his force eliminated strong enemy resistance and captured their objective - two of the airport hangars - before being ordered to withdraw due to the difficulty of maintaining armoured support under the intense enemy artillery and anti-tank fire. At the Leopold Canal in Belgium, Lockie was appointed Battalion Commanding Officer. He was 27 years old. Promoted Lieutenant-Colonel, he went on to lead the Battalion to a string of hard-fought victories, from the Scheldt Estuary through the liberation of Holland and on into Germany itself. After the war, Lt. Col. Fulton returned to his wife and family to enjoy his life as a successful grain farmer in his home town of Birtle, MB. During his life in Birtle he raised six children, and contributed much to the civic life of the community for which contribution he was awarded the Order of Canada. His retirement years were spent wintering in Victoria, BC. In his latter years, Lockie put his military knowledge to historical use, giving numerous speeches and talks as well as continuing research with Battlefield Study Groups. He returned several times to his old battlefields, most recently for the 60th Anniversaries of D-Day and VE Day; at both events he may have been the only surviving battalion commander in attendance. He also never lost touch with many of his old comrades and with the Regiment itself, past and present, maintaining a mutual air of great respect and affection. Lockie's military accomplishments were further recognized in 2004 when the government of France awarded him the Legion of Honour, that country's highest honor. Perhaps the best summing up of Lockie Fulton as a military leader would be the citation for his DSO, which read, in part: Major Fulton's personal bravery, his complete disregard for his own safety and his coolness and skill in leading his command are considered to be in keeping with the highest traditions of the service. Lockie Fulton was predeceased by his loving wife Nellie in 1998. He leaves to mourn his passing his children and their partners: Bruce and Rosemarie, Geoff and Lynn, Debbie, Peter and Sandy, Jennifer and Don, Abigail and Alan; his grandchildren, Lockhart, Evadne, Deirdre, Vanessa and Liona; his surviving brother and sisters Harvey, Eva, Margaret, and his sister -in-law Marion Fulton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lockie's name to the Palliative Care Unit, Birtle District Hospital, Birtle, MB R0M 0C0; with the intention that donations will first go towards the establishment of a volunteer co-ordinator for the Unit.


----------



## kincanucks

Lt Anderson - Croatia '94, I believe died later in New Zealand in a helicopter crash.


----------



## Cloud Cover

* Reproduced under the Fair Dealing Provisions of the Copyright Act, RSC 1985.*

C B C . C A   N e w s   -   F u l l   S t o r y : 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Canadian naval hero Desmond Piers dies
Last Updated Thu, 03 Nov 2005 12:20:15 EST 
CBC News
Retired rear admiral Desmond Piers, the Canadian navy commander who led convoys through submarine-infested waters during the Second World War, died Tuesday at the age of 92. 

When he was 28, the Halifax-born Piers took the helm of HMCS Restigouche, leading merchant convoys across the submarine-infested Atlantic to Europe for two years. 

  
Retired rear admiral Desmond Piers.  
He took command of HMCS Algonquin when he was 30, giving fire support to Canadian and Allied forces during the invasion of Normandy. 

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. In part, the citation with the medal reads: "He has by his vigorous leadership and aggressive attack been an inspiration to those under his command." 

Piers was also inducted into France's Legion d'Honneur in 2004. 

He became a rear admiral in 1962 and retired in 1967, after 35 years of service. 


Copyright ©2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved


----------



## M. Simard

Former Cpl, Éric SImard, (QL2 1995), son of Retired Maj. R. Simard passed away of medical mistake in Québec City December 2 2005.


----------



## Bruce Monkhouse

And I was asked by a family member to post the following,

_Any former or current PLFus can send their condolences to:_
simarrj@tc.gc.ca


----------



## Spr.Earl

M. Simard said:
			
		

> Former Cpl, Éric SImard, (QL2 1995), son of Retired Maj. R. Simard passed away of medical mistake in Québec City December 2 2005.


Thats a sin,my condolences to his family.


----------



## big bad john

JIM STONE, SOLDIER AND MILITARY POLICEMAN 1908-2005
Rough, tough army officer who led Canadian troops in Italy and Korea, and was three times awarded the DSO, was proudest of a fund he started for blind children
By TOM HAWTHORN 

Tuesday, December 27, 2005 
Posted at 1:37 AM EST

Special to The Globe and Mail

VICTORIA -- Big Jim Stone was a soldier's soldier. Gruff in manner, disciplined by nature, domineering in person, he was thought arrogant by some, yet his bravery was unquestioned. He once greeted news of an enemy assault by barking, "Let the bastards come!"

Mr. Stone rose from private to command of a regiment during the Second World War, fighting in Sicily and northward on the Italian peninsula to bloody Ortona and beyond. He returned to action in the Korean War, his tactics and the bravery of the men under his command halting a fearsome Chinese advance at Kap'yong.

He was one of only 22 officers in the Canadian army ever to be awarded the Distinguished Service Order three times. He also had a Military Cross to his credit.

He was a physically imposing man -- bald, with ropy muscles in thick arms, and a brush mustache. His features were more than once likened to those of an eagle, a comparison for which he did not care. To incur his displeasure was dangerous. Mr. Stone was as fierce a disciplinarian as he was a warrior.

James Riley Stone, who was born in Gloucestershire, trained as a cadet in England before emigrating to Canada in 1927. He was working in a forestry camp in Alberta's Peace River district when word reached him of war in Europe. He rode his horse out of camp on the first leg of a four-day trek to Grand Prairie, where the eager 6-foot-5 soldier joined the Edmonton Regiment as a 31-year-old private.

By the time the Eddies fought across Sicily and onto the Italian boot, Mr. Stone had risen up the ranks to become a company commander. On the outskirts of Ortona, a picturesque Tuscan seaside town, German snipers plagued the Canadians, who eventually found an undefended trench along which they managed to sneak beneath the guns and into town.

The major was "resourceful, independent-minded, determined, brave to the point of near recklessness," according to the popular military historian Mark Zuehlke.

Mr. Stone would need all those qualities to survive the grim battle for the ancient town. He devised a bold strike at the heart of the German defence with tanks charging into the heart of the town with the support of the infantry. The ruse caught the enemy by surprise, but just as the daring tactic seemed about to succeed, the lead tank stopped for fear of mines. According to Mr. Zuehlke's riveting account in Ortona, the major jumped aboard the tank only to hear the tank commander balk at risking his $20,000 machine.

"I've got 20 to 30 men here with no goddamned armour at all and they're worth a million dollars apiece," Mr. Stone yelled at the tank commander. "You're just a bunch of goddamned armoured sissies."

Just then, a German antitank gun began firing on the row of tanks. Mr. Stone threw a smoke grenade and raced headlong towards the gun. He lobbed a fragmentation grenade before seeking cover against the enemy gun's steel shield, silencing the gunners on the other side. The Canadians eventually captured the ruined town at great cost.

Later, Mr. Stone chafed at being the second in command. When he asked for a transfer, his commander refused, insisting that Mr. Stone "was the Edmonton Regiment."

After his bravery at San Fortunato Ridge, in which he led an antitank platoon into the midst of German defences, the major was awarded a DSO. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and in 1944 at last took command of the Loyal Edmonton, as the regiment had since become known. He saw further action in northwest Europe, earning a bar to the DSO, and was preparing for a tour in Asia when the Japanese surrendered.

After the war, he ran a hotel in Salmon Arm, B.C., where he settled into a domestic life with his bride and the first of several children. He maintained a military connection as commander of the Rocky Mountain Rangers.

He returned to combat duty with the outbreak of the Korean War as commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Soon after arriving by troopship at Pusan in December of 1950, Mr. Stone was told his men were to be sent as reserves near the front line. With the memory still fresh of the 1941 debacle at Hong Kong, when green Canadian troops became inevitable casualties of a Japanese assault, the commanding officer insisted his men had come to Korea to complete their training before facing the enemy. He even visited U.S. Lt.-Gen. Walton Walker to press for a guarantee. Not wanting a political battle with the Canadian government, the commanding general agreed. (He would die in a traffic accident later that month.)

The training time also afforded Mr. Stone a chance to weed out those whom he saw unfit for battle. "Much 'scruff' that was hastily recruited has now been returned to Canada," he wrote. "Troops here are fit, morale high, show lots of guts in close contact."

He would later contend that he had not removed all the misfits after some men died drinking canned heat (methyl alcohol). According to author John Melady, the troops were ordered to march past the corpses as a lesson.

On their way to the front, the Canadians came across a massacre of American soldiers, who had hunkered down for the night in a deserted hamlet only to be killed in their sleep. Many were still in their sleeping bags. Mr. Stone ordered the Canadians be outfitted only with a single blanket each. They might be uncomfortable, he reasoned, but they might not wind up with their throats slit.

Sleep would be an impossibility in the battle in which he and his men will be remembered.

A massive Chinese assault had left troops from the Republic of Korea in a disorganized retreat. Mr. Stone, who had only days earlier returned after suffering from smallpox, was ordered to defend one side of a river valley atop Hill 677. He did a reconnaissance from what would soon be the enemy's assaulting point, determining the likely strategy for the Chinese attack. His recce and his experience fighting the Germans in the hills of Tuscany would prove invaluable on the night of April 24, 1951.

The Chinese attacked in great strength, vastly outnumbering the Canadian defenders, who were somewhat unnerved by their stealth -- the Chinese travelled silently, rubber footwear muffling noise until the moment when a piercing whistle or bugle call signalled the start of an attack. The startling noise heralded the start of a bloody battle, the Pats raining murderous machine-gun fire on the Chinese, who had the disadvantage of climbing a steep hill.

Still, their overwhelming numbers came close to overrunning Canadian positions. The fighting in close quarters was fierce and desperate. A platoon leader bravely called for artillery strikes on his own position, trusting his men's slit trenches would protect them from the aerial assault.

At times, the outcome looked dicey. A captain asked to pull back, but Mr. Stone refused. "I told him to stay there, that nobody could pull out, if we ever lose that hill, we lose it all," he said.

In the morning, Mr. Stone ordered an air drop to an isolated platoon, which had exhausted its supplies, including ammunition. The Americans unloaded their cargo with pinpoint accuracy to the relief of the Canadians below.

The attack was repulsed. The Chinese had died by the dozens, if not hundreds. The losses to Big Jim Stone's Patricias: 10 killed, 23 wounded. "Kap'yong was not a great battle, as battles go," he would write many years later. "Personally I believe that Kap'yong was the limit of the planned offensive of the Chinese at that time."

Mr. Stone was convinced his men would have been annihilated had the Chinese pressed on. Still, the defence of Hill 677 undoubtedly saved many soldiers from the UN forces, who won time to reorganize following their hasty retreat.

In any case, the Pats were awarded a United States Presidential Unit Citation, a rare honour. Mr. Stone received a second bar to his DSO.

After Korea, he qualified as a parachutist as the 2nd Princess Pats joined an airborne brigade group called the Mobile Striking Force. In 1953, he became chief instructor at the Royal Canadian School of Infantry at Camp Borden in Ontario. Promoted to colonel the following year, he was appointed provost-marshal of the Canadian Army. He was seconded to the federal justice department in 1958 and later served as senior deputy commander of penitentiaries.

In 1957, he founded the Military Police Fund for Blind Children, raising money for recreational activities and medical equipment. His own daughter, Moira, known as Plumsy, had lost both eyes to cancer. While attending a school for the blind at Brantford, Ont., the girl had asked her father to treat classmates who could not afford candies at the school's tuck shop. Mr. Stone was heartbroken and angered by the lack of resources and founded the fund the year after the death of his daughter, aged 7.

He was named a member of the Order of Canada in 1994 for his charitable work, not his heroics. He considered the fund for children his greatest accomplishment.

Jim Stone was born on Aug. 2,

1908, in Gloucestershire, England.

He died on Nov. 24 at The Lodge

at Broadmead in the Victoria 

suburb of Saanich. He was 97.

He leaves daughters Shelley 

Bouska and Victoria Patricia

Shimmons; a son, Michael Stone;

six grandchildren; and, two great-

grandsons. He was predeceased

by his wife, the former Esther

King, whom he married on April 2,

1946. She died in 1990. He was also predeceased by a daughter, Moira, in 1956 and a son, James, in 1958.

© Copyright 2005 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.


----------



## George Wallace

Lieutenant-Colonel (retd) John Kristjan Marteinson passed away Tuesday morning following a brief illness.

Funeral services for John Marteinson will be held at St George's Cathedral (King St, Kingston) on Saturday 21 January at 1330 hrs, followed by interment in the Cataraqui Cemetery.

More complete details will appear in the Kingston Whig Standard and the Globe and Mail on Thursday.


LCol Marteinson served in the Regular Fort Garry Horse.  He has authored many books about Canadian military history, producing histories for The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps and The Governor General's Horse Guards.  He has also worked as editor of the Canadian Defence Quarterly and later the Canadian Military Journal.  He was updating the Garrys' regimental history while lecturing at RMC.

He will truly be missed in the Corps.


----------



## muffin

RIP Sgt (Retd) Wayne Fornier


http://www.thewhig.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=143319&catname=Local+News&classif=News+Alert

Trucker dies in fiery crash

By Jordan Press
Local News - Wednesday, February 01, 2006 @ 07:00

Wayne Fournier loved the outdoors.

Whether it was working on the lawn or in his garden or watching the cows and horses on the farm across from his home, Fournier loved being outside.

On a trip out west with his wife Karen, Fournier went out in a boat and sat, waiting for the right fish to catch his line.

“He had his boat, we had our camper and he was fishing,” Karen said. “He caught a trout.”

The man who family recalled as a great chef who loved the outdoors died yesterday morning in a fiery crash on Highway 401, about 15 minutes from home.

“It is a hard thing,” Karen said, sitting in the family’s home. “He’s going to make a big void in our lives.”

The 51-year-old Fournier had been driving his tractor trailer home from Toronto a route he followed every night when he collided with another truck around 2:30 a.m. just west of Highway 38.

A Hamilton-area driver pulled out of a truck stop and entered the merging lane while Fournier drove his truck in the right-hand lane, said Ontario Provincial Police Const. Rob Besselink.

“It’s unclear at this point who entered whose lane,” Besselink said.

The trucks clipped, and the collision sent Fournier’s truck into the rock cut where it caught fire.

“It’s very tragic,” Besselink said.
“The cause of death was the collision. The cause of the accident we don’t know yet.”

During the day, investigators were on scene trying to determine what caused the crash, analysing debris and skid marks. An autopsy was to be conducted yesterday.

The accident closed the 401 eastbound lanes from Odessa to Kingston until late in the day. Traffic was diverted to Highway 2, leaving a long line of creeping cars and trucks to wind their way through the countryside until they could reconnect with the 401 at Gardiners Road.

The highway was still down to one lane last night.

Fournier had taken up driving tractor-trailers on his dedicated route after retiring from the military. He had spent 20 years as a chef, cooking around the world.

He got the taste for being in the kitchen in high school in Brockville, where he grew up. Fournier worked as a short order cook at the local Zellers before taking the chef training course at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

It was also while working in high school that he met Karen. They started out as friends, but Fournier had his eye on her and finally their friendship grew into love. Thirty years ago, they tied the knot.

But the military beckoned and Fournier signed up. At one point, he spent six months as part of a peacekeeping mission in Cyprus.

Karen said the military was a good life, as the family got to move to different cities and places.

In the military, Fournier was known as a guy who could do anything with everything, making elaborate meals with whatever was left lying around.

His hours always left him time to come home and make dinner for his family. Karen said her husband made all the meals with some help to make the table look good.

“He didn’t make it pretty he’d make it good,” she said. “The last few years with him driving, meals were not the same. But he would still make Sunday night dinners.”

And how he cooked was part of the show.

“A pinch of this, a dash of that never a measuring cup,” said his son Shaun, 23. “He’d just throw it into the pan.”

Finally, after Fournier retired from the military, the family decided to make their home in the Storrington area.

He was looking for something to do and took up driving. For someone who was very private and enjoyed having his own time, driving seemed a good fit.

“I think he enjoyed the peace and quiet when he was driving,” Karen said. “He enjoyed being by himself at nighttime.”

The rest of the time, he enjoyed being with his three sons Shaun, Scott, 26, and Kevin, 21 and spending time on the golf course with his older brother Ray.

“Yeah, he thought he was Tiger Woods,” Ray said, laughing.

But Fournier never took his golfing seriously, Ray added. It was all about spending time laughing with family and friends.

He was also ready to lend a helping hand. Fournier enjoyed working, especially if it involved physical activity, said his father-in-law Lloyd Smith.

One time, Smith and Fournier noticed a downed tree bent over Smith’s property. There was a mention of getting rid of it, but Smith didn’t jump at the task.

“I didn’t pay any attention to it and five minutes later he’s cutting it down,” Smith said.

Word of Fournier’s death spread through the small community quickly, with members of the family’s church congregation bring over food and providing support.

“We’re in a small community out here,” Karen said. “I’m sure we’ll get through this.”

As for the rest of the family, Karen said their three boys were “feeling the unfairness of it today.”

But it hasn’t hit that Fournier is gone, Ray said.

“Today, it’s still shock,” he said. “I don’t think reality has set in.”


----------



## Good2Golf

RIP Wayne.  

That's one of the worst stretched on the 401...I would do ride alongs with my neighbour in the OPP out of the Napanee detachment often and the rock cuts are not very forgiving there...


----------



## Good2Golf

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Lieutenant-Colonel (retd) John Kristjan Marteinson passed away Tuesday morning following a brief illness.
> 
> Funeral services for John Marteinson will be held at St George's Cathedral (King St, Kingston) on Saturday 21 January at 1330 hrs, followed by interment in the Cataraqui Cemetery.
> 
> More complete details will appear in the Kingston Whig Standard and the Globe and Mail on Thursday.
> 
> 
> LCol Marteinson served in the Regular Fort Garry Horse.  He has authored many books about Canadian military history, producing histories for The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps and The Governor General's Horse Guards.  He has also worked as editor of the Canadian Defence Quarterly and later the Canadian Military Journal.  He was updating the Garrys' regimental history while lecturing at RMC.
> 
> He will truly be missed in the Corps.



Holy crap, I missed this, George!  I saw John just before I left for Kabul...really, really nice guy!  That's a kick in the gut...
thoughts to his family and friends.

RIP John!


----------



## Edward Campbell

This just came in on The RCR/RHC net:

*MAJOR THE REVEREND CANON KEN MAXTED (SOLDIER PRIEST)*

Major the Reverend Canon Kenneth Edward Maxted passed away peacefully at Toronto General Hospital with his family at his side on March 18th, 2006 at the age of 74. He will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends. Canon Maxted served for 38 years in Canada's army both regular and reserve.

He enlisted at 17 in 1948 in the Irish Regiment of Canada, subsequently serving with 'The Black Watch', The Royal Canadian Regiment, the Canadian Guards and the Royal Regiment of Canada. He served with the U.N. forces in Korea and the N.A.T.O. forces in Germany. In 1986 he was appointed an officer of the Order of Military Merit. He also served for 13 years as an Aide De Camp to four Lieutenant Governors of Ontario. While continuing to serve in the reserve Army, Major Maxted was ordained an Anglican Priest in 1964.

He served for 30 years in the Diocese of Toronto at St. Anne's, St. John's York Mills, St. Luke's, Holy Trinity and St. David's. He also assisted at St. James Cathedral in his retirement.

Canon Maxted served on many community boards including Metro Social Planning Council, Toronto Amsterdam Twin Cities Association, Folk Arts Council and East York Community Ser vice Board. He served for 20 years as a Trustee of the East York Board of Education including six years as the Chairman. He also was a Trustee for eight years on the Metro Public Board. Following retirement he was appointed and served on three Federal Administrative Tribunals, Canadian Pension Commission, Veterans Review and Appeal Board and the Canadian Forces Grievance Board. Canon Maxted was the Chaplain of the Fort York Branch Royal Canadian Legion and the Royal Canadian Military Institute. He volunteered assisting Toronto Firefighters and was Chaplain to 54 Division Toronto Police Services.

Beloved husband of Hendrina for 49 years. Cherished father of daughter Pamela Sattz (Steve) and of sons Sean and Kevin (Jennifer). Devoted grandfather to Steven and Ryan. Loving brother to Patricia Evenson and uncle to Jim and John.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, March 23 from 12-2 pm at ST. JAMES' CATHEDRAL, 65 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 2E9.  Funeral service to follow at 2 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Princess Margaret Hospital, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9 or the charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated.

_Nemo Me Impune Lacessit_


----------



## Future CF Dentist

For those that may not have heard, I noted in the London Free Press today that Kevin passed away quietly at his home on Monday, May 15th, 2006.  It was announced that a service will be held for Kevin on Tuesday, May 23rd, at 1400 hrs at the St. Paul's Anglican Church, 9 Douro St, Stratford, Ont.

Stand Easy Kevin.

Ubique, and Pro Patria.


----------



## Hockeycaper

Maj. Robinson was the O.C for Charles Coy 1 RCR back in 94-95 , he conducted my very first and only charge parade. Very fair and quite intimidationg. He was a great man and I will always remember one of his quotes......" Troops you think you can do a better job...come over to the dark side and give it a try." Those who servedunder him will remember that for  some strange reason he liked to run the golf course in Petawawa with the whole Coy, man I hated those runs....too many hills.
I will always remember him.
Rest in Peace Sir.


----------



## the 48th regulator

I agree,

A great man to have served under.  He made us all feel as we were one, Charles Company, regardless of hats or epaulets.

Rest In Peace Sir, 

dileas

tess


----------



## Gunner

Major Roy Farran
(Filed: 05/06/2006) 

Major Roy Farran, who died on Friday night aged 85, was one of the most highly decorated soldiers of the Second World War; he was awarded the DSO, three MCs, the Croix de Guerre and the American Legion of Merit.

But like some other gallant soldiers, Farran did not take easily to the peace he had never expected to see, and in the years that followed he pursued a wide variety of callings. For a time he worked with the security police in Palestine, where he was accused of murder. When the charges were dropped, he came home to Britain, where his brother was killed by a letter bomb.

Farran was head of a construction company in Rhodesia before coming home to stand unsuccessfully in the 1950 general election. He farmed in Herefordshire before emigrating to Canada. He also wrote a classic account of the desert war and the early years of the Special Air Service. 

The son of an Irish warrant officer in the RAF, Roy Alexander Farran was born on January 2 1921 in India, and attended Bishop Cotton School at Simla. After Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards (3DGs) and sent to the 51st Training Regiment. Posted on attachment to the 3rd King's Own Hussars in Egypt, he was soon in action at the battle of Sidi Barrani.

On May 20 1941, when the Germans invaded Crete, "C" Squadron of the 3rd King's Own Hussars was in its leaguer four miles west of Canea, and 2nd Lieutenant Farran was sent to block the road from Galatos with his troop of tanks.

When he saw a party of Germans escorting a group of about 40 hospital patients who had been taken prisoner, he killed the guards. The next day he supported 10th Infantry Brigade in a successful attack on Cemetery Hill.

After the Germans broke through the line at Galatos, Farran counter-attacked to retake the village, but was wounded in both legs and an arm, and taken prisoner. He was awarded his first MC.

After being flown to a PoW hospital in Athens he made several attempts to escape, eventually managing to crawl under the perimeter wire. Greek peasants passed him from house to house at great personal risk and enabled him to evade his pursuers.

The Greeks lent him money to hire a caique, in which he set course for Egypt with a mixed group of British, Australians and others. The vessel encountered severe storms, and was blown off its course for 48 hours; and when it ran out of fuel Farran rigged up a sail made out of blankets. One of the men went off his head after the supply of water was exhausted and Farran, the senior officer on board, had to knock him out before he endangered the whole party.

The escapers were too weak to paddle, but their lives were saved by a Sergeant Wright, who made a primitive distiller which provided drinking water from the sea. After nine days Farran and his comrades, almost dead from thirst, were rescued by a destroyer 40 miles north of Alexandria; he was awarded a Bar to his MC.

In January 1942 Farran was appointed ADC to General Jock Campbell, VC, commander of the 7th Armoured Division in North Africa. Farran was driving the general when the car skidded and overturned; Campbell was killed.

Six months later Farran was wounded and evacuated to England, where he was posted to three different units before he was able to join a draft for North Africa in February 1943.

After an interview with Lt-Col Bill Stirling and a rigorous parachuting course, in May Farran joined 2nd SAS Regiment as second-in-command of a newly-raised squadron. Despite suffering from malaria, he insisted on leading a raid to capture a lighthouse which was suspected of housing machine-gun units at Cape Passero, on the south-east coast of Sicily. In September Farran commanded "B" Squadron on reconnaissance patrols and sabotage operations in southern Italy. On the night of October 27 he led a detachment of 2 SAS which was dropped north of the River Tronto behind the German lines. Over the next five days his small force blew up the railway line, cut telephone communications and destroyed enemy transport. He was awarded a second Bar to his MC.

Farran returned to England early in 1944 and, on August 19, was landed by Dakota on an airstrip at Rennes, Brittany, to command a Jeep squadron based in the Forest of Châtillon, north of Dijon. Over the course of the next four weeks his small force destroyed 23 staff cars, six motorcycles, 36 trucks and troop carriers, a goods train and a supply dump holding 100,000 gallons of petrol.

At Beaulieu, the Germans were panicked into blowing up their wireless station and evacuating the garrison. While about 500 enemy were killed or wounded, seven members of the squadron were killed, two were wounded, one was missing and two taken prisoner. Farran was awarded a DSO in the name of Patrick McGinty, a pseudonym he had used since escaping from the Germans in 1941; he claimed that the name came from a song about an Irish goat which swallowed a stick of dynamite.

Following a reconnaissance trip to Greece, Farran led 3 Squadron, 2 SAS, in Operation Tombola to harass German troops withdrawing from Italy. Although forbidden to take personal command, he was not prepared to direct the operation from a wireless set in Florence; and, having persuaded the US aircrew to say that he had accidentally fallen out of the aircraft while they were dispatching the advance party, he was dropped on Mount Cusna, east of La Spézia. 

As soon as reinforcements arrived from the SAS, Farran raised a force composed of British commandos, Italian partisans and escaped Russian prisoners which became known as the Battaglione Alleato. At the end of March he led a night attack on the German 51st Corps HQ at Albinea, near Réggio Nell'Emilia, again in contravention of orders.

Although the enemy put up a spirited defence, a German general and his chief of staff were among the casualties. 

Subsequently Farran led a series of raids against Highway 12, south of Modena. After the victory parade at the end of the campaign, he expected to be court-martialled; but his operations had been of great assistance to US IV Corps, and those pressing for his court martial had to give up when the Americans said that they were awarding him the Legion of Merit. When the war ended, Farran went to Norway with 2 SAS to help with rounding up the Germans there.

In 1946 he was awarded the Croix de Guerre.

Becoming second-in-command of the 3rd Hussars, he accompanied them to Palestine. One day he was lunching in the officers' mess at Sarafand when terrorists attacked a nearby ammunition dump. Farran and his comrades pursued them, wounding two.

After a spell as an instructor at Sandhurst he returned to Palestine to put his knowledge of clandestine intelligence-gathering at the disposal of the Palestine Police. He formed "Q" Patrols, made up of hand-picked undercover police officers whose job it was to infiltrate the terrorists' network.

There were claims that a hat bearing Farran's name had been found at the spot where a 16-year-old Jewish youth, Alexander Rubowitz, had been abducted; and there were also reports that the youth had been killed. After allegations had appeared in the Palestine Post, Farran was put under house arrest.

Farran claimed to have a water-tight alibi, but believed that he would be sacrificed by the British authorities in order to demonstrate impartiality in dealing with the Jews and Arabs. When he heard that he was to be charged with murder, he stole a car and, accompanied by two of his NCOs, crossed the border into Syria and told his story to the head of the British Legation in Damascus.

Farran flew back to Palestine with the Assistant Inspector-General of the Palestine Police and was incarcerated in Allenby Barracks, Jerusalem. He escaped again, but surrendered after members of the Stern gang started to take reprisals against his friends.

At his trial it was maintained that no body had been discovered and that Farran had not been identified in a line-up by those who claimed to have seen the boy taken away in a car. The case was dismissed because of lack of evidence. But when he was in Scotland shortly before the first anniversary of the boy's disappearance, Farran's youngest brother, Rex, was killed by a letter bomb sent to the family home near Wolverhampton; Farran suspected the Stern gang.

After a brief spell as a quarrymaster in Scotland, he moved to Kenya and then Rhodesia to head a construction company. He then flew home again to stand as a Conservative for Dudley and Stourbridge in the 1950 general election, but lost by some 13,000 votes to the future Labour paymaster-general George Wigg.

Farran subsequently emigrated to Alberta, where he made his home for the rest of his life, though he was to offer his services to the War Office during the Suez crisis. He took up dairy farming at Calgary, worked as a reporter and columnist for the Calgary Herald and, in 1954, founded the North Hill News, which became the country's leading weekly newspaper.

In 1961 Farran was elected a city alderman and, 10 years later, a Progressive Conservative member of the provincial legislature. As minister of telephones and utilities he was responsible for providing gas supplies to every farmer. Then, as solicitor-general, he introduced breathalyser tests and outdoor camps for young offenders. 

On stepping down from politics in 1979, Farran became chairman of the Alberta Racing Commission and head of the North American Jockeys' Association. He was a columnist for the Edmonton Journal in the 1980s and a visiting professor at Alberta University from 1985 to 1989. He established the Farran Foundation in the French Vosges as a centre for exchanges between French and Canadian students and, in 1994, returned to Bains-les- Bains in the Vosges to accept the Légion d'honneur from the French government.

In 1996 Farran went to Zambia and Zaire to trace the route of a cattle drive made by his brother Kit in the 1950s. He was held up by rebels, and had a close brush with a lion.

Three years later he was diagnosed with throat cancer and had his larynx removed; but he mastered talking through a hole in his throat so well that he was able to return to public speaking.

Aged 80, while herding cattle at his ranch, Farran was thrown from his horse, breaking his back for the sixth time; the first two injuries were the result of wartime accidents, while the others were caused by riding falls.

Farran had a strong Catholic faith, and used to say the Hail Mary before going into action. In later life he said that he did not dislike Jews and bore no ill will towards the British authorities over his arrest and court-martial, believing that they had been placed in an impossible position. His books included Winged Dagger (1948) and Operation Tombola (1960) about his wartime exploits, as well as a history of the Calgary Highlanders and some half dozen novels.

Roy Farran married, in 1950, Ruth Harvie Ardern. She predeceased him, and he is survived by their two sons and two daughters.


----------



## 1feral1

Another one of the living treasures of Canada gone!

Wes


----------



## devil39

A great soldier.... those who spent some time in the PPCLI Home Station Officers' Mess in Calgary may have met him at one time or another... and likely would not of known how impressive a soldier and leader he was.  He certainly didn't flaunt it, a man with a DSO, 3 MCs, the Croix de Guerre and the American Legion of Merit.

His book "Winged Dagger" is a must read on the subject of WWII SAS.


----------



## FormerHorseGuard

wow some life he led. may he rip. 
most can only dream of living an action hero's adventure, he lived it and lived to tell the tail.


----------



## Edward Campbell

*RSM (CWO) John Juteau*, the Royal Canadian Regiment, passed away in Victoria, BC on 11 July 2006.

I had the pleasure and honour of serving with Mr. Juteau when he was RSM of 2RCR in Germany (Soest) in the late ‘60s.  He was a first rate soldier and a gentleman.  He was also an ever tactful guide to young captains who were (very, very often) in danger of overreaching themselves.

The battalion, back in those days, had an excellent core of NCOs and men – many from the _Nort’ Shore_ of New Brunswick but it had a few leadership problems.  RSM Juteau was brought on board by then LCol (later BGen) _Big Jim_ Cowan – in large measure, I believe, at the behest of then Maj (later LGen) Jack Vance as part of the process of dragging the entire Regiment into the second half of the 20th century.  He did wonders with the morale (and professional standards) of the Sergeants’ Mess and he asked that the officers pull up their socks, too.  Such was his professional presence that officers were pleased to take up the challenge.

I remember more than one late night with RSM Juteau in the battalion CP where he demonstrated his sound knowledge of battalion tactics, his (highly uncommon) common sense and his ability to sort wheat from chaff.

He welcomed me into his home and I had the pleasure, then and, now and again, later, of meeting his son LCol Len Juteau (Signals) who, sadly, predeceased his father.  Father and son were much alike: good, solid men with abundant ability, a great work ethic and a deep love of the Army and the country.

_*Pro Patria*_


----------



## Edward Campbell

I had the opportunity to visit the *Sai Wan Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery* in Hong Kong a few days ago.

It was a reminder – even though we don’t really need one, of the nature of the _supreme sacrifice_.

Two headstones reminded me that death in battle takes the young and old:

•	Rifleman M.G.C. Thompson, Royal Rifles, who was only 18 when he was killed; and

•	Brigadier John Kendall Lawson, late of The Royal Canadian Regiment, who was killed at the age of 54, in close quarter fighting when his brigade headquarters was overrun.


----------



## GAP

A friend of mine has been, over the past number of years, photographing war graves in just about every place except Europe. If anybody has any questions of graves, graveyards, you might want to email him. He may have photographed them. 

Ralph McLean  shankland_the_dog@hotmail.com


----------



## 1feral1

Great post Edward. Thanks for the pics. I took this one at the Adelaide River CWGC Cemetery in the town of Adelaide River, south of Darwin in the Northern Territory. He is the only Canadian there. Then I found a marker for a Australian MN Deck Cadet, only 16 years old. He was KIA at the 19 Feb 42 first air raid by the Japs on Darwin Harbour. Others from the UK, and even some civilians who were killed in that first air aid on 19 Feb. The cemetery in the tradition of all CWGC cemeteries is well kept, neat and tidy. Guest register at the main gate, with signatures from all over the world. Many from the UK visiting their fallen relative for the first time, and so noted in the book.


----------



## George Wallace

*Captain Vernon Murray, (Ret'd) Royal Montreal Regiment (WW II)*

It is with deep regret and much sadness that I must announce the passing of Captain Vernon Murray on Friday, 27 October 2006. He underwent surgery on his foot two weeks ago and complications set in.

Vern was an Honourary member and long time supporter of OMMC. He served with the Royal Montreal Regiment during the Second World and for many years served as the curator of the Regimental Museum.

Condolences may be sent to his daughter Kathy Stewart and his son Scott at:    17219 - 172 Street NW
                                                                                                                     Edmonton, Alberta
                                                                                                                     T5T 3K7

                          telephone numbers :  (780) 486-5833, (780) 490-8583 and (780) 489-9939

Kathy and Scott are planning a small service in Point Claire, Montreal in the spring.


----------



## George Wallace

*CWO Dean Dunlop*  

I regret to inform you that CWO Dean Dunlop passed away peacefully at
home on Sunday morning, December 3rd. Dean was pre-deceased by his
parents and leaves behind his spouse Cathy Cannon, sons William Jeffrey,
Christopher and daughter Andrea, 4 grand-children and brother Ian. Dean
was a proud member of the Airborne Association and one of the most
highly respected leader of the Intelligence Branch. His courage,
devotion, leadership and sense of humour will be sorely missed. 

 A Memorial service will take place at the Beechwood Cemetery, (280
Beechwood) on Thursday, December 7th, 2006 at 1430hrs (seating by
1400hrs please). Friends and colleagues are invited to attend. Dress for
military members is Service dress 3 (DEU) with medals. Interment will
take place in the Spring of 2007. 

 Please distribute to all those I have missed. 

 J.R.F. Bouchard
 Intelligence Branch Chief



A further note.

For those that were on the Rememberance Day Parade, at Beechwood Cemetery, last month he was the gentleman in the wheelchair who talked to many after the parade. CWO Dunlop was the Army Chief for the Intelligence Branch and who fought for its members at every occaison.


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## Nfld Sapper

Its my sad duty to inform of the death of:


*COLONEL William (Bill) Chesley Wilton, CD Ret*

WILTON, William (Bill) Chesley (Col. CD Ret.)– Passed peacefully away on 29 January 2007, at the Health Sciences Centre, in the presence of his family, William Wilton at the age of 86 years. Bill served with the 59th Royal Artillery during WWII. He attended UNB and obtained a degree in Forestry Engineering. Bill worked with the Canadian Forestry Services until his retirement, subsequently he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Institute of Forestry. Bill joined the militia after the war, and served in various positions including Commanding Officer and Honorary Colonel of the 56th Field Squadron Engineers and Commander Newfoundland District. Bill was also very involved with the Army Cadets and served as President of the Army Cadet League of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador Branch. Predeceased by his daughter Doran (1954); his wife Elizabeth (2001) and his son Ches (2006). Also predeceased by brothers-in-law Ted Trenchard and Robert Pretty and sister-in-law Amy Wilton. Left with fond and loving memories his son Derek, wife Susan and grandchildren Felicie Young (husband Andrew), Kimberley and Peter, daughter Judy Caul, husband Tony and granddaughter Andrea (fiance Liam McNamara); and son Gary, wife Joan Cranston and grandchildren Rebecca Wilton and Peter Cranston; sisters: Georgina Trenchard, Winifred Pretty and Mima Penney (Phonse) and brothers: Robert and Claude (Ulah); nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends; and the many friends he made at Elizabeth Towers. Resting at Carnell’s Funeral Home, 329 Freshwater Road. Visitation from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Tuesday, 30 January 2007; from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Wednesday, 31 January 2007; and from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon on Thursday, 1 February 2007. Funeral services will take place on Thursday, 1 February 2007 at 2:00 pm from Carnell’s Chapel. Interment to follow at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Flowers gratefully accepted or donations in Bill’s memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice. To send a message of condolence or sign the memorial guest book please visit www.carnells.com


----------



## George Wallace

Syd Shulemson,   Hero fighter pilot 


http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070203/national/obit_shulemson


> Hero fighter pilot Syd Shulemson, recruiter for Israeli air force, dead at 91
> Sat Feb 3, 1:26 PM
> 
> 
> 
> By Steve Mertl
> 
> 
> VANCOUVER (CP) - Syd Shulemson never lost the fighter pilot's dash he displayed as Canada's most highly decorated Jewish soldier of the Second World War.
> 
> 
> Shulemson, who died in Florida last week at 91 following a heart attack, helped pioneer techniques for low-level rocket attacks on Axis powers' shipping in the North Atlantic. The tactics were used for decades until smart weapons and long-range missiles supplanted unguided rockets.
> 
> 
> After the war, he was part of the group that helped equip the embryonic Israeli armed forces for its War of Independence.
> 
> 
> And he recruited veteran pilots, including famed Canadian ace George (Buzz) Beurling, to fly for the new Jewish state.
> 
> 
> Plans are underway for a memorial service in his hometown of Montreal but arrangements have not been finalized.
> 
> 
> Shulemson's Clark Gable moustache might have been white when he settled into 404 Squadron's flight simulator at CFB Greenwood, N.S., last October during the 65th anniversary of squadron he flew for during the war.
> 
> 
> But the 90-year-old Shulemson, who hadn't flown in 60 years, astounded his hosts by quickly adapting to the four-engine maritime patrol plane's flying characteristics.
> 
> 
> Shulemson set off alarms when he took the Aurora below its 30-metre minimum altitude to perform his trademark low-level attack on a simulated ship.
> 
> 
> "He kept trying to fly lower than we were allowed to fly because when they flew during the war, they normally flew at 50 to 75 feet off the water," said squadron historian Maj. Chris Larsen.
> 
> 
> Sydney Simon Shulemson, born Oct. 22, 1915, in Montreal, was a natural pilot.
> 
> 
> He dreamed of becoming an aeronautical engineer and his high school marks were strong enough to win entrance to McGill University despite its quota on Jewish students at the time.
> 
> 
> But money was tight in Depression-era Canada so Shulemson was forced to quit and find work, first with a New York advertising firm, then his uncle's Montreal printing business.
> 
> 
> The day Canada declared war on Germany, Sept. 10, 1939, the former army cadet signed up with the RCAF.
> 
> 
> Shulemson graduated near the top of his pilot-training class in 1942 and was sent to Charlottetown for advanced training.
> 
> 
> He was in hospital recovering from minor surgery when the rest of his class was dispatched to India to fight in the Pacific war against the Japanese.
> 
> 
> Shulemson instead was sent to RCAF 404 Squadron, then stationed in Wick, Scotland, as part of a Royal Air Force Coastal Command wing whose role was to attack German shipping along the Norwegian and Dutch coasts.
> 
> 
> "The result of that of course is that he's thrown really into the deep end of the pool," said aviation author Wayne Ralph, who interviewed Shulemson for his 2005 book Aces, Warriors and Wingmen.
> 
> Shulemson quickly made his mark by shooting down a German flying boat and sharing the destruction of a second on his first mission.
> 
> The squadron was equipped with twin-engine Bristol Beaufighters, a powerful, snubnosed fighter-bomber.
> 
> Though heavily armed with four 20-millimetre cannon and six machine guns, the Beaufighters suffered heavy losses when attacking ships with torpedoes because they had to fly straight and slow.
> 
> The RAF was experimenting with wing-mounted armour-piercing rockets but was on the verge of discarding them because pilots had a hard time making accurate hits with the unguided projectiles.
> 
> Shulemson and his British commander, Squadron Leader Ken Gatward, concluded the problem lay in the free-for-all approach to the attacks and pilots' tendency to guess at the right aiming point.
> 
> Using his background in aeronautics, Shulemson systematically worked out the proper speeds, angles of attack and release point for the rockets.
> 
> He and Gatward also replaced the squadron's cowboy attack style with a methodical approach that quickly paid off.
> 
> Rocket-equipped Beaufighters of 404 Squadron - now folded into the RAF's Banff Wing - were not only sinking vital Axis cargo vessels but also powerful warships that protected them, including two 8,000-ton anti-aircraft escort ships during the Normandy invasion.
> 
> Shulemson became technical officer in charge of training other pilots on rocket-attack techniques.
> 
> "At the end of the war Shulemson was training up to nine squadrons," said historian Stephane Guevremont, who is completing Shulemson's biography.
> 
> His expertise was such that even though he was a junior officer, Shulemson led multi-squadron attacks.
> 
> "It was quite clear to me that he was leading combat missions as though he were a wing commander," said Ralph.
> 
> Eventually he was barred from any more missions, his knowledge deemed to valuable to risk in operations.
> 
> Only a few months into his combat tour in 1943, Shulemson earned a Distinguished Service Order, a medal just below the Victoria Cross rarely given to junior officers like him.
> 
> 
> After successfully attacking an enemy convoy, he kept a German fighter busy for 18 minutes to allow a damaged wingman to escape.
> 
> The more agile Messerschmidt 109 was forced to break off the attack eventually and Shulemson nursed his now-damaged Beaufighter back to base.
> 
> 
> Six months later Shulemson won the Distinguished Flying Cross for his work in turning the Banff Wing into a deadly anti-shipping strike force.
> 
> Yet Shulemson ended the war as lowly flight lieutenant. It would be 10 years before he was promoted even to squadron leader in the peacetime reserve.
> 
> The reasons were probably complicated. Shulemson was never less than candid in stating his views and Guevremont also believes he worried promotion would have meant a desk job.
> 
> But there was also a lingering suspicion of anti-Semitism within the higher levels of the British military.
> 
> Shulemson told Guevremont of an incident when he was assigned to train some Royal Navy fliers in his rocket-attack techniques.
> 
> An admiral called 404 Squadron to find out who he was and what kind of name was Shulemson. The week-long assignment ended after two days.
> 
> After the war, Shulemson rejoined his uncle's printing firm but soon became involved in the fight for a Jewish state in Palestine.
> 
> Israel's supporters were scrambling to equip and man the infant state's armed forces for the expected Arab onslaught once the UN-mandated partition became final.
> 
> Shulemson went to meetings in New York and claimed he persuaded Israel's backers that air power would be crucial to winning the war.
> 
> "He said you won't have independence without an air force," said Guevremont. "So he found them airplanes and he found them pilots."
> 
> Shulemson was able to acquire 200 surplus British de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers originally purchased by China and divert them to Israel.
> 
> He also began recruiting veteran pilots.
> 
> The work had a cloak-and-dagger quality because Canada was treading a fine diplomatic line at the United Nations.
> 
> Shulemson claimed then-external affairs minister Lester Pearson warned him to keep his efforts under the radar.
> 
> "You had this strange situation where there's no question a lot of the activity was under RCMP surveillance," said David Bercuson, director of the University of Calgary's Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, whose 1984 book The Secret Army tells the story of Israel's foreign volunteers.
> 
> Shulemson's most famous recruit was George (Buzz) Beurling, Canada's highest-scoring ace of the war with 32 confirmed victories, most during the siege of Malta in 1942.
> 
> But Shulemson was leery of Beurling, a maverick loner who he suspected was a mercenary at best or even an agent of the British, who were backing the Arabs.
> 
> Worse, Beurling could not resist shooting off his mouth.
> 
> "He was meeting Beurling at secret places and trying to hide him, and Beurling was going to the press (saying) 'hey. I'm going to Israel,' " said Guevremont.
> 
> Beurling never made it, dying along with copilot Leonard Cohen when a Canadian-built Norseman bushplane he was test flying caught fire and crashed outside Rome in May 1948.
> 
> Many, including Shulemson, suspected a British agent sabotaged the plane.
> 
> Pearson sent a letter of condolence to Beurling's family in Quebec but declined to pay to bring the legendary flier's body home to Canada.
> 
> He was buried in Rome but in 1950, Shulemson arranged for an Israeli navy destroyer to take Beurling's body to Israel. He was buried in Haifa military cemetery and given a posthumous commission in Israel's air force.
> 
> Israel honoured Shulemson with a citation as a Fighter for the State of Israel.
> 
> Shulemson was also deeply involved in the Canadian Jewish Congress until the early 1990s. He sat on its community relations committee, which dealt with interfaith relations, anti-Semitism and the pursue of Nazi war criminals living in Canada.
> 
> "He didn't speak on everything but when he did speak, especially on the issues that he cared passionately for, it came out with such gravitas that you couldn't help but not take into account what he had to say," said Bernie Farber, the congress's regional executive director for Ontario.
> 
> Shulemson is survived by his wife Ella, whom he married at age 74 after a lifetime of "playing the field," and stepsons Rick and Jerry Lozoff.
> 
> He had a credo, said Guevremont.
> 
> " 'I can prove with my life that I can be totally loyal to two nations.' He gave himself to Canada during the war . . . then he devoted his post-war career to the building of the state of Israel."
> 
> Copyright © 2007 Canadian Press


----------



## Edward Campbell

From today’s _Ottawa Citizen_.



> Roger Rowley
> 
> ROWLEY, Major General (ret'd) Roger Rowley, DSO, ED, CD, GCLJ, GOMLJ – Soldier
> 
> Roger Rowley, born in Ottawa, 12 June 1914; died peacefully in his sleep February 14, 2007 at the age of 92.
> 
> He was predeceased by his brother John, who died in battle in Holland in 1945.
> 
> Roger had a distinguished military career. During WW II he served with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa and the Stormont Dundas & Glengary Highlanders. After the war he attended the Camberley Staff College and later the Imperial Defence College. Over the following years Roger served as Director of Military Operations and Plans, Director of Infantry, and Director of Military Training. He was Commander of 2 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group in Germany, Commandant of the Canadian Army Staff College, Commander of the Army Tactics and Organization Board, and Deputy Commander Operations at Mobile Command.
> 
> He received an Honorary Doctorate of Military Science from The Royal Military College of Canada; in recognition of his contribution of the Rowley Report, as Chairman of the Officer Development Board. Roger retired in 1968. Following his retirement Roger gave much of his time to The Military and Hospitaller Oder of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. He was at the time of his passing; Colonel of the Regiment of Canadian Guards, Honourary Colonel of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa and Knight Grand Cross and a Member of the Senate Order of Saint Lazarus.
> 
> Roger is survived by his wife Barbara, daughter Andrea Panet (Charles), son Roger (Chris), stepsons Michael Stephenson (Barbara) and John Stephenson (Greta), nieces Shirley Gobeil-Gravelle (Camille), Lee Wright (David), Jane McDougall (John Lorn), nephew J. William Rowley, QC (Janet); granddaughters Deirdre Panet Francis (Derrick) and Margot Panet Ward (Christopher), great grandson Jack Ward and step grandchildren Andrew, John, Rebecca, Tyler, Derek, Alexa and Jessica Stephenson.
> 
> He will be remembered by all who knew him for his dignity, his respect for others and his wonderful sense of humour. His family would like to thank the wonderful staff of New Edinburgh Square and the extraordinary caregivers from Retire At Home; particularly: Sarah, Samone, Remy and Kirk for their exceptional care and kindness. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the charity of your choice would be appreciated. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at Christ Church Cathedral, Sparks & Bronson, Ottawa at 10 am.


----------



## Nfld Sapper

Thank you for your service, you will be missed.



They went with songs to the battle, they were young, 
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. 
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted; 
They fell with their faces to the foe. 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: 
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. 
At the going down of the sun and in the morning 
We will remember them.


----------



## The Bread Guy

If you do, sad news....

Bruce died following a short, sudden illness on March 8, 2007 in Thunder Bay.  A former member of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment in Thunder Bay, Bruce was also active in the newly-revived Lake Superior Scottish Regiment Association.  He'll be deeply missed.

If you have any memories to share with the family, or would like to send condolences, please respond to this thread, or post "Comments" here:
http://milnewstbay.pbwiki.com/Bruce%20Reith

The family would like to collect these for both a eulogy, as well as for a keepsake for the kids and especially the grandkids.

Thanks!


----------



## Bruce Monkhouse

A friend at work pointed this out to me, the yellow highlighted part I found fascinating,

Bertram George Day    
BERTRAM GEORGE DAY 1918 - 2007 After the death of his beloved wife of 66 years, Marguerite, from pneumonia on February 18, 2007, Bert lost his own life 2 weeks later on March 3, 2007 in a catastrophic electrical fire which destroyed their home. Because of his short term memory loss, Bert could not remember that his beloved Marg had died only days before, and he was therefore constantly asking after her, only to be told repeatedly - and each time as if for the first time - that she had just died. At 88, Bert was still very security minded, making sure the doors were locked, the lights off, the alarms on, and since he was on the ground floor and had built the house with several means of emergency egress, he could easily have escaped the fire. But, when the alarms went off, he woke to find that Marg was not in bed with him and, of course, he would not leave the house without her. Consequently he lost his own life in a family tragedy of Shakespearean proportions while looking to rescue her. His wonderful Tibetan caregiver, Sonam Tso, risked her own life trying to save him but was beaten back by heat, smoke and flames. She then ran down the laneway to the neighbours in her pyjamas, cutting her bare feet on the ice, to make the 911 call at approximately 4:15 a.m. The Milton Fire Department were actually in action at the fire only 7 ? minutes later. The first firefighters on the scene found the house engulfed, but also risked their lives and breached protocol by fog-streaming their way into Bert's bedroom - but he had gone looking for his Marg and was not there. Although he was born in Toronto, Bert's parents were both Newfoundlanders - his father, Reverend William Goddard Day of Old Perlican, a Methodist and then United Church Minister, died in 1919 shortly after Bert's birth, and his mother, Lena Elizabeth Day (nee Follett), was a schoolteacher from Western Bay. She died when Bert was 12 years old and he was raised by his strict, but devoted aunt, Pamela Ann Follett, a home missionary for the Methodists. While he had no brothers or sisters himself, his cousins from the other Day and Loveys clans became part of his own family. He became close friends with Marg's sister, Bernice, and her husband, Keith Huff, and their children, of Edmonton and later, Denver. After marrying Marguerite Gladys Bricker in 1941 and graduating from Forestry Engineering at University of Toronto, Bert spent his war years as a bomb disposal officer for Army Intelligence in charge of Western Canada against the Imperial Japanese campaign, which bombed Western North America from ingenious solar-powered hydrogen balloons. These hot-air type balloons were launched into the jet stream from Tokyo by the Bacterial Warfare Division of the Japanese Army, who were known to have used germ warfare in China by dropping bubonic plague-infected rice and fleas to the rats of several major Chinese cities. Because of the spying which preceded Pearl Harbour, the Japanese Balloon Theatre was successfully kept top secret even though hundreds of balloons (and their bombs) hit Western North America from 1944 - 46. Only normal soil bacteria from the Tokyo area were found in the ballast sandbags and other paraphernalia that made it across the Pacific, out of reach of all aircraft of the day, and invisible to early radar because the balloons had no metal structure. Bert called this campaign his "private war against Japan": "private" because he was sent out completely on his own with written authority from Brigadier Harvey in Ottawa to commandeer whatever transport or service or manpower he required from any of our armed forces in order to carry out his mission - without explanation to any higher ranks, even though he was only a Lieutenant. For these services to our country, Bert was made a Member of the British Empire, with a citation for his "initiative, ingenuity and energy in recovering Japanese balloons and bombs from extremely isolated and most inaccessible locations". Post-war Japanese publications confirm that Tokyo never did find out that so many balloons had made the flight successfully.  After the war, Bert taught Dendrology and Silvaculture at the University of New Brunswick until the Abitibi hired him as a Logging Superintendent, and he and Marg moved into a bush camp near Timmins with 200 other men. He soon opened his own mining timber business, which he operated in Timmins until 1967. He and Marg then built the Mohawk Inn in Campbellville which they ran together until 1974. During the Mohawk years, Bert became an antique expert, with formidable knowledge of pine furniture and all collectors' lines of glass and china. Losing the home that they had built together and turned into a museum of Canadiana antiques means the loss of countless sentimental treasures. Spiritual without being religious, our Bertram was ever the student, especially of the history of mankind, and of the accountability of the world's great religions. He would also quote extensively from the Bible and Shakespeare to illustrate a point, or just to appreciate their beautiful language, and he would go about his business all day singing or whistling to himself. Very few people would play cards with Bert because, given enough time, he would always win at poker or bridge. He had other "supernatural" abilities as a fisherman, and as a water witch - able to tell from an apple twig how deep the water was, how many gallons a minute, how pure, and so on. And he was never wrong! Marg and Bert were predeceased by their best friends, Loretta and Keith Stirling and Ann and Henry Kelneck, and they loved the Stirling girls and the Kelneck children and their families as their own. They are survived by three children and nine grandchildren, who strive to attain the high standards Marg and Bert set through their own attitudes and achievements:


----------



## niner domestic

It is with great sadness that the passing of Dwight Wilson, age 106 has occurred.  He was the second last World War I veteran left in Canada.  


Lest We Forget

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/obit_wwi_wilson


----------



## gaspasser

I won't quote the whole yellow highlight here...but I found that tidbit about Bertram very interesting.  
"At the going down of the sun...we will remember them"
 Rest In Peace Mr. Wison.  
You have done your duty, and I shall do mine.


----------



## vangemeren

Reprinted under fair dealings thingy


Veteran Percy "Dwight" Wilson died this morning at the age of 106, leaving only one known surviving veteran of the First World War.

Percy Wilson chats with Ontario Lieutenant-Governor James Bartleman at the 90th anniversary of Vimy Ridge commemorative event in April 2007 (Courtesy Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre).
Percy Wilson chats with Ontario Lieutenant-Governor James Bartleman at the 90th anniversary of Vimy Ridge commemorative event in April 2007 (Courtesy Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre).

Wilson passed "peacefully" at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Canada's largest veterans' care facility, where flags were lowered to half-mast in honour of the veteran.

His death leaves John Babcock, who lives in Spokane, Wash., as the only surviving Canadian First World War veteran.

"All these guys who signed up realized there were risks involved, especially by 1916," Wilson's son, Paul, said of the generation of young men who volunteered to serve despite news chronicling horrific battlefield losses.

"I think maybe in 1914, when the war broke out, some of the young boys signing up thought it would be a lark,'' he added. "By 1916, there had been thousands upon thousands of them just killed. They had some horrendous battles."

In 1915, as a young Cadet, Wilson trained as a mounted bugler in the militia. And in July of the following year, at age 15 -- three years shy of the legal minimum -- he enlisted and joined the 69th Artillery Battery in Toronto.

After completing basic training in Camp Niagara and Camp Petawawa, Ont., Dwight ventured overseas as part of the Artillery Battery.

"On the two-week voyage crossing the North Atlantic to England, he entertained the other troops on the R.M.S. Grampian liner with his wonderful singing voice," the veterans' care centre said in a press release.

"He was one of over 600,000 Canadians who fulfilled their sense of duty and volunteered to serve in the Great War."

But upon arrival in England, his superiors realized Wilson was too young, and held him back from the front lines.

Wilson was eventually sent back to Canada and discharged as a minor.

"I don't know if he really lied about his age, or whether someone fudged it," said Paul Wilson. "This is 1916. The best troops in Europe and the Allies had already been cut to pieces. I think they were scrambling."

But war broke out again in 1939, and Wilson, who was working with Bell Telephone, became a Captain in Stratford's 7th Perth Regiment Reserves.

He tried to serve once again, only this time he was too old for active duty.

Wilson worked for Bell Canada from 1919 until his retirement in 1966. He held numerous positions in several Ontario communities, and was promoted to manager of the phone company's Stratford operation.

He also sang in the Bell vocal group, and enjoyed a career in music which included studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he met his wife -- singer and pianist Eleanor Dean.

He and Eleanor were married in 1927 and stayed together until she died at the age of 94. They had two sons, Dean and Paul.

There will be a funeral service with military honour for family members and invited guests only.

In a statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he was "deeply saddened" to learn of Wilson's death.

"On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to extend my sincere condolences to Mr. Wilson's family and friends. As a nation, we honour his service and mourn his passing," said Harper.

Ten per cent of the Canadians who enlisted to fight in the First World War died on the battlefields of Europe, and 170,000 more were wounded.

The war would ultimately claim 15 million civilian and military lives on both sides of the conflict.

"In memory of Wilson and all those who served in the Great War, the family has requested that donations be directed to the Veterans' Comfort Fund at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Room KGE39," said the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/TopStories/ContentPosting.aspx?feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V2&showbyline=True&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20070509%2fwar_veteran_070509


----------



## GUNS

Born a citizen of Canada,
Died a hero.


----------



## safeboy43

R.I.P sir. Canada is forever greatful for your service.


----------



## Mike Baker

Twitch said:
			
		

> R.I.P sir. Canada is forever greatful for your service.


+1


----------



## Nfld Sapper

Your torch has been passed on, 

Thank you for your service, you will be missed.

      

They went with songs to the battle, they were young, 
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. 
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted; 
They fell with their faces to the foe. 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: 
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. 
At the going down of the sun and in the morning 
We will remember them.


----------



## joshsalzman

I regret to advise that Gordon Salzman, who was a member of the West Nova Scotia Regiment during World War 2 has recently passed away at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer.  Gordon is survived by his wife of 60 years Madeline Salzman, son Shilo Salzman (wife: Marj) and 3 grandchildren Josh, Jen and Adam.  He will be greatly missed.


----------



## Trip_Wire

LATHEY, Keith - MMM, CD, RCAF, Ret., OPP, Ret. - Passed . . .

August 24, 2007 
THE RECORD

(Aug 24, 2007) -- LATHEY, Keith - MMM, CD, RCAF, Ret., OPP, Ret. - Passed away, suddenly, August 20, 2007, at the age of 79. 

Survived by his wife of 58 years, Faye (Wellman); sons, Rob of Kitchener, Geoff (Jude) of Christchurch, New Zealand and Chris (Lynn) of Kitchener; brother, Jack (Bernice) of Kanata; sister, Marlene (Laurie) of Edmonton; step-mother, Florence Slavinski of Langley, B.C.; grandchildren, Adrian and Shannon. 

Keith served 29 years with the RCAF as an Armourer and Explosive Disposal Unit expert. He was stationed at various locations in Canada and front line Cold War Fighter bases in Europe. His last millitary posting was at the Department of National Defence Head Quarters, where he was responsible for establishing standards for Bomb Disposal teams for the entire Canadian Military. He was one of the first to be inducted as a recipient of the Order of Military Merit. 

Following his retirement from the Armed Services, Keith joined the O.P.P. for 13 years, as co-ordinator of Explosives Disposal for the Province of Ontario. He was one of the original members of the I.A.B.T.I. (International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators). The I.A.B.T.I. granted him one of the first and few Life Time Memberships in the Association. 

Despite fighting a courageous battle with ALS, Keith never lost his wit and full sense of humour. Keith's passion and knowledge of classical music was illustrated by his extensive collection of CD's. He will be sadly missed for his jokes, spontaneous poems, and his caring and compassionate nature. His multitude of feathered friends will miss him at the bird feeders. 

Family and friends will be received at Westmount Funeral Chapel, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 25 followed by the funeral service at 11 a.m. Following the service there will be a reception downstairs at Westmount Funeral Chapel. As expression of sympathy, donations can be made to the ALS Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Cards are available at the funeral home. Cremation has taken place.


----------



## Shec

*Honorary Colonel (Retired) The Honourable William John McKeag, CM,OM,CD,BComm, LL.D * 

A very enthusiastic and supportive Honourary Colonel  of  The Fort Garry Horse, 1973-1998


----------



## old medic

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/Deaths.20071112.93127537/BDAStory/BDA/

LCOL. EDWARD SLADE GIBSON (C.D., M.D., F.C.B.O.M.)  past CO 12 (Kitchener) Med Coy [ aka 24 Field Ambulance until 1954 ], 
and 16 (Hamilton) Med Coy [now 23 Fd Amb].

On November 10, 2007, age 79. Beloved husband of Audrey Wright (Moggach) and the late Jean Soeder (mother of his three sons). Son of the late Capt. Lyle and Edith Gibson. Prou father of Col. Neil (Eleanore) of St. Albert, Chris (Nicole) of Courtice and Brian (Ali on) of Burlington. Stepfather of Susan O'Brien of Hamilton and Warren Wright (Linda) of Harrington Park, New Jersey. Brother of Joan Bennett of Toronto, uncle of Karen Bennett (peter) of Toronto and John Bennettt (Inge) of Ottawa. Proud of 11 exceptional grandchildren, Katy, Aidan, Kyle, Breanne, Taylor and Gregory Gibson, Jesse and Matt O'Brien, Eric, Alex and Lauren Wright. He was a graduate of the University of Toronto Schools and the University of Toronto. In his medical career he was in family practice in WeIland and Tavistock Ontario. As an occupational health physician was Medical Director at Dofasco until his retirement, then Medical Director of the Hamilton Hospitals Assessment Centre. He was the first president of the Occupational and Environmental Medical Association of Canada. He was a strong supporter of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Ergonomics within industry and was an honourary fellow of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists. In his research as a Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University he was the first to identify the association between steel foundry work and lung cancer. With his colleagues at Dofasco demonstrated the hearing loss could occur at noise levels of 85 decibels (formerly thought to be a 'safe' level). His research on low back pain demonstrated that preemployment back x- rays did not predict future back pain, other research involved cardiovascular disease and hypertension in steelworkers and latterly the impact of sleep problems on adolescent students. *In the Canadian Forces he had been a Flight Surgeon in the R.C.A.F. and in the R.C.A.M.C (M) was Commanding Officer of 12 Medical Company, Kitchener, and 16 Medical Company, Hamilton.* In the community he was President of SleeplW ake Disorders Canada and had been a director of the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Hamilton Burlington Big Brother Association and Pet Trust (University of Guelph). He was a member ofSt. Paul's Anglican Church, Westdale. We would particularly like to thank the Staff of the Community Care Access Centre for their vital help. The Juravinski Centre, Dr. Hotte, Dr. Craigie, Maryanne were particularly efficient and compassionate. Very special thanks to Dr. Grant Taylor and the caring staff of the Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice. The family will receive friends at The Swackhamer, Blachford & Wray Funeral Home, 1341 Main St. W., Hamilton, 905- 522-9221, on Tuesday November 12, 2007 from 2-4 and 7-9 pm. Service will be held on Wednesday at St. Paul's Anglican Church, Westdale, at 11 am. Cremation to follow. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Dr. Bob -Kemp Hospice, St. Paul's Anglican Church or the charity of your choice.


----------



## Edward Campbell

LT.-GENERAL ROBERT WILLIAM MONCEL OC, OBE, DSO, CD, LÉGION D'HONNEUR, CROIX DE GUERRE AVEC PALME, LLD 

At Veterans Memorial Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, on December 10, 2007, in his 91st year, Lt.-General Moncel, OC, OBE, DSO, CD, Légion d'Honneur, Croix de Guerre avec Palme, LLD, Canadian Army (retired); survived by his son-in-law, George Constantis, grandchildren Aliki and Constantine, many nieces and nephews and their families. General Moncel was predeceased by his parents René Edouard and Edith (Brady) Moncel, his wife of many years Nancy Allison Bell ('Billie'), daughter Renée, and sisters Marguerite and Renée. He was educated at Selwyn House, Montreal, Que., Bishop's College School, Lennoxville, Que., and McGill University.

General Moncel joined the Militia (Victoria Rifles) in 1937, and when World War II broke out he went overseas in 1939 with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division as a platoon commander in the Royal Canadian Regiment. In June 1940, he with his platoon were among a very small group of Canadians who actually landed in France before the expedition to reinforce the allies. It was aborted due to the collapse of resistance to the German onslaught. On his own initiative, he was able to get his platoon back to the UK. 

He attended the Staff College in the UK and subsequently held various command and staff appointments, including GSO3 and Brigade Major (BM) with the First Canadian Army Tank Brigade, GSO1 Operations with Headquarters 2 Canadian Corps. In August 1943 he was promoted Lt. Col. to command the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (Manitoba Dragoons), and in August 1944 he became Canada's youngest World War II General Officer, in the rank of Brigadier, when he assumed command of the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade in Normandy, which he continued to Command until VE Day in Germany. 

General Moncel was invested as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services with Headquarters 2nd Canadian Corps, the Distinguished Service Order for personal gallantry and leadership in the Hochwald fighting in Germany. His citation for the latter notes 'the gallant bearing of this officer and the complete disregard for his own personal safety, were an inspiration to all troops under his command and the successful outcome of the attack was in great measure due to his vigorous leadership.' He was Mentioned in Dispatches for his valour in the Battle of Falaise and the French Government made him a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour with the award of the Croix de Guerre avec Palme.

Postwar, General Moncel continued his military career at Army Headquarters in Ottawa and became the first Director of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps following which he was appointed Director of Military Training. He served as the Army member of the Canadian joint staff in London as a Brigadier, and the joint secretary observed that when the Chairman wished opinion on matters of substance, the other members invariably wanted to know 'What does Bob Moncel think'? Moncel served as Deputy Chief of General Staff at Army Headquarters in Ottawa after which he was appointed Senior Canadian Military Officer to the Canadian Delegation on the International Control Commission in Indochina and the acting Canadian Commissioner of the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam (ICSC). He returned to Canada to Command 3 Canadian Infantr y Brigade in New Brunswick. Subsequently, in the rank of Major-General, he became the Quarter Master General of the Canadian Army in Ottawa and, later, the General Officer Commanding Eastern Command in Halifax. On promotion to Lieutenant-General he became the first Comptroller-General of the Canadian Armed Forces and later appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff. 

General Moncel retired from the military in 1966, and in 1967 he was appointed Coordinator for Visiting Heads of State to Canada, specifically for Expo '67. He was awarded the Canadian Medal, and was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1968 he retired to Nova Scotia with his wife and settled in the Bell family property. He continued to contribute to the community in many ways. When asked to assist a small hospital in Lunenburg that was having difficulties, he was elected Chairman of the Board and with his characteristic skills very quickly had the organization running efficiently, solvent and happy. He served on the Board of Regents, Mount Allison University, and as a Director of the N.S. Rehabilitation Centre.

General Bob Moncel was a man of wide-ranging interests, with a particular interest in the arts, both as a collector and a painter. One of his works was exhibited in the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in London. He was an enthusiastic sportsman, a member of the Royal Ottawa Golf Club, the Rideau Club, and the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club. He spent his retirement years enjoying his favourite pursuits: painting, playing organ and flute, sailing in his boats, overseeing the care of the gardens and orchards on the estate, and daily long walks with his dogs. He was a true renaissance man. 

And yet, for all his talents, General Moncel was forever a very modest and private person. 

Funeral services for General Moncel will take place on Monday, December 17, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. at the Stadacona Chapel, CFB Halifax, Gottingen Street entrance.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/Deaths.20071213.93131868/BDAStory/BDA/


----------

Some points of interest, at least I hope they’re interesting:

LGen Moncel started his regimental duty (combat) career as an infantry platoon commander in The RCR and ended up as CO of a light armoured/recce regiment.

He, along with Bert Hoffmeister and a very few others, was amongst the few Canadian generals would could be rated as “above average” or “better than most.”

His resignation (at about the age of 50) was one of the saddest outcomes of Mr. Hellyer’s _organizational experiment_. Moncel said it was a deeply flawed project but he was too much of an old fashioned professional to say anything in public. His retirement sparked some of RAdm Landymore’s more memorable comments; the one I think I recall related to the _stupidity_ of having second rate people in Ottawa while the first rate people, and he cited Monel as one example, were reduced to “mucking about” in the backwoods of Nova Scotia.

I had the pleasure of meeting LGen Moncel once or twice. He remained, deep in retirement, an impressive person with a quick and interested mind and he was unfailing polite and kind to a young officer on the edge of the crowd.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Extracted from a very recent message passed out on The RCR net:

*John Trethewey* (Major retired for about the last 15 years, whose service began with the Canadian Guards and then The RCR ) died suddenly on Saturday
afternoon, 8 Dec, while in Budapest, Hungary during a visit to the Family of his wife Judith.   He was 66 yrs, 11 months old. 

Apparently, John lay down for a nap at his Father-in-Law's house, and didn't stir when called.  When they checked on him, he was found to have simply
passed away in his sleep.  The cause of his passing was heart failure.

John's sons Philip and Colin, who reside in Ottawa, are arranging the transfer of John's ashes back to Ottawa.  The ashes will be interred in the
Military Section at Beechwood Cemetery. Details of this and the accompanying memorial service will be advised once known. 

I am sure that all those who knew and loved John for the fine officer and human being he was, will be much saddened to hear this news and will want to
express condolences to his Family, including to his former wife Wendy Trethewey, who lives in Ottawa and was well known and regarded among the
Regimental wives.

----------

John and I first got to know one another back in the '60s when he was still in the Canadian Guards and was assigned to run our (4CMBG) junior NCO school. He joined us in the 2RCR Officers' Mess - the only suitable home for gentlemen and Guards officers at that time and in that place.    We remained friends for 40 years.


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## Old Sweat

I knew John T well and General Moncel rather less so; I liked them both and mourn their passing. The general was very much an old school gentleman of a social order far above the likes of poor Ontario farm boys like me. However he was always couteous and polite, even if he must have wondered how the waste of rations he was talking to had ever got a commission in the first place.

It is said that he despaired of Hellyer's moves and motives and simply departed for Nova Scotia, having left an I will solider no more note in his office.


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## SeaKingTacco

I knew John T when I was at 1 AD Regt in Pembroke and he was at Ottawa Militia District as G1, as I recall.  I remember speaking to him almost daily.  He was a really decent human being and a great Officer.


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## TN2IC

*FRAME (Sheffar), Trudy Elaine* - Elmsdale, passed away Saturday, December 8, 2007, in her home after a battle with cancer. Born in Saint John, N.B., she was a daughter of Darrell Sheffar and Elaine (Atkinson) MacDonald. Trudy, with 23 years service in the Canadian Forces, served in the Middle East, Golan Heights in 1990-1991 out of CFB Cornwallis where she met her husband Burt and a tour in Bosnia-Herzegovina with 2 Royal Canadian Regiment, CFB Gagetown. She did an adventure training trip in Cameroon, Africa, where she assisted in putting water lines into nearby villages. She was a very ambitious woman who enjoyed helping people, loved her friends and loved life. Trudy is survived by her husband, Burton Frame; son, Jeffrey; daughter, Courtney; stepmother, Irene Sheffar; brother, Mark Sheffar and wife Jodi; nephews, Aedan, Benjamin; brother, Stephen Sheffar and wife Brenda; nephews, Daegan and Chase; many aunts, uncles, sisters in-law, brothers in-law; nieces and nephews and cousins; maternal grandmother, Jean Atkinson. She was predeceased by her paternal grandparents and maternal grandfather. Visitation 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. with Legion memorial service 7 p.m. Thursday in Ettinger Funeral Home, 2812 Main St., Shubenacadie, with funeral service 11 a.m. Friday in Elmsdale Baptist Church, 512 Highway 2, Enfield, Pastor Michael Trites officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Canadian Cancer Society. Cancer is a very terrible disease that took so much from her and her family, please donate to your local cancer society. E-mail condolences to: ettingerfuneralhome@hotmail.com 

The Halifax Herald Limited


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## xo31@711ret

Took me a minute to remember, but I served with Trudy in Lima Company ,2RCR. She worked in the BOR and I the UMS.  My condelences to her family. RIP Trudy, you will be missed.


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## Dog Walker

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> LT.-GENERAL ROBERT WILLIAM MONCEL OC, OBE, DSO, CD, LÉGION D'HONNEUR, CROIX DE GUERRE AVEC PALME, LLD



Photos from the funeral of Lieutenant-General Robert W Moncel, are posted here:

http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10119


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## Edward Campbell

We have lost another distinguished Canadian military officer; this time one who worked behind the scenes but made a very significant contributions to our combat capabilities nonetheless.

Reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of today’s _Globe and Mail_:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/obituaries

*ED BRIDGLAND, 90: AIR FORCE OFFICER*

Aeronautical engineer's jet motors powered the RCAF through Cold War
*Although colour blind, he was accepted by the air force for his technical brilliance and rose to become a brigadier-general, all the while steering development of such aircraft as the Avro Arrow*

BUZZ BOURDON 
Special to the Globe and Mail

December 19, 2007

OTTAWA -- Working quietly behind the scenes, Ed Bridgland spent almost three decades playing a major part in developing many of the famous aircraft flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force after the Second World War. One of the RCAF's top aeronautical engineers of the postwar period, he was involved with the legendary Avro Arrow jet fighter, as well as the supersonic Starfighter, the Argus submarine hunter, the Lockheed Hercules and the Canadair Yukon.

He started working on aircraft in 1944 during the war when he was seconded to Britain's Ministry of Aircraft Production. After being loaned to Power Jets Ltd., the firm that pioneered gas turbines, he later spent time as a project engineer at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, working on performance testing and high-speed flight development. 

From August of 1946 to June of 1949, he worked as the chief engineer of the RCAF's Winter Experimental Establishment. Supervising a staff of 15 officers and 250 airmen, he oversaw the testing of new aircraft intended for Arctic conditions. During the Cold War, the air force had to operate in the Far North on a regular basis, and it was vital that its aircraft could do so safely and efficiently. 

It was his first important post, but it wasn't to be the last. Promotion and responsibility came his way during the RCAF's golden age, from 1950 to 1965. Five years after the war ended, Canada's defence requirements were suddenly back on the front burner: The Cold War turned hot after NATO was formed in 1949 to counter the Soviet bloc. A year later, the Korean War ignited.

The pace was frantic. The RCAF needed thousands of aircrew and technicians to fly and maintain hundreds of new aircraft rolling off the production lines in Montreal and Toronto. Wartime bases were reactivated and modernized, while many veterans - fondly dubbed retreads and sporting hard-earned ribbons on their chests - decided to get back in uniform, providing much needed experience and esprit de corps. By 1952, more than 40 per cent of the government's budget was allocated to the Department of National Defence, with the RCAF getting the lion's share.

Ed Bridgland's interest in aircraft and engineering started when he was growing up in Calgary. He played football and hockey - skating for three teams at the same time - but truly loved his Meccano toy set. Designing and building Meccano aircraft at the tender age of 13, he was good enough to win two prizes from the British company. He never looked back. A few years later, he was working on the real thing after graduating in engineering physics from the University of Toronto in 1940.

Rejected for pilot training because he was colour blind - he could not see green or red - Mr. Bridgland was determined to help the war effort by qualifying as an RCAF aeronautical engineer. For once, the brass decided to put a round peg in a round hole and sent him to take postgraduate training at the California Institute of Technology.

By 1949, Mr. Bridgland was in Ottawa at air force headquarters as the officer in charge of engine development, an area that included engine installations, propellers, fuel and lubricants. Earmarked by his superiors for higher command and responsibility, he was sent to the Royal Air Force staff college in Britain. Only the best and the brightest were selected for this extremely demanding course, which he attended in 1954 and 1955.

In June of 1956, he was sent to the Avro Canada plant in Malton, Ont., to oversee quality control on the famous Iroquois engine, an advanced gas turbine manufactured by Orenda Aerospace for the CF-105 Arrow. It was an exciting 16 months for him, as he monitored the engine's progress and reported back to RCAF brass on its feasibility. He was convinced that the Iroquois had great capability; unfortunately, the Arrow was cancelled by John Diefenbaker on Feb. 20, 1959. 

By that time, Mr. Bridgland was back in Ottawa as director of aircraft engineering, where he was responsible for aircraft-design requirements, specifications, airworthiness and production programs. It was a vital job, since the RCAF deployed more than 20 types of aircraft, from fighters to trainers to transport aircraft to helicopters. 

In 1962, Mr. Bridgland was posted to the RCAF's No. 1 Air Division in Europe as senior technical staff officer. It was a demanding job that included supervising a staff of 95 officers and airmen, along with responsibility for such technical functions as aeronautical, armament, supply, mobile and construction engineering.

The air division, which had phased out its Korean War-era Sabre jets and its CF-100s, was by then equipped with the new Canadair Starfighter in a nuclear strike-reconnaissance role. After years of dithering by Mr. Diefenbaker, a government led by Lester Pearson had agreed that the supersonic Starfighters would be armed with U.S. nuclear weapons in the event of war.

Working out of the air division's headquarters in Metz, France, Mr. Bridgland had to cope with the unrelenting threat of nuclear war. It was the height of the Cold War - the Berlin Wall and the Cuban missile crisis had made things much worse - and the air division's nine Starfighter squadrons stood in constant readiness.

Mr. Bridgland's son, James, said he could not recall worrying about a war. At the time, he was only 10 and did the things kids his age did: went to school, made a stab at his homework and played with his friends.

"I don't think any of the kids in Air Division knew that our airplanes were flying with nuclear weapons. I never found that out until the late 1980s," he said. "My general understanding at the time was that [our] role in NATO was purely reconnaissance. My guess is that [we] suffered from misinformation. That amounts to a rather large cover-up, that parents of several thousand families shielded their children from the reality of why they were really there. In retrospect, I think we are all grateful for it."

He remembers his father as a man who led by example, and who loved a good debate. He was pretty good at teaching his children about all sorts of things, too. "I remember a morning in Ottawa when the family was around the breakfast table, Dad dressed for work in a suit and tie, reading The Globe and Mail and drinking coffee. I must have been 10. I can't imagine what possessed me to ask how airplanes navigate in crosswinds, but I did." 

On a paper napkin, Mr. Bridgland quickly drew a triangle of arrows. "The first arrow was the airplane's heading - its speed indicated by the length of the arrow," his son said. "From the head of that, he drew a second arrow showing the wind direction and speed. He then drew an arrow from the base of the first to the head of the second. Pointing to the last he said, 'That is the actual path of the airplane.' It was as concise and clear a lesson in vector physics as you could possibly wish for. ... He must have been a great instructor at the U of T wind-tunnel lab."

Before retiring in 1971 as a brigadier-general, Mr. Bridgland spent his last four years in uniform in Ottawa as director-general, aerospace systems, responsible for engineering and maintenance. Afterward, he worked for the Department of Transport before retiring for good in 1980. His final years were devoted to golfing, skiing, travelling and spending time with his family.

*ED BRIDGLAND*
Edgar Parsons Bridgland was born on Aug. 5, 1917, in Calgary. He died of a stroke in Ottawa on Oct. 18, 2007. He was 90. He leaves his son James, daughters Peggy and Janet, grandchildren Zoe, Michael and Kathryn and great-granddaughters Molly and Norah. He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen.


----------



## The AmericansDaughter

http://www.bradfordera.com/obituaries/

SMETHPORT — Robert E. Rogge, 85, of 302 E. Main St., died Friday (Dec. 14, 2007) 
in Altoona Hospital.
He was born Dec. 27, 1921, in Pittsburgh.
He was a graduate of Sewickley High, class of 1939. He enlisted in the Canadian 
Army in August of 1941 and served with Black Watch & Stormont, Dundas and 
Glengarry Highlander regiments. He was a veteran of the Dieppe Raid and the 
Normandy invasion on Juno Beach on June 6, 1944. He was honorably discharged 
from the Canadian Army and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1946. He flew 
on missions during the Korean War with the U.S. Fifth Air Force. He retired from 
the U.S. Air Force in 1968.
Mr. Rogge was employed as a writer for The Bradford Era from 1968 to 1970 and 
the Warren Times Mirror & Observer from 1970 to 1972. He accepted a civil 
service position as a writer-editor for military publications in Southern California. He transferred to 
Washington, D.C., and later to Fort Knox, Ky., where he retired. He returned to 
Smethport in 2001.
He had a master’s degree in history and was an author of two books and many 
articles for military and historical publications.
Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Frances Patricia Duffy, and their four 
children, Roberta Ann (Robert) Antonucci, Patricia Ann (John) Thomas, Roderick 
Elliot Rogge and Margaret Elizabeth (Thomas) Rogge-Shepherd; two granddaughters, 
Mollie Erin Thomas and Laura Michelle Antonucci; and a step grandson, Paul 
Antonucci.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic 
Church of Smethport.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hamlin Library or the McKean 
County Historical Society.


----------



## Gunner98

Retired CFMG Commander and Surgeon General of CF

http://www.legacy.com/Can/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=99800630

*AUGER, Claude Brigadier-General - Retired CD, MD, FRCSC February 8, 1951 - December 16, 2007 *

Peacefully at home surrounded by his family at the age of 56 years. Claude Auger, beloved husband of Lise Auger (nee Poirier). Loving father of Danny (Sheila) and Nathalie (Steve Madden). Devoted grandfather of Brooke, Ethan and Emma. Cherished son of Therese Pouliot and the late Raoul Auger. Dear brother of Helene, Suzanne, Louis and Madeleine. Fondly remembered by brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends. Friends may pay respects at the Kelly Funeral Home, 2370 St-Joseph Blvd., Orleans, Friday after 9 a.m. Service in Memory of Claude will be held in the Chapel at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the C.C.A.C., 4200 Labelle St., suite 100, Ottawa, Ontario, K1J 1J8 would be appreciated.


----------



## Roy Harding

Gunner98 said:
			
		

> Retired CFMG Commander and Surgeon General of CF
> 
> http://www.legacy.com/Can/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=99800630
> 
> *AUGER, Claude Brigadier-General - Retired CD, MD, FRCSC February 8, 1951 - December 16, 2007 *
> 
> Peacefully at home surrounded by his family at the age of 56 years. Claude Auger, beloved husband of Lise Auger (nee Poirier). Loving father of Danny (Sheila) and Nathalie (Steve Madden). Devoted grandfather of Brooke, Ethan and Emma. Cherished son of Therese Pouliot and the late Raoul Auger. Dear brother of Helene, Suzanne, Louis and Madeleine. Fondly remembered by brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends. Friends may pay respects at the Kelly Funeral Home, 2370 St-Joseph Blvd., Orleans, Friday after 9 a.m. Service in Memory of Claude will be held in the Chapel at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the C.C.A.C., 4200 Labelle St., suite 100, Ottawa, Ontario, K1J 1J8 would be appreciated.



Wow - the notifications are getting closer to home.  

I served with Dr. Auger - where and when isn't important - I have a great deal of respect for him.

The world is a much diminished place today.


Roy


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## Danjanou

BOYINGTON, KEN M/CPL (RET'D)

I recently received the following message from the present RSM of the Toronto Scottish Regiment.



> I regret to inform you that MCpl Ken Boyington has died. Ken was living in a trailer in Red Deer, Alberta when the propane system developed a leak. Tragically, Ken was asphyxiated in his sleep.
> 
> Ken joined the Regiment in the early 1990's after having served with the US Army. He was a good friend to everyone he met, however those that knew him best also knew his struggles. After his service with the Regiment, he signed up with the Regimental Association, but as time marched on, we lost touch with him. He leaves behind 3 children.
> 
> The family has requested the assistance of the Regiment with a meeting place. Ken will be remembered on the 6th of January, 2008 at the WO's & Sgt's Mess and I will send out timings a soon as I have them.
> 
> RSM



I had the privilege of being "Pappy's" CSM and friend during our time with the Regiment and will miss him. I'll post further details re timings when I receive them for anyone in the GTA who knew Ken and wishes to pay their respects.

R.J Smith MWO (Ret'd)


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## Jager

Gordon Wayne Hamilton 25 January 1933 - 17 January 2008
26(?) Years service. Korea Vet, other than that I know nothing of his past service (wife's grandfather)


----------



## George Wallace

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Tom Horgan at 1:55 p.m. today, Friday 25 January 2008.  He died peacefully, quietly at home.  
   
  Tom was a proud member of the Armoured Corps serving with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lord Strathcona's Horse and 8th Canadian Hussar's.  He was an active member of the Kingston Chapter serving as Secretary Treasurer and coordinating our last reunion held in Kingston.   In his retirement he never left the army and relived many of the good times we all shared.  Tom will be missed by the many who knew and served with him.
   
  Details of Tom's funeral arrangements will be known tomorrow and will be in The Kingston Whig Standard.  Condolences can be mailed to Brenda at:
   
  821 Bexley Gate
  Kingston, ON
  K7M 8W7
   
  Bold & Swift


----------



## George Wallace

*HORGAN*, Thomas Joseph  – Peacefully at home in Kingston, on Friday, January 25, 2008.   Tom remained positive throughout his year-long struggle with cancer.  His perseverance throughout his journey served as an inspiration to us all.  Tom is survived by Brenda (nee Knight) his loving wife of 46 years, his daughter Salinda and son-in-law Neil, and his ”wonderful little boys” grandsons Reid and Garret Hopkins.  Also survived by his brothers Dave (Norie) Grier and Jim (Doreen) Greer of Montreal, and sister Rita Grier of Vancouver.  Tom is pre-deceased by sisters Patricia May Horgan of Montreal, Betty Simpson of Mirfield, England, and brother Timothy Horgan of Dublin, Ireland.  Fondly remembered by mother-in law Viola Knight and brothers-in law Don (Linda) Knight and Dennis (Joanne) Knight of Meaford, and survived by many nieces, nephews and extended family.  Tom was born in Montreal on December 24th 1939 to Thomas Joseph Horgan Sr. and Rita Anna Donohue.  Tom joined the military (Lord Strathcona’s Horse – RC) at the age of 17.  During Tom’s five tours of duty in Europe, he experienced many new adventures and embraced the opportunity to travel to new countries, and made numerous life long friends.  He had a successful career and retired as a Royal Canadian Dragoon at the rank of Sgt. Major.  Since 1993, Tom enjoyed a lengthy retirement in Kingston with his wife, daughter, and grandsons.  He served as president of the Canadian Cancer Society (Kingston chapter).  He was active in his retirement: playing badminton, swimming, travelling with his wife, and kayaking with his grandson, Reid.  Funeral and memorial arrangements to be announced.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Canadian Cancer Society or Cancer Centre of South Eastern Ontario at KGH would be appreciated by the family.  Funeral arrangements entrusted to JAMES REID FUNERAL HOME, Cataraqui Chapel (1900 John Counter Boulevard).

James Reid Cataraqui Chapel.  www.jamesreidfuneralhome.com  (613) 544-3411


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## Command-Sense-Act 105

Although there's another thread about him, I think this should be put up in here as well:

LOUIS-JOSEPH (LOU) TELLIS, CD ~ Passed away unexpectedly on Monday, January 21, 2008 at the age of thirty-six. Beloved son of Catherine Jacques and Kenneth Tellis. Loving brother of Sophie, and Pierre and his partner Hazel. Lou was a proud member of the Toronto Police Service and served with 55 Division and the Chief's Ceremonial Unit. Friends may call at the Turner & Porter Yorke Chapel, 2357 Bloor St. W., at Windermere, east of the Jane subway, on Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Friday from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Funeral Mass to be held at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 101 Grace Street, on Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Toronto Police Widows and Orphans Fund or to The Wounded Warriors Fund.


----------



## Trinity

MWO Thomas Horgan Ret'd   RCD

Passed away Jan 25, 2007

Funeral is 02 February 2008 in Kingston


----------



## marshall sl

Message from LCol McGregor, Regimental Sec Seaforth  Highlanders of Canada


I have just finished speaking with Mrs. Vance and she confirms that LCol E R Vance passed away yesterday (24 February 2008).  



She went on to say that she has already spoken this a.m. with Honourary LCol Shields and that he has offered to help.  I confirmed that the Seaforth Regimental Family are very sorry to hear of this tragic news and that we want to do whatever we can to help her and her family at this time of sadness.



Mrs. Vance advised that it was always LCol Vance’s wish that there be a “celebration of Life” held at the Seaforth Highlanders armoury and she will remain in contact with HLCol Shields to advise of dates and details as they develop.



Sincerely,



Blair McGregor

Lieutenant Colonel (retired)

Regimental Secretary.


A Celebration of Life will be held at the Seaforth Armoury in the Officers' Mess and Anderson Room on Thursday, March 6th at 15:00 hrs.

It will be basic service at the request of the family per his wishes.


----------



## armyvern

Mr. Ralph Carmen Wightman 

July 18, 1948  -  March 15, 2008

Ralph Carmen Wightman age 59, of Amherst passed away on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Upper Nappan, N.S.

Born in Windsor, N.S., on July 18, 1948 he was a son of Ralph Frederick Wells and Muriel Eileen (Irwin) Wightman.

Ralph joined the Canadian Army Apprentice Training Program at 16 and served as a Supply Technician for 28 years. His career saw him posted to Montreal, CFB Gagetown twice, CFB Chatham, HMCS Iroquois, Cyprus, Montreal Olympics, HMCS Margaree twice, CFB Halifax, Marcom Headquarters, National Defense Headquarters in Ottawa and Lahr Germany. He also served as an instructor for the Canadian Forces School of Administration and Logistics.

He is a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Br. #10, Amherst, presently serving as secretary, also a member of Acacia #8 Masonic Lodge since 1976. Ralph is a member of the Cumberland Shrine Club, serving three years as President, and Past President of the Masonic Society.

In his younger years, Ralph played darts competitively and his crowning achievement was beating World Champion John Lowe in 1978.

He was also a swim judge for Veronica and Roland’s competitive swim team in Germany.

Moving to Amherst in 1993, Ralph devoted his spare time to the Royal Canadian Legion, Shriners, and the Masons where he served as Master for the 175 year of Acacia 8 in the year 2000. He also worked as a Real Estate Agent and more recently at the Amherst Cemetery.

The breakfasts, dinners and the bar at the Masonic Hall were his specialty. 

The cottage in Tidnish was Ralph's summer love and he so enjoyed having family and friends with him.

His pride and joy were his children, their spouses and his grandchildren whom he adored, he delighted in the stories of their antics.

Ralph is survived by his wife and loving companion of 40 years, the former Lois Ethel Curtis, daughter, Veronica (Bill) Gibson of Oromocto, NB and son, Roland (Debbie) of Trenton, ON, grandchildren Dani, Jordan, Brittany, Mickayla, Jacob and Matthew. Also surviving are sisters Ruth (Fred) Gamble of Collingwood, Jane (Jack) MacDonald of Kentville and brothers Peter (Laura) of Falmouth, NS and David (Dale) of Amherst, father in law Cecil Curtis of Miramichi, NB, sisters in law Thea (Wayne) McEvoy, Sylvia Curtis and Jeanette Curtis, brothers in law David (Phyllis) Curtis and Brian (Dale) Curtis all of Miramichi, and several nieces, nephews and his dog, Ben.

His remains are resting in Campbell's Funeral Home, 98 Church St., Amherst (667-9906) with visiting on Monday, March 17, 2008 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. with the Royal Canadian Legion Br. #10 holding their service at 7 p.m.

Acacia Lodge #8 Masonic service and funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 2 p.m. from Trinity St. Stephen's United Church, Amherst with Rev. Patti Blundell, Rev. Susan Estabrooks, Rev. Ruth Gamble and Capt. Jamie Hillier officiating. 

Donations in Ralph's memory may be made to the Cumberland Shriners, the Acacia #8 Memorial Fund or charity of your choice.

www.campbells-amherst.ca   

 :'(

Bye dad.  :-*


----------



## riggermade

Vern

 I want to pass on my condolonces and am sure that you are in many of our thoughts and prayers in your time of grief

Steve


----------



## Drummy

Vern.

Condolences from our family to yours.

Drummy


----------



## Haggis

My condolences as well, Vern.

Haggis


----------



## Mike Baker

My condolences to you and your family, Vern. 



Baker


----------



## BernDawg

Thoughts and prayers vern.


----------



## Kirkhill

I'm truly sorry to hear about your loss Vern.  Safe home to your Dad and strength to you and your family.

Chris.


----------



## gaspasser

Sgt  Schultz said:
			
		

> *FRAME (Sheffar), Trudy Elaine* - Elmsdale, passed away Saturday, December 8, 2007, in her home after a battle with cancer. Born in Saint John, N.B., she was a daughter of Darrell Sheffar and Elaine (Atkinson) MacDonald. Trudy, with 23 years service in the Canadian Forces, served in the Middle East, Golan Heights in 1990-1991 out of CFB Cornwallis where she met her husband Burt and a tour in Bosnia-Herzegovina with 2 Royal Canadian Regiment, CFB Gagetown. She did an adventure training trip in Cameroon, Africa, where she assisted in putting water lines into nearby villages. She was a very ambitious woman who enjoyed helping people, loved her friends and loved life. Trudy is survived by her husband, Burton Frame; son, Jeffrey; daughter, Courtney; stepmother, Irene Sheffar; brother, Mark Sheffar and wife Jodi; nephews, Aedan, Benjamin; brother, Stephen Sheffar and wife Brenda; nephews, Daegan and Chase; many aunts, uncles, sisters in-law, brothers in-law; nieces and nephews and cousins; maternal grandmother, Jean Atkinson. She was predeceased by her paternal grandparents and maternal grandfather. Visitation 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. with Legion memorial service 7 p.m. Thursday in Ettinger Funeral Home, 2812 Main St., Shubenacadie, with funeral service 11 a.m. Friday in Elmsdale Baptist Church, 512 Highway 2, Enfield, Pastor Michael Trites officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Canadian Cancer Society. Cancer is a very terrible disease that took so much from her and her family, please donate to your local cancer society. E-mail condolences to: ettingerfuneralhome@hotmail.com
> 
> The Halifax Herald Limited



This is what I get for not loging on so often, I didn't know her but Burt and I go waaay back.  If anyone out there sees Burt, let him know that Derek sends his warmest regards and deepest sympathies.  Vern: my deepest and warmest regards on your loss. 
I will try to contact thru other means.


----------



## 1feral1

MWO Al Stever PPCLI

STEVER - The passing of Joseph Alphonse Stever, age 71 years, of Saskatoon occurred on May 9, 2008. He is lovingly survived by his wife, Karin; daughter, Nicole (Terry) Bonner; son Alexander Stever; grandchildren: Trevor and Laura; sisters: Helen Pelletiere, Sylvia (Cyr) Lavigne; numerous nieces and nephews. Prayer Service will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 7:00 pm with Funeral Mass on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:30 am. Both services will be held at St. Patrick Parish, 3339 Centennial Dr., Saskatoon, with Fr. Kevin McKee as celebrant. In lieu of flowers, Memorial donations may be directed to World Vision, 1 World Dr., Mississauga, Ontario L5T 2Y4. Arrangements are in care of MARTENS WARMAN FUNERAL HOME (934-4888).
---------------------------

I remember him well. He was RSS out of Saskatoon with the N Sask R in the 80's. Upon retirement, he liked Saskatoon, and stayed. If you knew him, have a beer for him tonight, and think of him with a smile.

Keep the Mess open Al, one day we'll all be there for a cold drink!


Regards from paradise.

Wes


----------



## Petard

Stan Shaw, retired from 2 RCHA,  passed away 21 Sept 08
I 1st met him when he was RDS in 1 RCHA in Germany in the 80's, then again as RSS with 30th Fd 
He was quite a rascal in his day.
I found out too late to attend the funeral, sorry for posting this late for those who knew him, and didn't know in time either
See you down the trail "commodore"
http://ospreyobituaries.com/sitepages/obituary.asp?oId=264019&source=Pembroke%20Daily%20Observer


----------



## Bruce Monkhouse

Leo Major, the only Canadian vet twice awarded for distinguished conduct dies at 87.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/10/18/7131506-cp.html
By Jessica Murphy, THE CANADIAN PRESS
    
MONTREAL - Family and friends of Leo Major describe him as a humble man who wore his battle scars with grace. 

The residents of the Dutch city of Zwolle remember him as a hero. 
Major is the only Canadian to have received two Distinguished Conduct Medals - the second highest award for gallantry in action after the Victoria Cross - for accomplishments in the Second World and Korean Wars. 

He died in Montreal on Oct. 12 at age 87. 
In 1940, at 19, the French-Canadian from one of Montreal's toughest working-class east end neighbourhoods joined Montreal's Regiment de la Chaudiere. 
He distinguished himself early in his army career.  
   
After losing an eye to a grenade on D-Day on the beach in Normandy, he refused a medical evacuation. He claimed he could still sight a rifle with one eye. 
"He always said doctors were a bunch of fools," his son Denis said in an interview. 
But it was his bravery on a cold, rainy April night in 1945 that won him his first medal and the lasting respect of the people of Zwolle. 
On that night, Major single-handedly liberated the city. 

It was April 13, 1945 when Pte. Major and another French-Canadian soldier, Willie Arsenault, were sent to scope out the German presence in the Dutch town, about 120 kilometres northeast of Amsterdam. 
Arsenault was killed by German machine-gunners on the outskirts of the city. 
But Major, using a combination of luck, cunning, and guts, was able to capture Zwolle from the Germans by killing them when he could and setting off enough grenades to create the impression a large Canadian force had entered the city. 
By early morning, they had fled the town. 

Since he died, the town hall flag has been flying at half-mast, a register has been opened so townspeople can record their condolences, and Lt.-Col. Henri J.L. Schevers from the Dutch embassy attended his Montreal funeral on Saturday. 
Betty Redemeyer's stepfather, Hendrik van Gerner, met Major that night. It began a lifetime of friendship as Major, in his later years, frequently travelled back to Holland to speak to schoolchildren about his experiences. 
"Because of Leo, (the Allies) knew they didn't need to bomb the city, the Germans were gone," she said. 

Redemeyer recalled Major's visits back to Zwolle with fondness. 
"He could have been my grandfather," she said. 
"He was so sweet. I honoured him so much, just because he was so humble. We realized what he had done for our city was enormous." 

Memories of the war haunted Major. 
"At night he became quiet," Redemeyer said. 
"In his memories he went back to the war. Sometimes I think it was difficult for him." 

Major's son Denis said he rarely spoke of his exploits. In fact, he only told his family in the late 1960s about some of what he'd accomplished. 
"Even my mother didn't know," Denis said. 
"One of the most difficult memories came at the end of the war. He had killed two Germans, and when he approached the bodies he found they were adolescents of 13, 14 years old." 

Major still answered the call of duty when in 1950, a Canadian general asked him to serve as a sniper in the Korean War. He left his civilian plumbing practice and went overseas once again, even with lingering injuries from his first tour of duty. 
A severe back injury sustained during the Second World War would cause him pain his whole life. 
It was in the Korean War that he won his second medal for bravery after leading a company to capture a key hill. 

His family lost what Denis called "man of great courage, justice, a very humble man." 
So did the people of Zwolle. 
"I know that everyone, but everyone, will think of Leo as their liberator," Redemeyer said. 
"He will never be forgotten. To us, he really is a hero." 

Major is survived by his wife of 57 years, Pauline De Croiselle, his four children and five grand children.


----------



## 2 Cdo

For all the Royals and Airborne troops on site, just heard via other means that BC Robinson passed on November 7 2008. BC was the first RSM of the Airborne Regiment and had participated in the D-Day drops in '44. I believe he served in the regulars until well into the 70's and then spent a few years terrifying reservists. (Personal experience) I didn't really know the man but my father had nothing but the highest praise for him, which really means something as my dad doesn't offer praise too often.

Pro Patria and Ex Coelis!


----------



## Nfld Sapper

I belive this is the same person....

Bertram Robinson    
ROBINSON, Bertram (Robbie) Charles Peacefully at the Woodstock General Hospital, on Wednesday November 6, 2008. Bertram (Robbie) Charles Robinson of Woodstock in his 83rd year. Beloved husband of Marjorie Robinson (nee Tucsok). Loved father of Kerri Robinson and her friend Ray Powell of Collingwood. Loved step-father of Brian Green and his wife Crystal of Princeton, and Denise Lambkin and her husband Lawrence of Woodstock. Dear father-in-law of Denise St. Pierre. Cherished grandfather of six grandchildren. Dear brother of Jim Robinson of Port Stanley. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his son Kevin Robinson and by two sisters and one brother. Bertram was employed with the Canadian Armed Forces for 39 years. B.C. Robinson proudly served in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany during World War II, involved in the D-Day drop into Normandy, Rhine drop 'Operation Varsity' and 'Operation Gaylord'. He served in Korea, in Quebec during the FLQ crisis, and in Cyprus, and lived throughout Canada and Germany during his career. Most years of service were in the 1st Royal Canadian Regiment and the 1st Canadian Parachute Battallion, Airborn Regiment. A Recipient of: The MMM, 1939-45, UN Service Medal-Korea, UN Force in Cyprus Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, Canadian Centennial Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal, and 'Ambassador for Peace' award from the people of the Republic of Korea. Also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #55 Woodstock. Cremation has taken place. Contribution to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #55, or the Heart and Stoke Foundation of Ontario would be appreciated, and may be arranged through: the Longworth Funeral Home, Woodstock 519-539-0004. Online condolences at: www.longworthfuneralhome.com


----------



## 2 Cdo

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> I belive this is the same person....
> 
> Bertram Robinson
> ROBINSON, Bertram (Robbie) Charles Peacefully at the Woodstock General Hospital, on Wednesday November 6, 2008. Bertram (Robbie) Charles Robinson of Woodstock in his 83rd year. Beloved husband of Marjorie Robinson (nee Tucsok). Loved father of Kerri Robinson and her friend Ray Powell of Collingwood. Loved step-father of Brian Green and his wife Crystal of Princeton, and Denise Lambkin and her husband Lawrence of Woodstock. Dear father-in-law of Denise St. Pierre. Cherished grandfather of six grandchildren. Dear brother of Jim Robinson of Port Stanley. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his son Kevin Robinson and by two sisters and one brother. Bertram was employed with the Canadian Armed Forces for 39 years. B.C. Robinson proudly served in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany during World War II, involved in the D-Day drop into Normandy, Rhine drop 'Operation Varsity' and 'Operation Gaylord'. He served in Korea, in Quebec during the FLQ crisis, and in Cyprus, and lived throughout Canada and Germany during his career. Most years of service were in the 1st Royal Canadian Regiment and the 1st Canadian Parachute Battallion, Airborn Regiment. A Recipient of: The MMM, 1939-45, UN Service Medal-Korea, UN Force in Cyprus Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, Canadian Centennial Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal, and 'Ambassador for Peace' award from the people of the Republic of Korea. Also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #55 Woodstock. Cremation has taken place. Contribution to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #55, or the Heart and Stoke Foundation of Ontario would be appreciated, and may be arranged through: the Longworth Funeral Home, Woodstock 519-539-0004. Online condolences at: www.longworthfuneralhome.com



Yes it is.


----------



## xo31@711ret

RIP Sir    

Pro Patria


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## Edward Campbell

BC Robinson was a good, tough, hard working, honest soldier, a _soldiers' soldier_ - in the best traditions of The RCR.


----------



## Edward Campbell

The end of an era comes with the passing of Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Landymore.

Reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from today’s _Globe and Mail_
-------------------------
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081215.OBLANDYMORE15/TPStory?cid=al_gam_globeedge

 Admiral made war on unification and went down, guns blazing
*Decorated in wartime after two ships were sunk under him, he rose to the top of the RCN only to defy Ottawa's plan to integrate the military. As a result, he lost his job, but won the hearts of the rank and file*

BUZZ BOURDON

Special to the Globe and Mail
December 15, 2008

OTTAWA -- Two decades after he fought the German and Japanese navies during the Second World War, Rear Admiral Bill Landymore threw himself into the battle of his life when he took on the government of Canada in an epic struggle that transfixed the nation.

In 1965, Rear Adm. Landymore, a fighting sailor who had two ships sunk under him in four months in 1940, chose to deliberately defy Paul Hellyer, the minister of national defence, over the latter's ambitious and controversial plan to unify Canada's three services into a single force wearing a common green uniform.

At stake was the unique identity and soul of Rear Adm. Landymore's beloved Royal Canadian Navy, along with its traditional blue uniform and rank structure. He'd served three years with the Royal Navy before the war, and believed passionately in the RCN's British heritage.

As the head of the post-integration Maritime Command and Commander Canadian Atlantic Sub-Area, he was in an extremely difficult position. Theoretically, he had no choice but to follow the elected government's orders. If he didn't agree with Mr. Hellyer's plans, he could resign.

But Rear Adm. Landymore felt he had a strong moral duty to oppose unification, which split opinion in the armed forces and across the country. "If I didn't speak out, who would?" he said. At a senior officer's briefing in Ottawa in November, 1964, he told Mr. Hellyer that he couldn't accept a plan that meant demolishing the navy. "In his professional opinion, economy and proper command and control could be achieved by integration alone," wrote Tony German in his 1990 book _The Sea is at Our Gates: The History of the Canadian Navy_. "Unification was unnecessary and highly unpalatable to the vast majority, he said - and Landymore knew his people."

It was a solid shot across Mr. Hellyer's bow from an officer described as a "tough-minded, tireless professional and a first-rate leader." Now, with the navy facing institutional chaos, shrinking budgets, recruitment falling by 40 per cent and suffering an acute identity crisis, Rear Adm. Landymore was determined to restore morale to the fleet and fight for the RCN's very soul.

To organize opposition against Mr. Hellyer, he convened a series of meetings of high-ranking officers in Halifax during the summer of 1965. Among other things, he wanted to make sure his officers would not ask to be retired. "Of 367 officers at the meetings, three didn't fully agree. Landymore reported what he'd done and the views of his officers to the chief of personnel," wrote Mr. German.

Shocked that Rear Adm. Landymore would oppose him in such a public manner, which seemed disloyal in the extreme, Mr. Hellyer considered disciplining him or firing him. Problem was, that would have meant sacking a second top operational commander in less than a year.

In fact, Mr. Hellyer displayed a grudging respect for his opponent in his 1990 autobiography, _Damn the Torpedoes: My Fight to Unify Canada's Armed Forces_. "To his credit, and unlike some of the others, he took me seriously and worked out a strategy not unlike a political campaign. He made frequent visits 'below decks' to ingratiate himself with the sailors. He volunteered to act as their agent in redressing grievances. He would be their champion."

Known as a sailor's sailor, Rear Adm. Landymore was "popular, admired by all ranks, and is remembered as being a forthright, four-square, hands-on commander and staff officer," wrote Robert Caldwell in the 2006 book _The Admirals: Canada's Senior Naval Leadership in the Twentieth Century_.

On April 11, 1966, the undeclared war between minister and admiral reached a new low when The Globe and Mail quoted an unnamed DND spokesman who said, "naval officers still retain to some extent an above-decks, below-decks mentality ... Sailors just don't scrub decks now, they're skilled men and the old attitudes of officers just doesn't fit. We're trying to change that."

Considered a gratuitous and unfounded attack, the remark was thought by many to have come from Mr. Hellyer's special assistant, former RCAF wing commander Bill (Leaky) Lee. Rear Adm. Landymore was incandescent with rage and demanded a denial or public apology. He was ignored. Suddenly, it seemed to him as though it was open season on admirals.

Two months later, Rear Adm. Landymore was scheduled to testify on naval matters to Parliament's standing committee on defence. Following protocol, he submitted his remarks to Mr. Hellyer the day before. The next day he discovered that his brief on personnel issues, which had outlined serious morale problems because of unification, had been changed.

"Hellyer claims Landymore made no protest about the changes as they made their way to the committee meeting," wrote Marc Milner in his 1999 book _Canada's Navy: The First Century_. "As it turned out, the minister's office had wanted a more positive spin on the situation than the tone contained in Landymore's original report. Later, one of Hellyer's staff took responsibility for altering the report."

Believing he had no choice but to obey his minister, Rear Adm. Landymore "choked down his disgust and delivered the report as changed. Hellyer had effectively stopped expert evidence key to the defence of Canada from being heard," Mr. German wrote.

The final showdown occurred on July 12, 1966. Mr. Hellyer asked for his resignation. Rear Adm. Landymore refused to give it to him. He preferred to be sacked.

"There was no alternative but to fire Landymore," wrote Mr. Hellyer. "He didn't seem too surprised when he heard the verdict."

Depressed and discouraged, he had just one more card to play. He asked a retired RCN officer, Liberal MP David Gross, to set up a meeting with prime minister Lester Pearson. The following day, Rear Adm. Landymore went up to Parliament Hill and met with Mr. Hellyer's boss.

Mr. Pearson said he "fully supported" integration but didn't know how far Mr. Hellyer would go in the process. He promised the government would not interfere with naval traditions.

"Landymore felt a final sense of betrayal," Mr. Milner wrote. "It was some time later that Pearson confided to Landymore: 'If one more admiral had resigned I was going to tell Hellyer to stop unification.' None did, and Pearson failed to protect the traditions that Landymore and others held dear. 'I believed the Prime Minister of Canada was an honest, thoroughly sincere man,' Landymore concluded years later. But he wasn't.' "

Back in Halifax, Rear Adm. Landymore decided to go public about his dismissal, which made front-page headlines across Canada. The publicity created an enormous controversy. "By late July, Landymore's name was a household word," Mr. Caldwell wroet. "Open warfare was conducted between opponents of unification and the government. Critics of unification seemed to be galvanized ... Hundreds of letters and telegrams were sent to the prime minister, the minister and members of Parliament. The debate on Bill C-243, the unification bill, became a highly sensational and contentious issue."

It was arguably the most controversial defence issue in Canadian history and Rear Adm. Landymore, who at 50 could have served five more years, had gone down guns blazing in the best naval tradition. In two years, the RCN's six senior admirals had been retired prematurely or fired. Generals and air marshals had also left.

Confident he had followed his conscience and done the right thing, Rear Adm. Landymore prepared to haul down his flag. First, though, his sailors paid their admiral a heartfelt tribute by giving him an emotional farewell.

Exactly a week after he was fired, personnel turned out in strength at the dockyard in Halifax. "Ship's sides and roadways were lined with cheering sailors and civilian employees," Mr. German wrote. "Every ship in harbour flew signal flags spelling Landymore's name; above them flew flags BZ: Bravo Zulu: 'Well done, Landymore.' There was nothing else to say."

Seven months later, on Feb. 23, 1967, Mr. Hellyer couldn't resist one final salvo when he told a parliamentary defence committee that Rear Adm. Landymore was fired for "18 months of consistent disloyalty to the people he was paid to serve."

Disgusted by that spurious charge, Rear Adm. Landymore gave his version. Four days later, Mr. Hellyer was forced to retract his statement but had the last laugh when the government rammed the unification bill through on Apr. 25, 1967, and the RCN passed into history.

Raised in Brantford, Ont., he was the only son of Frederick and Gladys Landymore, and graduated from Brantford Collegiate Institute before attending the Royal Military College in Kingston.

In 1934, he matriculated as a gentleman cadet, and two years later was commissioned as an acting sub-lieutenant in a tiny RCN that had no immediate need for his services. Instead, he was sent to the Royal Navy to serve on three cruisers before the war started on Sept. 1, 1939.

By March, 1940, he was a torpedo and communications officer aboard HMCS Fraser, a River-class destroyer. Three months later, he survived his first sinking when his ship collided with the British cruiser HMS Calcutta. Sent to HMCS Margaree some months later, he survived the loss of that ship when it collided with a merchant vessel in October, 1940. Clearly, Rear Adm. Landymore was quickly using up his nine lives.

He served in various staff appointments before his appointment to HMCS Uganda as gunnery officer in 1944, where he later witnessed the majority of the ship's company voting themselves out of the final months of the war in the Pacific. That service won him a mention-in-despatches (MID).

After the war, his first notable appointment occurred in 1951 when he was made captain of HMCS Iroquois. He commanded the destroyer during two tours of duty during the Korean War. He received a second MID and was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire.

In 1958, he was given a plum appointment when he was made captain of HMCS Bonaventure. The 16,000-ton carrier flew McDonnellBanshee jet fighters and Grumman Tracker anti-submarine aircraft in support of NATO operations in the Atlantic.

During his command, he pioneered the idea of sustained operations, keeping aircraft airborne around the clock. "If the carrier and its aircrew could not do that, he reasoned, the viability of naval aviation could be threatened," wrote Mr. Caldwell. He left the "Bonnie" in September, 1959, and three years later was promoted rear admiral.

On Nov. 16, 1964, he took over the East Coast fleet from Rear Adm. Jeffry Brock, who had been fired by Mr. Hellyer three months earlier. Thus, he became de facto head of the navy, since the position of chief of naval staff had been abolished in August of that year.

During his retirement, Rear Adm. Landymore performed charity work and served as chairman of the board of Halifax's Grace Hospital. He never spoke about unification and what it had cost him, preferring to stay silent in the tradition of the "silent service."

BILL LANDYMORE

William Moss Landymore was born July 31, 1916, in Brantford, Ont. He died Nov. 27, 2008, of natural causes in Halifax. He was 92. He leaves his wife, Eleanor, and his children Lauretta, Roderick and John. He also leaves grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and four stepchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Joan, whom he married in 1940, in 1998. His ashes will be buried at sea.
--------------------


----------



## armyvern

Gino Durette (MCpl - Retd - EME)



> *Durette, Gino Michel *
> The death of Gino Durette occurred on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at the Oromocto Public Hospital. Born June 12th, 1962 in Lac Louise Manic V, QC, son of Hugues and Ghislaine (Gagnon) Durette.
> Gino is survived by Judy Lowe of Geary, NB; his daughter, Marianne Durette of Notre-Dame-du-Portage, QC; Judy’s son, Michael Lowe (Jodi) and their children Alicia and Aaron; siblings, Marlene Durette (Angela Mignault) of Drummondville, QC and Martin Durette (France Berube) of Lachine, QC; his two nieces, Isabelle and Gabrielle; his maternal grandmother, Adeline Sergerie of Les Mechins, QC as well as several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
> Visitation will be held at the Oromocto Select Community Funeral Home on Friday, December 19th, 2008 from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church on Saturday, December 20th, 2008 at 11:00 am with Rev. Ken Weir as celebrant. Interment will take place at a later date in the Oromocto Pioneer Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations made to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by the family. www.oromoctofh.com (357-5100)



Cheers Gino my friend, we'll miss you at Griffins and everywhere else too.


----------



## ENGINEERS WIFE

RIP


----------



## 1feral1

CAPT James R. Van Dusen, MMM, CD (Logistics)

Link http://www.saskobits.com/viewGuestBook.do?noticeId=4171154

I've known Jim for almost 20 years, and I worked the G4 Maint/TN side at DISTHQ Regina from 1991-95 before coming here to Australia. Jim was the G4, and later the G4 Ops.

Jim died of cancer on 02 Sep 09 in Regina. He was 66 yrs old.

He was a bloody good officer, and although long retired, will be truly missed by all who knew him.

Raise a rum for Jim today.

Regards,

Wes


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## 1feral1

Warrant Officer Al Arnold, CD (PPCLI)

I knew Al when he was the RSS Trg WO with the RRR back in the 70's. He got me interested in the trade of Armourer, so if it was not for Al's encouragement, who knows where I'd be now. 

Al liked Regina so much, he retired there.

Al passed away in Regina on 11 Sep 09, at 80 yrs of age.

Link  http://www.saskobits.com/viewGuestBook.do?noticeId=4171203

OWDU


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## xo31@711ret

wow..Gino Durette ....  I just realized that this may be Gino I knew years ago;

Vern, was this Gino who was a mechanic with 4AD workshop in Chatham & Gagetown in the early & mid-nineties? If so I just realized I had lost a good Bud who I use to tip a few at the JR's in Chatham & then at (pre) Griffens after chatham closed...


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## Rifleman62

I knew Jim Van Dusen when we were both G4's. Always a gentleman, very knowledgeable. I believe he got his MMM (numbered below 1000) for his work in Movements (CAST Brigade). RIP Jim.


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## armyvern

xo31@711ret said:
			
		

> wow..Gino Durette ....  I just realized that this may be Gino I knew years ago;
> 
> Vern, was this Gino who was a mechanic with 4AD workshop in Chatham & Gagetown in the early & mid-nineties? If so I just realized I had lost a good Bud who I use to tip a few at the JR's in Chatham & then at (pre) Griffens after chatham closed...



Same Gino; if it's any consolation we continued tipping them until the end (at Griffins). After we finished his funeral parade - we all headed to Griffins with his family & tipped some more. He was a good man.


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## xo31@711ret

Thanks for the info & your reply Vern.

RIP Gino; you were a great guy and good friend...    :'(


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## BinRat55

For those who knew Alfie Strowbridge, he will be missed. 

STROWBRIDGE, ALFRED March 15th, 1947 - January 4th, 2010 It is with great sadness we announce the death of Alfred Strowbridge, who passed away peacefully on Monday, January 4th at the Oromocto Public Hospital. Born in Red Cove, NL, he was the oldest born of the late Alfred Mullins and Margaret Strowbridge. Alfred was retired after 29 years of military service and took a leave from his work as a civilian at Base Supply while he battled cancer. He is survived by his daughter Leah of Fredericton, and son James (Callista) and grandson Jansen and a special little girl Karlyn of Waasis; one brother and one sister, Charles Stoodley (Alma) of Halifax, NS, and Stella (John) Cox of Wreck Cove, NL; a special friend Alma Malcolm and his beloved dog Sam; nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. Alfred will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved him. In keeping with Alfred's wishes there will be no visitation. A funeral service will be held at the Oromocto Funeral Home Chapel on Thursday, January 7th, 2010 at 10:30 am with Rev. Keith Howlett officiating. Interment of ashes will take place at a later date in Wreck Cove, NL. Donations may be made in his honor to the Oromocto SPCA. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Oromocto Funeral Home, 108 Winnebago Street, Oromocto, NB. www.oromoctofh.com 

Rest easy Alfie


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## armyvern

Thanks BinRat; hope things went well today.

I've had the opportunity to work alongside Alfie during 3 of my postings - he was great people. News of his passing hit me hard Monday afternoon when you let me know (thank you for that too BTW). The Logspeil and the EME Bonspeil will not be the same without him, nor will R&D.

Vern


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## BinRat55

Your right Vern - even Al said yesterday that he was going to have to start arguing with Charlie now and it wouldn't be the same! His funeral went very well - standing room only and lots of uniforms. Alfie would have been proud. I have his fly zapper put on the wall in R&D - and it ain't movin'!!! I think I will be asking for a moment of silence and a toast in Alfie's honor at our Logspeil this year.


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## Edward Campbell

We have lost a fine old soldier, an example of what was meant by the term _an officer and a gentleman_: LGen (ret'd) Duncan McAlpine, CMM, CD (late the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada).

From the RHC web site:

http://www.blackwatchcanada.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=69&func=view&catid=12&id=556&lang=en


> MCALPINE, LGen Duncan A.
> 
> Duncan joined The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada during WWII. After the war he joined 1st Canadian Highland Battalion as a company commander in Germany, and he subsequently served as a company commander in 1st Battalion, RHC in Camp Aldershot, NS.
> 
> Duncan assumed command of 2nd Battalion, RHC in West Germany in 1963. He continued in command when 2nd Battalion returned to Gagetown, NB in 1965 and when it deployed to Cyprus in 1966.
> 
> Between tours at NDHQ Duncan commanded the Combat Training Centre in CFB Gagetown in 1970, and Canada’s military contingent to the International Commission for Control and Supervision in Viet Nam in 1973.
> 
> Duncan was predeceased by his wife Bonnie in October 2003. He is survived by daughter Lynn and sons Bruce, Keith and Craig as well as several grandchildren.
> 
> Although details not yet known, believe funeral service being planned for next week in Kingston. Will notify when known.
> 
> 
> R.I.P.
> NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT









LGen (ret'd) MCAlpine in the centre, in full dress, in his very long time role as Colonel of the Regiment of the Black Watch.


----------



## Edward Campbell

A bit more detail, again courtesy of the Black Watch web site:



> LGEN DUNCAN A. McALPINE 1922-2010.
> 
> It is with regrets that we notify you that our Honorary-Colonel died peacefully yesterday in Florida.
> 
> LGen McAlpine joined The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada during WWII. After the war he joined 1st Canadian Highland Battalion as a company commander in Germany, and he subsequently served as a company commander in 1st Battalion, RHC in Camp Aldershot, NS.
> 
> Following a tour of duty at NATO Headquarters in Fontainebleau, France, he assumed command of 2nd Battalion, RHC in West Germany in 1963 and continued in command when 2nd Battalion returned to Gagetown, NB in 1965 and when it deployed to Cyprus in 1966.
> 
> Between tours at NDHQ he commanded the Combat Training Centre in CFB Gagetown in 1970, and Canada’s military contingent to the International Commission for Control and Supervision in Viet Nam in 1973.
> 
> LGen McAlpine was predeceased by his wife Bonnie in October 2003. He is survived by daughter Lynn and sons Bruce, Keith and Craig as well as several grandchildren.
> 
> Although details not yet known, believe funeral service being planned for the week of January 25th week in Kingston.
> 
> NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT


----------



## gaspasser

http://www.inmemoriam.ca/announcement-30184-Roderick-Rod-Stanley-Matheson.html


Rod and I served in Moncton together and spent time on the road.  Our paths crossed a few times since he retired and I was posted elsewhere.  Always a fun loving and happy guy to have around.

Rest In Peace, Driver!

 

Derek


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## Occam

I was passed the information via Facebook.  I didn't know the gentleman, but I'm going to bet that there are a lot of people who do.  RIP, sir, and thank you for your service to the CF and the Canadian Cadet Organization.

From the Facebook page:

CWO (ret'd) Daniel "Bernie" IRVINE served in the Canadian Forces with The Royal Canadian Regiment in his final years with the military.

After a long battle with cancer, he passed away peacefully in Petawawa, ON on the morning of the 20th day of March, 2010, the cause of death being a brain aneurysm.


----------



## Michael OLeary

No funeral details posted on the regimental forum yet (LINK).


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## OldSolduer

RIP Sir


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## missing1

I knew Bernie well in my early days, a very good soldier who took care of his men.

RIP Bernie


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## Michael OLeary

Posted by the Regimental Adjutant: 
http://www.theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/forum/index.php/topic,609/post-4359/topicseen.html#msg4359

IRVINE M.M.M. C.D., Daniel Bernard (Bernie) - Suddenly at the Ottawa Civic Hospital on Saturday, March 20th, 2010 in his 66th year. Bernie Irvine (Retired Master Warrant Officer, member of the RCR, the Canadian Airborne Regiment, 1 Air Defence and the Army Cadets of Petawawa and CWO of Blackdown Park). Beloved husband of Sharon Louise Irvine (nee Otten). Loving father of Scott (Esther) of Manitoba, Tracy Irvine of Petawawa and Kelly-Ann (Tom Leonard) of Petawawa. Grandfather to Tristan. Dear brother of Twila (the late Tom) Gilligan, Reggie (Judy), John (Sue) and Scott all of Smiths Falls. Raymond (Bernadette) of Carleton Place, and Kevin (Marcella) of Calgary. Also survived by his golden retriever "Riley" and cat "Bazil, and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by sister Opal (Joe) Kuehl. A Celebration of Bernie's life will be held at the Neville Funeral Home, 491 Isabella Street, Pembroke on Thursday, March 25th, 2010 from 7-9 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donation to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Ontario SPCA - Renfrew County Branch will be appreciated. Online Condolences may be left at www.nevillefuneralhome.ca


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## helpup

Wow, RIP, I have not got the "official" word yet but have worked under the man ( as in on parade and his pace stick pointing up my nose, or getting one of his welcome to the RCR rants that are famous..... or infamous) he was, like him or not, a RCR legend who I would not be surprised would find a way to include RCR paraphernalia in his coffin's make up.   

Dont take my post wrong, I am not trying to slagg him at all.  He was a man who stood tall for his beliefs and the Regt has lost a major force in it's make up.  He was, in my oppinion, someone who through force of will and personality an artist who tinted the Reg't a shade that kept it interesting.


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## ArmyRick

I got a good jacking from him in '91. I won't forget it.

RIP, sir.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Very sad news for many of us, from The RCR regimental net:

Colonel (Ret) Gilbert Scott Morrison, CD
1928 – 2010​

Born in Halifax, Scotty enlisted in Dalhousie University’s COTC Contingent in 1947 and was commissioned into the Army Reserve’s Princess Louise Fusiliers (MG) in 1949.  With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 Scotty transferred to the Canadian Army (Regular) and served with 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment in Canada and Korea.  In August 1954 he married Midge and was posted to the Royal Canadian School of Infantry in Camp Borden where he served as an instructor for the next four years.

Scotty was promoted captain in 1957.  The following year he transferred to The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada and was posted to its 1st Battalion with whom he served in Aldershot NS, West Germany and Gagetown NB until 1962.  From there he went to India’s Defence Services Staff College for one year, then returning to 1st Battalion in Gagetown as a major and company commander.

At the end of 1964 Scotty was posted to Canadian Forces Headquarters where he remained until late 1966 when he was posted to Fort Bragg, North Carolina as Canadian Forces Liaison Officer.  To celebrate Canada’s Centennial, on Canada Day 1967 Scotty made a parachute jump in Fort Bragg dressed in his kilt – a first in North America.

He was promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1968 and returned to Gagetown to command 1st Battalion, The Black Watch.  He remained its Commanding Officer until the Regular Force components of The Royal Highlanders of Canada were disbanded on 30 June 1970.  The next day he rebadged to his former regiment and assumed command of 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment which was made up entirely of former members of 1st and 2nd battalions of The Black Watch.

A few weeks later, 2nd RCR deployed to the Hibernia bivouac site in the Gagetown training area to commence a series of work-up exercises to support the newly established Combat Arms School.  At noon on 15 October the battalion received a warning order, and at 3:00 that afternoon confirmatory orders, to move to St. Hubert to conduct internal security operations in aid of the civil power in Quebec.  At 7:00 p.m. that evening the first planeload of 2nd RCR troops lifted off from Fredericton Airport, and by shortly after 9:00 a.m. the following morning the entire battalion, over 1,000 strong, was in St Hubert where it remained until early December.  Two months later Scotty took the battalion to Jamaica to train in tropical and mountain conditions.

In the summer of 1971 Scotty was posted to Kingston as a member of the directing staff at the Land Forces Command and Staff College, and the next year he attended the National Defence College in Kingston.  In 1973 he was promoted colonel and returned to Gagetown for two years as Deputy Base Commander before being posted back to Ottawa.  In 1977 he was posted from National Defence Headquarters to Headquarters Central Army Group in Heidelberg, West Germany.  In 1981 he returned to Ottawa and transferred from the Regular Force to the Supplementary Ready Reserve in which he remained until compulsory release age in 1993 when he was appointed to the Regimental Advisory Board of The Black Watch (RHR) of Canada.

Scotty served his country and his two regiments with honour and distinction.  He was greatly respected by his peers and his subordinates for his professionalism, his sense of humour, and because he led by example.  He was deeply religious, and a strong family man who was devoted to Midge and their three children.

R.I.P.

Nemo Me Impune Lacessit                           Pro Patria​      



Edit: corrected a typo in the original


----------



## Takeniteasy

R.I.P


----------



## Edward Campbell

A Memorial Service will be held for the late Col (Ret'd) Scotty Morrison at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday 10 April at:

St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church
2345 Alta Vista Dr,
Ottawa ON
K1H 7M6

Phone 613-733-0336


----------



## muskrat89

Good shooting Sir, End of Mission (I tell you me!)
Sgt MacFarlane


CWO (Retired) Pat Poirier 
POIRIER, Patrick Joseph 
— 66, passed away at 9 a.m. September 20, 2009, in the VG Site, QEII, in Halifax with his loving wife Gladys of 43 years at his side. Born in Cheticamp, son of the late Francois Poirier and the late Eugenie Gaudet. Pat was a self-employed entrepreneur, past president of Army Navy and Air Force Club Unit 373, member of Royal Canadian Legion Branch Vimy 27. Patrick retired as a Chief Warrant Officer from 1st Field Regiment RCA, with 31 years of service. He was awarded the Member of Military Merit and the Canadian Forces Decoration. He is survived by his wife, Gladys; sons, Michael (Tosha), Petawawa, Ont. and Shawn (Erin), Sackville. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather to his grandchildren, Jessalyn, Brittney, Kaitlyn and Paige. Also surviving are many nieces and nephews. Also surviving are brothers, Charles Joseph, Ontario; Andre (Shirley), Cheticamp; Eugene (Bernadette), Prince Edward Island; Michel, Cheticamp; sisters, Therese (Raymond), Cheticamp; Julia, Ontario; Gemma (Wilfred), Cheticamp. Predeceased by father, Francois Poirier; mother, Eugenie Gaudet; brother, Alphonse; sisters, Marie Luce and Lucie Louise. Cremation has taken place, and funeral mass will be held this Thursday at 10 a.m. in Blessed Mother Theresa Church, Normandy Drive, Halifax. Reception to follow downstairs. Arrangements have been entrusted to Dartmouth Funeral Home. Words of thanks go to his doctors, VON, the Palliative Care in the VG Site, 7A, and his many many friends. Donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.


----------



## George Wallace

Received this this morning.

*Richard Whelan*      -   29 April 2010



> For those that served with the 8CH, 427 SQN, and/or 12 RBC, some will remember Richard all to well.  A career soldier he loved the Forces and many of his children are still serving today.  Richard truly loved curling and was a real competitor at Ironsides and I am sure his home is filled with many trophies.  To Richard's family we send our deepest condolences.





> *WHELAN*, Richard, Joseph, John the Baptist – Loving husband, father, brother and friend.  After a courageous battle with prostate cancer, died with dignity surrounded by his family in hospital at Fort Coulonge, Quebec on Thursday, April 29, 2010, at the age of 78 years.  Loved husband of Jeanne (nee Fauvelle).  Dear father of Daniel, Rick, Pierre, Linda, Cindie, Keith and Steven.  Beloved son of Henri and Gertrude.  Dear son-in-law of Emile and Bertha.  Survived by his wife Jeanne and all of his children and brother and sisters.  Richard was a career soldier who served 34 years in the Canadian Forces.  He retired in 1985, at the rank of Master Warrant Officer.  He loved the outdoors and was a successful gentleman farmer and building inspector in his second career.  Richard has requested a very private service to be held in his honour with only his children and grandchildren present at Ringrose Funeral Home in Chapeau, Quebec.  Donations in memory of Richard may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.  Special thanks to the nurses and the staff of Gatineau Hospital, the Shawville Hospital and the CLSC in Fort Coulonge for their professionalism and caring.


----------



## Fishbone Jones

Another great Hussar gone.

RIP Richard


----------



## Danjanou

Two more Second World War Veterans have passed on.
Joseph Horace Wheatley 
WHEATLEY, Joseph Horace - It is with broken hearts that the family announces the passing of Joseph Wheatley on April 24, 2010 at the age of 91. Loving husband of Mollie (deceased). He will always be loved by his children Mary (Jim), Bill (Giselle) and Anne (Joe). Adored 'Konkey' of his grandchildren Michelle (deceased), Mary-Jo, Michael, Sean, Shannon and Joey, his great-grandchildren Michelle, Kayla, Tierra, Justin, Nicolas, Luc, Elyse, Maya, Julien, Lindsay and great-great-grandson Jaden. Loving brother of Thelma, Marj and predeceased by Mazie (George) and Bob (Bonnie). The family will receive friends at the McDougall and Brown Funeral Home, 2900 Kingston Road, Scarborough, Ontario on Friday, April 30, 2010 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Konkey's life will be celebrated at McDougall and Brown on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to Camp Oochigeas, 60 St. Clair Ave. E., Ste. 604, Toronto, Ontario would be appreciated. Dear Mom and Dad, we will love you forever.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=joseph-horace-wheatley&pid=142329517

Joseph Oggy 
OGGY, Joseph - (Q.O.R. D-Day Veteran) Passed away peacefully at True Davidson Acres on Saturday, May 1, 2010 in his 93rd year. Beloved husband of Hazel. Loving father of Sandy, Frank, Michael and Linda. Always proud of his grandchildren. Member of the R.C.L. Branches 344 and 345, Aquatic Park Sailing Club and the East York Barbershoppers. Joe had a lifelong passion for cycling and singing. A Complete Funeral Service will be held at the PINE HILLS VISITATION, CHAPEL AND RECEPTION CENTRE, 625 Birchmount Road (at St. Clair Avenue East), Toronto, 416-267-8229, on Wednesday, May 5th at 2 p.m. with visitation one hour prior. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Royal Canadian Legion.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=joseph-oggy&pid=142461797

I was priveledged to know both of these fine old warriors.  Shared a few beers with Joe Wheatley  in the Legion and over the past couple of years. I only met Joe Oggy earlier this year and  enjoyed my visits with him at his retirement home, watching TV, and listening to some of his stories.

Both will be missed and I'll find time to have a dram and mourn the loss of two gentlemen warriors.


----------



## Haggis

[size=24pt]*Lieutenant-Colonel John Stanley (Jack) Dunn, CD, UE, BA  *​
It is with deep sadness that his family announces the passing of Jack. He died peacefully at home on Thursday, 29 April 2010. Jack was born in Canora, Saskatchewan on 14 December 1926 and soon after, with his family, moved to Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan, where he spent his childhood years. Left to mourn him are his beloved wife of 52 years, Joan, their two sons, Stephen and Bruce (MWO with the CH of O), his sisters, Molly (Ken) and Helen of Edmonton, and several cousins, nieces and nephews. Jack was an avid outdoorsman who had a passion for history and travelling. During the last months of the Second World War he served as a Naval Cadet at the Royal Canadian Naval College, Royal Roads, British Columbia. After attending the University of Saskatchewan, Jack was an RCM Police Constable for two years before joining the Canadian Army Provost Corps. He had a long and distinguished career with the Canadian Army serving throughout Canada and, of note, in Korea, Japan, as an exchange officer with the British Army of the Rhine, in Germany and on the Golan Heights in 1973. After the Army he worked as a Private Security Consultant and as a Security Policy Analyst for the Ministry of the Solicitor General. Upon his retirement he proudly served as a Volunteer Guide at the Canadian War Museum. A family interment service was held at the National Military Cemetery. Family will receive friends and colleagues to help celebrate Jack's life at the Beechwood Cemetery Reception Centre, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, Thursday, May the 6th between the hours of 2 and 4 in the afternoon. In lieu of flowers the family would gratefully acknowledge memorial donations made to the Friends of the Canadian War Museum, 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0M8, or the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre, 1750 Russell Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 5Z6.


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## Lance Wiebe

I received an email this morning that CWO (Ret'd) Jim Brown died last night at Oromocto Public Hospital.  He had been recently diagnosed with cancer.

I have no further information at this time, any more news I get I'll pass it on.

RIP, Jim.


----------



## Lance Wiebe

It is with the deepest regret that I must inform you of the passing of CWO (Ret'd) James BROWN, Sat the 8th of May at 2145 hrs at the Oromocto Hospital, after a courageous battle with cancer...Funeral arrangements will be handled by the Oromocto Funeral Home, 506-357-5100,  oromoctofh.com  ..
Cards of condolances may be sent to Mrs Carol Brown, 327 River Rd. Rte 102, BURTON, NB. E2V 2C9..506-357-9902, or
at, jbrown570@rogers.com .

RIP, Jim.


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## Bzzliteyr

Lance, this is Chief Brown from when I was at the school?

RIP soldier.


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## Fishbone Jones

Bold & Swift

RIP Jim


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## Lance Wiebe

Yes, the same RSM.

Here are the details that I have so far.  If there are any changes, I'll be sure to pass them on.

Wed 12 May 10
Viewing at the Oromocto Funeral Home.
 1400-1600 hrs and 1900-2100 hrs

 Thurs 13 May 10
 Ceremony at the St-Lukes chapel on base at 1400 hrs.

 Fri 14 May 10
 Internment at the Field of Honour cemetery in Oromocto West at 1300 hrs.


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## Bzzliteyr

Thank you Lance,

There is no way I can get out there in time, please pass on my condolences to his family.


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## Lance Wiebe

Bzzliteyr said:
			
		

> There is no way I can get out there in time, please pass on my condolences to his family.



Be my pleasure.


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## Rifleman62

BEZEAU, Mervin Vincent

BEZEAU, Mervin Vincent It is with sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Vince Bezeau, on April 28th, 2010, at Kelowna General Hospital. He leaves behind his wife, Frances, two sons, David Paul Bezeau and Randall Nathan Bezeau, four grandchildren, Jenny Bezeau, Jonny Bezeau, Shaylah Bezeau, and Alex Bezeau. He also leaves behind his sister, Mary Edith, his brother, Bruce, and five step brothers and sisters, Lawrence, Suzanne, Arnold, Ken, and Yvonne. 

Vince was born in Kitchener, Ontario in 1939 and in 1958 was accepted into Royal Roads Military College. He met his wife, Frances, at that time. He graduated from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario in 1962 and joined the Royal Canadian Artillery. Vince received his Masters degree, in Military History, in Kingston, in 1977. He then worked in the Department of Military History in Ottawa. He retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1984 to accept the position as Director Military Traditions and Heritage at National Defense Headquarters in Ottawa. He retired from this position in 1998. 

Vince was the Vice President of the Okanagan Military Museum Society, a Director of the Kelowna Museums Society and very active in the preservation and interpretation of Okanagan Valley history and heritage. 

A memorial service will be held at First Memorial Funeral Services at, 1211 Sutherland Ave. on Saturday 15th May, at 11:00 a.m. Arrangements entrusted with First Memorial Funeral Services, Kelowna. 250-762-2299


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## wildman0101

BOLD AND SWIFT BROTHER RIP 
scoty b


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## riggermade

Appernetly Ken passed away from a heart attack.  RIP



SOUCIE, Kenneth Leslie Passed away suddenly on May 25, 2010 at the age of 55. Beloved husband and best friend of Carol Jean (nee Faught), with whom he celebrated 26 years of marriage. Dearest father of Richard and William. Beloved son of Harold (1984) and Claire (2001). Loving brother to Michael and Shirley, David and Sue, William and Patricia, Paul and Grace, Rosemary and Wayne, Barbara (1998), Jim, Robert and Mary, Janice and friend Ken, Phillip and Patty and Christopher and Tracey. Loving uncle to many nieces and nephews. Dearest son-in-law to Tom and Catherine Faught, brother-in-law to Lorraine and David and Tommy and Joanne. Ken served in the Canadian Airborne Regiment, and was also a Pathfinder with the Canadian Armed Forces. He served two tours as a Peacekeeper with the United Nations in both Yugoslavia and Cypress. He also served three years as Essex Regiment Seargent Mayor in the Essex Kent Scottish. He was a toolmaker by trade and was recognized as the best gunsmith in Ontario. Sports was his passion, along with a ride on his Harley accompanied by his many brothers. He touched many with his kindness and generosity and will be greatly missed by all his friends and neighbours. Visitation will take place at the Victoria Greenlawn Memorial Chapel and Visitation Centre, 1525 Hwy 3, (1km west of Walker Road) 519-969-3939 on Saturday, May 29, 2010 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 until time of funeral service at 7:30 p.m. Cremation to follow. Online condolences may be left at www.greenlawncemetery.ca


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## riggermade

CWO Bruce Edey, CD (Retired/Retraité) . He served with the R COC , 28 COD, CFPMD as Senior Rigger Edmonton during the 70's. 

Bruce passed away yesterday RIP


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## Edward Campbell

From the _Ottawa Citizen_, June 4, 2010 Edition

*CHERITON, G. Ronald*, MGen (ret'd) OMM CD Sadly and unexpectedly, doing what he loved to do, where he loved to do it, Ron passed away in Petawawa on June 1, 2010. Predeceased by his wife Nita (Lewis). Beloved father of Pamela Dean Cheriton-Fuller (Bill). Uncle of Alan Peters (Gayle) of Binghamton, N.Y., Janet Damtoft (Steve) of Rochester, N.Y., Alison Goss (John) and David Peters (Jill) both of Syracuse, N.Y. Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service to be held at The Beechwood Cemetery Chapel, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, on Thursday June 10, 2010 at 2:30 p.m. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, those wishing may make donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.







* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MGen (ret'd) G. Ronald Cheriton, OMM, CD, served with The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, The Regiment of Canadian Guards, Depot, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bns and The Royal Canadian Regiment.

The deceased now rests at the Hulse and Playfair Funeral Home in Ottawa. Arrangements have been made for a Funeral at for 14:30 hrs Thurs 10 June.
This includes a service at Beechwood National Memorial Centre with interment at the National Military Cemetery.

1 RCR will provide an eight-man guard for the service.  The GGFG are providing the piper, bugler and drummer.


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## 211RadOp

Carl (211 Rad Op/215 Sig Op) died in his home this week.  As per his wishes there will be no formal funeral.  Visitations will be held at his residence 4237 County Rd 1 East, Yarker, ON on 19 Jun from 1300 - 1600.  Carl will be cremated.  I will post the obit when I get it.

VVV


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## 211RadOp

As promised, Carl's obituary.

http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oId=400266

BURSEY, Sergeant (Ret'd) Carl Gregory - Passed away suddenly at his residence on June 14th 2010 in his fifty-first year. Dearly loved husband of Debbie, loving father of Mitchell and proud stepfather of Kerri, Brent and Ryan. Carl will be sadly missed by his mother Mona and his father Doug (Kay). Dear brother of Rick (Delores), Joanne (Les) and Jill (Dave) and the late Keith. Carl will be fondly remembered by his nieces and nephews, friends and the military community. Carl was an extremely dedicated member of the Canadian Forces who served his country as a Signals Operator for over 22 years. His outstanding military career and contributions saw Carl complete numerous tours of duty including two in Afghanistan in 2005 and Golan Heights in 1999, with postings to 727 Communication Squadron St. John's, 1st Canadian Division Headquarters & Signals Regiment Kingston, Canadian Forces Joint Signals Regiment Kingston and 2 Electronic Warfare Squadron Kingston. Carl retired from the Canadian Forces in August 2007. In keeping with Carl's wishes, cremation has taken place. A gathering of family and friends will take place at Carl's home in Yarker on Saturday, June 19th 2010 from 1pm - 4pm. Donations in Carl's memory can be made to Salvation Army Harbour Light Kingston, 562 Princess St. Kingston, ON K7L 1C7.


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## 211RadOp

Looks like a bad week for the branch.

http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oId=400271

PENNEY, Robert (Bob) - passed away peacefully at the Kingston General Hospital on Tuesday June 15, 2010 in his 69 th year. Beloved husband of Lynn (nee Petit) of Amherstview. Loving father of Angie Gruhs (Luc) of Ottawa, Frank of Embrun, James (Kathy) of Fredericton, N.B. and Steven (Meghan) of Kanata. Dear Grandfather of Andre, Kris, Stephanie and Logan. Fondly remembered by his many family and friends. Bob joined as a Soldier Apprentice at the age of 16, serving with the Royal Canadian Signal Corps for 38 years as a Radio Operator with numerous decorations within the Canadian Forces, finally retiring as a highly decorated Chief Warrant Officer in Kingston. He did not stay retired for long, returning to instruct young radio operators for several years, and along with formal instruction, he taught them the art of humour, where he was a master of the trade. He was very proud of his four children, all doing extremely well. He gives most of the credit for this to his best friend and wife Lynn of 30 years. Bob often said he had an exciting and rewarding life and no regrets. Where else can you have the challenges, travel and be happy with the love of his life, children and friends? Recently, Bob said that Amigo (furry friend) was waiting for him. Celebration of life to be held from 1:30 - 4:00 pm at the CFB Military Communications & Electronics Museum, 95 Craftsman Blvd off of Highway 2, East Entrance, CFB Kingston. Shared words of Remembrance at 2:00 pm. Interment Willowbank Cemetery, Gananoque. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations by cheque to the Heart & Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by the family and may be made through the WARTMAN FUNERAL HOME - Kingston Chapel (980 Collins Bay Road at Taylor Kidd Blvd., Kingston K7M 5H2 (613- 634-3722).


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## Pearson

Mike and I went through basic and battle school together back in 87. He was a little bit of a party animal.  Cyprus in '88 together.
Just found out. Age is creeping up on us.
RIP

Mr. Michael Ross Orwick, age 47 years, a resident of Thunder Bay, passed away in Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. Michael was born in Winnipeg and in his younger years was in the Armed Forces. Twenty years ago he moved to Thunder Bay, went to University and then taught for fourteen years. He was most recently working for the Fort William First Nation in employment and training. He is survived by his children Tarra, Kallur, Shonii and Shadow, parents Garry and Claudette, all of Thunder Bay, brothers Stephen of Victoria B.C., Daniel Halifax Nova Scotia, grandmother Lyla Bannon, aunts, uncle, cousins and other relatives and Marie also survive. He was predeceased by his grandparents Olaf and Margaret Orwick, Francis Pelletier and Martin Bannon. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. with Rev. Larry Kroker s.j. officiating. Interment will follow in Immaculate Conception Cemetery. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service. If friends desire, memorials to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.


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## BernDawg

Ah F@#k!  Mike was a character that's for sure.  Thanks for passing it along brother.


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## Edward Campbell

This is sad, albeit expected news, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from the _Ottawa Citizen_:

http://www.legacy.com/can-ottawa/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=145003429


> Martin Montague
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MONTAGUE, Martin James November 14, 1926 - August 28, 2010 Peacefully at the Ottawa General Hospital, aged 83.
> 
> Community Builder, Passionate Fundraiser, Proud Tomato Gardener and Grandfather Extraordinaire. He leaves his wife Mary, his daughter Louise (Jorma Ikavalko), and grandchildren Jeffrey Donaldson and Stephanie Donaldson (Benjamin McCammon) and step-sons Michael Watson (Carol Mann) and Grant Watson, step-grandchildren Amanda and Ruth Watson. His spirit will live on in the heart of his sister Estelle Law of Renton, Washington. He was pre-deceased by his first wife, Lauretta Montague (Monette), sisters Lillian Kealey, Nora Beatty, Loretta Laird and Cairine Carriere, brothers Jack, Albert, Bernard, Desmond, Edward, and William Martin. He will be fondly remembered by his many special nieces and nephews.
> 
> Martin served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 27 years and the Public Service of Canada as Director of International Programs in the Department of National Defense for 22 years. Martin was a proud WWII Veteran of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 4th Division, and fought in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Germany. He was one of the first Canadians to enter Holland.
> 
> Martin served his community well. He was a founding member and long-time Chairman of the Nepean Hydro Electric Commission. He was Past President of the City View and Nepean Kiwanis Clubs and Past Lieutenant Governor of Kiwanis International for Eastern Canada and the Caribbean. He served as Chairman of the Ontario Municipal Electric Association, the Nepean Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society and the Parkwood Hills Community Association. Martin served on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Ottawa Community Care Access Centre and the Kiwanis Club of Nepean. He was also a member of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies and the Nepean Chamber of Commerce. Martin was a life-time member of the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation.
> 
> Friends are invited to visit at the West Chapel of Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, 150 Woodroffe Avenue (at Richmond Road), Ottawa, from 2-4pm and 7-9pm Wednesday, September 1. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. John The Apostle Roman Catholic Church, 2340 Baseline Road, Ottawa on Thursday, September 2 at 11 am. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Kiwanis Club of Nepean, c/o Centurion Conference and Event Center, 170 Colonnade Road South, Ottawa, ON, K2E 7J5 for which Martin was a tireless fundraiser.




I knew Martin, on a collegial basis, back in the 1980s and 90s. My work involved a good deal of international negotiations and it was my pleasant duty to meet with Martin, a few times every year, to ensure that I was staying in my lanes. He was always a gentleman and always concerned, above all, with serving Canada.


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## krustyrl

Thank you for the service to your beloved country, Sir.


----------



## Haggis

*O'BRIEN, Thomas Joseph*
 - At the Cornwall Community Hospital on Thursday August 19, 2010. He was 77. He leaves his loving wife of 53 years, Carmel (St. Denis) O'Brien. Dear father of Kathleen Gignac (Louis), Claire Roy (Robert Payette), Anne O'Brien (Kathy Goulding), Kevin O'Brien (Tanya) and the late Susan O'Brien. Cherished grandfather of Nathan, Nicholas, Daniel, Julia and Alex. Also survived by one brother Robert O'Brien (Geraldine). Predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Marcella (McElligott) O'Brien, and brothers Terry (late Betty) and Jack O'Brien (Jean). He served his country with honour and distinction for over four decades and was both Commanding Officer and later Honourary Colonel of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders.  As expressions of sympathy memorial donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association (Cornwall Chapter) would be appreciated by the family.


----------



## xo31@711ret

Albert Lussier
October 02, 1941 - September 01, 2010
After a long and courageous battle our beloved Abby passed away peacefully at his home on September 1, 2010 at the age of 68. Beloved husband of Peggy. Cherished hero of daughter Tylene Stephen and (Don Gibb), and son Tyler (Jenn) Lussier and step-daughters Marti Lussier, Cindy Cote and(Steve Yates) and Kim Lussier. Dear papa to his grandsons Zachary and Jacob Stephen, Dalton, Cole, Kullen Lussier, and Adam Rowe.  Albert was retired from the Canadian Armed Forces after 30 years of service. Albert served three tours of duty in Cyprus and served three years in Germany. He served with the Canadian Airborne Regiment. 

I have many good memories of Sgt Lusier alias 'Papa Smurf' when I was a snot-nose pte of 18 in Dukes's Coy 1RCR in the early 80's. 
RIP AL, you will not be forgotten. 
PRO PATRIA


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## Old Sweat

Major Goodine, a wartime anti-tank gunner, was the BC B Battery when I joined C Battery as a second lieutenant in 1961. He had a bit of a wicked wit and a prominent proboscis, which earned him the nickname of Needle Nose.

John Goodine   
GOODINE, John "Jack" Edward WWII (ret. Major) Peacefully at Billingswood Manor on Monday, September 13, 2010 at the age of 88. Beloved husband of Patricia (nee Rogers). Loving father of Sheila and Linda. Cherished grandfather of Lindsey, Lucas (Lyn), Dana, Mark (Katie) and Reyna. Great-grandfather of Skye, Maesie and Zachary. Predeceased by his siblings Dora, Richard, Robert and his grandson Alexander. In 1939, Jack lied about his age and at 17, went off to war as a gunner in the artillery. He met his war bride at 19 and they spent the next 70 years together. He will be dearly missed. Funeral Mass Thursday, September 16, 2010 at St, Maurice Roman Catholic Church at 11 a.m. Private Interment. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Maurice's Church, 4 Perry Street, Nepean, ON, K2G 1K5.


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## Rheostatic

Colonel Burt Lerner (Retired) 763 Comm Regt 84 Sigs 


> Colonel S.B. Lerner, OMM CD
> 
> 1930-2010
> 
> It is with deep regret that I announce the passing of Colonel S. “Burt” Lerner, who passed away peacefully at 0905 hours on Tuesday, 24 August 2010 at the age of 80.
> 
> Colonel Saul Bernard Lerner was a native of Ottawa, Ontario. The Lerner family history in this city dates back to the mid – 1800s.
> 
> The son of a Lower – town merchant, Saul Lerner was born in Sandy Hill in 1930. He graduated from Lisgar Collegiate and attended Carleton College and the University of Ottawa. At Carleton, he joined the Canadian Officer Training Corps and was commissioned in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals as a Lieutenant in 1951. He rose through the officer ranks and positions in the Regiment to become its commanding Officer in 1972. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed as the first Senior Communications Reserve Advisor to the Commander, Canadian Forces Communication Command and the Chief of Reserves, National Defence Headquarters.
> 
> Colonel Lerner was invested as an Officer of the Order of Military Merit by Governor General Edward Schreyer at Government House in December 1983. He was awarded his fourth clasp (signifying 52 years of service to Canada) in 2004.
> 
> In civilian life, Bert Lerner joined the Department of Energy Mines and Natural Resources as a cartographer and subsequently managed its Branch Computer Systems Control Unit. He retired from Public Service in 1990.
> 
> Colonel Lerner was the Honourary Colonel of 763 (Ottawa) Communication Regiment until September 2008 and chaired the Regimental Historical Committee, charged with the collection and preservation of the Regiment’s history as it has unfolded over the years. Colonel Lerner is a former Vice President at the National Council of the Associations of Communications and Electronics, previously serving in many capacities on the Ottawa Chapter’s Executive. He also formerly contributed his experience and knowledge in both military communications and computer systems analysis to the Ottawa – Carleton Regional Police Force.
> 
> In keeping with his wishes, the service will be restricted to family members only. The Commanding Officer of 763 Communication Regiment, Colonel Lerner’s former unit, will be holding a get-together in his honour. The details will be promulgated once known. It lieu of flowers, his family represented by his sister, Barbara, suggests that a donation be made in his name to the Heart Institute. The website for the institute is: www.ottawaheart.ca/about_us/make-a-donation.htm . He will be sorely missed by all who have served with him.
> 
> VELOX VERSUTUS VIGILANS


----------



## muskrat89

Colonel Jim Turnbull - 3rd Field Artillery Regiment

Ubique

From this article in the Telegraph Journal: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/1296242



> SAINT JOHN - Final tribute will be paid today to the great passion that James Hendricks Turnbull had for all things military.
> 
> Col. James H. Turnbull In a final show of respect, members of 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (The Loyal Company), which he served with distinction as both colonel and honorary colonel, will transport the body of their former commanding officer by gun carriage from King Street East to historic Trinity Anglican Church in uptown Saint John for funeral service at 3 p.m.
> 
> Turnbull, a Saint John war veteran, businessman, community activist and family man, died Sunday at Driftwood, his Red Head home, following a brief illness. He was 87.
> 
> He is being remembered by friends, family and military and business associates as an exemplary citizen soldier, mentor and loyal friend.
> 
> "Jim was the epitome of an officer and gentleman," said lawyer and longtime friend E. Neil McKelvey, who will deliver the eulogy at Turnbull's funeral.
> 
> "He was a particularly good officer, a pretty good army man," he said. "He was also a gentleman. He was friendly with everybody. He respected everybody. And he had a wide circle of friends locally, nationally and internationally."
> 
> Turnbull is being remembered as "a consummate Canadian citizen soldier" by former Saint John mayor Bob Lockhart, a broadcaster and officer in the reserves.
> 
> "Jim served Canada in wartime and the city of Saint John for the rest of life," Lockhart said.
> 
> "He was my business partner, my commanding officer and lifelong friend. He was the other dimension of a soldier in that he saw in Canada's cadet movement the need first to be a good citizen. He was unscrupulously fair in business dealings with everyone and his family supported every worthy cause throughout his lifetime."
> 
> Lockhart recalled how as local chairman of the Corps of Commissionaires, "(Turnbull) strongly influenced prominent citizens to serve in that not-of-profit organization" and spoke of the leading role he played in bringing the Tattoo 200 Bicentennial military tattoos to the Barrack Green Armouries in 1983, 1984 and 1985.
> 
> Turnbull served overseas with the 5th Canadian Armoured Division in the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands.
> 
> After studying at Khaki University of Canada in Leavesden, England, he returned to Saint John in 1946 and began his business career with the Bank of Nova Scotia, eventually moving into insurance and the establishment of his own agency, Park-Stethem Insurance Ltd.
> 
> In 1956, he was one of the first individuals in New Brunswick to achieve the designation of Fellow of the Insurance Institute of Canada.
> 
> Over time, he became a director of Fundy Broadcasting Ltd. (CFBC), Connors Bros. Ltd., and Fundy Cablevision, while volunteering for numerous charitable, religious and service organizations.
> 
> For more than 60 years, he was a dedicated reservist and gunner, particularly with the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment. He also maintained active involvement in the Byng Boys, Royal Canadian Artillery Association, Army Cadet League, Conference of Defense Associations, and the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires.
> 
> In 1978, Gov.-Gen. Jules Léger appointed Turnbull an Officer of the Order of Military Merit and, in 1993, he was named as Commander in the Order of St. John.
> 
> Major Frank Irvin, a retired member of the regular forces who became Turnbull's commanding officer when he moved from CFB Gagetown in 1970 as officer in charge of western New Brunswick, said they quickly became a fast friends.
> 
> "Jim Turnbull was a very dedicated officer and he was very dedicated to the artillery," he added.
> 
> "He was always a very gentle man, and a gentleman. I enjoyed discussing things with him. He didn't leap at things. He thought things out. He took advice and considered it properly.
> 
> "He was a great friend and great man to work with," he added.
> 
> "I really miss him."
> 
> Bernard Cormier, the City of Saint John's cultural affairs officer, considered Turnbull a mentor, as well as a friend. And as master of ceremonies for last year's annual Remembrance Day service at Harbour Station, Cormier had a hand in selecting Turnbull as the reviewing officer.
> 
> "It was quite a proud moment for him and we were glad to be able to do that," Cormier said.
> 
> Born in Saint John on Feb. 7, 1923, of United Empire Loyalist stock, Turnbull was a son of late Major Eber Hendricks and Florence Evelyn (Stopford) Turnbull.
> 
> Turnbull was predeceased by his wife, Margaret (McLean); an infant son; and sisters Sally Biscoe and Arras Saunders.
> 
> He is survived by his son, James H. Turnbull Jr. of Millidgeville; daughter Heather F. Turnbull of Toronto; foster daughter, Doris Pico of Oregon; nieces nephew and grandchildren.
> 
> "All dads were special," his son, Jim Jr., said Friday. "
> 
> What made my dad special for my sister Heather and I is the fact that he led by example. He never told us you need to volunteer, he was never at us to do those types of things. We just saw what he was up to.
> 
> "It has only been really in the past couple of days that we have got the full picture of just what he was involved in, the many different organizations - religious, social and community affairs and so on."


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## Nfld Sapper

CANFORGEN 224/10 CMP 098/10 101305Z NOV 10

NOTIFICATION OF DEATH - CWO (RET) R.P.A. OSSIDE, OMM, CD CF CWO FROM 7 JUL 78 TO 5 JUL 82
UNCLASSIFIED



CPO1 J.A.R. CLEROUX, CANADIAN FORCES CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER, ANNOUNCES WITH GREAT REGRET THE DEATH OF CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER (RET) R.P.A. OSSIDE, OMM, CD, ON 4 NOVEMBER 2010, AT THE AGE OF 80 


BORN 14 JAN 30 IN MONTREAL, CWO OSSIDE ENROLLED WITH THE ROYAL 22E REGIMENT IN FEB 49. HE SERVED WITH ALL THE R22E R REG F BATTALIONS, AND AT CANADIAN FORCES BASES, SAINT-JEAN, VALCARTIER, WAINWRIGHT, BORDEN, GAGETOWN AND OTTAWA. CWO OSSIDE WAS DEPLOYED TO KOREA FROM JUL 52 TO APR 53 WITH THE 1ER R22E R. HE RECEIVED THREE SUCCESSIVE POSTINGS TO GERMANY, FIRST, FROM JUN 55 TO AUG 57, THEN, FROM AUG 65 TO JUL 68, AND FINALLY, FROM AUG 76 TO JUN 78. A DEPLOYMENT TO CYPRUS FOLLOWED FROM OCT 68 TO MAR 69. IN 1974 HE WAS PROMOTED TO CWO AND BECAME AN INFANTRY CAREER MANAGER IN OTTAWA. ONCE AGAIN IN GERMANY, HE WAS SELECTED TO SERVE AS 1ER R22E R REGIMENTAL SERGEANT MAJOR FROM AUG 76 TO JUN 78, AND DECORATED WITH THE ORDER OF MILITARY MERIT IN 1978. THE PRESTIGIOUS POSITION OF CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER OF THE CANADIAN FORCES WAS CREATED THAT YEAR, FOR WHICH CWO OSSIDE WAS SELECTED. HE HELD THIS POSITION UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE CANADIAN FORCES ON 11 NOV 82 


VISITATION WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE BEECHWOOD NATIONAL MEMORIAL CENTRE, 280 BEECHWOOD AVENUE, OTTAWA, ON NOVEMBER 12 2010, FROM 0930 HRS TO 1100 HRS, FOLLOWING WHICH A GRAVESIDE CEREMONY WILL BE HELD AT THE NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERY 


SIGNED BY RADM A. SMITH, CMP


----------



## Edward Campbell

Lieutenant General (retired) René Gutknecht
Born: July 23, 1930   Died: January 2, 2011


It is with great sadness that I learned, today, of the death of LGen Gutnecht; he was one of the really good leaders the CF had during the _decade*s* of darkness_ in the '70s and '80s; another of the few known as "the best CDS we never had."


----------



## George Wallace

This message from the desk of Lieutenant-Colonel Trevor Cadieu (CO LdSH(RC) ):



> *Subject: Funeral Arrangements - Lieutenant-General (Retired) René Gutknecht *
> 
> Ladies and Gentlemen,
> 
> As previously communicated, the Armoured Corps is mourning the loss of Lieutenant-General (Retired) René Gutknecht, who passed away on 2 January 2011 in Ottawa. The purpose of this email is to communicate funeral arrangements for General Gutknecht. I ask that you distribute this information widely on your respective nets to ensure the latest information is available to those who would like to pay their respects to General Gutknecht and his family. I will remain in direct contact with the Gutknecht family - if there are any changes to this information, I will communicate it immediately via these means. Further, I will distribute separately to those involved an email summarizing specific military support to this funeral, as applicable and requested by the family.Funeral Arrangements. The life of General Gutknecht will be celebrated at the Beechwood Cemetery (280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, ON, 613-741-9530) on Friday, 7 January 2011 (note this is a change of venue as the initial location might not be able to accommodate the contingent of mourners expected to attend). A visitation will be conducted from 1100-1300 hrs, immediately followed by a celebration of life service and a reception. Military members are welcome to attend. Dress for serving members will be DEU 1A (tunic with medals) and black mourning arm band. It would also be appropriate for retired members to wear medals at this solemn occasion.
> 
> Find attached a link to Beechwood Cemetery, which includes a map for directions: http://www.beechwoodcemetery.com/index.php/en
> 
> Points of Contact. It is acknowledged that a number of serving and retired members from the Ottawa and Kingston areas will want to attend General Gutknecht's funeral. In order to facilitate planning, it is requested that serving and retired military personnel contact the following Strathcona representatives as soon as possible to confirm their attendance. These individuals will provide me and the family an estimate of personnel expected to attend:
> - Ottawa: Lieutenant-Colonel Mark Connolly, Mark.Connolly@forces.gc.ca, 613-614-6532
> - Kingston: Lieutenant-Colonel Trevor Gosselin, Trevor.Gosselin@forces.gc.ca, 613-541-5010, ext 8706
> 
> Condolences. Condolences can be forwarded to Eric and Jacquelin Gutknecht (son and daughter-in-law) at the following address. Further, should anyone wish, donations in General Gutknecht's memory can be made to the Heart Institute of Ottawa or the Salvation Army, an organization to which he belonged to the Board of Directors.Eric and Jacquelin Gutknecht 6530 Greely West Drive Greely, ON K4P 1B5
> 
> Remembrance Anecdotes. In order to preserve memories of General Gutknecht, the family would be grateful to anyone who might be able to forward stories of remembrance recalling any special recollections involving the General and his many friends both in the military and civilian life. Anecdotes can be forwarded in the coming weeks to Eric and Jacquelin at the mailing address provided, directly to Jacquelin at jacquelin.jsh@rogers.com, or to Kathy Batty for consolidation. Clearly, the loss of Lieutenant-General Gutknecht will be felt throughout the entire Corps. During his 34 years of service in the Canadian Forces, General Gutknecht served with both the Royal Canadian Dragoons and Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), the latter of which he commanded in Germany from 31 July 1968 to 5 June 1970. He served with the Military Component of the Canadian Delegation in Vietnam and in India and Pakistan with the United Nations. In Lahr, Germany he was Senior Staff Officer, Operations. He became Commander, 5e Groupement de Combat, Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, Montreal, in 1975 and also served as Chief of Staff Operations and Deputy Commander, Mobile Command, St. Hubert, Quebec. From 1980-1985 he was the Canadian Military Representative to NATO Headquarters in Brussels. He was Commandant of the Ottawa Division, Canadian Corps of Commissionaires (1985-1989) and The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod of the Senate of Canada (1989-1990). Lieutenant-General Gutknecht was Colonel of the Regiment Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) from 11 November 1986 to 11 November 1992, and he served as Colonel Commandant The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps from 1992 to 1995.
> 
> Again, I will communicate changes via these means if required and I will contact individuals directly to coordinate military support to the funeral.
> 
> Perseverance,
> 
> Trevor T. (Trevor) Cadieu
> Lieutenant-Colonel
> Commanding Officer/Commandant
> Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)


----------



## wildman0101

RIP Rene  
Lieutenant-General (Retired) René Gutknecht Sir:
It was an honour to serve with you, You treated 
us Armour'd slob's like gold. Damn you were one too.
You will not be forgotten Rene  :yellow:
Condilence's to Comrade's,, Family,, Friend's,,
Bold and Swift ,,
Scoty B iper:


----------



## Rifleman62

I had lunch with Fred several times when I visited Thunder Bay.

A gentleman, well spoken, proud of his regiment. As the picture attached indicates, a handsome (Little Black) Devil! 

Photo: Fred Bragnalo, October 24, 1944.

I reflect on our Greatest Generation and the debt we Canadians owe. They are going to fast. 

Below, an item from Fred as printed in the Blast.
*
My name is Fred Bragnalo, ex-Sergeant of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, 7th Brigade, 3rd Div. 

I'd just like to talk a little bit about the liberation of Calais. After the Falaise Gap, the 3rd Div. was cleaning up the coastal batteries that were still bombing England when the 7th Brigade was called off in order to advance and take the coastal port of Calais. During our drive, the R.W.R. was ordered to take Fort Nieulay, which was laying in the line of our advance. D and B Company were given the initial assignment, but had to withdraw after coming under devastating fire. A Company with No. 7 Platoon in the lead advanced through the ditch on the right side of the road. Under small covering fire and continued bombardment, Lt. Embury and Sgt. Mouflier ordered me (at the time, I was a Corporal and a Section Leader) to make my way to the gate and blow it open with a banglor torpedo. With riflemen King, Anderson and Haywood, we ran across the road under small cover. We reached the gate and found it partly destroyed and hanging at an angle, apparently from a direct hit from our 'typhies' [Typhoon fighter planes]. At this time our 'wasps' (flamethrowers, that is) reached in and sprayed the inner walls of the compound. Immediately, we followed the wasps into the fort, and the remainder of 7 Platoon and A Company completed the assault and captured one hundred and eighty-two prisoners. (?) and Anderson were both wounded during this assault. Haywood and I ran for the garrison headquarters, caught the German commander Colonel Schraider by surprise, and he quickly surrendered to me with his faithful dog at his side. I relieved him of his Mauser pistol, along with the armband and flag. Then the company settled in the fort bunkers, which the enemy counter-attacked with heavy artillery fire. An escaping Jew by the name of John Wolpe ran into our lines and subsequently convinced an additional twenty German troops to surrender. John Wolpe became very helpful to us as an interpreter in subsequent encounters until he was wounded and evacuated. 

With the capture of Fort Nieulay, the door to Calais was now open. After a twenty-four hour truce to allow the civilians to evacuate, the full-scale assault on Calais was avoided, as Major General (?) convinced the German Commander (?) to surrender with seventy-five hundred prisoners. Our 7th Brigade casualties were approximately three hundred, of which seventy were from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.*

We will Remember him.

Bragnalo, Fredrick

Published:  

Friday, January 7, 2011 

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our dear father, grandfather and great grandfather, Fredrick J. Bragnalo. Fred, age 88, passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness on Tuesday, January 4, 2011, with family by his side. 

Fred was born in Fort William on February 26, 1922. He married Mary Delaqua on July 3, 1948 and together they raised 4 children until her passing in 1982. After brief employment with Canada Car, Fred began his longstanding military service with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in 1939. He proudly served his country in World War II, where he saw active duty in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He was a veteran of the Normandy campaign and was wounded in action on October 24, 1944. Until his passing, this was the last time Fred was in the hospital. After a period of convalescence, he rejoined his unit in January 1945 and participated in the liberation of Holland until VE Day and the end of hostilities in Europe. With numerous commendations he was discharged with the rank of Sergeant on March 26, 1946. 

Fred continued his dedicated service to his country through his selfless commitment to the betterment of his community, leaving a legacy that is still being felt today. While it is difficult to do justice to the effects of his leadership, his efforts centred around the development and growth of youth in sport and led to many firsts in Northwestern Ontario, including the establishment of Little League Baseball, the Royal Canadian Legion Track and Field, the Lakehead Sports Celebrity Dinner and the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Furthermore, Fred served on the Board of Directors of the Children Aid’s Society, the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada, and Victoria Order of Nurses. Fred was also an active lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion. 

His long-time community service was recognized through numerous awards, culminating in his recent induction into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, an honour that both Fred and his family were extremely proud of and were fortunate enough to celebrate together this past September. 

Throughout his active volunteer service Fred continued his employment with Underwood LTD. from 1947-1966. He then moved onto District Manager with Corby Distillers, until retirement on March 1, 1987. Although his family was always an integral part of his life, after retirement Fred was able to spend quality time taking care of and enjoying those he loved. 

Fred is survived and proudly remembered by son David (Margaret) and their children Christian, Suzanne (Frank Laceria) and Kelly; son Rick (Helen) and their children Richelle (Steve Gorst), Tyler (Mel) and Kris (Heather); daughter-in-law Terri and children Trevor and Kevin; daughter Donna (Marty Melchior) and son Finnegan. Fred is also survived by great grandchildren Gabriella and Sofi Laceria, Alexa and Aydan Gorst, Maya and Avi Bragnalo, and Kali and Keegan Bragnalo. Surviving siblings include brother Ronald (Mary Ann), sisters Flo, Jean (Allan Frost), Sally and Rita (Ken LaPointe), as well as sister-in-laws Dina, Angela and Julie. In addition Fred is remembered and will be sadly missed by long time companion Elaine Tonkin. 

Fred was predeceased by his wife Mary (1982), son Ken (1988), infant great grandson Steven Daniel Gorst (2000) and brothers Leslie, Frank, Romildo, Angelo and Arnold. 

Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 10, 2011 with Mass celebrated at St. Dominic’s Church at 10 a.m. Interment will take place in St. Andrew’s Cemetery. Prayers will be offered on Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 3 p.m. also at St. Dominic’s Church. In conjunction with the prayers a Royal Canadian Legion service of honour will be held. 

The family would like to extend sincere gratitude to the staff in the ICU at the Thunder Bay Regional Hospital, in particular doctors Ahmed, Davenport, Migay and nurses Kathleen, Pam and Charles. Your care and compassion for our dad was indeed beyond compare. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, Thunder Bay Regional Hospital, or the charity of your choice would be appreciated. 

FJB – “We are all very proud to share your name” 

A tree will be planted in memory of Frederick Bragnalo in the Blake Funeral Chapel Memorial Grove. Annual dedication service Sunday, June 10, 2012.

On-line Condolences
may be sent to
www.blakefuneralchapel.com


----------



## OldSolduer

RIP Sgt Bragnolo.   

Rest assured that we will carry on the traditions that you and others who went before us will be maintained.  

Hostie Acie Nominatae.


----------



## the 48th regulator

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Vincent+Scully+family+firm+decades/4124728/story.html#ixzz1BPuqis7J




*Vincent Scully ran family firm for decades
*

By Jan Ravensbergenthe gazette, Montreal Gazette January 18, 2011 


MONTREAL - A symbolic page in Canada's rich military history has quietly been turned, with the death of Vincent Gladstone Scully at age 98.

From 1956 through 2002, Scully served as president and patriarch of William Scully Ltd. of Montreal - long the country's foremost producer of military and police headgear, regimental regalia and many other accoutrements of command and authority.

His was the third generation to run the Montreal family firm. Since 1877, through war and peace, Scully's has played an integral role in furnishing Canada's military with its markings of rank and service.

It "has probably stamped more crowns than any company outside the mint," said Will Scully, 35, Vincent Scully's successor as president - a grandson to whom he passed the torch.

The caps, badges, pips, sashes, rank insignia, ceremonial swords and regimental colours supplied to Canada's military were always underlain with a much more profound mission, Vincent Scully wrote in 1996:

"Remember," he urged, "and honour the countless soldiers, sailors and airmen who have served and sacrificed that Canadians should have the freedom and independence that we now enjoy.

"Every man and woman who served in the armed forces of Canada has worn a Scully product," he added.

One is John de Chastelain, twice Canada's chief of defence staff, who reflected that "in a sense, Scully's has been part of the building of Canada, in its particular field."

Vincent Scully, he added, was "very much a part of the old-school business community in Montreal."

When the patriarch died Jan. 10 after repeated bouts with pneumonia, he'd taken less than a decade of retirement - having played a determining and characteristically self-effacing role in extending the span of the company's service to 134 years.

Poised to retire in his mid-60s, he chose instead to soldier on after family tragedy claimed the lives of two of his three sons. In 1976, Richard Scully, then 31 and his designated successor as president, was shot in a Nuns' Island elevator murder. A bomb blast six months later killed Robert Scully, then 36. Neither case was ever solved.

"The wound would never heal, nor could it be expected to heal," friend Paul Dole recalled. However, "Vince faced these devastating losses and fulfilled his family commitments while maintaining a dedication to his company and staff with a generous and kindly heart."

He is survived by a third son, John, who remains a key player in the production side of the business.

Vincent Scully began working at the firm at 14. He was well-read, Dole said, and when among friends "exuded hospitality, conversation and conviviality."

And Scully's, the legacy he led and nurtured into his 90s, remains "the first place you go" for military uniform accessories, said Bruce Bolton, former commanding officer of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada in Montreal. "The quality of their work has always been outstanding," he said, with Vincent Scully as "a very behind-the-scenes man."

The firm has conserved a vast range of mementos and tradition speaking to heritage, honour and duty - even as it mounts the medals earned by Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

A football player and rower, Vincent Scully joined the Royal Montreal Regiment in 1930, later winning an officer's commission with the Royal Canadian Artillery.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the Victoria Rifles. He later resigned his commission to become a sergeant in the Royal Canadian Air Force - only to be denied the overseas wartime service for which he was eager.

William Scully, the firm's founder, was born in Ontario of Irish parents. A decade after Confederation, he established the military-outfitting business in Toronto. In 1908, he moved Scully's to Montreal and, simultaneously, into manufacturing.

As Vincent Scully wrote in 1985, the founder "guaranteed our government that his every product would equal or surpass the products of the finest British Houses. The firm has not deviated from this standard."

Expropriated in 1955 from the site of what is now Place Ville Marie, Scully's moved into the city's east end in 1966. Its workforce peaked at 220 tradespeople during wartime, and is now three dozen.

Vincent Scully was pre-deceased by Dorothy Harper, whom he married in 1939. He is survived by Dorothy Keddie, his second wife.

Other survivors include six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His ashes are to be laid to rest in the spring.

janr@montrealgazette.com

_© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette_









courtesy of scully family William Scully, founder of Canada's main producer of military and police headgear and regimental regalia.
Photograph by: Allen McInnis, Montreal Gazette






Allen mcinnis the gazette A set of mounted medals on display at the William Scully Ltd. factory in Montreal. Vincent Scully led the company's activities into his '90s.
Photograph by: Allen McInnis, Montreal Gazette


----------



## armyvern

My grandfather. Proud former member of the military and WWII veteran who suffered from "Trade Deficit Disorder"; it pleases me to know that he went peacefully this morning ~~ surrounded by family.

I will miss him.

Cheers grandpa. 

*Ralph Wightman 
(July 2, 1921 - January 18, 2011) *

Major Ralph Frederick Wells Wightman, CD, Ret’d, died peacefully on January 18th at the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre at the age of 89. Born in Amherst, NS on July 2, 1921, he was a son of F. Carmen and Ruth (Tingley) Wightman. He later lived in Kentville, NS where he was educated. He enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1940 with the Royal Canadian Engineers. He was subsequently transferred to the Royal Canadian Artillery serving in Newfoundland Labrador with the 25th Anti-aircraft Regiment in St. John’s and Torbay and later with the 23rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment RCA in Sydney, NS and proceeded overseas as a reinforcement officer for the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and the Canadian Provost Corp serving in England and Northwest Europe. Following World War II he became the manager of Dominion Stores in Windsor, NS and later manager for Eastern Agriculture Lime Distributer Ltd. In 1949 he was reappointed to the Canadian Army Regular Force Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps then to the Royal Canadian Ordinance Corps as a supply officer, Halifax, NS, Gagetown, NB, and at the Directorate of Ordinance Services, Army headquarters, Ottawa, ON. In 1965 he was posted to the International Control and Supervisory Commission serving in Vietnam for one year. Upon his return he worked with the Centennial Directorate, controlling all financial matters related to the Centennial Program within Department of National Defence for Canada’s Centennial year of 1967. Following the Centennial he was with the Directorate Canex as Merchandising Staff Officer. He retired from the Canadian Forces in 1970. 

Upon his retirement, he was employed by the United Church Home for Senior Citizens, Sackville, NB for a ten year period as Executive Director, operating the Drew Nursing Home and Tantramar Residences, creating major growth and improvements to the home’s status. He was founding Director for the New Brunswick Association of Registered Nursing Homes. He was an active member of Trinity St. Stephen’s United Church and former Trustee and Board member. He was a member of the Masonic order, a 32nd Degree Mason, a member of Lebanon Lodge #28, Sackville, NB and Sussex Lodge #4, Dorchester, NB. He was Past Master of the Acacia Lodge #8, Amherst and Past District Deputy Grand Master District #6, a member of the Scottish Rite and former Shriner. He also served for a number of years as President of the Amherst District Council of Scouts Canada. He was president of the Amherst Cemetery Board for 24 years carrying out major landscaping and management programs. He worked to improve the overall condition of the Cemetery from its appearance to its buildings, roads and perpetual care fund. He was an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion, as well as Past President of the Canadian Provost Corps, Maritime Division. He is survived by his wife of sixty five years, the former Muriel Eileen Irwin, two daughters Ruth (Fred) Gamble, Collingwood, NS and Jane (Jack) McDonald, Kentville, NS, two sons, Peter (Laura) Falmouth, NS and David (Dale) Amherst, NS, daughter-in-law Lois Wightman, Amherst, eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife Helen M. Wade, Kentville, 1942, brother John, Sackville, NB, 2000 and son Sgt. Ralph C. Wightman, Amherst, 2008. Ralph is resting at Campbell’s Funeral Home, Amherst, NS. Visitation will be Thursday, January 20, 2011 from 2-4 and 7-9pm. Masonic service and funeral service will be held on Friday, January 21, 2011 at 2 p.m. from Trinity St. Stephen’s United Church, Amherst with Rev. Susan Estabrooks officiating. Interment will take place at a later date in the Amherst Cemetery. Family flowers only, donations may be made to a charity of your choice. Online condolences may be made to the family via: www.campbellsamherst.ca


----------



## OldSolduer

Veronica, please accept my condolences. Losing someone that you respect and love is the toughest thing we'll ever have to face. 

RIP Major Wightman


----------



## Fishbone Jones

Vern,

My condolences, I will presume to speak for other Brothers here.

_The lambskin or white leather apron is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason.  The lamb has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence; by the lambskin the Mason is, therefore, reminded of that purity of life and conduct which is so essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. 

The evergreen is an emblem of our faith in the immortality of the soul.  By it, we are reminded of our high and glorious destiny beyond the "world of shadows" and that there dwells within our tabernacle of clay, an imperishable, immortal spirit, over which the grave has no dominion, and death not power. 

Friend and Brother, we bid thee a last, a long Farewell.  Thou art at rest from thy labours; may you rest in peace.  So mote it be.  Amen. 

_


----------



## the 48th regulator

recceguy said:
			
		

> Vern,
> 
> My condolences, I will presume to speak for other Brothers here.
> 
> _The lambskin or white leather apron is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason.  The lamb has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence; by the lambskin the Mason is, therefore, reminded of that purity of life and conduct which is so essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides.
> 
> The evergreen is an emblem of our faith in the immortality of the soul.  By it, we are reminded of our high and glorious destiny beyond the "world of shadows" and that there dwells within our tabernacle of clay, an imperishable, immortal spirit, over which the grave has no dominion, and death not power.
> 
> Friend and Brother, we bid thee a last, a long Farewell.  Thou art at rest from thy labours; may you rest in peace.  So mote it be.  Amen.
> 
> _




So Mote it be.

dileas

tess


----------



## krustyrl

My prayers are with you and your family tonight.


----------



## Gunner98

Vern,

My sincere condolences.  Thoughts and prayers are shared with you and your extended family.  A life well lived ends too soon but is celebrated for evermore.

John


----------



## Loachman

My condolences too, Vern.


----------



## Nfld Sapper

My condolences Vern....


----------



## mariomike

Sincere condolences, Vern.


----------



## Old Sweat

Vern, sincerest condolences. It can't be easy for you, a continent away from your loved ones and torn between your love for him and his wish that you remain on duty rather than come east to pay your last respects.


----------



## PMedMoe

Vern, thoughts to you and your family at this time.


----------



## a78jumper

Sorry to hear of this. To those who knew and loved him, my sincere condolences. Thoughts and prayers headed your way.


----------



## Edward Campbell

From _The National Post_:


http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/05/18/regular-dad-was-crack-wwii-code-breaker/


> Regular dad was crack WWII code breaker
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> P.E.I.’s Cliff Stewart, seen above at a 2010 air show, worked behind enemy lines during the Second World War
> and honed his skills with the likes of Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond spy thrillers.
> The National Post
> 
> Joe O'Connor
> 
> May 18, 2011
> 
> To his four kids, he was a regular dad with some irregular talents. Cliff Stewart could fix the family toaster in a blink. Radios, television sets, family cars — anything with wires that went on the fritz, and out came the tools.
> 
> “His ability to solve problems — his technical skills — he could always figure something out and make it work. He could literally fix anything,” said Tom Stewart, his eldest son.
> 
> To his family, Cliff Stewart was Dad, the super-whiz. But to his World War II comrades, Cliff Stewart was something else. Behind the extraordinary technical talents around the house was an extraordinary secret, a tale of intrigue and espionage that featured Mr. Stewart at the centre of it as a super spy and code breaker.
> 
> It was an occupation he never, ever, spoke about, not until the last years of a long life that ended when Mr. Stewart passed away at his home in suburban Charlottetown last weekend.
> 
> He was 91.
> 
> At his funeral Wednesday he will be remembered as a grandfather, a good friend, a colleague and loyal employee in the auto shop at D.C.D Auto Electric, a water-skiing coach and a volunteer fire captain.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cliff Stewart
> The national Post (Provided by the Stewart family)
> 
> But when he was 19, and a farm boy, and a budding ham-radio genius, two RCMP officers rapped on the door of the family homestead in Hampshire, P.E.I, and informed young Clifton that the British secret service was looking to recruit him. Even Mr. Stewart’s son isn’t entirely sure how his father came to their attention, but it was 1939, and he was cracker-smart and good with a ham radio and electronics.
> 
> So off the young Canadian went to the Rockefeller Center in New York, where a room full of handpicked, sworn-to-secrecy early electronics aces combined to build “Rock X.”
> 
> The gadget enabled high-ranking officials, such as U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to transmit high-volume encrypted messages to their British counterparts (think: Sir Winston Churchill).
> 
> Mr. Stewart’s next wartime stop was Camp X, a top-secret training facility in southern Ontario where he honed his craft with budding assassins, demolitions experts, frogmen, forgers, a man called Intrepid and Ian Fleming, a British naval intelligence trainee and future author of the James Bond books.
> 
> “It took quite a bit of training not to jump at a gunshot,” Mr. Stewart said in a 2009 documentary about his life. “It kept quite a lot of us alive. As the instructors told us, [the Germans] might not be shooting at you.”
> 
> And if they were not shooting at you, and you became spooked by the sound of gunfire and gave away your position, a nervous spy would be a dead spy.
> 
> Mr. Stewart took part in several missions behind enemy lines. A team of agents would parachute in to an appointed spot with the radio expert from P.E.I. hefting a briefcase containing a coding machine.
> 
> Information was gathered. Messages sent. And missions accomplished, or not. And the spies, those who came home in one piece, were bound by the British Secrets Act never to talk about it.
> 
> It was not until Mr. Stewart was in his 80s and his old comrades began dying in droves that he finally started relating juicy tidbits to his children about his previous life.
> 
> “You might be sitting down to supper and talking about something like parachuting, and if you would ever do it, and he would say something like: ‘You would never get me to jump out of a plane for fun,’ ” Tom Stewart says.
> 
> “And then he would start telling a story about being dropped behind enemy lines. I knew he had worked out of Camp X and in New York and San Francisco, but I never thought he was over in the field of engagement.
> 
> “He would tip his hand a bit, and you would see a glimpse, but he would never really give you much more than a glimpse.”
> 
> He was a spy, after all.
> 
> Camp X closed in 1949. Mr. Stewart was offered a job with the CIA but his wife, Hilda, had other ideas. The family returned home to Charlottetown where the ex-secret agent became just another blue-collar guy working at the Batt and McRae Auto Electric Company.
> 
> In civilian life he was free to show off, and delighted in water skiing — from a water start — with a lit cigar clamped in his teeth. Mr. Stewart kept working, tinkering and fixing cars for D.C.D. Auto Electric until past his 90th birthday. A volunteer firefighter, and a fire captain once upon a time, he drove the antique pumper in Charlottetown’s annual Santa Claus parade well into his 80s.
> 
> “In fact,” says his son. “The old pumper is going to be his funeral coach [on Wednesday]. He was a volunteer chief for a number of years.”
> 
> He was an ordinary man, with some extraordinary talents.
> 
> National Post
> _joconnor@nationalpost.com_



Quite a story!


----------



## George Wallace

Indeed quite the story:

From _The Guardian_:


http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2011-05-16/article-2510306/Spy-from-PEI-Cliff-Stewart-dies/1


> 'Spy from P.E.I.' Cliff Stewart dies
> 
> Published on May 16, 2011
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Guardian photo by Brian McInnis
> Cliff Stewart poses with a Lysander during an airshow in 2010. Stewart died Saturday in his Sherwood home at age 91.
> 
> *Funeral Wednesday for Second World War veteran*
> 
> Clifton Elmer Stewart, better known as Cliff, a Canadian spy recruited by the British during the Second World War, died over the weekend at his Sherwood home.
> 
> Known by his catchphrase, “the spy from P.E.I.,” Stewart was also the Sherwood fire chief for a number of years and a Holland College instructor.
> 
> Stewart, 91, died on Saturday, May 14.
> 
> His work during the Second World War was honoured by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) during a fly-in event at Slemon Park in Summerside last summer.
> 
> One of the aircrafts, a restored Lysander that hadn’t been flown in 64 years, was dedicated to Stewart. It was the same style of plane he flew in during missions in the Second World War.
> 
> Flying into enemy territory, the plane would drop off Stewart, who would set up radio communications. The plane would turn around and Stewart would grab onto the aircraft’s moving strut, which would carry him back to safety.
> 
> The five or six trips in Europe on the Lysander, which Stewart described last summer, are the bulk of what little is known about Stewart’s missions. He was bound by an oath of secrecy under the British Secrets Act.
> 
> Tom Stewart, Cliff’s oldest son, said the air show and honour of the restored Lysander kept his father going throughout his final year.
> 
> “One of the things that got him through, was looking forward to that event in June,” he said. “He had a glow for the month after.”
> 
> But Stewart’s life didn’t begin or end with the Second World War.
> 
> He was born and raised in P.E.I., only leaving the province during the war years to live in New York and Camp X in Ontario.
> 
> He married Hilda Jewell in 1942 and, when he returned to P.E.I. in the late 1940s, he began working at the Batt and MacRae Auto Electric Company in Charlottetown.
> 
> He also became involved as a volunteer in the Sherwood Fire Department around the late 1950s, eventually becoming chief for more than 10 years throughout the 1970s and ’80s.
> 
> Stewart’s summers were often spent at a cottage he’d built in York Point.
> 
> Tom said his father could often be seen at the cottage, taking others for rides in his boat.
> 
> “I’d say there were probably 500 people who learned to water ski from him,” he said. “He had that boat since the 1970s and it’s found hundreds of people in it.”
> 
> His passion for boats led him to a volunteer job fixing watercrafts with Stu Smith.
> 
> Tom said his father was known for being a go-to guy when anything had to be fixed.
> 
> “Anything from radios to TVs to video recorders,” he said. “His nature was that, if anybody needed anything fixed, he was the person people came to. It seemed he could fix anything.”
> 
> Stewart’s passion for fixing things led him to another job, where he showed others how to make repairs.
> 
> In the 1980s, past the age of 60, Stewart became an instructor in automotive and electrical repairs at Holland College.
> 
> Stewart kept working past retirement age and held a job at D.C.D. Auto Electric until just after turning 90.
> 
> Tom said his father loved to work and felt that staying active and the relationships he developed with co-workers are what kept him going.
> 
> “He loved life, he found being involved in things and other people’s lives, in terms of being able to help out.”
> 
> Stewart is resting at the Belvedere Funeral Home, where the funeral will be held on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.
> 
> Visitation is Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.
> 
> Memorial donations may be made to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
> 
> Charlottetown Branch #1 of the Royal Canadian Legion will hold a service of remembrance at the funeral home Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.



From Monday May 16, 2011, CBC As it Happens broadcast these notes:
http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/episode/2011/05/16/monday-may-16-2011/



> FOR THE RECORD: OBIT - PEI WWII SPY Duration: 00:02:52
> At home on Prince Edward Island, he was known as Cliff Stewart. But during World War Two, he was known simply as "W-5".
> 
> Mr. Stewart was handy at operating radios, so during the war he was recruited to work as a spy with the British Service Coordination, or BSC. He was the fifth Allied spy from the Western Hemisphere working with the BSC, hence his code name W-5.
> 
> Clifton Stewart died in Charlottetown on Friday. He was ninety-one.
> 
> Mr. Stewart was stationed at Camp X, a secret communication and training base near Oshawa, Ontario. The camp was covered in antennas. The locals were told it was the CBC's Trans-Atlantic setup. From Camp X, Clifton Stewart helped aid the British with security and radio communications, and he also took part in several top secret missions.
> 
> In the 2009 documentary A Man Most Ordinary, Mr. Stewart talked about his spy training. Here's an excerpt from that documentary, for the record.


 
(I was unable to find any audio.)


----------



## Paul Gagnon

Gerry Haakmat, formerly of 744 (Vancouver) Communications Regiment was taken from us on June 2, 2011. Gerry is someone I am proud to have called friend and I know that he will be missed by a great many people. 


http://www.legacy.com/can-vancouver/Obituaries.asp?page=lifestory&personid=151707069


> HAAKMAT, Gerald David May 22, 1961 - June 2, 2011 With great sadness, we announce that Gerry was tragically taken from us on June 2, 2011 in Vancouver, BC. He will be missed by his parents Johan and Pat; sisters Suzanne, Amy and Dawn (Larry); nieces and nephews, as well as extended family and friends. He will always be remembered for his spontaneity, his laugh and his infectious smile. A Funeral Service for Gerry will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, June 10, 2011 at First United Church, 320 Hastings Street E., Vancouver, BC. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gerry's memory to the First United Church www.firstunited.ca



http://youtu.be/9aXVov7Dfgs


----------



## Edward Campbell

My old friend Don Ludlow, late The Royal Canadian Regiment and the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada passed away, suddenly.






LUDLOW, Major Donald Parker, CD 1934 - 2011 It is with great sadness that the Ludlow family announces the passing of Major (ret'd) Donald Parker Ludlow, CD, suddenly but peacefully at home on Wednesday 8 June 2011. Don was the dearly loved husband of Yvonne, father to Jennifer and Donald and brother of John Ludlow. Born in Nova Scotia, but raised a Newfoundlander, Don got his first taste of the Army with the cadets before joining the Royal Newfoundland Regiment as a young man. He joined The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada in 1956 until he rebadged to the Royal Canadian Regiment following Unification in 1971. Over a 35 year career Don served throughout Canada in many leadership and staff roles, including tours with the United Nations in Cyprus and the ICCS in Vietnam. Don's Regimental colleagues were his second family and he loved leading and working alongside the many fine soldiers, NCO's and officers he had the honour of serving with over the years. On retirement from the military, Don worked for 5 years with the Emergency Preparedness branch of Public Works and Government Services Canada. Full-time retirement saw him remain as busy as ever, enjoying fun and challenging work with the Conservative Party of Canada, his Regimental fraternity and St. John's Anglican Church in Kanata, Ontario. To know Donald Parker Ludlow was to know a fine officer, a true gentleman, a kind heart and brave soul. Friends may attend a memorial service at St. John's Anglican Church, 325 Sandhill Road, Kanata on Thursday, June 16, 2011 at 11 a.m. In remembrance donations to the Heart & Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated. Condolences, donations or tributes may be made at www.tubmanfuneralhomes.com


Don was a "happy warrior" of the old school - he was never a _careerist_ but he lived a good, honest and honourable military career, always doing his best to serve his country, his soldiers and his Regiments. I will miss him.


----------



## Old Sweat

I too considered Donald Parker Ludlow a friend. RIP buddy.


----------



## xo31@711ret

RIP Mr. Ludlow; Pro Patria


----------



## Old Sweat

I just received a short notice via the regimental net of the passing of Colonel (ret) JP (Jake) Beer in Victoria. Jake had served in NWE in the 12th Field Regiment, attended the British Gunnery Staff Course circa 1947-1948 and then served in Korea with the 81st Field Regiment. He commanded 2 RCHA 1961-1965 in Winnipeg and Germany and then was Chief of Artillery at FMCHQ until his retirement. Jake was a gentleman and cheerful by nature. I first met him in November 1961 when we both were students on the Nuclear Target Analysis Course. He was the senior student as a LCol and I was the junior student (2Lt) and security officer responsible for rounding up and securing the classified reference material at the end of each day. Despite the differences in rank, he treated the rest of the course as classmates and not as inferior beings, something that was rather unusual in those days.


----------



## Old Sweat

Further to my last, the folowing has been received on the regimental net:

Colonel Beer enjoyed a long and distinguished career serving the Canada and the Guns, including outstanding service during war and peace including WW2 and Korea and the Cold War.  

Col Beer served with distinction during WW2 and Korea and in a number of extremely important post war appointments including IG duties at the School of Artillery CFB Shilo, various Regimental positions culminating in command of 2 RCHA. He took command of 2RCHA under very difficult circumstances.  The Regt had been banned from live firing because of a number of training incidents.  The previous CO suffered a fatal heart attack while on a regimental parade and collapsed and died right after getting off parade.  2RCHA was scheduled for the next rotation to Germany in 2 years.  Col Beer led his regt through a training program that re-established it as an operational regt and then took it to Germany where he commanded it for another 2 years for a total of 4 years.

His appointment as Chief of Artillery at FMCHQ and NDHQ was noteworthy in that Colonel Jake Beer was the last officer designated Chief of Artillery, since to this day the appointment is titled Director of Artillery. He was Chief of Arty during the very difficult, early days of unification and, for part of his time as CArty, there were no serving gunner generals so he was fighting alone.  He lost some battles (e.g., Air OPs went to the air force, was forced to buy the Italian pack how), but he also won some major victories (e.g., retained IG, A/IG and Master Gunner courses) following this be was appointed COS Pacific Militia Area when that headquarters was stationed at CFB Esquimalt.  

On retirement from the CF and the COS PMA appointment Colonel Beer then went on to serve as the Honorary Colonel 5 (BC) Fd Bty for a number of years.  After retiring as HLCol of 5 Bty, he was asked to be a presenter at the annual RCA Jr Offr's Training at the Home Station.  He did this for several years until his failing eye sight made it virtually impossible.  He continued his civic involvement on the Board of the Victoria and Vancouver Island Corps of Commissionaires and Commandant of the Vernon Cadet Camp.  Also for years, he volunteered at the Victoria Hospice helping terminally ill patients.  He finally had to stop that because of back problems and failing eye sight.  However, he has now become a volunteer peer counsellor for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and has organized and presented their orientation program for the newly blind.


----------



## OldSolduer

RIP Col Beer   

He sounds like a very interesting officer.


----------



## 3VP Highlander

RIP, Sir


----------



## marshall sl

http://www.armycadethistory.com/Vernon%20photo%20gallery/biography_Col_Jake_Beer.htm

Biography

Col John Pope 'Jake' Beer, MBE, CD










Born on Feb. 20, 1920 in Charlottetown, P.E.I. While attending high school he joined, in 1937, the 8th Medium Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery (militia) as a gunner. Mobilized in Sept. 1939. For some months they continued to wear their prewar uniforms, including bandoleers, putties, etc. He was commissioned in Feb. 1940 and proceeded overseas in Aug. of that year to Borden, Hampshire, as a reinforcement officer. After four weeks promoted to lieutenant and posted to 1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 R.C.H.A.) (Guy Simonds) where he and five others failed Simonds' artillery examination. He was immediately posted to the 11th Army Field Regiment where he remained until June 1942. After a heavy training regime -- gun position officer, command post officer, etc. -- he was promoted to captain and transferred to the 12th Field Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. 


On D-Day Beer was a battery captain (second-in-command), directly responsible for administration and supply ("A" Echelon). Landed in Normandy with the second wave. Recounts forward observation officers' position with the infantry. His battery was accidentally bombed by our own Air Force and was out of action for twenty-four hours until new personnel, trucks, and guns were received. The 12th Field Regiment supported attacks on the channel ports. In more serious fighting at Leopold Canal he was again a forward observation officer with the Regina Rifles. Their bridgehead across the canal was, for a day or two, about fifty by two hundred yards in size. The early winter of 1944/1945 was fairly quiet. Promoted to major, the officer commanding a French Canadian battery from Shawinigan Falls (81st Battery, 14th Field Regiment). In Feb. the Reichswald was attacked: heavy fighting in flooded conditions. Later, the Rhine crossing. At the end of the war he assisted in disarming the German troops. Returned to Holland where difficulties were experienced in keeping the Canadians occupied for several months; classroom education was a partial answer. Returned to Canada in Dec. 1945. Joined the Interim Force as a battery commander at Petawawa. Reverted to captain in 1946. Transferred to Camp Shilo, Man. which, in the early days, was not a pleasant place to live. In Dec. 1946 he was sent to England on the long gunnery staff course. Immediate postwar England was a place of serious shortages; uncomfortable for a family. He returned to Camp Shilo as an instructor in gunnery. Promoted to major in 1950. That year the artillery began to change to American equipment. In the early 1950's Beer spent one year at the army staff college, Kingston, and from there was appointed second-in-command of the 81st Field Regiment at Petawawa where the regiment was in training for service in Korea. They were there for only three months before the war ended, but the unit performed very well. Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Posted as Canadian representative at the Korean Armistice Commission meetings.


In 1954 he was sent as a staff officer to the War Office in London for three years. It was a slightly awkward situation for a Canadian during the Suez war. As a lieutenant-colonel in 1957 he was on the instructional staff at the army staff college for the usual three-year appointment. After that, he was posted to the International Control Commission in Saigon. Seven months later he was called home to command 2 R.C.H.A. which he did for a period of three years in Canada and one year in Germany. The regiment was a large unit: five batteries and an Air Observation Post (Air O.P.) flight. Initially the regiment was not in a good state of training or morale. He explains the later excellent training in Germany. For a short time he attended the NATO Defence College in Paris. Promoted to colonel and Chief of Artillery, Mobile Command in Canada, a position he held for four years. Appointed Canadian faculty advisor at the NATO Defence College in Rome for three years. Arranged and conducted European and overseas tours. Chief of staff, militia headquarters, Victoria, 1972-75. Retired in 1975. Commanded Vernon Army Cadet Camp in the summer for a subsequent four years. 

I met him when I was a staff cadet at Vernon in the 70s  RIP Sir!


----------



## medicineman

RIP Sir.

I met him via my mother by accident one day at our Cadet annual inspection when he was the HCol for 5 Fd - my mom was a 2RCHA base brat when he was CO (my dad was one of the gunners in D Bty and her dad was a Bomber with E Bty).

MM


----------



## Edward Campbell

From The Regimental net:

"I have received very sad news from London today concerning the passing of one of our gallant veterans from both the Second World War and the Korean War. Lieutenant-Colonel C.G. "Carm" Darling, OMM, CD, passed away at London, ON on 17 August 2011. Lieutnenat-Colonel Darling was Mentioned in Despatches while serving as a junior officer with 2 RCR in Korea. Later, in June 1953, he served as part of the 2 RCR Detachment that was part of the Canadian Coronation Contingent attending Queen Elizabeth's Coronation. His career in the Canadian Army spanned some 42 years. Please see below for further information. I would like to thank both Captain Mike O'Leary and Captain RT Walsh for this information. Please see attached photo. This is the 2 RCR Coronation Contingent from June 1953. Lieutenant CG Darling is in the front row, the third from the left."








Carm was 2IC when I joined 2RCR (again) in 1967; he was a good teacher and a firm friend to young Coy 2ICs finding their first footing. He always put The Regiment and the soldiers in it above all else.


----------



## bick

RiP Colonel, VRI.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Colonel (ret'd) T.J. (Tom) Reader (RCCS and CF C&E Branch)






Tom served during most of the real decades of darkness being, too often, just a bit too junior to bring his considerable skills and knowledge to preventing some of the disasters that overtook his beloved Corps of Signals in the 1960s and '70s, but 'setting the table' for its ongoing recovery.

He was a firm, fair and honest leader and an outstanding trainer of troops. He held a wide range of general and specialist staff positions - often in the shadows - but in each he set an example of hard work, loyalty and precision.

I never served, directly, with Tom, but I was nearby, from time to time, and I saw some of his many contributions to the CF.


For those in the Kingston area:


> The family will receive friends and family at the JAMES REID FUNERAL HOME (1900 John Counter Boulevard) from 2:00 to 5:00 on Sunday, August 28th.
> 
> Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Paul the Apostle Church (1111 Taylor Kidd Boulevard) on Monday at 11:00am, reception to follow at St. Paul's. Cremation to follow. As expressions of sympathy, donations to the Military C. and E. Museum Foundation, or the Lewy Body Dementia Foundation, or the charity of your choice in Thomas' memory would be appreciated by the family.


----------



## Rick Goebel

Capt (Retd) Peter Jenkins 48th Fd Sqn RCE, HF of C, the RCR

From the Waterloo Region Record http://www.lifenews.ca/waterloorecord/profile/224883--jenkins-peter-k-h

JENKINS, Peter K.H. C D Capt. Ret. 1939 - 2011 Passed away on October 15, 2011 at the Pembroke Memorial Hospital, at the age of 72, following a courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by loved ones. Survived by his wife Susan Jenkins. Father of Allison Atkins and grandfather of Ryan P. Atkins. Missed by brother Robin Jenkins and wife Sharon and Evan Jenkins and wife Jane. Missed by nieces and nephews and furry friends. A Memorial Service will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Petawawa, Ontario, October 29, 2011 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be to The Royal Canadian Legion Petawawa Branch 517, Heart and Stroke Foundation, SPCA and the Cancer Society. A special thank you to all of his friends for their support and help throughout his time of need.


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## a78jumper

I remember Peter ca 1983-85 when he was posted as I recall to the RCR Battle School. Good guy.


----------



## Loachman

Crap.

He didn't look anywhere close to seventy-two when I last saw him only...

... Whoa - it's been many more years than it seems.

Good guy, definitely. Very good guy.


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## Paul Gagnon

http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/montrealgazette/guestbook.aspx?n=james-paish&pid=154307297&cid=full



> PAISH, James Howard (Jack)
> 1915 - 2011
> Died peacefully on October 22, 2011 at the age of ninety-six, surrounded by his children at Parkwood Hospital (Veterans Care) in London, Ontario, where he had received such good care for the last four years. Pre- deceased by his loving wife Diana Margaret. Beloved father of Patricia (Brian), John (Irena) and Sally (Nick). Grandfather to Sheline, Paul, Suzie, Madeleine, Greg and Sophie. Great Grandfather of six. Survived by his sisters Mary Waldron and Betty Hope. Funeral service will be held in the chapel at the National Field of Honour, 701 Donegani, in Pointe Claire, Quebec on November 2nd, 2011 at 11 a.m. A reception will follow at the Berdebes' house in Pointe Claire.



A  Despatch Rider with K Signal Section of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, Jack volunteered at the outbreak of World War II. He did not particularly wish to be in the Signals however he was a master on the motorcycle and this was just what they wanted. He trained in Kingston, Ontario and was shipped to England in the advance party ahead of the full contingent of Canadian troops. He was wounded twice, once in the hand and he was shot through the head at point blank range and lived to tell the tale. After the war Jack had a long successful career at Northern Electric in Montreal, retiring just before the change to Northern Telecom. 

Goodbye Grampa.


----------



## Loachman

My condolences. It sounds like a full life was lived.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Paul Gagnon said:
			
		

> http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/montrealgazette/guestbook.aspx?n=james-paish&pid=154307297&cid=full
> 
> A  Despatch Rider with K Signal Section of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, Jack volunteered at the outbreak of World War II. He did not particularly wish to be in the Signals however he was a master on the motorcycle and this was just what they wanted. He trained in Kingston, Ontario and was shipped to England in the advance party ahead of the full contingent of Canadian troops. He was wounded twice, once in the hand and he was shot through the head at point blank range and lived to tell the tale. After the war Jack had a long successful career at Northern Electric in Montreal, retiring just before the change to Northern Telecom.
> 
> Goodbye Grampa.




Despatch Riders were both vital and brave - especially those, like your grandfather, who served in the forward area - brigade areas were fairly small and DRs worked well within enemy small arms range and they were 'good' targets for snipers; killing a DR was a quick, effective way to disrupt communications.

My hat's off to him, please accept my condolences for your loss.


----------



## OldSolduer

The death of Stanley Quiring of Saskatoon occurred on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at St. Paul's Hospital. Funeral Service will be held on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the chapel of the Saskatoon Funeral Home. A reception will follow at the Edwards Family Centre. Stanley is survived by five brothers Carl, Dan (Elaine), Fred, Ed and Cliff; three sisters Linda Leopkky, Edna Winter and Freda Hamilton; special nieces and nephew Sheila Kehrer, Paul Quiring and Sarah Quiring; as well as numerous other nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents John Quiring and Sarah (Quiring) Shellenberg, stepfather Diedrich Schellenberg, two brothers Bill and Roy, brothers-in-law Jake Leopkky, Rae Hamilton and Ken Winter, sisters-in-law Joan, Margaret and Marian. Stanley was born and raised in Saskatoon and worked at various jobs here. He joined the Canadian Infantry in 1975, serving for 18 years before retiring from PPCLI Second Battalion. He then moved to Perdue in 1993 eventually settling in Saskatoon in 2007 where he had resided until his passing. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Paul's Hospital Foundation, 1702 20th St. W., Saskatoon, SK., S7M 9Z9. Interment will take place at the Warman Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to mail@saskatoonfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements entrusted to SASKATOON FUNERAL HOME. 244-5577. 

RIP Stan - You  are a good soldier and loyal Patricia.

And a good friend

The world is poorer today.


----------



## OldSolduer

Its my sad duty to report that LCol Bill Spence, Honourary Lieutenant Colonel of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles passed away Sunday evening.

He was an avid collector of military vehicles. My grandson sat in one of them about 2 years ago.

RIP LCol Spence


----------



## Old Sweat

Darn it. I enjoyed my contacts with Bill while working on the unit history. RIP Soldier.


----------



## Old Sweat

The report of the passing of Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Archie Beare, the father of Lieutenant General Stu Beare, just came over the regimental net. Archie and I recently traded emails and the last I got from him was the comment that he was so proud his granddaughter was a subaltern in D Battery. The message follows:

Hi folks
>
> I regret to report that dad passed away at 0245 today. Happily he passed 
> peacefully with mom at his side and with Val there. Mur, Deb, and Jen 
> arrived shortly thereafter - and France and I 45 minutes later. We were 
> all together with Dad at the hospital for our own personal good byes - a 
> real blessing for us all.
>
> I will meet with the funeral home director today and we will push info 
> regarding his cremation ( family only) service and then the Celebration of 
> life that will follow a day or two later. With a 1 Jan holiday ahead we 
> wouldn't expect to have the cremation before Tuesday and the celebration 
> of life maybe Wednesday. More to follow.
>
> Again - thank you one and all for your Messages, support and prayers. 
> Please share this message broadly as you see fit.
>
> Best
>
> Stu


----------



## Edward Campbell

Condolences to the Gunner community and to LGen Beare's family for their loss.


----------



## Gunner98

Stand Easy Papa Beare, you have completed your mission now you may Rest in Peace.  Condolences to Stu, Murray and the extended Beare family.


----------



## Jed

This is so sad.  We have lost a great individual who has extended his helping hand to many soldiers' and their families in the Wainwright area and around the country for many years. Archie will be truly missed. My wife Carol and I extend our condolences to Marcia and the family.


----------



## Webgear

The service for Archie is at Wainwright Elk's Hall (1401 - 1 Avenue, Wainwright) on Wednesday January 4th at 1:00pm. 

https://crossroadsfh.frontrunnerpro.com/runtime/5283/runtime.php?SiteId=5283&NavigatorId=68080&op=tributeObituary&viewOpt=dpaneOnly&ItemId=1069275&LinkId=221


----------



## Danjanou

John Albert Dietsch RCN

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/02/01/veteran-who-stopped-2009-poppy-robbery-dies


----------



## Nfld Sapper

MWO David Thomas Wooley, CD (Ret.)

We regret to advise of the death of Master Warrant Officer David Thomas Wooley, CD, (Retd) on 30 April 2012 in the Chilliwack General Hospital. Born and raised in Edmonton, David joined the CF in 1969 as an Electrical Generating Systems Technician. He served in a number of postings including radar stations like CFS Dana,SK, as well as overseas in Baden Soellingen. He retired in 1973 as a Master Warrant Officer Mechanical Systems Technician in the Utilities Officer position at at CFB Chilliwack. 

Funeral details will be added as received.


----------



## Rifleman62

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/721645--veteran-founded-juno-beach-centre

*Veteran founded Juno Beach Centre *

D-Day veteran Garth Web was the driving force behind the Juno Beach Centre, and continued to be involved in its operations until his death May 8.

Leslie Ferenc Staff Reporter

Lieutenant Garth Webb landed on Juno Beach with the Canadian 14th Field Artillery on D-Day and was among the lucky ones who lived to tell the story.

It was a pivotal operation in the liberation of Europe, but when he and those in his unit who’d survived the invasion returned to the beaches for the 50th anniversary, the veteran saw there was nothing to commemorate the efforts and sacrifices made by Canadians in World War II.

So he made it his mission to create a lasting tribute to his countrymen by spearheading the establishment of the Juno Beach Centre. It opened in Courseulles-sur-Mer, France, to mark the 59th anniversary of the conflict.

Webb passed away May 8 — on the 67th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. He was 93.

“Garth was a hero in more ways than one,” said Kevin Eyre, executive manager of the Juno Beach Centre Association in Burlington, referring to Webb’s distinguished military service and his tireless work on the centre.

Webb received many commendations and medals for his war service as well as the Meritorious Service Cross, presented in 2003 for the creation of the Juno Beach Centre. In 2005, he was awarded France’s highest decoration, the Legion of Honour. In September, an Oakville high school will be named after him.

Webb was also the association’s first and only president and remained active in day-to-day operations and strategic planning.

Eyre remembered his friend with great fondness, describing him as a man with a big personality and a tireless worker.

“He had a great sense of humour,” Eyre said, adding that Webb was a huge Toronto Jays, Argos and Maple Leafs fan.

He is survived by friends and family, including long-time companion Lise Cooper, his children, grand- and great-grandchildren as well as a sister and nephew.

Visitation will be at Smith’s Funeral Home, 1167 Guelph Line, Burlington, 7-9 p.m. Thursday, and 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Friday. A funeral service will be held at Wellington Square United Church, 2121 Caroline St., Burlington, on Saturday. (Call Smith’s for time.) Donations are appreciated to the Juno Beach Centre Association ( www.junobeach.org).


----------



## George Wallace

This off the Hussar Net:



> Friday, June 15, 2012
> 
> Good morningIt is with sadness that I have been informed of the passing of LCOL(R) Ed Exley
> 
> LCOL Exley passed away late Tuesday evening without pain or suffering.  An informal reception to help celebrate his life will be held at the National Cemetary of Canada, located at 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario on Wednesday, July 20 between the hours of 2 and 4 PM. An official obituary will be posted in the Saturday Citizen with all the details but please help us to spread the word to all friends and acquaintances.  Message received from Bryan Exley.   Our deepest condolences go out to LCOL Ed Exley family
> 
> Good afternoon
> 
> Please note change in date for the informal reception. The family had passed on the wrong date.  The correct date is Wednesday, 20 June, 2012 between the hours of 2 and 4 PM.  The family regrets any confusion.





> Association members, It is with regret we announce the passing of LCOL(R) Ed Exley.
> 
> Our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this time. Info below.
> Additional subjects: Col Claggett, I would like to make a correction that I had in the last Sabretache. I referred to Col Claggett as Mr WL Claggett and It should have read as Col Claggett.   My apologies.
> 
> Lest We Forget
> 
> I have added an additional subject to the Web page under the museum tab called "Lest We Forget.)
> 
> "Lest We Forget"
> 
> For the past few years Belleisle Regional High School teacher, Stephen Wilson, has provided his history students with an opportunity to research and build a documentary video on the life and military history of a number of members of the Canadian Forces within the local community who have paid the supreme sacrifice during a conflict.  This project received acclaim in the Legion Magazine in November 2010. With the kind permission of the school, teachers and students, we are pleased to present an overview of their efforts to document and bring to light the efforts of these veterans who gave everything to support the freedom we know today!  The Link will take you to the video's. They are amazing.
> 
> http://www.8chassociation.com/Lest%20We%20Forget.htm
> 
> Shirley LaMontagne
> 8 CH Association Secretary
> Shirley.Lamontagne@forces.gc.ca
> Telephone | Téléphone 506-422-2210
> Cell (506) 471-7988


----------



## Edward Campbell

RIP, Ed


----------



## Old Sweat

RIP, Ed. You were one of the good guys.

 :tank2:


----------



## Edward Campbell

I had the great pleasure of working (indirectly) for Tony Sosnkowski when he was DLR in the 1970s. He was, as the obituary says, the very definition of an "officer and gentleman."

Reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of he Copyright Act from the _Globe and Mail_:

http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/Deaths.20120712.93298721/BDAStory/BDA/deaths


> Col. (Ret.) Anthony Sosnkowski, CD, CA
> 
> Tony Sosnkowski, much cherished officer and gentleman, fiercely devoted husband of Margaret, lovingly attentive father to Louisa and Andrew (Rebecca), breathed his last at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlottetown, on June 26. A service of utmost celebration took place in Charlottetown on July 2.
> 
> Tony was the quintessence of gracious, notably so, combined with knowledge that literally spanned the cosmos, a beautifully perceptive wit, the physical strength to tackle mountains whether by foot or on skis, and a deep respect for beauty wherever he saw and heard it. Tony loved harmony and Tony created harmony; his extended family adored him and his country and community were the better for him: a man of deep appreciation who was deeply appreciated. Tony was born in Poznan, Poland, arriving as a war refugee in his beloved Canada at age 11 in July, 1940, at Halifax's Pier 21. He studied in Montreal, majoring in physics with the Jesuits of Loyola.
> 
> He fought for his country in Korea for 17 brave continuous months but for five days of R&R in Japan. For 32 years he served the Canadian Forces with diligence , his career highlight serving as the commanding officer of 4 RCHA in Petawawa which specialized in light artillery for difficult terrain and deployments by helicopter.
> 
> Subsequent to his military career, The Ontario Council St. John Ambulance and The United Way of PEI benefitted from Tony's warm, humane, focussed leadership.
> 
> How natural it is to use the word service when speaking of Tony. A chorus of loyal family dogs would agree, Monty the woofingest. Tony had lost his dear brother John. His brothers Alex, Joe and Peter remain to miss him. He was an affectionate friend to his grandchildren Sean, Bianca and Claire, and his numerous precious in- laws, who aren't sure which they loved more – Tony's hospitality or having him in their homes, with his twinkle, and crinkly grin, and perfect thing to say to mark occasions high or low. Tony was a renowned Charlottetown Rotarian, an honoured member of the PEI Commonwealth Society, and an extremely long term patron of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Perhaps those white dwarf stars ought not bother to cool without him. We are left with Tony's comprehensive library, and shiny medals, and our memories of a man who many frankly adored.
> 
> Tony was a treasure; the wealth goes on, heart-burstingly so for those who were lucky enough to be closest to him. He was a beautifully romantic husband and a perfect father.
> 
> Donations to the United Way of PEI would be appreciated.




 :cdnsalute:


----------



## Old Sweat

I also had the pleasure of serving with this fine officer and gentleman. The mention of his time in Korea is understated. 

The following is an extract from the RCHA history: (And as per normal, there was no formal recognition of their deed.)

	The Chinese held the high ground to the north of “The Hook” in great strength, but their main positions could not be seen from any ground OP within the divisional sector. In February 1953 it was considered worth the risk to establish a “lay-up” OP well forward of the FDLs. Lt-Col Sills and Col. A. (Tony) Sosnkowski have described this unusual venture:

	[Sills] The volunteers for this mission “Pheasant” [Goose Feature] were Lt Tony Sosnkowski, Bdr G.I. Reid and two signallers, Gunners Blackburn and Rafuse. Reid remained behind to “mind the store” at Tony’s OP on the Yong-Dong feature – the one entered by a tunnel dug through the mountain. The other three went to Dave Elkins’ OP on Hill 146 with “The Hook” battalion.

	[Sosnkowski] Maj Chuck Murdoch arranged the US briefings and Elkins’ OP was my base and communications link. Blackburn stayed with Dave’s crew to help man the link. At night Rafuse and I set off across the Sami-chon valley. The trip was uneventful other than skirting around fires burning in the dried out brush from the previous day’s WP [White Phosphorous firing.] During the day’s operation we were too busy to worry much. If the Chinese had found us the plan was that half the platoon acting as our firm base would keep up the fire fight long enough for our pre-arranged smoke screen and DFs to come down and help us pull out.

	[Sills] They infiltrated between Chinese outposts and found a suitable place to hide until daybreak; then they moved from one viewpoint to another taking on targets of opportunity. Three examples were a digging party, a mortar position and a group of visitors, all of which Tony engaged with RCHA guns. This third group was especially interesting as they appeared to be non-orientals dressed in distinctive blue uniforms – one looking like a very senior officer. Tony’s gunfire had them diving for cover in the closest bunker. He also had two US guns allotted for destructive shooting – an 8” howitzer and a ‘Long Tom’ 155mm gun – which he used to destroy three bunkers; one was particularly large, obviously some kind of HQ. After dark this intrepid pair returned, safe but weary, having completed a very successful mission in less than 24 hours.

	[Sosnkowski] The only bad part I remember was the long and exhausting slog back up “The Hook” re-entrants in pitch black darkness and slithering mud as it was raining heavily. It must have been much harder for Rafuse who had the radio on his back. When we finally stumbled back into Dave’s OP he had wieners and beans, fried eggs and coffee ready. God bless him! I wolfed down the food and collapsed into a deep sleep for four hours. After a shave and scraping enough mud off our uniforms to be presentable, we went down to Battalion HQ to be debriefed and then around … to our own OP on “Yong-dong,” which seemed like a cosy and pleasant place to be again.


----------



## Rifleman62

Wonderful obit and accounting of the "adventure". He must have been quite the man.


----------



## Good2Golf

Rifleman62 said:
			
		

> Wonderful obit and accounting of the "adventure". He must have been quite the man.



Fully concur, RM62.  RIP Col Sosnkowski!  

Mr. Campbell, Old Sweat, it must have been quite an experience and an honour serving with the Colonel.


Regards
G2G


----------



## Old Sweat

Thank you, gentlemen. 

Colonel Tony always seemed to have a grin on his face, which combined with his slight Polish accent, seemed to make people want to hang around him. He was the last CO of 4 RCHA which was disbanded in 1970 as part of Prime Minister Trudeau's huge defence cuts and restructuring. For a few years after that, Colonel Sosnkowski and myself, along with some others put an ad in the Canadian Gunner, our regiment's annual publication, that proclaimed "4 RCHA is alive and well and hiding at Montgomery Lake."


----------



## Edward Campbell

Good2Golf said:
			
		

> Fully concur, RM62.  RIP Col Sosnkowski!
> 
> Mr. Campbell, Old Sweat, it must have been quite an experience and an honour serving with the Colonel.
> 
> 
> Regards
> G2G




I was just scanning back through these pages - recalling true gentlemen, and brave and distinguished officers, like Duncan McAlpine and Rene Gutnecht, and real tough guys, like Sergeant Major BC Robinson and thinking of how lucky I was to serve in such company. And then it came to me that young men, some just newly joined today, will think the same of all of you. The army CF is a family and we are all _related_ and we derive strength from the best of us and we all work a bit harder to carry the least amongst us and we will all miss one another, mostly fondly, when we pass.


----------



## The Bread Guy

For those who knew him, especially through the Air Cadet movement in northwestern Ontario, from his online obit:


> .... Steinar Kristiansen (Capt. Ret.), 74 years, passed away peacefully on July 20th, 2012 with his loving family at his side at Maison Vale Hospice, Sudbury. Steinar is survived by his loving wife Eileen of 53 years. Together they raised four daughters, Susan (Gary Euler), Jo Anne, Karen and Heidi (Robert Paquette). He was born in Larvik, Norway, October 2, 1937 and immigrated to Canada in 1948 with his parents and two brothers Trond Willy and Jan-Erik. Sister Marilyn (Roland Amsler) was later born in Canada. He will be sadly missed by his six grandchildren Theodore and Connor Foley, Brandon, Ryan and Carter Paquette, Andrea Lalonde. Survived by Theresa Welch (niece) and Edwin Amsler (nephew). Steinar worked as a structural steel draftsman in Thunder Bay, Ontario for several years before operating his own successful drafting business with daughter Jo Anne. He was very active in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets throughout his life. He earned several rifle marksmanship awards as a teenager, obtained a pilot license and was a part of the National Drill Team. He received his Commission in 1982 and was Commanding Officer of the 66th squadron and with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 179 in Capreol, Ontario and had earned a life member status.
> 
> “Asleep! O sleep a little while, white pearl!
> And let me kneel, and let me pray to thee,
> And let me call Heaven’s blessing on thine eyes,
> And let me breathe into the happy air,
> That doth enfold and touch thee all about,
> Vows of my slavery, my giving up,
> My sudden adoration, my great love!”
> John Keats.
> 
> Resting at the Lougheed Funeral Home, Hanmer/Capreol Chapel, 4605 Michelle Dr. at Hwy 69 N, Hanmer
> on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM only
> 
> A memorial service under the auspices of the RCL Branch 179, Capreol on Tuesday at 7:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Maison Vale Hospice are greatly appreciated.


----------



## George Wallace

From the RCD Net:




> LCol (Ret'd) ERNEST JOSEPH WESSON (Ernie)
> 
> 
> It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of LCol (Ret'd) Ernest (Ernie) Wesson, on Saturday, 11 August 2012 at the age of 78.  Ernie lost his fight with cancer after bravely facing many outside complications including Parkinson’s disease.
> 
> Ernie began his career in the Regular Army in 1955. Then in 1958, fresh out of the University of Toronto and the Armour Corps School, he joined The Royal Canadian Dragoons, (his sole Regiment until he retired in 1980), as a Second Lieutenant.
> 
> His career took him to the Sinai desert in 1960 as a reconnaissance troop leader with the UNEF1 (The United Nations Emergency Force).
> 
> While posted as an instructor at the School of Armour in Gagetown, Ernie ran the Combat Team Commanders Course.
> 
> In 1969 Ernie moved the family to Bielefeld, West Germany, where he was posted for two years as the Canadian Liaison Officer to HQ First British Corps, British Army of the Rhine.
> 
> In the mid 70’s he had another two year posting as the Canadian Liaison Officer to the US Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico Virginia.
> 
> In 1982 he joined the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own) becoming the Commanding Officer in 1986.   He continued to serve his country as the President of the Royal United Services Institute – Vancouver, Chairman of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Association Trust, Treasurer of the British Columbia Regiment Trust and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the British Columbia Corps of Commissionaires. After his successful career in the military and having retired in Vancouver, he embarked on a career as a stockbroker, and had a successful career, working with the brokerage firm McDermid St Lawrence and its successor firms for a number of years.
> 
> Ernie’s warm and generous nature, along with his great sense of humour and wit drew people to him and he greatly treasured each and every one of his many friends.
> 
> Ernie is predeceased by his beloved wife of 48 years, Maureen.  He will be greatly missed by his children, Karen Hanlon (James), Lori Murphy (Bill), Chris Wesson (Leachelle), Lynn Bradshaw and Ron Lea, and by his ten grandchildren.
> 
> Funeral
> The funeral will be held on Friday the 17 August 2012 at 11:30 AM at Christ the Redeemer Parish, 595 Keith Road, West Vancouver, BC.  Prayers and visitation will also be held at 7:00 pm in the church on the evening before the funeral.
> 
> In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lions Gate Hospital Chemotherapy Clinic or the North Shore Hospice House.


----------



## Edward Campbell

I knew Ernie back in the 1960s; he was a good soldier and a good man. So sad.

 :cdnsalute:


----------



## manhole

The death of Col. Ron Johnsnton of Saint John, NB occurred Sept. 28th, 2012,   Ron retired from the Saint John Fire Dept. as Deputy Chief after 33 years service.   He was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves for 28 years, serving as the CO of 3 Field Regt and Commander of the Western NB Militia District.   He was an active member of the Rotary Club, was past president of the United Services Institute, and the Royal Canadian Artillery Association.   He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary-Lee, and his children Lee-Ann and Stephen and their families, as well as a brother,Mel, and a nephew Marc.   Resting at Brenan's Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John with visitation on Sunday and Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 pm.   Funeral service will be held from Brenan's Chapel on Tues., Oct. 2nd at 12:00.   Interment will take place at Fernhill Cemetary.
R.I.P., sir.   I was proud to have been your RSM.


----------



## Danjanou

Eric Lomax Royal Corps of Signals, former POW  and Death Railway survivor who found it in him to forgive his captors  and author of the Railway Man has passed away, RIP  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19878770

http://www.berwickshirenews.co.uk/community/obituary-eric-lomax-death-railway-survivor-who-put-aside-decades-of-suffering-to-forgive-his-torturer-1-2565775
[/quote]


----------



## Edward Campbell

James Coyne, 2nd Governor of the Bank of Canada, RCAF veteran, died today; he was 102 years old.

He will be remembered for his dispute with Prime Minister John Diefenbaker which had the effect, finally, of guaranteeing the independence of all Bank Governors.


----------



## Edward Campbell

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> James Coyne, 2nd Governor of the Bank of Canada, RCAF veteran, died today; he was 102 years old.
> 
> He will be remembered for his dispute with Prime Minister John Diefenbaker which had the effect, finally, of guaranteeing the independence of all Bank Governors.




Here is a fitting memorial written by Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act from the _National Post_:

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2012/10/20/one-governor-to-another-the-legacies-of-james-elliott-coyne/


> One governor to another: The legacies of James Elliott Coyne
> 
> Mark Carney, Special to Financial Post
> 
> Oct 20, 2012
> 
> A study of the long, rich life of James Elliott Coyne, former governor of the Bank of Canada, provides a perspective on the tumultuous events of Canada’s 20th century through the lens of a man who epitomized the qualities of his generation. His was a life driven by values of personal responsibility, duty, honour and integrity. Coyne was known for his determination and his commitment to what he had determined to be the right path, even when that path proved a difficult one to walk.
> 
> Lawyer, military officer, diplomat and central banker, throughout his distinguished career Coyne applied his keen intelligence and unwavering integrity to make a lasting impact.
> 
> Coyne joined the bank in 1938, three years after its establishment, was deputy governor from 1950 to 1955 and served as its governor from 1955 until 1961. Those economically and politically difficult years marked a period during which the central bank was beginning to assume a more prominent role in Canada’s economy — a role that was being defined as it was being played.
> 
> Coyne’s tenure as governor resulted in three important and enduring legacies that directly influence the bank’s monetary policy framework today: low and stable inflation as the paramount objective of monetary policy; a floating and flexible Canadian dollar; and the enshrinement of operational independence for the bank, with clearly articulated responsibilities of both the bank and the federal government in the design and conduct of monetary policy.  In his era, Coyne’s version of monetary policy was novel — and controversial. During his tenure as governor, the Bank of Canada had little experience with conducting an active, market-based monetary policy. Few central banks did. Nor did the bank have many of the forecasting and policy tools that it needed to fulfill the expanded remit that Coyne envisioned for the institution. The bank’s initial use of market-based instruments for controlling the supply of money in the economy was considered intrusive and inelegant.  Still, the overall principles of Canada’s monetary policy were forged during his era. If today low and stable inflation is a cornerstone of monetary-policy frameworks around the world, it is in part thanks to Coyne. He believed in price stability, and he believed it was a means to an end; the best contribution a central bank can make to fostering sustainable growth and a high standard of living for citizens. Since it was adopted in 1991, Canada’s inflation-targeting regime — the logical conclusion of Coyne’s policies — has been a critical policy anchor through calm and turbulent times, giving the bank an unwavering goal to guide its policy actions, and providing financial markets and the public with a clear means of understanding the rationale behind them. Canada’s flexible inflation-targeting framework focuses on keeping inflation near its 2% target while mitigating volatility in other dimensions of the economy that matter for welfare, such as employment and financial stability.
> 
> Coyne worked tirelessly to improve the efficiency of monetary policy. Under his leadership, the bank developed forecasting tools that allowed monetary policy to be forward-looking rather than simply reactive. It developed novel monetary instruments (including a bank rate set at 25 basis points above the auction rate of treasury bills) and fostered deep, liquid financial markets that would serve as an effective transmission mechanism for monetary-policy actions. Coyne also took an initial foray into expanding the bank’s communications with the public, drafting parts of the bank’s annual report himself and giving a series of widely reported public speeches.
> 
> Within the bank, Coyne was one of the earliest and most convincing proponents of a flexible exchange-rate regime. Canada was the first industrialized country in the post-war period to experiment with a flexible exchange rate. The decision was harshly criticized by others, including the International Monetary Fund, but the experiment proved a success: An appreciating currency at the time helped to moderate capital inflows and resulting inflationary pressures. With the exception of 1962 to 1970 (when the Canadian currency was once again pegged again to the U.S. dollar), Canada has had a floating exchange rate since 1950 — one of the longest experiences with a floating currency in the world, and an example to other small, open economies that have adopted floating rates. A flexible exchange rate is now a core element of Canada’s inflation-targeting monetary-policy framework. A floating Canadian dollar plays a key role in the transmission of monetary policy, allows the bank to pursue an independent monetary policy, and helps to absorb shocks to the economy.
> 
> These first two legacies are often overshadowed by the third; the outcome of the dramatic controversy referred to as the “Coyne Affair.” One can only begin to imagine the great personal cost of that stormy episode on Coyne, his family, close friends and his colleagues at the bank. But the legacy of the Coyne Affair was the transformation of the Bank of Canada from an institution closely associated with the Department of Finance and primarily focused on debt management into a monetary authority with clear operational independence. Over the following decades, this model would be adopted by all of the major central banks in the advanced economies.
> 
> In the wake of the Coyne Affair, on his last day at the bank, employees presented Coyne with a gold medallion bearing the inscription “Presented to James Elliott Coyne by his staff for courage and integrity in defence of the office of Governor of the Bank of Canada.” His legacy has profoundly influenced all of us who work at the bank, and has made it a stronger, more capable and more accountable institution.
> 
> James E. Coyne was a true public servant. His life was well lived and now, his rest well deserved.
> 
> _Mark Carney is governor of the Bank of Canada_


----------



## 211RadOp

It is with great sadness that I report that an old friend of mine, Tim Carr, passed away on Christmas Eve at 2120 at KGH.  Funeral services will be held in Gananoque and I will post information as I get it from his wife.

ZKJ VVV


----------



## krustyrl

RIP Cpl Carr


----------



## 211RadOp

Incase anyone is interested in the visitation.

http://www.tompkinsfuneralhome.ca/book-of-memories/1451764/Carr-Timothy/service-details.php


----------



## Edward Campbell

Just received this today from the C&E Branch Secretariat:

t is with deep sadness that I am informing you, on behalf of the Branch Leadership, of the passing of our former Colonel-Commandant, Colonel George Lackonick (Retired), who passed away peacefully on Sunday, 17 February at shortly after 2000 hrs, with his family (wife Madeline, daughter Dianne and son Vincent) at his side.  Funeral arrangements are being arranged between the family and the Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment, and will be announced as soon as possible.  For planning purposes, the funeral is being planned for Thursday, 21 February at the RC Chapel at CFB Kingston to be followed by a reception to be held at Fort Frontenac Officers' Mess.  The alternate date being considered is Saturday, 23 Februrary at the same locations.  As soon as the details are firm,  they will be communicated by the undersigned. Thank you.


----------



## 211RadOp

Col Lackonick's service has been confirmed for Thurs at 1300.  Dress for spectators is 1A.  It will be held at the RC Chapel at CFB Kingston.


----------



## Edward Campbell

George Lackonick was a first class officer and a good friend. He will be sorely missed by comrades to whom he always gave more than he ever received in return. His personal penchant for _"service before self"_ certainly cost him a shot a one star, more than likely at two.


----------



## Petard

Roger MacDiarmid, former CWO, retired Captain, and gentleman passed away this week; very sad loss
http://www.inmemoriam.ca/view-announcement-353630-roger-macdiarmid.html

The sad end to a very touching story of love and dedication
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/the-long-goodbye/article4326389/


Fair winds spike, and sincere condolences to his family and most of all for Donna


----------



## Bruce Monkhouse

Thanks for posting that Petard, I just found out tonight from Paul Yetman.

I spent 10 months in a small classroom with him on a French course and, by the rules of the school, it was first names only and he was always much more comfortable with myself calling him 'Roger' than I ever was. 
A truly nice man who could adapt to anything and made you feel like you'd follow him anywhere..............


----------



## Edward Campbell

A gracious lady, and a dear old friend of my late Mother, Mrs Janet Piers, widow of the late RAdm Debbie Piers, has passed away.


----------



## xo31@711ret

James Prowse 
(January 10, 1946 - March 17, 2013) 

PROWSE, James (LCdr Ret’d), CD, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed. (b. 1946). Passed peacefully away in the presence of his loving family on March 17, 2013 at St. Patrick’s Mercy Home. Predeceased by parents Edward and Mary Prowse, wife Joan (nee Walsh). Leaving to mourn with many fond memories children Brenda, Jim (Nancy Healey), Stephen (Rachel Rousselle), grandchildren Nigel Collins, Brendan and Nicholas Prowse, and a large circle of cousins, other relatives, friends, former co-workers, and former students. The family would like to especially thank the nurses and other staff at St. Patrick’s Mercy Home on the second floor for their compassion and care. Jim will be best remembered as a music teacher who inspired many students over the years by his hard work, dedication, discipline and love of music. Likewise, many were inspired by his leadership example as the CO of his beloved HMCS Cabot, the naval reserve unit in St. John’s. We wish him calm seas and smooth sailing for evermore. Resting at Caul’s Funeral Home, LeMarchant Road, visitation on Tuesday and Wednesday from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Funeral Mass will take place on Thursday, March 21, 2013 from Corpus Christi Church at 9:30 a.m. Cremation to follow. Flowers gratefully accepted or donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.


----------



## PMedMoe

Obituary for my brother-in-law who passed away yesterday (will run in the Calgary Herald this weekend and Monday):


David Donald Edward Ulley, of Airdrie, Alberta passed away peacefully in his home Thursday, April 4 2013, after a battle with cancer.

David is survived by his wife, Annette (nee Stewart), his son Devon and daughter Amber, his mother Joyce, brothers Dean and Darrin (Terri), sister Kim, nieces, nephews and many other relatives.

David started his work life with 22 years in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1977-1998. He started as a Metal Tech then became a Non-Destructive Testing Tech. After the military he worked at Amoco, RTD Quality Services, Hyperion Tech Inc. and finally Jazz.

David enjoyed motorcycling, camping, hunting, video gaming and many sports, as well as spending time with family and friends.

Family, friends and co-workers are welcome to drop in and pay their respects at an informal reception that will be held at 1364 Meadowbrook Drive SE, his home in Airdrie, on Tuesday April 9 2013 from 3pm-7pm.

Donations to either the Cancer Society or your local animal shelter are welcome in lieu of flowers.

Link to obituary: David Ulley


----------



## Bass ackwards

My condolences, Moe.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Just received this from Pat Alden on The Regimental net:

----------------------------------------​We are writing to you to advise that BGen(R) Robert Alden, OMM, CD 1939-2013 has lost his 6 year battle with cancer on April 12th 2013. 

A celebration of life will be held from 1-3pm on Wednesday 17 April at Fort Frontenac Officers’ Mess in Kingston.

The family wish to thank the nurses, doctors and staff at Saint Elizabeth, Kingston General Hospital and St. Mary’s of the Lake for their care and compassion.

Donations in lieu of flowers should be made to the Canadian Cancer Society

Bob started his career in the Canadian Army in 1957 when he attended CMR and RMC. In 1963 he was posted to 1st Bn of the Black Watch as a platoon commander. He was nominated to attend the basic parachute course in 1964 and as a prize for graduating he posted to Germany the British Army. He was an exchange officer with the British  Black Watch. During this time he married Jane, his wife of 48 years, and his first son Patrick(future Royal) was born. Upon returning to Canada he returned to 1st Bn RHC in Gagetown for 6 months before being posted to RMC as the Assistant Army Staff officer. While in Kingston Joel was born. The family left Kingston and moved to Gagetown and 2nd Bn RHC. In Sept 1969 Bob spent eight months wearing a blue beret in Cyprus. In 1970 Capt Alden attended the Army Staff College as one of the last members of the Black Watch as the Reg force portion of the Regiment was stood down. 1971 found newly promoted Maj Alden commanding a Coy in 3 Mech Cdo.(part of the Canadian Airborne Regiment). 1974 found Bob replacing the maroon beret of the CAR with the green beret and eight pointed star of the RCR and  on the move again, this time to Cornwallis NS, as the first Chief Instructor of the new integrated Canadian Forces Recruit School. 1976 found Bob headed to Edmonton and the Canadian Airborne Regiment. The family knew this would be a short posting as Bob had been tasked with seeing the regiment moving to Petawawa the following summer. Bob watched the CAR move to their new home then passed them as once again the family moved to Gagetown and CTC for a year. In 1977 newly promoted LCol Alden found himself Petawawa bound as the DCO of the CAR. The family found itself on the move 10 months later in June 1979 as Bob took over command of 3 RCR then part of 4CMBG in Germany. In 1981 the family’s shortest move occurred when the family moved down the road where Bob was the SSO Ops for 4 CMBG. 1983 May 25, Bob was invested into the OMM as an officer. He was also promoted and posted to Winnipeg as Chief of Staff for the Prairie Region (Militia). In 1985  Bob was privileged to swear Pat in as a private in the RCR. 1986 Bob and Jane went back to Germany and HQ CFE in Lahr. Two years later in 1988 newly promoted BGen Alden moved up the road to Heidelberg to take over as Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Central Army Group (NATO). 1992 Bob and Jane were posted to Kingston where Bob was appointed the Commandant of the Army Staff College and the Deputy Comd 1 Can Div.





----------------------------------------​





Bob Alden with (I'm pretty sure) Lew Evans in the CAR in the 1970s.


----------



## Loachman

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> Obituary for my brother-in-law who passed away yesterday (will run in the Calgary Herald this weekend and Monday):
> 
> 
> David Donald Edward Ulley, of Airdrie, Alberta passed away peacefully in his home Thursday, April 4 2013, after a battle with cancer.
> 
> David is survived by his wife, Annette (nee Stewart), his son Devon and daughter Amber, his mother Joyce, brothers Dean and Darrin (Terri), sister Kim, nieces, nephews and many other relatives.
> 
> David started his work life with 22 years in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1977-1998. He started as a Metal Tech then became a Non-Destructive Testing Tech. After the military he worked at Amoco, RTD Quality Services, Hyperion Tech Inc. and finally Jazz.
> 
> David enjoyed motorcycling, camping, hunting, video gaming and many sports, as well as spending time with family and friends.
> 
> Family, friends and co-workers are welcome to drop in and pay their respects at an informal reception that will be held at 1364 Meadowbrook Drive SE, his home in Airdrie, on Tuesday April 9 2013 from 3pm-7pm.
> 
> Donations to either the Cancer Society or your local animal shelter are welcome in lieu of flowers.
> 
> Link to obituary: David Ulley



Sorry to hear that, Moe.


----------



## 211RadOp

I knew that Bob Alden was not well.  My condolences to Jane, Pat and Joel. I first remember meeting him when I was but a young lad when he and Dad attended Staff College together.

Carry on Sir!

Pro Patria


----------



## OldSolduer

I have just learned Colonel John Bremner, former CO 2PPCLI has passed away. 

RIP Colonel.


----------



## OldSolduer

Also, BGen Comack, QOCH.  

RIP Sir,


----------



## Edward Campbell

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> I have just learned Colonel John Bremner, former CO 2PPCLI has passed away.
> 
> RIP Colonel.




Damn! John and I were friends; we trained together and served in the same brigade many years ago, and were COs at about the same time.

Any details: funeral arrangements, condolences, etc?

Edit to add:

I found the obituary


----------



## DAA

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Damn! John and I were friends; we trained together and served in the same brigade many years ago, and were COs at about the same time.
> 
> Any details: funeral arrangements, condolences, etc?



http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/timescolonist/obituary.aspx?pid=164382666#fbLoggedOut


----------



## Edward Campbell

Just received word that Laurence O'Neill, formerly The Royal Canadian Regiment and recently Director Business Development at General Dynamics Canada, has passed away.

Attached is a recent (Sep 2012) picture of Laurence, when he was in a period of relapse, with Rick Dick and Bob Near.

More to follow.


----------



## Edward Campbell

And also from The Regimental net: Ray Gobeil, who served with the Canadian Guards and, after the 1969 re-org, served in The Royal Canadian Regiment and commanded 1RCR, has died in Ottawa. The funeral service will be private.


Edit: photo attached


----------



## The Anti-Royal

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Just received word that Laurence O'Neill, formerly The Royal Canadian Regiment and recently Director Business Development at General Dynamics Canada, has passed away.



You'll be sorely missed, Laurence.  Godspeed.


----------



## Edward Campbell

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Just received word that Laurence O'Neill, formerly The Royal Canadian Regiment and recently Director Business Development at General Dynamics Canada, has passed away.
> 
> Attached is a recent (Sep 2012) picture of Laurence, when he was in a period of relapse, with Rick Dick and Bob Near.
> 
> More to follow.




This from The Regimental Adjutant:



> Last Friday I had warned Royal Canadians of the unfortunate and dramatic turn that had taken place in the health of Major Lawrence O'Neill as he bravely battled cancer. Today it is my sad duty to inform the Regiment that Major O'Neill passed away at 5:30 AM this morning, 23 April 2013, at Smiths Falls, Ontario. He passed peacefully at his home while family members were at his side. Major Lawrence Hugh O'Neill was a long time Royal, well know and hugely respected throughout The Royal  Canadian Regiment. His loss is deeply regretted and he will be remembered with great fondness. The O'Neill family is very much in the thoughts and prayers of all Royal Canadians. Brigadier-General Ian Douglas (Ret'd) and Brigadier -General Jim Selbie (Ret'd) are assisting the family with planning and coordination of the funeral. An obituary will appear either tomorrow or Thursday in both the Ottawa Citizen and the National Post. When it does I will be sure to forward this to theRegiment. In the meantime, I have been advised that visitation, funeral
> and interment will all take place this Saturday, 27 April at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa. Here are the details as I know them:
> 
> 1. Visitation - 1200 Hours;
> 2. Funeral - 1400 Hours; and
> 3. Reception: 1600 Hours.
> 
> Should there be any changes at all I will be sure to inform the Regiment. As further details become apparent, I will likewise advise all Royals.
> 
> Pro Patria
> 
> Ross Appleton
> Captain
> Regimental Adjutant





[size=8pt]Edit to add:

The funeral service has been postponed until next week.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Update from The Regimental Adjutant:

"I can confirm that funeral services for Major Laurence O'Neill will be conducted at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa on Tuesday, 30 April 2013. I can also confirm that timings have not changed.

     1. Visitation - 1200 Hours;
     2. Funeral - 1400 Hours; and
     3. Reception: 1600 Hours."


----------



## CTulipano

Was flipping through the local paper today which is something I never do and came across a death notice for Larry Nelson. I ran into him in Carleton Place about 2 years ago and he was looking well then but aparently he passed away on 18 April. Here's the link to the obituary for those that knew Larry.

http://barkerfh.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2068772&fh_id=11496


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## xo31@711ret

New Larry well back in the early & mid 80's in Duke's Coy 1RCR London. Larry was a great guy. We (single back then) worked hard & partied hardier. You will not be forgotten bud, rest in peace my friend. Pro Patria


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## a78jumper

Very sorry to hear of Laurence's passing. I was a first year at RMC during he fourth and he had a reputation as being a taskmaster, but I know his heart was in the right place. We crossed paths in Petawawa ca 1983 and again over a beer about 15 years ago in the Army Ottawa Mess shortly after he had retired. Never changed. Godspeed Sir.


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## a78jumper

Not sure if anyone knew John...retired RCR Major, ex 3 Cdo and CABC, and ex OC of the Sky Hawks...http://globalnews.ca/news/536752/skydiver-dies-in-accident-near-stony-plain/

Blue skies Jumper.


----------



## Ciskman

This is terribly sad to hear. He was quite involved in the SAR parachute world.  Great guy. My thoughts are with him and his loved ones.


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## captloadie

My one and only jump was a tandem with John years ago. He will be missed by all. RIP.


----------



## Edward Campbell

I  don't think I ever crossed paths with John, but I knew who he was and how active he was in the airborne community. This photo - released by The Regiment* - is, I suppose, how he wants to be remembered.

_____
* Here is the notice from The Regimental net:

Yesterday, Regimental Headquarters received tragic news of the untimely loss of a member of our Regimental family. Major John Scott (Ret'd) died Saturday night, 04 May 2013, near Stony Plain, Alberta, as
the result of a civilian free fall parachuting accident. He was 49 years of age and was living in Edmonton.

Major Scott had an extensive background with both The Royal Canadian Regiment and Airborne forces dating from 1984-2005. Within the Regiment John Scott will be especially remembered for serving with 3 RCR and, later, 1 RCR. He completed Infantry Officer Training in 1984 and was posted to 3 RCR at Winnipeg, qualifying Basic Para in November 1984. John Scott was posted to 3 Commando, Canadian Airborne Regiment, at Petawawa in 1987.  He went on to serve with the Canadian Airborne Centre (CABC) at Edmonton until 1992. Major Scott was posted to 1 RCR in Petawawa in 1992,  serving as 2IC of first Echo Company and then Delta Company. In 1998 he was back with the Airborne again, serving at the Canadian Parachute Centre (CPC) in Trenton until 2004. Major Scott was also a member of the Sky Hawks
Military Parachute Display Team. He concluded his career in the CF, serving with the Calgary Highlanders from 2004-2005.

(I would like to thank Major DL Berry, Lieutenant-Colonel SB Luckhurst, Lieutenant-Colonel PA Lockhart, Colonel CJJ Mialkowski, and Colonel JP Davis for their assistance in putting together the details of Major
Scott's military service (please note that some of the dates given are approximations).)

Following his retirement from the CF, Major Scott retained very close ties with The RCR and the military parachuting community. He was an ongoing trainer with CFPT. John Scott's death has been keenly and
especially  felt at CFLAWC. This morning at a unit parade in Trenton, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Lockhart, the Commanding Officer, informed all ranks of CFLAWC of this grievous news.

His sudden and tragic loss has resonated deeply with soldiers and officers of John Scott's generation. Since yesterday I have received many heartfelt e-mails from shocked and saddened Royals. The reaction of
Lieutenant-Colonel Marty Lipcsey, as expressed to the CO of CFLAWC, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Lockhart, was typical. "I suspect you have already heard of the tragic death of John Scott over the weekend in a
parachute accident near Edmonton.  He was well know in the RCR and in the skydiving community.  He will be surely missed but remembered as a
great soldier and leader that loved to jump.  My sincerest condolences."

Major Scott was known for his great spirit of adventure. He was an expert freefall parachutist with over 9,000 parachute descents to his credit. Many Royals recall shared adventures and happy experiences with
him, from climbing Monte Bianco, cruising the highways on Harley-Davidsons, or simply sharing a good time at his former Petawawa home on Doran Road. John Scott was a larger than life figure who will be
greatly missed, but fondly remembered. Many Royals will also recall his brother, Terry Scott, who also served with 1 RCR and 3 Commando in the 1980s. All of our thought and prayers go out to the bereaved family and
friends of John Scott at this time. As I learn of further details concerning memorial or funeral services I will be sure to pass these on.

Please see below for pictures of John Scott and an Edmonton news story about the tragic accident.

Pro Patria


----------



## a78jumper

Yup that pretty well sums up John in more than a few words. I served with him in the Airborne Regiment late 80s and then at CABC 89-92 where he was 2i/c PTC then Ops O. We also crossed paths when I was the Team Manager of the CISM Parachute Team that competed in Zagreb in 1999...it was mounted out of CPC in Trenton and henceforth that unit became the centre of sport parachuting excellence,something previous CO's had been loath to touch so perhaps John had a hand in that decision too. We were on the same military freefall course in the fall of 1989, and he took it from there.....Godspeed on newfound wings John. I am sure that given his zest for life his funeral/memorial is going to be an EVENT! Not the type that would want people sitting moping and all sad.


----------



## Journeyman

Damn.     Fair winds, John.


----------



## Edward Campbell

LCol Herb Clouthier, The RCR, has passed away:

From The Regimental Adjutant:
__________
I was recently alerted to the death of a very distinguished Royal Canadian, a veteran of the Korean War, and a true Regimental hero. Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert George Cloutier, MC, CD passed away on 20 April 2013 at Ottawa. He was  serving as a subaltern with 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment from at least 1950 (see attached photo of Lieutenant Herb Cloutier, taken at Petawawa in August 1950). However, based on the decorations and jump wings on his chest, he clearly had much longer service in the Army. Herb Cloutier deployed to Korea with 1 RCR in March 1952. While the Battalion was located at embattled Hill 355 (Kowang-San), a new rifle company, "E" or "Easy" Company was raised on 06 September 1952. Captain Cloutier was named the Officer Commanding this company. He would subsequently play a significant role in the epic Battle of Kowang-San, 22-24 October 1952. He led his Company with courage and coolness and was an inspiring presence throughout. Immediately following the desperate fighting in the area defended by "B" Company, "Capt H.G. Cloutier of E Company organized two groups to probe and determine the enemy strength on B company's front..." (Stevens, G.R., "The Royal Canadian Regiment: Volume Two, 1933-1966," London Printing & Lithographic Co., Limited, London, Ontario, 1962. p. 253). He was subsequently cited for gallantry in action and awarded the Military Cross. The citation reads as follows.

     AWARD of THE MILITARY CROSS

     To ZP 2810 Captain Herbert George CLOUTIER, CD
     1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment

     "ON 23 OCTOBER, 1952, “E” COMPANY OF 1ST BATTALION, THE ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT, COMMANDED BY CAPTAIN CLOUTIER, WAS SUBJECTED TO AN INTENSE ENEMY ARTILLERY AND MORTAR BOMBARDMENT
      WHICH PRECEDED AN ASSAULT ON THE COMPANY ON THE RIGHT FLANK. THE BOMBARDMENT CONTINUED ON “E” COMPANY THOUGH LIFTING FROM THE COMPANY UNDER ATTACK. “E” COMPANY HAD BEEN SUBJECTED
      TO HEAVY SHELLING FOR A PERIOD OF FOUR DAYS, WITH SHATTERING EFFECT ON THE DEFENCES AND THE MEN IN THEM. THE COMPANY AREA WAS SERIOUSLY AND EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED IN THE BOMBARDMENT ON
      23 OCTOBER, AND MOVEMENT OF ANY KIND WAS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. IN MANY PLACES DEFENSIVE COVER HAD BEEN COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED. ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO THE COMPANY UNDER ASSAULT WERE
      SEVERED. ALTHOUGH INTENSE MORTARING CONTINUED, CAPTAIN CLOUTIER PLACED HIMSELF IN A POSITION FROM WHICH HE REPORTED PROGRESS OF THE BATTLE TO HIS COMMANDING OFFICER. FOR SOME TIME
      HE WAS THE ONLY SOURCE OF VITAL INFORMATION. IN SPITE OF THE DEMORALIZING EFFECT OF FOUR DAYS HEAVY SHELLING, CULMINATING IN AN INTENSE BOMBARDMENT, CAPTAIN CLOUTIER WAS ABLE TO
      ORGANIZE TWO GROUPS FROM HIS COMPANY TO PROBE THE AREA WHICH HAD BEEN OVERRUN BY THE ENEMY. THIS ACTION, AND THE INFORMATION OBTAINED THEREFROM, WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
      SUCCESS OF THE COUNTER-ATTACK WHICH RESTORED THE SITUATION. CAPTAIN CLOUTIER’S COOLNESS, STEADINESS AND DETERMINATION WAS AN INSPIRATION TO THE MEN OF HIS COMPANY WHO STOOD FAST
      DURING THE EXTREME HEAVY ENEMY FIRE BEFORE AND DURING THE ATTACK. THE RETENTION OF HIS COMPANY POSITION WAS MOST IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE COUNTER-ATTACK. THERE IS NO DOUBT
     THAT THIS OFFICER’S INITIATIVE AND DETERMINATION ENABLED THE SITUATION TO BE RESTORED IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD WITH A MINIMUM OF CASUALTIES."

In April 1953 Captain Cloutier returned from Korea to Canada with 1 RCR. He was subsequently posted to 2 RCR and served with that Battalion at Wolseley Barracks at London, Ontario in the late 1950s. Major H.G. Cloutier, MC, CD is again mentioned in Regimental History in connection with ceremonial events involving 2 RCR in 1959. Major Cloutier was one of 12 Guard Commanders on 02 July 1959 at Wolseley Barracks during a Trooping of the Colours by all three battalions of the Regiment, including 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment(London and Oxford Fusiliers). On this occasion, HRH Prince Philip presented both 1 RCR and 3 RCR new Colours. It should be noted that Herb Cloutier also had a brother, Captain Earl Cloutier, who served in The RCR and now lives in Kingston, Ontario.


----------



## Old Sweat

I missed spotting before that the P in his service number indicates he was a member of the permanent force before the Second World War.


----------



## Good2Golf

Jumped him a few times from 10K...an amazing guy.  RIP, John!  

Regards
G2G


----------



## Edward Campbell

MWO (Ret'd) Al Cadieux, late The RCR:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=albert-cadieux&pid=164676175#fbLoggedOut


> CADIEUX, MWO Albert CD MMM
> 
> Passed away peacefully on May 4, 2013 at the age of 86. Loving husband of Yvonne for 66 years. Father of Barry, Todd (Kristine) and Stephen (Anita). Doting grandfather of Isabelle, Sebastian, Noah and Elizabeth from Denmark and Mia, Sacha from Kanata. He will be also missed by many nieces, nephews and friends. Predeceased by his brother Robert.
> 
> Albert served 35 years in Canada, Japan and Paris, France.
> 
> Friends and Family are invited to visit at Beechwood, Cemetery and Funeral Services, 280 Beechwood Avenue (east of Vanier Parkway) on Thursday, May 9, 2013 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. followed by a Funeral service in the Sacred Space at 11 a.m. Interment in the National Military Cemetery. In memory of Albert, donations to the Heart and Stroke and/or the High Horizons Care of MacKay United Church and/or CNIB would be appreciated. The family welcomes you to join them for a reception following the interment in the Borden and Fleming Suites. Special thanks to all the Doctors and staff of the ICU and the 4th floor of the Montfort Hospital for all the wonderful care and support. Tributes may be sent via Lifetimes at www.beechwoodcemetery.com


----------



## Edward Campbell

Maj (Ret'd) Peter McClure, Signals


McCLURE, Peter

It is with great sadness to announce the sudden passing of Peter on Thursday, May 2, 2013 at the Queensway Carleton Hospital at the age of 70 years. Beloved husband of Linda and cherished father of Robert (Meaghan) and Sharon. He is predeceased by his father Cameron and survived by his mother Jean and siblings Donna (Dave), Win (Dwain) and Roy (Liz). Peter will be dearly missed by his uncle Geoff (Jean) and his aunt Myrtle and all his family. Family and friends may pay their respects at the Bilberry Creek Baptist Church, 480 Charlemagne Blvd., Orleans, ON. on Thursday May 9, 2013 after 10 a.m. A Celebration of Life will follow at 11 a.m. In memoriam donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or Bilberry Creek Baptist Church are greatly appreciated. www.kellyfh.ca


----------



## a78jumper

John Scott's family would like to inform you of a viewing to be held for family and friends. The viewing will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, May 8 at Serenity Funeral Services at 128 Queen Street in Spruce Grove, AB from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

 Eden North will be hosting a memorial in the very near future and will send out the details as soon as possible.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Peter Worthington, one-time soldier (PPCLI), occasional (failed) politician and journalist has died. His obituary is here.


----------



## Old Sweat

Quite a life. He, of course, was the son of Major General FF Worthington. I believe his middle name was Vickers, which came about because his father was commanding the PPCLI machine gun platoon in Winnipeg when he was born.

                                                    - 30 -


----------



## Edward Campbell

I disagreed with Peter Worthington on almost every single _strategic_ issue on which he opined, but he lived, indeed, "quite a life."

Here, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act from the _Daily Beast_, is another obituary, this time written by his son-in-law David Frum:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/13/peter-worthington-1927-2013.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter


> Peter Worthington, 1927-2013
> 
> by David Frum
> 
> May 13, 2013
> 
> The wide-angle film of the scene in the basement of the Dallas police station on November 24, 1963, captures on the far left of the camera an unusually handsome man leaning against the station wall. Suddenly shots ring out: Jack Ruby has fired upon Lee Harvey Oswald. And the camera shows that man at far left abruptly snapping to attention and running toward the shots.
> 
> That man was my father-in-law, Peter Worthington, and running toward the shots was his characteristic response to danger of every kind. Over his amazing career, he served first in World War II (gaining accreditation, in his phrase, as the youngest and arguably least competent flight lieutenant in the whole Canadian navy) and then for three years in Korea. He became Canada's best known war correspondent, covering conflicts up and down the length of Africa, in the high Himalayas on the Indo-China frontier, in the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Peter Worthington, with Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.
> Source: the _Daily Beast_
> 
> He launched his own newspaper in 1971, the Toronto Sun, the last profitable daily ever started in North America. He was the only Canadian ever prosecuted under the country's Official Secrets Act - not for betraying secrets, but for embarrassing the government of the day by documenting its own disregard of Soviet espionage activities inside Canada. He ran twice for Parliament in the early 1980s, and although he lost, his campaigns set in motion the train of events that brought down the Conservative Party's ineffectual leader Joe Clark and opened the way for Brian Mulroney to win the smashing Conservative victory of 1984. He continued his adventures till late life, traveling with Canadian forces in Afghanistan in his late seventies and publishing his interviews with Canada's most notorious serial killer, Clifford Olson, only last year.
> 
> A gifted athlete and a shrewd businessman, Peter Worthington excelled at everything he did. He seemed beyond ordinary human weakness: He suffered a heart attack thirty years ago and was saved by a bypass operation. He filed a series of columns for the Sun detailing his operation, and within a very few weeks afterward, celebrated his recovery by climbing China's Mount Gonga.
> 
> Yet time catches up with even the most indestructible men. Peter had been weakening for some time, and on Thursday, May 2 he suffered an abrupt health crisis. He was taken to Toronto General Hospital where the doctors who had held him together for three decades confessed they could do no more. Over the next week, he entertained his three children and six grandchildren with his famous gallows humor. A week later, he said his last goodbyes, commanded "no tears," and lost consciousness.
> 
> He slept peacefully until the middle of the night of May 12-13, watched over the whole time by his wife of 44 years, Yvonne Worthington. She sat beside him in his hospital room, usually smiling, sometimes crying, sometimes kissing the hair that was now white but still as thick as it was in the days when the man underneath interviewed Elizabeth Taylor and the Dalai Lama. Pete called his marvelous memoir of his amazing life, _Looking for Trouble_. Yet what he found at the end was the profound peace of the life well lived, and of love gained because so generously given. He told me in our last talk that in all the hazards he had met in his life, he had never been afraid. He had sometimes felt nerves, he said, but not fear. From the trenches of Korea to the bullet-riddled alleys of Algiers to Biafra to the heart surgeons' gurneys, he was always impelled by curiosity to see what came next. Now he knows.
> 
> Soon the fuller and longer tributes will come. But Peter, never one to trust others to get the story, has scooped us all by writing his own obituary, which will appear in tomorrow's Toronto Sun - one last byline for the man who won more National Newspaper Awards than any other writer in Canadian history.
> 
> And if there is a Heaven, Pete's already baffling the angelic editors of the local press by producing copy faster than they can use it.
> 
> A memorial service will be held in Toronto in the next days. Details will be posted in this space, in my Twitter feed, and on a purpose-built Facebook page.
> 
> _Looking for Trouble_ will shortly be re-released as an e-book. If journalism schools continue to exist in the 21st century, it ought to be the first book on every reading list. Those who loved Pete will miss him desperately, and cherish his memory as an exemplar of integrity, courage, and grace under fire.
> 
> _David Frum is a contributing editor at Newsweek and The Daily Beast and a CNN contributor._


----------



## Fishbone Jones

While many disagreed with him sometimes, you couldn't deny he spoke his mind and suffered fools not at all.


----------



## Edward Campbell

*Lt. Harold G. "Shorty" Fairhead (Ret'd), 1 RCR*

From The Regimental Adjutant:

Regimental Headquarters recently received the very sad news of the passing of one of our Regiment's Korean War Veterans. Lieutenant Harold George "Shorty" Fairhead (Ret'd) passed away on 19 April 2013 at Cowansville, Quebec. Born at Montreal on 23 April 1926, he was a resident of Knowlton, Quebec and was in his 87th year. Lieutenant Fairhead served with the 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment both before and during the Battalion's combat tour in Korea from March 1952 - April 1953. He also fought in the epic Battle of Kowang-San, at Hill 355, from 22-24 October 1952. While in Korea with 1 RCR he served in two different rifle companies. First with "D" ("Dog") Company, as Platoon Commander of 10 Platoon; and then with "C" (Charlie") Company, Platoon Commander of 7 Platoon. During the battle of Kowang-San, Lieutenant Fairhead was with 7 Platoon, "C" Company. He was wounded in action on two different occasions, quite severely during the latter incident. A distinguished Platoon Commander, Harold G. Fairhead was also Mentioned in Despatches for saving the lives of several of his men during a vicious, night-time close quarter battle with the enemy. Like so many of our Veterans, he was very reticent throughout his life about his own heroism.

Lieutenant Fairhead was first wounded in action on 13 June 1952. At this time the Battalion was occupying part of the Kansas Line, east of the Samichon River, that included Hill 355. It was a time of increased patrol activity against the Chinese. On the night of 13 June, Lieutenant Harold Fairhead was leading such a patrol, during which contact was made with the enemy. Fairhead's patrol suffered three casualties at this time, himself being one of the wounded (see, "The Royal Canadian Regiment, Volume Two, 1933-1966," by G.R. Stevens, London Printing & Lithographing Co., Limited, London, Ontario, 1967, page 247). On 13 January 1953 Lieutenant Fairhead was wounded again, under the most heroic of circumstances. On the night of 13 January 1953, he led a platoon-sized patrol out into No Man's Land, directly towards the enemy trenches. At this point, 1 RCR was located in an embattled area known as, "The Hook." After crawling stealthily for an intense period of two hours, Shorty Fairhead and his men closed in on the objective Chinese position. Despite their caution, the patrol was heard by enemy sentries who now primed and threw several grenades. One well thrown grenade landed in the midst of Lieutenant Fairhead and his men. Reacting without hesitation to protect his men, and with total disregard for his own safety, Shorty Fairhead rushed the live grenade and kicked it away from his soldiers. He was severely wounded when the grenade detonated. As well, ten other members of the patrol were wounded, but none fatally thanks to Shorty's selfless act (see "The Royal Canadian Regiment, Volume Two, 1933-1966," by G.R. Stevens, page 256). Lieutenant Harold Fairhead would be Mentioned in Despatches for his act of heroism. He was eventually medically evacuated to Japan and finally to Canada. Lieutenant Fairhead then underwent extensive and ongoing reconstructive surgery at the Royal Victoria ("Royal Vic") Hospital in Montreal.

As a young man, prior to his military service, Harold Fairchild had attended McGill University at Montreal. Naturally gifted, he became well known as a university athlete. Harold gained renown as a player for McGill University Redmen football team, from 1948-1950. The McGill Redmen (named after the red jersey they wore) was one of Canada's most historic football clubs, dating back to 1874. It speaks volumes about Harold Fairhead that at just this point in his life, with a bright future beckoning, he chose instead to serve his country on the battlefield. It is important to note that Harold Fairhead had already rallied to the defence of his country as a younger man. He had served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War.

Last year, Lieutenant Harold G. Fairhead (Ret'd) attended the 1 RCR Kowang San Day commemoration that took place on Friday, 19 October 2012 at Petawawa, Ontario. Mr. Fairhead and his wife, Eleanor, drove to Petawawa from their home in Knowlton, Quebec to be with his old Battalion on that memorable day. Upon arriving in Petawawa Shorty Fairhead soon reconnected with his old platoon, 7 Platoon, Charles Company, 1 RCR. It was impossible to say who was more pleased, Shorty himself or the young soldiers of 7 Platoon. For Lieutenant Harold Fairhead, aged 86 years, the years fell away and old memories were rekindled as he spent the better part of the day with 7 Platoon. Sixty years after Kowang-San, Shorty Fairhead was still very much a soldier's soldier. It was our great honour and pleasure in Regimental Headquarters to also meet and spend time with Mr. and Mrs. Fairhead. There was no doubt that Shorty was an exceptional character and had a terrific memory as he regaled us with anecdotes about his experiences in the Korean War. I do remember fondly one story in particular. It concerned an incident that occurred after one of the occasions when Lieutenant Fairhead had been wounded. He was being treated in an advanced American medical aid facility, relatively close to the front lines. To help his morale, the wounded Harold had been given a bottle of beer to drink by the American medical staff. Nearby was a Chinese POW who was also being treated for a wound. The captured Chinese soldier however, though wounded, was much more mobile than Shorty. Somehow, the intrepid and thirsty Chinese soldier was able to craftily steal the bottle of beer from Harold. Lieutenant Fairhead helplessly fumed and cursed while the Chinaman smacked his lips with the outmost contentment. Years later, Shorty Fairhead remembered this incident with equal parts humour and bemusement. 

The following anecdote concerning Lieutenant Harold G. "Shorty" Fairhead was recently forwarded to me by his friend, Mr. Tom Rogers.

     "On 15 January 1953, six months before the war ended, Shorty and his platoon were involved in a firefight with the Communist Chinese forces. A live grenade landed in their midst. Without a moment's hesitation
     he placekicked the grenade, saved his men, but suffered serious wounds. Had Shorty not done so, all would have been blown to smithereens. He was Mentioned in Despatches (MID) for his spontaneous reaction to
     the grenade. Harold Fairhead was  evacuated to a military hospital in Japan and later returned home to the Royal Vic for reconstructive surgery.

     The night prior to one of his operations to remove shrapnel, Shorty received a visit in his hospital room from two of his former 'Redmen' teammates. Marv Meirowitz* and my brother John. Meirowitz, you may recall,
     later played several years with the Montreal Alouettes. Together the three of them consumed the better part of a bottle of Scotch. A couple of days later his buddies heard that Shorty's heart had stopped beating on
     the operating table! His caregivers weren't quite sure whether they had fouled up or that the Scotch had almost done him in. It was with more than some relief that his buddies later learned that the patient was still
     alive and more or less well." 

          *Marvin "Marv" Meirowitz may have been every bit as much a character as Harold "Shorty" Fairhead himself. The American-born Marv Meirowitz also played for the McGill Redmen from 1948-1950.
            During the 1948 season he was ejected from half of the games he played in for on-field brawls; yet in 1949 was named the team's leading lineman. Marv Meirowitz played two seasons for the
            Montreal Alouettes of the CFL in 1952 and 1953.

Throughout his life Harold G. Fairhead remained loyal to The Royal Canadian Regiment and maintained close ties with the Regiment through The RCR Association till the end of his life. To me it is highly symbolic and moving that in the last year of his life, Lieutenant Harold "Shorty" Fairhead quite deliberately reconnected with his old Battalion on Kowang-San Day. He was a great Canadian and a great Royal and he will be missed. Please see below for Harold Fairhead's obituary that appeared in the Montreal Gazette. Also find attached pictures of Harold Fairhead and the crest of his beloved McGill Redmen's football team. In the b-w photograph from the Korean War, please note that Lieutenant Harold Fairhead is the officer closest to the camera and is in the process of marching away from Brigadier Rockingham.

Pro Patria


----------



## Old Sweat

Andy started his regular career as, I believe, a trooper in the RCD and then was commissioned via the Officer Candidate Program in the RCASC, which was a usual step for young men who wanted to fly in the army. I met him in Gagetown in the early sixites when he was serving in the EBS Bn (Experimental Brigade Service Battalion) and worked with him again on my last or second last posting when we served together in J3 in NDHQ. By that time he was a very senior aviator who had served for a while in DFS.


SEGUIN, Lt. Col Andre (Andy). Ret'd.
OMM.CD.
Passed away on the 16th of May, 2013 at the Queensway Carleton Hospital. Beloved husband of Pat, and cherished father of Chantal. Son of the late Louis and Marguerite Seguin, and stepson of the late Josephine Slapinsky. Brother of Jean-Louis (Lucy and Jasmine). Will be missed by brothers-in-law Colin and Malcolm Jones and their families. A 39 year proud veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. Served across Canada, in Germany, at the United Nations as a Peace Keeper, Gulf War 1, Namibia and the Sinai. As per Andy's wishes, organ donation was effected followed by cremation. A memoriam mass will be held at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, 15 Steeple Hill Crescent, Nepean on Friday the 31st of May, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. Family, friends, military colleagues, masonic brethren and legion comrades are invited to attend. After the Mass a reception will be held at the Kanata Legion Branch 638, Hines Road, Kanata. Thank you to all nurses on Ward A3, and a special thank you to palliative care nurse Alice and her student for their compassion. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ottawa-Carleton Alzheimer's Society or the Kanata Legion Branch 638, would be appreciated. All are also invited to visit the online memorial at www.forevermissed.com/ andy-seguin.


----------



## Edward Campbell

From The Regimental Adjutant:

I have just received sad news of the tragic loss of a member of our Regimental family. Master Warrant Officer Lloyd Davis Crosby (Ret'd) passed away suddenly at Ottawa this past weekend, on 20 May, as the result of a motor vehicle accident. MWO Crosby had previously served with The RCR and had remustered into the Intelligence Corps. The viewing will take place on Friday 24 May, 3:00-5:00 PM, with interment to follow on Saturday 25 May, 11:30 AM. CJOC, his former colleagues, are working with the family to provide a military escort and presence at the funeral. This sad news has been passed to the Regiment by Captain Vicki Ryan of CFJOSG, who is the daughter of Master Warrant Officer Don Cross (Ret'd), a former Sergeant-Major in 1 RCR in the mid-1980s. For further information please see the obituary below.

----------------------------------​
CROSBY, Lloyd Davis
Master Warrant Officer Ret'd







Suddenly on May 20, 2013 at the age of 56 in the company of his 3 dogs, Trinity, Skye and Trooper. Beloved husband of Lisa Serres Crosby. Cherished father of Lloyd Anthony (Sarah) and Catherine Crosby, Erika (Shawn) Furlong, Nicholas (Jenny), Christopher and Katie Serres and Debra Daniel. Loving grandfather of Sydney, Sadisha, Riku and Tero. Lloyd is survived by his mother Frances and brother Alan. He leaves a large hole in the lives of all who knew him, military and otherwise.

Friends may visit at the Garden Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 3440 Richmond Rd (between Baseline and Bayshore Dr.) on Friday, May 24, 2013 from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral Service will be held in the Chapel on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 11:30 a.m.

For those who wish, donations to True Patriot Love http://truepatriotlove.com/, Royal Ottawa Hospital 145 Carling Ave Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4 or the University of Ottawa Heart Institute would be appreciated. Condolences, tributes and donations may be made at www.tubmanfuneralhomes.com


----------



## Danjanou

Just finished paying my last respects to a friend, brother in arms, and mentor. 

RIP WO Malcolm Dawson CD

http://www.wardfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/1587371/Dawson-Malcolm/index.php


----------



## Petard

CWO (ret'd) Jeff Gowanlock, 56 Fd Regt

http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oId=716051


----------



## Lance Wiebe

For those of you who know Ed Beals, he passed away last Sunday. Ed served with the LdSH (RC), the RCD, the 8CH and 1 CH.

My condolences to his family and friends.

May he rest in peace.

http://www.amgfh.com/condolences/listing.aspx?id=172782


----------



## Edward Campbell

I have just learned that a gallant Royal Canadian, LCol (ret'd) Ed Hollyer MC, CD passed away today.

Here, from The RCR website is an account of Ed's courage at Hill 187 in Korea:

     At one point during the shelling, I asked for it to be lifted to investigate the situation. The enemy had sustained heavy casualties, the trenches being literally filled with them. The Chinese were rolling their dead and
     wounded over the lip of the hill where litter bearers were hauling them away. I returned to pass a situation report back, but was unable to establish communications. If Battalion H.Q. could have been informed at
     this point, a counter-attack would probably have been successful and a number of prisoners taken. A signaller was dispatched from the bunker with the task of trying to make contact.

     Second Lieutenant Hollyer took the opportunity to check on the state of his men. Including Lieutenant Cote and himself, there were only eight left. 7 Platoon's trenches, fighting bays and bunkers had been all but
     destroyed. At 0130 Hours, Hollyer contacted the OC of Charlie Company, Captain Mullin, and requested permission to withdraw 200 yards to 8 Platoon's position. Noting that numbers of Chinese were now starting
      to withdraw from Hill 97, Hollyer further called for artillery fire on the forward slopes of the feature. Using this fire mission as cover, Hollyer and his men now withdrew to the opposite flank of Hill 97. By 0145 Hours
      Hollyer led the remnants of 7 Platoon into the 8 Platoon lines. Shortly thereafter, Lance-Corporal G.P. Julien, also of 7 Platoon, also brought his section of eight men in. Given up for dead, Julien had kept his men
      together throughout the battle, fighting off the Chinese and finally leading his section to safety.

     Lance-Corporal Les Badowich stayed back to cover the retreating men. When he finally attempted to move as well he was taken by the Chinese. Corporal Ernie Taylor of Able Company, acting as a stretcher-bearer,
     was also captured while trying to evacuate wounded from Hill 97. The Pioneer Platoon commander, Lieutenant Gordon Owen, suffered the acute embarrassment of being captured after he had taken cover in the
     7 Platoon latrine. He had tried to fight from this position, but his sidearm jammed.

      Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell was anxious to launch a counter-attack to regain Hill 97. He thought to use Dog Company, but was restrained by Brigadier Allard who sited the Battalion's lack of a tactical reserve. Allard
      ordered 3R22eR to dispatch a rifle company to occupy Dog Company's position, so that Company could then re-capture the lost ground. At this juncture, Ed Hollyer reached the Charlie Company Command Post. He
      assured the CO over the radio that the Chinese main force was indeed withdrawing and that a fighting patrol would be able to retake the position.

      Campbell ordered Hollyer to take 20 men from Able Company to secure 7 Platoon's area and evacuate casualties. Tanks from B Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (OC: Major J.S. Roxborough), provided direct fire
      support as Second Lieutenant Hollyer re-entered 7 Platoon's position. Immediately the detachment came under sustained, heavy mortar fire and was pinned down until dawn. The Chinese were covering the
      retirement of their attacking force. Eventually, at 0400 Hours, Dog Company, 3RCR was relieved in place by D Company, R22eR. In turn Dog Company moved to relieve the remnants of Charlie Company, occupying
      the 8 and 9 Platoon positions, on the east slope of Hill 97 and on Hill 123 respectively.

     By first light the Chinese were increasingly desperate to withdraw their last remaining forces back across the Sami-ch'on Valley to the safety of their own well-fortified lines. Chinese mortars bombarded the forward
     slopes of Hill 187, especially Hills 97 and 123, with HE rounds; a thick smoke screen was laid down in the valley to conceal the retreating troops. Canadian tanks fired into the smoke and UN artillery and mortars
     continued to hammer the suspected withdrawal routes of the enemy. At 0500 Hours the Chinese were still in full retreat.

     In the morning, following the Chinese bombardment, the survivors of 9 Platoon, Charlie Company, emerged from under their overhead cover on Hill 123. To their utter dismay they found by a forward trench the body
     of their acting section commander, Private Danny Wellington. Throughout the horrific events of the night before, Wellington had been a pillar of strength. No matter how heavy the shelling he had constantly exposed
     himself, moving from trench to trench, steadying his soldiers, reassuring them with his presence. Private Wellington had been everything a leader should be. Tragically, he had died alone without his men even knowing.

     Dog Company relieved Charlie Company, occupying only the 8 and 9 Platoon positions. Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell had made the determination that the 7 Platoon position was too beat up and only a listening post
     was placed, for the time being, on the western flank of Hill 97. That night a platoon from Dog Company was sent forward under cover of darkness to re-establish 7 Platoon's one-time position. In the course of
     reoccupying the Hill 97 position, Dog Company found the bodies of six Chinese soldiers. Undoubtedly the enemy had suffered heavy casualties during all phases of the raid. Nevertheless, once the Chinese began to
     withdraw at around 0130 Hours, they had succeeded in bringing back there wounded and had recovered almost all their dead.

     At 0642 Hours the arrival of helicopters to evacuate Canadian casualties signalled the end of the battle. Stretcher-bearers and medics had brought in the dead, carefully folded them in blankets, and arranged the
     bodies in a long row. The number of Canadian dead at Hill 187 was shockingly high. Some 26 had been killed in action; a further 27 were wounded; while seven had been taken prisoner. The South Koreans attached
     to 3RCR had suffered too. KATCOM casualties included four killed, 14 wounded, and four captured. From the Korean Service Corps five were dead, five wounded, and four missing.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Here, along with a few marginal notes, is Ed Hollyer's citation:

Citation   
AWARD OF THE MILITARY CROSS
TO ZB 10022 2ND LIEUTENANT EDGAR HERBERT HOLLYER
3RD BATTALION, THE ROYAL CANADIAN REGIMENT

On the night of 2/3 may 1953, “C” Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, sustained a heavy attack by superior enemy forces which was accompanied by an intense preliminary bombardment. The brunt of the attack was borne by No. 7 Platoon of “C” Company occupying a feature known as Hill 97 commanded by 2nd Lieutenant Hollyer. 

The Platoon had occupied this position for thirteen days prior to the attack during which time the position was subjected to consistent shelling and mortaring with devastating effects on the defences. During this period this officer preserved a calm and cheerful manner with his troops, inspiring them to great effort in repairing and improving their positions. On the night of the attack warning of the enemy’s presence was received from a fighting patrol which encountered the enemy on the right front of No. 3 Platoon. 

Lieutenant Hollyer placed himself in a position to observe this action and a subsequent action which resulted when a second fighting patrol was sent out to assist the first and became engaged in the battle. He passed back rapid and accurate information on the progress of this action, which forewarned his Commanding Officer of the impending enemy attack and permitted him to make preparations for the ensuing battle. 
During this stage in spite of heavy shelling he continued to visit his section posts, to encourage and inspire his men to man their positions and directed their fire upon the enemy with devastating effect. As the battle progressed he returned to his command post periodically to report developments to his commanding officer in a cool and confident manner. 

He called for artillery fire on the enemy within a few yards of and on all sides of his positions with skill and accuracy. Leaving his bunker as necessary and with complete disregard for his personal safety to observe and report the results. On one such occasion he was blown back into his bunker and on another was personally engaged by the enemy which he drove off. 

Eventually, as a result of the weight of the attack, his position was overrun. Lieutenant Hollyer remained at his post driving off the enemy with grenades, at the same time calling for fire on his own position. During this bombardment his communications were disrupted but he remained on the post until the enemy were driven off. He then toured his position to assess the situation and was again attacked by several enemy. 

He re-established communications with Battalion Headquarters and requested and was granted permission to retire with his survivors to No. 8 Platoon position from where he directed rescue parties going forward. There is no doubt that this officer’s initiative, determination and skill in fighting coupled with his inspiring leadership and complete disregard for his own personal safety contributed beyond measure to the defeat of the enemy and to the success of the entire defensive battle. 

_Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret) Edgar H. Hollyer, MC, CD, served with the RCAF from 1942 to 1944 then joined the Canadian Army as a private in 1945.  He was commissioned in 1951, served with the 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment in Korea, 1953-54.  Following a battle on May 2nd and 3rd, 1953 he was awarded the Military Cross.   

After returning from Korea, Edgar Hollyer was posted to the 1st Battalion Canadian Guards as its first adjutant.  After leaving the regiment in 1955 his lengthy military service focused primarily on intelligence and security.[/u]


_


----------



## Edward Campbell

Sad to report the passing of my old chum and mess mate BGen (ret'd) Stu Clarke.






His obituary, from the _Ottawa Citizen_:

__________
CLARKE, Stewart H BGen (ret'd)

Suddenly, at the Civic Hospital on Friday, July 5, 2013 at the age of 79.

Beloved husband of Deanne (nee Code). Loving father of Christopher (Alice Laverty), Jennifer (Robert Morey) and Jacqueline Clarke (David Joyce). Cherished Grandpa of Brian, Dale, Olivia, Spencer and Shannon. Dear uncle of Grant Clarke & family and Judy Ann Harbert & family. Predeceased by his parents Irene & Hugh and brothers Orville & Elwin (Joyce). Survived by his sister-in-law Shirl & family and cousin Kent Clarke.

Stewart graduated from Bishops University, Lennoxville, Quebec and became deacon in the Anglican Church of Canada in May 1958 and was ordained a priest in March 1959. Stewart joined the Royal Canadian Army Chaplain Corps in 1960 and served at Borden, ON, Edmonton, AB, Soest Federal Republic of Germany, North Bay, ON, Chilliwack, BC, Lahr, Federal Republic of Germany, Trenton, ON. In 1984 he was assigned to the Chaplain General's office and served at a number of positions until 1987 when Padre Clarke was promoted Brigadier-General and assumed the appointment of Chaplain General (Protestant) until his retirement in September 1990. Post military Stewart assisted at Christ Church Cathedral and at the National Military Cemetery.

A Memorial Service will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, 420 Sparks Street on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 2pm. For those wishing, donations may be made to the Christ Church Cathedral Ottawa - Restoration fund.
__________


Stu and I served together a couple of times, in 2RCR, in Soest and then, again, in Ottawa.

He was a kind, thoughtful man; he enjoyed soldiers and soldiering and was able to connect with all ranks.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Noted Canadian war artist Alex Colville passed away.

This article is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act from the _Ottawa Citizen_:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/Iconic+Canadian+painter+Alex+Colville+dies/8669046/story.html


> Iconic Canadian painter Alex Colville dies at 92
> 
> BY CASSANDRA SZKLARSKI, THE CANADIAN PRESS
> 
> JULY 17, 2013
> 
> WOLFVILLE, N.S. — Celebrated painter Alex Colville, whose meticulously crafted scenes of everyday life established him as one of Canada’s most well-known modern artists, has died at the age of 92.
> 
> His son, Graham, said his father passed away Tuesday at his home in Wolfville, N.S.
> 
> A painter, engraver, sketch artist and muralist, Colville earned a reputation for crafting tranquil compositions that focused on routine moments of family life and featured landscapes, animals and the sea.
> 
> Colville’s nephew, Alexander Colville, said Colville was in “relatively good mental shape” until the death of his wife Rhoda last December.“The family really didn’t expect that Alex would last that much longer after his wife passed, because they were sort of your fairy-tale couple,” said Alexander, who lives in Northport, N.S.“He lived life on his own terms and did things the way he wanted to do them and was never really there to impress anybody. “People joked about him getting his fancy sports cars and stuff like that, but he never did that to impress someone, it was because he felt like driving a car like that, and that’s the way he was.“He just enjoyed life, and I guess if we could just have enjoyed life as well as he did we would all be pretty happy.”
> 
> Colville’s work was accessible, memorable and reached millions of Canadians through a myriad of avenues including art galleries, magazines, book covers, postcards, posters, television, coins and even via the cover of a Bruce Cockburn record album.
> 
> With his focus on the ordinary, some have been tempted to crown the Maritimer as Canada’s Norman Rockwell. Robert Fulford has simply described Colville as “our painter laureate” and “a great national icon-maker.”
> 
> Colville began his career as a military artist and famously documented troops landing at Juno Beach on D-Day, becoming the most prominent painter to document Canada’s involvement in the Second World War.
> 
> After the war, Colville forged a unique hyper-realist style that eschewed fashionable trends towards abstract and expressionist art.
> 
> “No other modern painter is so unconscious of prevailing fashion and so indifferent to what’s new in the art world,” literary critic John Bayley said of Colville in his book “Elegy for Iris.”
> 
> Colville’s images managed to elicit feelings of both contemplation and angst through the pairing of incongruous elements such as a languid nude with a gun or a blond toddler next to a large black dog with prominent claws.
> 
> Even his most serene compositions were infused with a sense of unease.
> 
> “I see life as inherently dangerous. I have an essentially dark view of the world and human affairs,” Colville has said.
> 
> “Anxiety is the normality of our age.”
> 
> Colville’s rigorously crafted works included “To Prince Edward Island,” “Nude and Dummy” and “Horse and Train,” which Cockburn put on the jacket of his 1973 album “Night Vision.”
> 
> Colville’s 1953 piece “Man on Verandah” sold for $1.29 million at an auction in November 2010, setting a record for a work by a living Canadian artist.
> 
> His technique involved a painstaking process of multiple drawings, precise geometry and carefully applied blots of paint, often taking months.
> 
> Chances are good that many Canadians carried an example of Colville’s work in their own pocket at one time or another — he designed a series of coins for the 1967 centennial that put a mackerel on the dime, a hare on the nickel and a dove with outstretched wings on the penny.
> 
> Colville was born Aug. 24, 1920 in Toronto. He moved to Amherst, N.S. as a boy with his family and studied fine arts at Mount Allison University. He graduated in 1942 and married that same year in Wolfville, N.S.
> 
> His wife and muse, Rhoda Colville, died in December 2012 at the couple’s home in Wolfville.
> 
> After they married, Colville served in the Canadian Army from 1942 to 1946, working as a military artist from 1944 to 1946. He then taught painting and art history at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., where the couple raised three sons and a daughter.
> 
> From the early 1950s, Colville became closely associated with the American “regionalist” school of painting exemplified by Andrew Wyeth, as well as the American Precisionists of the 1930s.
> 
> The National Gallery of Canada began collecting his work in the ‘50s but it was not until he gained exhibitions in Hanover, Germany and London, England in 1969 and 1970 that commercial success would build.
> 
> Colville left the university in 1963 to devote himself to painting, but would return to teaching a few years later for stints that included visiting professor at University of California in 1967 and visiting artist in Berlin in 1971.
> 
> He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1967, and made Companion of the Order of Canada in 1982. He won a Governor General’s Visual and Media Arts Award in 2003.
> 
> He also served on several provincial and national boards, including the Canada Council and the National Gallery of Canada, and was chancellor of Nova Scotia’s Acadia University from 1981 to 1991.
> 
> Colville was predeceased by his wife Rhoda and their middle son, John. In addition to Graham, Colville is survived by a second son, Charles, and a daughter, Ann.
> 
> © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen







Colville as a war artist





Colville's painting _*Infantry, near Nijmegen, Holland*_
Painted in 1946 ~ The Royal Winnipeg Rifles in the Netherlands.
Alex Colville used his father’s face and his own hands as models
for those of the leading soldier.


----------



## Sub_Guy

WO Tina Rutledge CD (ret'd) RIP  


http://www.thomasfuneralhome.ca/notice.php?id=533


----------



## Pat in Halifax

It is with great despair I announce the passing of Fred on Saturday morning after a 2 year on-again, off-again battle with cancer. Fred joined the Navy as a Bos'n in 1962 and told me the story once that when he reported to his first ship (INCH AARON)  in early October 1962, it sailed 30 minutes later on orders to steam south at full speed to join the cordon north of Cuba-Welcome to the Navy! His career spanned 35 years and he may best be known for his time at MFRC in Esquimalt in the early 90s and as the 'fatherly' Chief at the Bedford Range here in Halifax. His last sea going position was as Buffer on board PRESERVER. He had is sole daughter by his side at the time of his passing with his extended family and friends nearby. He will be sadly missed by her and her son who himself is a Bos'n out west as well as his step kids and community friends. Missed already by a son in law who is a stoker-who shared many friendly jibes and who still can't believe it has happened.

Pat

_To the world you are but one person; but to one person, you are the world._


----------



## Edward Campbell

An old chum Murray Swan, The RCR, with whom I served in 2RCR back in the 1960s, died of cancer ~ he was only 67 years old.



> SWAN, LCol Murray John M, CD (Ret'd)
> *The Royal Canadian Regiment (The RCR)*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Murray passed away on August 3, 2013, at the age of 67 after a yearlong valiant battle with cancer. Born in Montreal, he was predeceased by his mother Naomi Carley. He is survived by his beloved wife of 42 years, Marion, his daughter Lindsay, son John, sister Jane (Deacon) and her husband Eric, brother Gary and his father Ross. His military career started in 1965 and he was commissioned into The RCR in 1966. His 34 year career saw him service in all three regular RCR battalions and numerous overseas postings in Cyprus, Germany, UK, Egypt and the USA. Upon his retirement, when not traversing the globe, Murray spent the chilly Canadian winters in the majestic Villages in Florida where he pursued his passions … golf and pickle ball. Surrounded by dear friends, he and Marion spent quiet days on the lanai with a glass of wine in hand. He will be fondly remembered by all for his strength, integrity, genuine care for his soldiers and the sweetest jump shot one could ever imagine.
> 
> As per Murray's wishes, a private graveside service will be held for family and friends at the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood Cemetery. The family wishes to express their deepest thanks to all of their friends and family who have offered much needed prayers and assistance throughout this journey. The family also wishes to thank the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Care Unit, CACC and Carefor. We especially thank Dr. Louise Coulombe, our angel on earth, for the compassionate guidance given to our dear Murray. In lieu of flowers, we would appreciate donations on Murray's behalf to Hospice Care Ottawa (www.hospicecareottawa.ca) or a cancer charity of your choice.




The Colonel of the Regiment, The RCR, Colonel W.J. Aitchison says:



> Murray and I served in 2 RCR in Fort York (Soest) Germany, in the period 1968-70 having previously been in 1 RCR together for a short time.
> 
> Murray was a member of the BAOR (and, I believe, British Army) champion basketball team from 2 RCR that included, among others, Ralph Priestman, Hardy Wheeler and Donny Kemp. I don't recall who else was on the team. Murray left the Forces for a short time to go into the construction business with his father, but returned when he discovered that building was not for him. When he rejoined the Forces, he spent some time in 3 RCR.
> 
> I asked for, and got, Murray as my DCO in my second year in command of 2 RCR in 1984-85 and he remained in that appointment for the first year of Jim Senecal's command (1985-86). He did not return to regimental duty after that tour in 2 RCR, rather went on to a series of representational posts in Cyprus, the UK and US.
> 
> He was a great guy! Never mean-spirited and invariably cheerful, and those characteristics marked him to the very end of his life. He was also extremely competitive, which characteristic led to some interesting situations on the sports field and golf course. I never knew him to be critical of anyone, rather he saw the good in everyone and put himself above levelling criticism. He truly cared for soldiers and always looked after their welfare. That made him a great DCO.
> 
> He will be very much missed by everyone who knew him. Another Royal Canadian "Done Too Soon".
> 
> RIP and Pro Patria. Murph.
> 
> Col Joe


----------



## AmmoTech90

George Berringer, the senior Master Gunner in Canada, passed away on the 1st of August at the age of 96.  I met George at recent Master Gunner Conference's in Kingston and he was sharp as a tack and always willing to provide his experienced and considered opinion.  His experience, comradeship, and contribution to the Master Gunner organization will be missed.



> BERRINGER, George Otis
> 
> Passed away peacefully at home Saturday, August 1st, 2013 at the age of 96. Born in Halifax, he was the son of the late George and Lucy (Blake) Berringer. He was predeceased by his wife Mildred Berringer (nee Kirk) in 2007, and his two sons Ron Berringer in 2005 and Larry Berringer in 2009. He is survived by his devoted daughter-in-law Sandra Berringer. He is the cherished grandfather of Ron and Sandra’s children Jessica Miller (Adam), Tyler Berringer and Larry’s son Ronnie Berringer, as well as great-grandson Kiefer Tulk. He will be sadly missed by his many nieces and nephews and their families in Nova-Scotia. George was the senior Master Gunner, having graduated from course No. 10 in 1941, and spent his military career with the Canadian Army until he retired in 1965 and went on to work at the National Research Council, working in remotes sites in Canada until his retirement in 1981. Friends may pay respects at the
> 
> Kelly Funeral Home, Walkley Chapel
> 1255 Walkley Road, Ottawa, ON K1V 6P9
> 613-731-1255, www.kellyfh.ca
> 
> Saturday, August 10th, after 9 a.m., followed by a memorial service in the Chapel at 11 a.m. In memoriam donations to the Heart & Stroke Foundation are appreciated.


----------



## OldSolduer

AmmoTech90 said:
			
		

> George Berringer, the senior Master Gunner in Canada, passed away on the 1st of August at the age of 96.  I met George at recent Master Gunner Conference's in Kingston and he was sharp as a tack and always willing to provide his experienced and considered opinion.  His experience, comradeship, and contribution to the Master Gunner organization will be missed.


----------



## Danjanou

George A. McKeil CD passed away today (August 8, 2013) after a lengthy illness. George served 16 years with the Royal Canadian Engineers in Canada, West Germany and the Middle East.  After his service he worked for 30 years with CP Transport and was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10 for 40 years. George was one of the Veterans in the video of Terry Kelly’s Remembrance Day song “A Pittance of Time.”


----------



## Nfld Sapper

Danjanou said:
			
		

> George A. McKeil CD passed away today (August 8, 2013) after a lengthy illness. George served 16 years with the Royal Canadian Engineers in Canada, West Germany and the Middle East.  After his service he worked for 30 years with CP Transport and was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10 for 40 years. George was one of the Veterans in the video of Terry Kelly’s Remembrance Day song “A Pittance of Time.”





CHIMO!


----------



## George Wallace

CWO A. L. MACADAMS, MMM, CD (RETIRED)
RSM RCD: 1980 to 1982
33rd RSM



> From the desk of MWO J.R. Doiron
> 
> It is with great sadness that I have to announce the passing of
> CWO (Ret'd) Leroy MacAdams.
> He passed away at 0100 last night at the Oromocto Hospital.
> He just turned 80 yrs of Age in Apr and was battling cancer.
> Details of the funeral to follow from his son Earl through
> me.
> 
> 
> J.R. (Ron) Doiron
> Master Warrant Officer
> SSM Stds Sqn
> Royal Canadian Armoured Corps School (RCACS)



Leroy was one of the finest RSMs and Dragoon.  

RIP


----------



## Fishbone Jones

Another good one gone.


----------



## George Wallace

From the RCD Net:



> CWO (Retired) Arthur Leroy (Snowflake) MacAdams, MMM, CD
> 1933-2013
> CWO (Retired) Arthur Leroy (Snowflake) MacAdams, MMM, CD was born in
> Sable River, Nova Scotia on 4 April 1933 and died 15 August 2013 at the
> Oromocto Public Hospital.
> 
> Leroy is survived by his son Earl MacAdams (Gilda Arsenault) Haneytown;
> daughter Audra MacAdams (Stephan Butler) Oromocto; brother Eugene, Sandy
> Point NS; sister Rosealee, Thunder Bay On; grandchildren Corrie MacAdams
> (Nicole Ward), Alison (Paul Henry), Jarrett, Christian, and Marissa
> Butler, great grandson Oliver MacAdams (little Leroy). Leroy is
> predeceased by his wife, Audrey (Morrell), mother Lillian Hill and step
> father Douglas Hill.
> 
> Leroy joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons 21 December 1953 and served in
> CFB Petawawa, CFB Borden, CFB Gage town, CFB Suffield, Germany and
> Cyprus until his retirement in 1989. Upon his retirement he worked with
> the Army Cadets at Camp Argonaut until 1997.
> CWO Macadam's was a lifetime member of the RCD Association (Atlantic
> Chapter) and the SPA, member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #93,
> the FANS, St Vincent de Paul Parish and the Knights of Columbus
> Monsignor Boyd Council 6774, 3rd degree. He was also involved in the
> Lahr Germany and Oronoco Figure Skating Clubs.
> 
> Visitation/Viewing will be held at the Oronoco Funeral Home on:
> Saturday Aug 17, 2013 from 7-9 pm
> Sunday Aug 18, 2013 2-4 and 7-Pam.
> A Funeral Mass will be held on
> Monday August 19, 2013 at 11:00 am at St Vincent de Paul Church,
> Oromocto
> with Rev. Ken Weir will officiating.
> He will be laid to rest in the St Vincent de Paul Cemetery.
> There will be a reception afterwards in the church hall which is located
> next to the church
> Those wishing to send Flowers may send them to the Oromocto Funeral
> Home.
> For those wishing to send Donations may be made to the Oromocto SPCA, or
> the Oromocto Food Bank
> 
> Link:
> www.oromoctofh.com
> 
> 
> Oromocto Funeral Home & Crematorium
> 108 Winnebago Street, Oromocto, N.B. E2V 1C7
> Tel: 506-357-5100 - Fax: 506-357-6866
> Email: Oromocto@McAdamsFH.com
> 
> 
> Rest in Peace!


----------



## Edward Campbell

LGen (Ret'd) Jack Vance, The RCR: the very definiton of an officer and gentlemen.

I had the privilege to serve under his command a couple of times; he was a first rate officer in every respect and he and his lovely wife Sheila were especially kind to newly joined subalterns.

Details to follow, my thoughts are with LGen Jon Vance, today.

This from The Regimental Adjutant:

The most sad news reached Regimental Headquarters yesterday evening of the passing of a Regimental giant. On behalf of the Colonel of the Regiment, Colonel W.J. Aitchison; the Chairman of the Regimental Senate, Brigadier-General J.B. Simms; and the Chairman of the Regimental Executive Committee, Colonel J.P. Davis, it is my unhappy duty to inform you that Lieutenant-General J.E. "Jack" Vance, CMM, CD (Ret'd) passed away peacefully, in Tweed, Ontario on Tuesday, 10 September 2013.

Lieutenant-General Jack Vance was 80 years of age. Lieutenant-General Jonathan H. Vance, Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command at Naples, Italy, is returning from Europe and is expected to be on the ground as of Friday, 13 September.

Lieutenant-General Jack Vance was a legend in his own lifetime and will be remembered, along with a very small handful of others, as one who had a transformational effect upon The Royal Canadian Regiment, who recast the structure of the Regiment and insured its well being for generations to come. His name will forever be mentioned in the same breath as those of George Joseph Maunsell, William Dillon Otter, Lawrence Buchan, Milton F. Gregg, Eric Snow and Dan Spry. He will surely also be remembered as a man of indomitable character, uncompromising integrity and outstanding intellect. Jack Vance was born into difficult times on 28 July 1933, near Tweed in Hungerford County, Ontario. His life course was set in September 1952 when he enrolled at Royal Military College, Kingston. Lieutenant-General Vance attended RMC from September 1952 - June 1956. He completed Phases One and Two of Officer Training at the Royal Canadian School of Infantry (while Colonel Peter R. Bingham of The RCR was Commandant) at Camp Borden and in Meaford. When confronted with difficult problems other candidates always went to Jack Vance for calm advice and foolproof solutions. Jack Vance completed Phase Three at Fort York, Soest, West Germany in 1955 as a Platoon Commander with 2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment. From June 1956 - September 1957 he was posted with 2 RCR at Wolseley Barracks, London, Ontario, where he was promoted to Lieutenant and served as Anti-Tank Platoon Commander and as Para Officer.

Lieutenant Vance attended the University of Toronto from September 1957 - June 1958 and obtained a degree in history. He then served at Camp Ipperwash, Ontario with 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (with Lieutenant-Colonel Frank "Klink" Klenavic as Commanding Officer) from August 1958 - June 1960, first as a Platoon Commander and then as Intelligence Officer. Promoted to Captain, Jack Vance was posted to Army Headquarters in Ottawa in June 1960, serving as a staff officer in the Adjutant-General's Branch until September 1963. From February 1961, Captain Vance served as the Personal Assistant to the Adjutant-General. He subsequently attended a two year course at Staff College in Kingston from September 1963 - June 1965. In June 1965 Captain Vance was posted to 2 RCR at Wolseley Barracks, becoming OC of "C" Company. He was promoted to the rank of Major in December 1965.

Major Vance remained with 2 RCR until June 1967. From June 1967 - August 1968 he held the appointment of Brigade Major of 3 Canadian Infantry Brigade at Gagetown, New Brunswick. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, he served as the SSO Training at Force Mobile Command (FMC, i.e. the Canadian Army) HQ at St. Hubert, Quebec from August 1968 - 1971. In 1971 Lieutenant-Colonel Vance assumed command of a mechanized infantry Battalion at Baden-Soellingen, West Germany: 3 Mechanized Commando (3 Mech Cdo). 3 Mech Cdo was a hybrid unit consisting of soldiers from both The RCR and the PPCLI that existed from 28 June 1970 - 13 July 1977.

Lieutenant-Colonel Vance remained in command until August 1972 when he was promoted to Colonel and posted to FMC HQ. Here Colonel Vance was DCOS Training until 1973. He was posted to NDHQ, Ottawa as Director Indiv Training from 1973-1975.

Colonel Vance was promoted to Brigadier-General in 1975 and remained at NDHQ as Director-General Recruiting, Education and Training until July 1976. Posted to Lahr, Germany, Brigadier-General Vance commanded 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group at Lahr and Baden-Soellingen from July 1976 - July 1978. Returning once more to FMC HQ he served in the pivotal role of COS Ops from July 1978 - July 1979.

Brigadier-General Vance attended National Defence College from July 1979 - May 1980 and was promoted to the rank of Major-General on this latter date. From May 1980 to May 1983 Major-General Vance was, initially,
chairman of the Unification T.F. Review and then C Postings, Careers and Senior Appointments at NDHQ. During this time the present Colonel of the Regiment, Colonel W.J. Aitchison, was the staff officer to General Vance. In May 1983, less than 12 years after assuming command of a battalion in Germany, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General.

Still at NDHQ, Lieutenant-General Vance was responsible for CF Personnel from May 1983 - June 1985. In 1983 Lieutenant-General J.E. Vance was invested in the Order of Military Merit, grade of Commander (CMM). As of June 1985 he became Vice Chief of Defence Staff (VCDS), the second highest appointment in the Canadian Armed Forces. Lieutenant-General Vance would continue to serve as VCDS until 1988.

Lieutenant-General Jack Vance would retire from the CF in 1988, at the age of 55, having completed 36 years of most dedicated service.

He had already made a huge contribution to Country, Army and Regiment, but his service to the larger community and indeed to The Royal Canadian Regiment was far from over.  Shortly after retirement Lieutenant-General Vance accepted the position of Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, an appointment he exercised from 01 September 1989 - 1992. For the rest of his life he would continue to associate his name and provide support to the Cadet movement. Not surprisingly, Lieutenant-General Vance was honoured with the appointment of Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps from 1992-1995. With his many years of distinguished service in higher command and a reputation for wisdom and integrity, he was named the Senior Military Advisor to the Privy Council for the Somalia Inquiry.

Most fittingly, Lieutenant-General J.E. Vance, CMM CD,  was appointed Colonel of the Regiment of The Royal Canadian Regiment on 01 July 1997. This was indeed a well deserved honour. During the tenure of his appointment he was an active and inspirational Colonel of the Regiment. In the Cold War/Peacekeeping era his positive influence on developments within the Regiment was greatly significant. During the 1970s and 1980s he had worked tirelessly with Major-General Dan Loomis to reform and adapt the structure of The Royal Canadian Regiment. The transformation wrought by Lieutenant-General Vance insured that the Regiment could face the future and continue to flourish. The Royal Canadian Regiment as it is today is in large part a reflection of the vision of this great man. In his life he became an embodiment of all those qualities and virtues that make our Regiment great. In describing Lieutenant-General Jack Vance I will leave the final words to his son, Lieutenant-General Jonathan Vance. In accepting the Vimy Award in 2011
he said of and to his father:

"...I could not have asked for a better role model of leadership and wisdom than you. Many of us curse when we start to sound like our parents...well, just to let you know, more often than not I gave silent thanks...Thanks Dad."


----------



## OldSolduer

RIP Sir


----------



## vonGarvin

I was his ADC on several of his visits to 2 RCR when his son, then-LCol Jon Vance was the CO.  General Vance and his wife were both a pleasure to host.  He was a true gentleman and she was an elegant lady.  

He was a fellow Hastings County lad, adn there is a bit of kinship that way, having similar hometowns and all, but sharing the Regimental bonds make it even stronger.  Heck, my parents, both civvies, knew of him and his family.  

A loss not only for The RCR and the Canadian Army, but for all of Canada.  He was chosen to command 4 CMBG, the flagship formation of the Canadian Forces until the end of the cold war.  His notable achievements were too many to list.  But in the end, he was a fairly straightforward Hastings County lad who did his country sterling service.

RIP.  He will be missed.


----------



## 211RadOp

OSGOOD, John Andrew
Canadian Armed Forces, Retired, Tel Op 212
Following a successful battle with cancer, John Osgood passed unexpectedly at home on Friday, September 6, 2013, at the age of 48 years. Beloved husband and best friend of Denise Gordanier. Brother to Bob (Doris), Doug (Ruth Anne), Alex (Henriette) and twin of Joan Anderson (Frank). Family and friends are invited to pay their respects at the Daley Family Funeral Home, 6971 Bank St. (between Scrivens Dr. and Metcalfe corner) on Tuesday from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. Funeral Wednesday in the Chapel for service at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations made to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation would be most appreciated by the family.

John served with Comm Sqn Borden (83 - 88), 4 Svc Bn (88 - 90), Comm Sqn Lahr (90 - 92), Comm Sqn Winnipeg (92 - 96) and 764 Comm Sqn Ottawa (96 - 99).  After leaving the CAF, he served with DND as a CS2  and then as a CS 3 at CFEWC.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=john-osgood&pid=166878762&fhid=6681#fbLoggedOut


----------



## V_I_Lenin

Thanks for posting the link to John's obituary, 211RadOp...saw the post on the C&E Website, but nothing else in the way of links or info...

Between John and Jason Pearce, never a dull moment on mids in Lahr...!


----------



## Nfld Sapper

Rear Admiral Fred J. Mifflin, PC, CD 



> Former MP Passes Away
> Former Liberal MP and retired Rear Admiral Fred Mifflin has passed away. A native of Bonavista, Mifflin entered politics after a respected career with the Royal Canadian Navy. He was first elected as MP for Bonavista-Trinity-Conception in 1988 and served for a time as Fisheries Minister and the Minister Responsible for Veterans Affairs. Mifflin died in hospital in Ottawa on Saturday following a brief illness at the age of 75. Mifflin had been living in Ottawa in recent years to be closer to his family. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.





> Former Liberal MP Dies
> A well-known political figure has passed away. Former Liberal MP and retired Rear Admiral Fred Mifflin, a native of Bonavista, died in hospital in Ottawa on Saturday following a brief illness at the age of 75. His friend of many years, Fred Cuff, described the legacy Mifflin left behind.
> 
> Cuff spoke of the physical and structural legacies left behind such as his work on the Ryan Premises National Historic Site, the Rising Tide Theatre, the Carbonear Events Centre, the Admirals Marina in Harbour Grace, the Matthew Replica, the Church Street development, the Village Green, the Smallwood Statue, and Barbara Living Heritage just to name a few.
> 
> But, Cuff says, Mifflin's work extended beyond the structural legacy he created. According to Cuff, he was a man driven by his compassion and caring for people and their livelihoods. He spoke of the difficult impact of the cod moratorium of the '90s and how Mifflin helped fishermen preserve their way of life by creating the inshore shrimp fishery for small boats. Cuff says his efforts didn't stop there.
> 
> Crab fisherman formerly had permits for small boats, Cuff says, but Mifflin made those permits into permanent licenses, thereby guaranteeing seasonal work for the fisherman. This again helped fishermen and families stay in rural Newfoundland to live and work.
> 
> Mifflin entered politics after a respected career with the Royal Canadian Navy. He was first elected as MP for Bonavista-Trinity-Conception in 1988 and served for a time as Fisheries Minister and the Minister Responsible for Veterans Affairs. A wake will be held for the former MP on Thursday and funeral services will take place on Friday.


----------



## OldSolduer

Clifford Longclaws, PPCLI 

http://www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com/obits/obituary.php?id=368245#.UlcYX-AfNDI.facebook

RIP Clifford


----------



## PPCLI Guy

RIP Patricia

VP


----------



## Edward Campbell

MGen (ret'd) Dan Loomis of The RCR passed away a few days ago. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in addition to severe disability in his legs and hips as a result of his wounds while serving with The RCR in Korea.  His wife advised that Dan Loomis passed away in the hospital in Ottawa on Thursday, 5 December.  She also advises that there will not be a public funeral or burial.

I will post more when The Regiment releases more information. MGen Loomis was wounded at Hill 355 but refused to be evacuated.


----------



## Edward Campbell

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> MGen (ret'd) Dan Loomis of The RCR passed away a few days ago. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in addition to severe disability in his legs and hips as a result of his wounds while serving with The RCR in Korea.  His wife advised that Dan Loomis passed away in the hospital in Ottawa on Thursday, 5 December.  She also advises that there will not be a public funeral or burial.
> 
> I will post more when The Regiment releases more information. MGen Loomis was wounded at Hill 355 but refused to be evacuated.




More, from The Regimental net, re the passing of MGen (ret'd) Dan Loomis:

     A Regimental icon, who can also be fairly described as a Regimental giant, has recently died. Major-General Dan Gordon Loomis, MC, OMM, CD (Ret'd) passed away in hospital at Ottawa last Thursday, 05 December 2013. He was 84 years
     of age. Mrs. Lorna Loomis, wife of Major-General Loomis, has confirmed that there will be no public funeral and interment. As a platoon commander with 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR) in Korea, 1952-1953, Major-General Loomis
     was decorated for gallantry in action and was awarded the Military Cross (MC). Later he rose to become Commanding Officer of 1 RCR, 1969-1971. From this time he emerged as a key senior Regimental leader and was one of the principal
     architects of the modern organization of The Royal Canadian Regiment.

     Dan Gordon Loomis was born at Montreal, Quebec in 1929 and eventually attended Lower Canada College in Montreal. His first experience of soldiering occurred in 1944 during the Second World War he enlisted in the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
     as a 15 year old Boy Soldier. Major-General Loomis attended Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) in Victoria, BC from 1948-1950 and Royal Military College (RMC) at Kingston, Ontario from 1950-1952. He graduated from RMC in 1952 as
     a Rhodes Scholar. In 1952 Major-General Loomis commissioned as an officer into 1 RCR. He subsequently served as a platoon commander in "C" Company, 1 RCR in Korea from April 1952 - March 1953. On the night of 27 September 1952
     Lieutenant Loomis led a patrol of "C" Company men against Chinese positions on Hill 227, a powerful enemy bastion. During the patrol contact was made with the enemy. In the short but savage engagement that ensued grenades and
     small arms fire were exchanged at short range. Lieutenant Loomis and three of his men were wounded. Dan Loomis received severe shrapnel wounds to his legs and hips (debilitating injuries from which he suffered for the rest of his life).
     Nevertheless, under the leadership of Lieutenant Loomis the "C" Company patrol carried the fight to the enemy, eliminating a Chinese machine-gun while killing its crew. For his gallantry and leadership in this action Loomis was subsequently
     awarded the Military Cross. He was one of only 33 Canadian officers to received the MC during the Korean War.

     Following his return to Canada from Korea, Dan Loomis attended Queen's University in Kingston, graduating in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Chemical Engineering. During 1954-1955 he returned to Regimental service with
     1 RCR, first at Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario, then at Fort York, Soest, West Germany. Remaining in Germany Lieutenant Loomis was employed as a staff officer at the Canadian Brigade Headquarters during 1955-1956. Promoted to
     Captain in 1956, he attended the Royal Military College of Science in England from 1956-1958. Captain Loomis was to eventually graduate at the top of his class receiving a further science degree. Not surprisingly with his background in science,
     Captain Loomis next served as a Technical Staff Officer at the Joint Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare School at at Camp Borden, Ontario during 1958-1959. From 1959-1961 he attended the Canadian Army Staff College in Kingston.
     Promoted to the rank of Major, Dan Loomis commanded a rifle company in 1 RCR from 1961-1962, first at Camp Ipperwash, Ontario, then at Fort York in Soest, West Germany. From 1962-1964 Major Loomis was employed as an Operations Staff Officer
     at British 1st Corps Headquarters (British Army of the Rhine). Returning to Canada in 1964 he was then a staff officer at Mobile Command (Army) Headquarters. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, Dan Loomis attended Queen's University, 1967-1969,
     graduating with an M.A.

     Lieutenant-Colonel D.G. Loomis would now command 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment from 15 January 1969 - 21 February 1971. Concurrently he would serve as Home Station Commander. During his tenure of command
     1 RCR mounted two significant operations. The first was Operation SNOWGOOSE 13, a Battalion deployment to Cyprus on UN peacekeeping duties from March-October 1970. Returning from Cyprus, 1 RCR was flung almost immediately into the
     FLQ Crisis (also referred to as the October Crisis), participating in Operation GINGER, an internal security operation designed to apprehend a potential insurrection instigated by FLQ terrorists in the province of Quebec. In addition to commanding
     1 RCR at this time, Lieutenant-Colonel Loomis was also acted as the Chief of Staff of the Western Quebec Sector during the FLQ Crisis. Dan Loomis would eventually write an account of the Canadian army's role in the FLQ Crisis,
     "Not Much Glory: Quelling the FLQ," published in 1984.

     Following the period during which he commanded 1 RCR, D.G. Loomis was employed at NDHQ in a staff capacity from September 1971 - November 1972. Immediately following this he served as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Canadian Contingent,
     serving at Saigon in Vietnam as international military observers and monitors during the climactic phase if the Vietnam conflict, 1972-1973. Dan Loomis then served as a Special Policy Advisor at NDHQ from 1973-1974. Eventually attaining
     the rank of Major-General, he would subsequently hold a myriad of important posts, including: Chief of Staff Mobile Command HQ; Commander C.A.S.T. Combat Group and CFB Petawawa; and NDHQ Chief of Programme.
     Following retirement Major-General Loomis served as a senior-level management consultant and advisor to, among others, the Treasury Board, the Department of External Affairs, and various private sector entities. Major-General D.G. Loomis
     is most certainly one of our most important Regimental leaders. His importance to our Regimental development in the modern era is absolutely fundamental.

     I have attached a photo of Major-General Loomis and his highly illuminating article, "The Regimental System."


----------



## Edward Campbell

I just received this on The Regimental net:

From The Colonel of The Regiment:

Just learned of the death of Maj RJO (Bob, or “Tank”) Lemaire. Details are below. Bob had served with The Regiment in Korea as a platoon commander and was the 2IC of A Coy, 2 RCR when I was sent to that company as a brand newly-minted platoon commander. OC was Maj (later LCol) Roger DeGobeo who died about a year ago. The other two platoon commanders were Al Clarke and Ben Gilmore. Tank later became the Adjutant of 2 RCR in Fort York, near Soest, Germany and later still served as a staff officer at Northern Region HQ in Yellowknife. Tank was a former semi-pro football player and truly a “gentle giant”. He once came to a Hallowe’en party as a caveman, carrying a fence-post as his club. Everyone who knew him liked him and his passing will be mourned.

----------

Robert (Bob) Joseph Olivier LeMaire (82) passed peacefully at home on December 30th 2013. We lovingly remember him as a strong man with a gentle heart, a charming sense of humour and a disarming pair of baby-blues. Bob was a beloved husband to Mary (Bittman); father to Mary Lynne; “Grampa” to Reganne, Ryan and Whitney; Great-grand “Papa” to Daisy; and dear friend to many more. He was also a soldier who served bravely and honourably in the Korean War with the Royal Canadian Regiment. Bob loved to sing, and lent his talents to many church choirs, community theatre performances and family gatherings over the years. The heavenly chorus is lucky to have the rich, deep voice that delighted us here on earth.

The family will be honouring Bob's memory privately, and are grateful for your thoughts and prayers. Condolences may be sent to xxxxxxxxxx  In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your favourite charity in Bob’s memory.

----------

Bob LeMaire was, indeed, all those things and more ... he was a good friend who will be sorely missed.


----------



## Old Sweat

RIP Bob. If memory serves me well, I FOOed for him when he was OC D Company in Germany. (My usual job was on the gun position but I led an ad hoc FOO party on a dismounted exercise.)


----------



## Edward Campbell

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> More, from The Regimental net, re the passing of MGen (ret'd) Dan Loomis:
> 
> A Regimental icon, who can also be fairly described as a Regimental giant, has recently died. Major-General Dan Gordon Loomis, MC, OMM, CD (Ret'd) passed away in hospital at Ottawa last Thursday, 05 December 2013. He was 84 years
> of age. Mrs. Lorna Loomis, wife of Major-General Loomis, has confirmed that there will be no public funeral and interment. As a platoon commander with 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR) in Korea, 1952-1953, Major-General Loomis
> was decorated for gallantry in action and was awarded the Military Cross (MC). Later he rose to become Commanding Officer of 1 RCR, 1969-1971. From this time he emerged as a key senior Regimental leader and was one of the principal
> architects of the modern organization of The Royal Canadian Regiment.
> 
> Dan Gordon Loomis was born at Montreal, Quebec in 1929 and eventually attended Lower Canada College in Montreal. His first experience of soldiering occurred in 1944 during the Second World War he enlisted in the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
> as a 15 year old Boy Soldier. Major-General Loomis attended Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) in Victoria, BC from 1948-1950 and Royal Military College (RMC) at Kingston, Ontario from 1950-1952. He graduated from RMC in 1952 as
> a Rhodes Scholar. In 1952 Major-General Loomis commissioned as an officer into 1 RCR. He subsequently served as a platoon commander in "C" Company, 1 RCR in Korea from April 1952 - March 1953. On the night of 27 September 1952
> Lieutenant Loomis led a patrol of "C" Company men against Chinese positions on Hill 227, a powerful enemy bastion. During the patrol contact was made with the enemy. In the short but savage engagement that ensued grenades and
> small arms fire were exchanged at short range. Lieutenant Loomis and three of his men were wounded. Dan Loomis received severe shrapnel wounds to his legs and hips (debilitating injuries from which he suffered for the rest of his life).
> Nevertheless, under the leadership of Lieutenant Loomis the "C" Company patrol carried the fight to the enemy, eliminating a Chinese machine-gun while killing its crew. For his gallantry and leadership in this action Loomis was subsequently
> awarded the Military Cross. He was one of only 33 Canadian officers to received the MC during the Korean War.
> 
> Following his return to Canada from Korea, Dan Loomis attended Queen's University in Kingston, graduating in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Chemical Engineering. During 1954-1955 he returned to Regimental service with
> 1 RCR, first at Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario, then at Fort York, Soest, West Germany. Remaining in Germany Lieutenant Loomis was employed as a staff officer at the Canadian Brigade Headquarters during 1955-1956. Promoted to
> Captain in 1956, he attended the Royal Military College of Science in England from 1956-1958. Captain Loomis was to eventually graduate at the top of his class receiving a further science degree. Not surprisingly with his background in science,
> Captain Loomis next served as a Technical Staff Officer at the Joint Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare School at at Camp Borden, Ontario during 1958-1959. From 1959-1961 he attended the Canadian Army Staff College in Kingston.
> Promoted to the rank of Major, Dan Loomis commanded a rifle company in 1 RCR from 1961-1962, first at Camp Ipperwash, Ontario, then at Fort York in Soest, West Germany. From 1962-1964 Major Loomis was employed as an Operations Staff Officer
> at British 1st Corps Headquarters (British Army of the Rhine). Returning to Canada in 1964 he was then a staff officer at Mobile Command (Army) Headquarters. Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, Dan Loomis attended Queen's University, 1967-1969,
> graduating with an M.A.
> 
> Lieutenant-Colonel D.G. Loomis would now command 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment from 15 January 1969 - 21 February 1971. Concurrently he would serve as Home Station Commander. During his tenure of command
> 1 RCR mounted two significant operations. The first was Operation SNOWGOOSE 13, a Battalion deployment to Cyprus on UN peacekeeping duties from March-October 1970. Returning from Cyprus, 1 RCR was flung almost immediately into the
> FLQ Crisis (also referred to as the October Crisis), participating in Operation GINGER, an internal security operation designed to apprehend a potential insurrection instigated by FLQ terrorists in the province of Quebec. In addition to commanding
> 1 RCR at this time, Lieutenant-Colonel Loomis was also acted as the Chief of Staff of the Western Quebec Sector during the FLQ Crisis. Dan Loomis would eventually write an account of the Canadian army's role in the FLQ Crisis,
> "Not Much Glory: Quelling the FLQ," published in 1984.
> 
> Following the period during which he commanded 1 RCR, D.G. Loomis was employed at NDHQ in a staff capacity from September 1971 - November 1972. Immediately following this he served as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Canadian Contingent,
> serving at Saigon in Vietnam as international military observers and monitors during the climactic phase if the Vietnam conflict, 1972-1973. Dan Loomis then served as a Special Policy Advisor at NDHQ from 1973-1974. Eventually attaining
> the rank of Major-General, he would subsequently hold a myriad of important posts, including: Chief of Staff Mobile Command HQ; Commander C.A.S.T. Combat Group and CFB Petawawa; and NDHQ Chief of Programme.
> Following retirement Major-General Loomis served as a senior-level management consultant and advisor to, among others, the Treasury Board, the Department of External Affairs, and various private sector entities. Major-General D.G. Loomis
> is most certainly one of our most important Regimental leaders. His importance to our Regimental development in the modern era is absolutely fundamental.
> 
> I have attached a photo of Major-General Loomis and his highly illuminating article, "The Regimental System."




More the late MGen (Ret'd) Dan Loomis in this article which is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act from the _Ottawa Citizen_:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Loomis+1929+2013/9374050/story.html


> Maj.-Gen. Dan Loomis — 1929-2013
> *‘Valiant officer’ led army in Ottawa-Hull during FLQ Crisis*
> 
> BY CHRIS COBB, OTTAWA CITIZEN
> 
> JANUARY 10, 2014
> 
> Maj.-Gen. Dan Loomis, former commanding officer and a principal architect of the modern Royal Canadian Regiment, was chief of staff in West Quebec during the FLQ Crisis and a soldier who took enormous pride in Canada’s military role as international peacekeeper.
> 
> He died Dec. 5 at age 84.
> 
> Former Chief of Defence Staff Ramsey Withers, a close friend and contemporary, describes Loomis as “a valiant officer — one of the best officers I knew.”
> 
> The two met in 1948 as cadets at Royal Roads Military College and completed their academic education at Kingston where Loomis studied chemical engineering.
> 
> “Dan was a brilliant student and an honours graduate,” said Withers, “but he had no intention of joining the regular army. Those of us who were going into the regular army as opposed to the reserves were called to muster. An officer from army headquarters came and said ‘when you graduate all of you are going to the Korean War’ so Dan wasn’t in that line up. But when news got around the college that we were being posted, he hastened across to see if he could join.”
> 
> It was in Korea that Loomis was awarded the Military Cross and suffered an injury from which he would never fully recover. He was one of only 33 Canadians to receive the Military Cross during the Korean conflict.
> 
> As Withers recalls it, Loomis led a fighting patrol with orders to capture an enemy soldier who could provide intelligence on Chinese army formations. He established an operating base and pushed ahead closer to enemy lines where he was ambushed.
> 
> “He was wounded and bleeding,” said Withers. “He got back to his front base and evacuated the whole of his patrol into battalion lines. He made his report, looked after everyone and wouldn’t allow himself to be treated until all his people had been looked after and he had done his job.”
> 
> When the two socialized, the conversation inevitably turned to military matters.
> 
> “We had lots of good discussions — military academic discussions,” said Withers. “He was a brilliant scholar and after his retirement he wrote extensively about military matters.
> 
> Loomis downplayed his many military achievements and despite his deep knowledge, could be a down-to-earth communicator.
> 
> In a 1988 interview with the Ottawa Citizen, he compared Canada the peacekeeper with the patriarch on TV’s Bonanza, played by Lorne Greene.
> 
> “Our peacekeepers have to be like Pa Cartwright on Bonanza,’’ said Loomis, who served on peacekeeping missions in Cyprus and Vietnam after three years of combat in Korea.
> 
> “Pa Cartwright had to settle some pretty strong arguments and he did it by standing firm between the two sides, and by earning a reputation for fairness. So Canada has to be like the Cartwrights, with Pa using common sense and humour too.
> 
> “Canada expects that from kids right out of high school,” he added, “and they have come through for 40 years.’’
> 
> But he took pains to emphasize that peacekeeping was no benign activity.
> 
> “It’s not a very romantic job,’’ he said. ‘’It’s traumatic as hell, and dangerous. The work is psychologically exhausting, and physiologically exhausting too. Armies by definition use maximum force to overcome the enemy. But in peacekeeping, our soldiers must use only minimum force, and only in self-defence. That means our guys don’t shoot back.’’
> 
> So Loomis, a consummate military professional, led the sort of life that could fill a book.
> 
> He was born in Montreal in 1929 and was the grandson of Sir Frederick Loomis who commanded the Third Canadian Division during the First World War.
> 
> Dan Loomis enlisted with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa when he was 15 and attended Royal Roads in Victoria, B.C. from 1948-1950 and Royal Military College at Kingston, Ontario from 1950-1952. He was commissioned as an officer in 1RCR shortly afterwards.
> 
> He was a platoon commander in “C” Company, 1 RCR in Korea from April 1952 to March 1953. According to his regimental biography, the injury described by his buddy Withers happened on the night of Sept. 27 1952: “Lt. Loomis led a patrol of “C” Company men against Chinese positions on Hill 227, a powerful enemy bastion. During the patrol, contact was made with the enemy. In the short but savage engagement that ensued, grenades and small arms fire were exchanged at short range. Lt. Loomis and three of his men were wounded. Dan Loomis received severe shrapnel wounds to his legs and hips (debilitating injuries from which he suffered for the rest of his life).”
> 
> Promoted to lieutenant colonel, Loomis commanded 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment from Jan. 15 1969 to Feb. 21 1971, serving concurrently as Home Station Commander.
> 
> During his command, Loomis led 1RCR into two major operations. The first was Operation Snowgoose 13, a UN peacekeeping operation in Cyprus from March to October 1970. Almost immediately after Snowgoose, he was plunged into the FLQ Crisis, playing key part in Operation Ginger, an internal security operation designed to stamp out the FLQ’s attempted insurrection.
> 
> In addition to commanding 1 RCR, Loomis was Chief of Staff of the Western Quebec Sector during the crisis and in 1984 published “Not Much Glory: Quelling the FLQ” in which he challenged a popular view that the FLQ was — in the words of former separatist premier René Lévesque — “a couple of dozen young terrorists whose ideology was a hopeless hodgepodge of anarcho-nationalism and kindergarten Marxism with no chance of having any kind of serious impact.”
> 
> Not so, according to Loomis, who said the public only saw the tip of the iceberg.
> 
> During the war measures operations in the Ottawa-Hull area, Loomis applied lessons he had learned from military history and from peacekeeping missions in Cyprus, deploying small infantry units with specific anti-terrorist tasks.
> 
> “One company protected potential assassination or kidnap targets in Ottawa and Hull,” he wrote, “while another secured vital points on the hydroelectric system feeding the National Capital Region to avoid a repeat of Castro’s success in Cuba in May, 1957, when terrorist bomb units hit the power system supplying Havana. Other companies conducted area patrols to ‘show the flag’ by making contact and maintaining the confidence of the population.”
> 
> “We learned respect for the enemy — the sort of respect practised by Montgomery, who pinned Rommel’s picture beside his bed so he could understand him better in order to destroy him,” he wrote. “The enemy was also training and preparing. We learned that the urban guerrilla was not ‘nine feet tall,’ that he, like us, had to follow long and difficult training courses and that he required discipline, especially self-discipline, just as we did. We learned that while the basics were the same, the tactics, tempo of operations, environment of the ‘battlefield,’ organization for combat, equipment and battle drills were different but no more difficult to master than those we had mastered.”
> 
> Twice married, Loomis leaves two adult children and one grandchild.
> 
> In its homage to Loomis, his former regiment described him as an icon — “a Regimental giant.”
> 
> His friend Withers sums him up this way: “He was a valiant officer who served Canada very well.”
> 
> See the full details of Loomis career in the ‘some recent passings’ section at www.thercr.ca/main
> 
> ccobb@ottawacitizen.com
> 
> twitter.com/chrisicobb
> 
> © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen


----------



## George Wallace

(Retired) SGT James G. Godden - May 6, 1959 - January 21, 2014


Obituary  

GODDEN, James G. 
SGT (Retired) - Royal Canadian Dragoons 
 - at his residence in Smith Falls, Ontario, on Monday January 21, 2014 at the age of 54. With his loving wife Susan (née Carr) by his side.

Funeral Details 

Visitation    
Hall of Colours - Beechwood National Memorial Centre 
280 Beechwood Ave. , Ottawa, ON, CANADA, K1L 8E2 
Sat, 1 Feb 2014 12:00 PM  

Funeral    
Sacred Space of the Beechwood National Memorial Centre 
280 Beechwood Ave. , Ottawa, ON, CANADA, K1L 8E2 
Sat, 1 Feb 2014 2:00 PM  

Burial    
National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Forces  
280 Beechwood Ave. , Ottawa, ON, CANADA, K7A 4S7 
Sat, 1 Feb 2014 3:00 PM


----------



## Eye In The Sky

RIP


----------



## Eye In The Sky

From The Regt

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart to inform you that one of our own members has passed away.

Col (ret'd) Charlie Thomas passed away at 1425 hrs on 27 Jan 2014.  Charlie fought a tremendously long hard battle with Cancer and succumbed to the disease at the tender age of 59. 

In the coming days, details will flow from myself on his wake and funeral services.
\
Blessings to Col Thomas and his family.

Thank you,

Adjt

-------------------------------------------------------------

I met Charlie in 89/90...when I was a young Tpr in front of him while he performed his Delegated Officer duties  8).  That was back in the day of double quick time, knee's up marching of the escorts and accused.  After the halt, the left turn was given and I, in my grace, kicked his desk.  Pretty hard too.

Many years later, after serving under him as OC Recce, CO and the like, we were at Bde HQ together, where we had a laugh over that day when I booted his desk.  I asked if I hadn't of kicked it, if I wouldn't have been found _not_ guilty.  I got 'the look'.  ^-^

Charlie had started off in the PEIR as a Trooper, making it to SSM before taking his commission.  He went on to become CO, and was bound for the Comd 36 CBG spot when he found out about his illness while, IIRC, after just starting the DComd 36 seat.

Charlie was one of the good guys;  said it like it was, didn't appreciate BS, and cared about the Troops.  I remember, as a MCpl when he was CO, failing him on C7 TOETs and thinking "this isn't going to go over well!" and he took it in stride and said "I don't want NCOs that pass people who shouldn't fuckin pass, good job.  I'm sending the DCO over next, so let him have it too!".  

RIP Sir.


----------



## Bog-Trotter

Did a search and was surprised at no mention of the following:

MWO Tom Capstick:

http://www.journalpioneer.com/Living/2009-10-05/article-1383000/Pilots-death-a-tremendous-loss-to-community:-Hopping/1

Tom was a great guy, pretty much the first man I met on PEI. Dropped in on him every couple of days to shoot the crap and drink the rancid coffee he made. :-X Actually saw him about an hour before he died, told him I couldn't handle his "coffee" anymore and went to Tim's. Actually watched him thunder into a potato field on my way back. Flew with him 2 days before in the same airplane.

It was with great pride, and many tears that we dedicated stone #1 to Tom when the Air Force Heritage Park was dedicated in 2011. Bloody important to me personally as I was created in the Officers Mess at then RCAF Summerside in 1963, the old man having been on his Argus OTU at the time. 

Many of the SAR boys will remember Tom from the National Sarex in '05 in Summerside. His wife swore he was home every night, but I swear he never left his chair the entire exercise. That was Tom. And his coffee still sucked.


----------



## armyvern

Farewell to a grand gal; see you Wednesday gram. 

Muriel Wightman
December 22, 1924 - March 27, 2014
Obituary 

Muriel Eileen (Irwin) Wightman

Surrounded by her family, Muriel Eileen (Irwin) Wightman passed away peacefully at the age of 89. Formerly of Amherst her death occurred March 27th at High Crest Nursing Home (Veteran¹s Wing), Springhill, NS. Born in Chippawa, ON (Niagara Falls), on December 22, 1924 she was a daughter of the late William and Harriet (Rowe) Irwin. She attended schools in Chippawa and Niagara Falls, ON. She was an accountant at the Royal Bank, Chippawa branch. Early in World War II at age 18 she enlisted in the Canadian Army, serving in the Canadian Women¹s Army Corp in Canada, England and Northwest Europe. She served in Canada with the supply Branch R.C.O.C. and overseas in the ³Army Show². She met her husband Ralph overseas and later married in Amsterdam in November of 1945. 

Muriel and Ralph were fortunate to celebrate their 65th anniversary in November 2010. Prior to WW II and following she was active in the Girl Guide Movement in Chippawa, ON, Oromocto, NB, Ottawa, ON and Amherst, NS. She served as District Commissioner in Amherst until health problems forced her to leave the position. She was an active member of the UCW, Unit 1 at Trinity-St. Stephens United Church in Amherst.

She will be sadly missed by her children Ruth (Fred) Gamble, Amherst Head, NS; Peter (Laura) Dartmouth, NS; Jane (Jack) McDonald, Kentville, NS; David (Dale) Amherst, NS; daughter-in-law Lois Wightman-Budd, Amherst, NS; eight grandchildren, Douglas, Kimberly, Christina, Sean, Jaime, Michael, Veronica and Roland; eleven great-grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, two sisters Betty Hawken, St. David, ON and Barbara Green, Westlock, AB. Her husband Maj. Ralph F. Wightman; son, Sgt Ralph C. Wightman; brother-in-law Gnr. John C. Wightman; two sisters Marion and Marjorie; three brothers Bill, Harry and Jack, predeceased her.

Muriel is resting at Campbell¹s Funeral Home, 98 Church St. Amherst (667-9906) with visiting from 2-4 and 7-9 pm with the Royal Canadian Legion Br# 10 tribute service at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday April 1, 2014. Funeral Services will be held at Trinity St. Stephen¹s United Church on Wednesday April 2 at 2:00 pm with Reverends Carolyn and Victor MacLeod officiating.

Burial will follow in the Amherst Cemetery at a later date. Family flowers only, donations can be made to the Children¹s Wish Foundation, Trinity-St. Stephens UCW or a charity of your choice.

Online condolences and sharing of memories may be forwarded via:
www.campbellsamherst.ca


----------



## Nfld Sapper

Vern as I passed on on other means condolences to you, Lois and, family.


----------



## OldSolduer

My condolences Vern......


----------



## Edward Campbell

Please accept my sincere condolences, Vern.  :cdnsalute:


----------



## Old Sweat

My sincere condolences, Vern. She must have been quite a woman.


----------



## Journeyman

No way!  Your grandmother was one of the Chippawa Wightmans?  She worked at the Royal on Cummington Square?  I may have known her; small world.

Hugs to you.


----------



## Eye In The Sky

Condolences to you and your family Vern.


----------



## Good2Golf

Vern, thoughts and prayers to you and your family.  I would have liked to have met your Grandmother.

G2G


----------



## George Wallace

A Sad Day to be a Dragoon:

From the RCD Atlantic chapter.

I regret to announce the passing of CWO (Retd) Art BARRATT, Saturday 29th of March 2014, at DEC Hospital, Fredericton NB.
 Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

 Respectfully yours
 Thomas Urbanowsky

=============================================================================

From the RCD Atlantic Chapter net. 

I regret to announce the passing of our Chapter member, Mr John Russell, in Hospital, Halifax NS, this week. 

Mrs Barbara Russell has informed me that there will be NO viewing or Funeral arrangements, as that was Johns wish.

You may send your personal condolences direct to; Mrs Barbara Russell, 113 Simpson Rd. RR1 Pictou NS B0K 1H0

1-902-485-1485. bjrussellns@tncwireless.ca


----------



## Lance Wiebe

Sadly, two of our retired Armour soldiers have passed away.
John Russell; retired WO, passed away in Halifax. By request, no viewing and no funeral.
Retired CWO Art Barratt passed away in Fredericton. Funeral arrangements not yet announced.

RIP.


----------



## PMedMoe

Posted here: http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/26620.300


----------



## xo31@711ret

Dorman K. Clarke, March 26, 1965 – March 12, 2014, Aged 48 years

 It is with a heavy heart that the family of Dorman Clarke announce his sudden passing on March 11, 2014 due to a tragic car accident in Fort McMurray. Dorm leaves behind his best friend and his partner in life Wife Cavell ( Oke ), his beloved son Joshua ( Kristin ) and his trusted companion, his dog Abby. Dorm will also be missed by his parents Kevin and Cora Clarke; Brothers Greg ( Diane ) Poole, Rodger ( Roberta) Clarke, his sister Beverley ( Raymond ) Vickers; Mother and Father In Law John and Bella Oke;  Brothers In Law Gilbert Oke and  Rodney ( Carolann ) Oke. Dorm will also be missed by a large circle of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and extended family and friends. For Family and Friends visitation will be at the Anglican Church in Pasadena Tuesday March 18th from 2-4 and 7-9, Wednesday March 19th from 2-4 and 7-9 and Funeral Service will take place Thursday March 20th at 2:00 P.M. with interment to follow at The Anglican Cemetery, Church Street.

...Dorm was a physician assistant who retired within the last couple years. he was working around the "Mac' at the time... Rest in peace Dorm.


----------



## X Royal

Woods, Michael

April 17th, 2014

Peacefully, at Parkwood Hospital, Michael Woods in his 77th year. Beloved husband of Mary (Furie). Forever missed by his loving children Liz Woods (Bob Sutherland), Cathrine Woods (Coll Campbell), and Mike Woods. Beloved Grandpa of Aaron Woods and Presley Lindgren-Woods. Mike spent his military career with 1RCR, Airborne Regiment in Edmonton and retired as RSM of 4RCR. He then worked as an investigator with Cann Law and then as Director of Training with St. John Ambulance. Mike was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Grand Bend Branch 498. Cremation has taken place. The memorial service will be held at WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North, London, on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. with visitation one hour prior. Those wishing to make memorial donations are asked to consider the Ontario S.P.C.A. Online condolences may be made at www.westviewfuneralchapel.com
Charitable donations may be made to:    Ontario S.P.C.A.


----------



## Cansky

Another young former medic has passed away.  Paul Currie lost his battle with cancer last night.  He was a medic for many years with most of it with PPCLI and 1 field ambulance, he remustered to firefighter and eventually retired in NWT working as a civi firefighter.  Rest in peace my friend you won't be forgotten.


----------



## medicineman

RIP Paul ...we were in the same Evac Platoon when I first got to 1 Fd Amb.  We were both accused of being evil twins because of our cheezy moustaches.  We also ended up on the same Airevac course several years later.

MM


----------



## Petard

LCol Cliff Baker MC, passed away on 26 Apr 2014, a remarkable man

http://www.canadaveteranshallofvalour.com/BakerCR.htm

Funeral arrangements are tentatively planned for 3 May


----------



## Kat Stevens

The Engineers lost two of our own in rapid succession this past week.  Bob Bremner was a Sapper back in the 80's with me in 1 CER, remustered to machinist and did the remainder of his career in Cold Lake.  He passed away in hospital after a battle with dementia, very sad way for a proud and relatively young (54ish) man to go out.  Also yesterday we lost Retired CWO Harry Poile, a truly great and inspirational leader of men, and my very first Tp WO.  Also passed away in hospital after a short stay for undisclosed causes.  

Stand down, Sappers, see you on the objective some day, CHIMO


----------



## MedCorps

MWO (ret'd) Stacey A. Alcock, CD, RCMS  1964 - 2014. 

Stacey Allan Alcock - 49, of New Minas, passed away Friday, May 16, 2014, in Hants County, while doing one of the things he loved most, cycling. Born in Mankota, Saskatchewan, he was a son of Lloyd Alcock, Buck Lake, Alberta and the late Rose (Shultz-Parry) Alcock. He was a loving father and devoted husband. He served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 28 years, beginning as a Medic and spending most of his career as a Biomedical Engineering Technologist, finishing as a Senior BMET. He served two tours in Bosnia, one in Afghanistan and was deployed to Haiti following the recent earthquake in that country. He retired with the rank of Master Warrant Officer. Stacey was presently employed with Phillips Health Care as a Customer Service Specialist. Mechanically and technologically minded, he enjoyed working on cars and with electronics. He is survived by his wife, Janet Woodworth; a daughter, Brittany Muir, Calgary, Alberta; a son, Brandon Alcock (partner, Samantha Ryan), Kentville; two step-sons, Jeremy and Cody Bezanson, both of New Minas; two brothers, Kenneth (Cyndi), Ottawa and Ross (partner, Stephanie Hancock), Nacogdoches, Texas. A lover of animals, he will be missed by his two dogs, Ollie and Sadie and his cat, Smokey. Cremation has taken place. There will be no visitation, by request. A gathering of family and friends will be held from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, May 24, 2014 in the Greenwich Community Centre, Greenwich, Kings County (on Greenwich Road across from Noggins Corner Farm). In lieu of flowers, donations in memory may be made to True Patriot Love (supporting military families who have lost loved ones during military duty) or the Kings County S.P.C.A. Arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. 

MWO Alcock just retired from the CAF a few months back, having finished as the BMET MOSID Advisor at the CF H Svcs Gp HQ.  A fine Warrant Officer and Technologist he will be missed by all that served with him.  He departed us too soon.  

MC


----------



## Harris

A former member of the West Nova Scotia Regiment and others.

McMURRER, Ernest Leo “Ernie” – Age 72 of Aylesford, NS passed away Monday, May 19, 2014 in the Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville. Born in Dartmouth, he was a son of the late William Ernest and Mary Rita (Pelrine) McMurrer. Ernie was retired from the Royal Canadian Navy as a Supply Technician having served on several ships, including Fort Erie, Nipigon, Preserver, Terra Nova and Fraser. He moved to Greenwood and served as a PO2 Supply Tech from 1978 until retirement in 1985, when he transferred to the Army Reserve in Camp Aldershot, where he served until “age” retirement in 1996. During his time in the reserves he also worked at a Chrysler dealership and was employed for many years as a Parts Department Associate with Canadian Tire, Greenwood. Most recently Ernie was a Commissionaire working at 14 Wing Greenwood. Over the past years, Ernie’s hobbies have included hunting, fishing, CB radio and his favourite, RV camping and was the President of the NS Apple Valley Campers Good Sam chapter. Ernie got the bug in Amateur Radio many, many years ago, and again most recently, in February of 2008. He was an active member of the Greenwood Amateur Radio Club, call sign VE1ERN. He is survived by his daughters, Patricia (Ivan) Bezanson, Greenwood; Roseann (Clayton) Burton, Eastern Passage; his son, Robert (Tammy) McMurrer, Ketch Harbour; his brothers, Fred (Eleanor) McMurrer, Chilliwack, BC; Leonard (Joan) McMurrer, Ottawa, Ontario; his sister, Theresa Denham (Eoin Colson), Enfield, NS; his grandchildren Jennifer, Sarah, Corey, Cassandra, Jonathan, Melissa, Rebecca, Matthew and great-grandchildren Bella, Alex and Ryland, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife the former Patricia Cragg and daughter Ann in infancy. Cremation has taken place. By request, there will be no visitation or service. Donations in memory may be made to the charity of choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to Middleton Funeral Home 398 Main St., toll free 1 (855) 825-3448. On-line guest book may be signed by visiting: www.middletonfuneralhome.com


----------



## Haggis

Captain (retd) Ronald G Coughlan


COUGHLAN, Ronald - Mr. Ronald Coughlan at the Cornwall Community Hospital – McConnell Site on Wednesday June 18, 2014 at the age of 76 years. Beloved husband of Juliette (née Matte) Coughlan. Loved father of Peter; Jenny Giguere (André), and Perry (Kim). Sadly missed by 6 grandchildren Sean, Tia, Brittany, Kerry, Josée, and Parker. Loved son of the late Peter and Gertrude (née Gough) Coughlan. Dear brother of Rodrick (late Denise) and Gloria Coughlan. Resting at the WILSON FUNERAL HOME where visitation will be held on Friday from 7-9 PM. and Saturday from 8:30 – 9:15 AM. The Mass of the Resurrection with Commendation and Farewell will be celebrated in St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church on Saturday June 21, 2014 at 10:00 AM. Followed by cremation and Rite of Committal at a later date. If so desired contributions in his memory to the Ottawa Cancer Centre or the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation would be appreciated by the family.

Ron served as RSM of the SD&G Highlanders from 1976-1979.  Following his commissioning, he was a Company Commander.  Upon his retirement from the Regiment, Ron continued to serve with the CIC, commanding 2403 RCACC.  Most recently he was the president of the SD&G Highlanders "Glens" Association.  Both Ron's sons are retired CAF members and continue to volunteer with the Association and the Pipes and Drums.  His grandson serves with the LdSH (RC).

RIP, Ron.  Up the Glens!


----------



## Edward Campbell

This, which I just received on The Regimental Net will, ring a bell with some older members:







"A long-time and distinguished member of our Regimental family has died. Master Warrant Officer Horace Harris Smith (Ret'd) passed away at Toronto, Ontario on 12 June 2014. Born in 1933 he was 81 years of age.

Master Warrant Officer Smith was a veteran of the Korean War and served with 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR) in Korea from 1951-1952. During his subsequent service in the Regiment and the Canadian Army he became a top ranked heavyweight boxer, winning many championships. Master Warrant Officer Smith eventually became a Unit Physical Training Instructor (PTI) at Wolseley Barracks and was later employed at the Regimental Depot in London in the same capacity. He would late remuster into the P.T. Cadre. Master Warrant Officer Smith retired while serving at Camp Borden and moved back to the London area. 

He was very active in the Korea Veterans Association of Canada (KVA). Cremation took place in Toronto and interment followed later at the Woodlawn Cemetery in London. A memorial service was supported by several Korean War veterans from our Regiment."

He was a big man, in every sense of the word.


----------



## Brad Sallows

Major A. Michael WARRINGTON, OStJ, CD

Major Warrington enlisted as a volunteer in the Royal Armoured Corps at Bovington, England, in 1942.  Trained in tanks, he went to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in early 1944.  In Normandy and Northwest Europe he was a Troop Leader in Recce Troop, 1st Royal Tank Regiment, 7th Armoured Division (Desert Rats).  Knocked out by a Panzerfaust in Holland, he and his driver were wounded and two of his crew were taken prisoners.  After service in Egypt he was demobilized in 1947 and commenced medical studies at London University, England, qualifying in 1953.  He immigrated to Canada and in 1974 became the Regimental Medical Officer for the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own), a light armoured reconnaissance regiment based in Vancouver.  In 1981 he became the Commanding Officer of 12 (Vancouver) Medical Company.  In 1985 he became the Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the unit.  Michael has kept the Unit Association running for many years as a strong supporter and as the Chair up to 2011.  In his civilian career, he was a much respected Family Physician in North Vancouver.


The most recent history of the Canadian Forces Health Service gives credit to Lieutenant-Colonel Tony Grasset as the person to suggest the Motto of the CFHS, Militi Succurrimus.  Tony did not propose the name but submitted it to the CFHS.  The person proposing it was Michael Warrington.  A Canadian Medical Association Journal[1] note in 2007 has a statement from Michael.  “In 1976, while serving as medical officer in the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own), I was asked by the area surgeon, LCol Anthony Grasset, if I had any ideas for a motto for the CFMS. We had both studied medicine at Middlesex Hospital in London, UK. The hospital's motto Miseris Succerrere Disco (I am learning to succour the distressed) was inspired by a quotation from the Aeneid by Virgil (70-19 BC) at the part where Queen Dido says to Aeneas when he was cast upon her shores: ‘Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco' (Knowing something of misfortune myself, I am learning to succour the distressed). I suggested that we adapt this motto. On 10 August 1988, the CFMS adopted Militi Succurrimus (We succour the soldier) as its motto.”


LCol Warrington’s medals include:  Officer of the Order of St. John - 1939/1945 Star – France and Germany Star – Defence Medal – 1939/1945 War Medal – CD (EIIR) 

[1] Canadian Medical Association Journal 06 November 2007, Volume 77, No. 10

(Reproduced with permission of Dr John Blatherwick CM, CStJ, OBC, CD, BSc, MD, DPH, FRCP(C), LLD (Hon))


----------



## George Wallace

From the Dragoon Net:




> Dragoons,
> 
> It is with great sadness that The Regiment announces the passing of LCol (Ret'd) Robert (Bob) Gross, the 31st Commanding Officer of The Royal Canadian Dragoons.
> 
> LCol (Ret'd) Bob Gross passed away on Sunday, 29 June in Brooks, Alberta, after suffering a heart attack early that morning; he was 84 years of age. He is survived by his wife Renie, his two sons Paul and Tony and his grandchildren.
> 
> A private funeral service was held on Saturday, 5 July for immediate family and friends who celebrated the life of a great husband, Father, Grandfather, friend and Dragoon.
> 
> Anyone from the Regimental Family wishing to pass on their condolences and well-wishes to the family of LCol (Ret'd) Bob Gross can forward their notes to the address below:
> 
> Mrs. Renie Gross
> 10436 84th Avenue
> Edmonton, Alberta
> T6E 2H2
> 
> 
> Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of LCol (Ret'd) Bob Gross, he will be greatly missed.
> 
> 
> S.G. Graham
> Commanding Officer


----------



## Rifleman62

LCol (Retd) NORMAN ROSS DONOGH It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Norman at the Victoria General Hospital on Monday, August 11, 2014 at the age of 91 years.

Second World War Veteran, WIA, 30 th Commanding Officer of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles. Regimental service 1942-1969.

Norms brother,  Lt  Roland Oliver Donogh, was KIA with the Regiment, July 1944.

Norm wrote this on the Battle of Moyland Wood:

http://army.ca/forums/threads/92204/post-911924.html#msg911924

Assisted with our last Regimental history book, Named By The Enemy.

More to follow.


----------



## Old Sweat

My sincere condolences to his family and his regimental family. He was a gentleman in the true meaning of the word.

He would not let me include the following story in _Named by the Enemy_:

This took place during the clearance of the Channel Ports. Norm was a platoon commander and took command of the company when the OC was killed by MG fire in the FUP. As the company crossed the start line [line of departure] he received a heavy blow in the chest which staggered him. His first thought was that the was dead, but soon realized he was still alive. On checking Norm found that a bullet had glanced off a large pocket watch he had attached to the end of his lanyard in his battledress breast pocket.

He also told the story of being at a cocktail party when he was commanding the regiment. A blonde (honest) said to him, "Colonel Donogh, you said you and your brother had both served in the regiment in Normandy and one of you was killed. Was that you or your brother?" "Oh," he replied, "that was my brother."


----------



## Newt

Norman Donogh was my great-uncle, although I only met him on a few occasions when I was younger.

The Donogh side of my family is part of what drives me to serve. His brother, Oliver, was named for their uncle Roland, who died 12 Apr 1917 while serving with the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles. Their father, Wallace, served in the First World War as well.

Onward.


----------



## Rifleman62

http://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-216255/name-Norm__Donogh/date-range-all/keyword-donogh/order-publish_date|DESC,last_name|ASC,first_name|ASC/

NORM DONOGH

LT. COL (RET) NORM DONOGH It is with sadness that the family announces the passing of Norm Donogh at Winnipeg, Manitoba on August 11, 2014. Both a loving husband and father, he was also an adoring Papa to his grandchildren. Family and friends were very important to Norm. Born in Winnipeg on April 9, 1923, second child to Rev Wallace Donogh and Mabel Ashworth, Norm grew up surrounded by love, music and a strong faith. He shared these gifts throughout his life time. During the Second World War, Norm served in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, participating in the D-Day landings and the Liberation of Holland. Upon his return from overseas Norm completed his BA and worked as a teacher, then a reporter and columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press. It was while working at the paper, he met the love of his life June (Cherry) they were married in May of 1952. Norm took a job with the Province of Manitoba, Dept. of Industry and Commerce in 1956. He was a dedicated civil servant; there was no question regarding protocol and procedure that Norm could not answer. During his time with the province he served as aide-de-camp for Lt Governor Pearl McGonigal. Retiring in 1988, Norm and June were able to travel, something they enjoyed thoroughly for many years. When Norm and June became grandparents they planned many wonderful experiences for "their girls". Every family get together was recorded for their memory project, a legacy that is appreciated. Norm was an active participant in compiling both regimental histories of the famed Little Black Devils, leaving a historically correct legacy for future generations. He was proud to have been part of the planning of the Regiment's 125th Anniversary. His dedication and work was honoured by their Colonel and Chief HRH Prince Charles in a personal message to Norm. Poor health prevented him from attending this year's 70 anniversary celebration of D-Day in Normandy. His last act of Remembrance was laying a wreath during the 70th anniversary of D-Day at Vimy Ridge Park on June 6 of this year. He will always be remembered as heavily involved in the regiment, teaching the younger generations the importance of the sacrifice made by so many young men. Norm had a keen mind and a ready wit. He was a long standing member of the Winnipeg Press Club, and The Manitoba Community Newspapers Association granted him a lifetime membership. Norm was extremely proud of being a member of the "Senators", curling at the Granite Curling Club. Norm is predeceased by his wife June, parents Wallace and Mabel, brothers Roland and Gordon and sister Lorraine. Norm is survived by his son Brian, wife Ellen and granddaughters Jacqueline, Shannon, Danielle, a sister Gwen Hewlett and many nieces and nephews. Respecting Norm's wishes, a private family interment has taken place at Thomson "In the Park" Cemetery, 1291 McGillivray Boulevard. A Memorial Service to celebrate Norm's life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests honouring Norm's memory through one of the following: the Victoria Hospital Foundation, the St. Boniface Hospital and Research Foundation or the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Foundation. THOMSON "IN THE PARK" 204-925-1120 Condolences may be sent to www.thomsoninthepark.com

As published in the Winnipeg Free Press on August 16, 2014


----------



## Edward Campbell

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> This came in the mail today and it is, happily, a "tribute" rather than a memorial:
> 
> __________
> All Royal Canadians will want to know that Mrs. Jean Snow of Fredericton, New Brunswick, the wife of Brigadier T.E.D'O. Snow, OBE, CM, CD, will be celebrating her 105th birthday today, 10 November 2011.
> 
> As well as having been married to one of the true giants of the Regiment, Mrs. Snow herself has been a member of the Regimental Family for an amazing 85 years (surely a record).
> 
> Born Jean Matthews on 10 November 1906, in 1926, she met and was courted by a young subaltern of the The Royal Canadian Regiment, Lieutenant Thomas Eric D'Oyly Snow. Lieutenant Snow was serving with ""C Company at Wolseley Barracks, London, Ontario. Jean was 20 years of age, Eric was 21. In those days of meagre pay and benefits, young subalterns simply did not marry.
> Nevertheless, despite the express disapproval of the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel E.A. Seely Smith, Jean and Eric married on 14 August 1926. The couple forged an unbreakable bond and the marriage flourished for 69 years, until the death of Brigadier Snow in 1996.
> 
> T.E. Snow went on to become an inspirational and transformational Commanding Officer of The RCR during the Second World War, from 1941-1943.
> 
> Mrs. Snow has remained a stalwart member of the Regimental family and a passionate supporter of The Royal Canadian Regiment to this day. After the retirement of Brigadier Snow from the Regular army in 1960, the Snows remained very close to the Regiment. Living in Fredericton they were certainly well known and often seen by members of 2 RCR. Mrs. Jean Snow has been very active with The RCR Association and has always made a point of attending the 2 RCR Change of Command Parades. As recently as 2002, Mrs. Snow attended a reception hosted by 2 RCR in honour
> of HRH prince Philip. To this day she is well known for her tremendous sense of humour and extremely positive attitude towards life. That eminent Royal
> Canadian, Major-General J.H. Vance, himself a former CO of 2 RCR, has said this of Mrs. Jean Snow: "This wonderful lady is truly representative of the
> spirit and endurance of the Regimental Family. I consider her one of our regimental treasures."
> 
> On behalf of Regimental Headquarters I would like to wish Mrs. Snow a very happy 105th birthday. I know that the Command Team of 2 RCR, LCol Ruff and RSM Penton, will be visiting Mrs. Snow today to wish her many happy returns from the Regiment. They will also be bringing her letters of personal congratulations from many other Royal Canadians. I would not be at
> all surprised if there was also not a Regimental Piper in attendance to play the "Brigadier T.E. Snow March."
> 
> Brigadier T.E. Snow is a Regimental icon. His tenure of command of The RCR is a watershed in the history of our Regiment. His life and career have had a huge impact on The Royal Canadian Regiment.
> __________




Sadly, Mrs Jean Snow passed away. I received this from The Regiment:

     It is with the deepest regret that I must inform you of the passing of Mrs. Jean Snow of Fredericton, New Brunswick, wife of the late Brigadier T.E.D'O. Snow, OBE, CM, CD,  during the early hours of 30 August 2014.
     She had been undergoing palliative care at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton and died peacefully in her sleep. Born Jean Matthews on 10 November 1906, Mrs. Snow was 107 years of age.
     She was born at a time when The Royal Canadian Regiment was only 22 years old and Sir Wilfred Laurier was the Prime Minister of the Dominion of Canada. As well as having been married to one of the true giants of the Regiment,
     Brigadier Eric Snow, Mrs. Jean Snow herself was a Regimental icon and member of the Regimental Family for an extraordinary 88 years. Although she led a full, rich and happy life, sadly her passing marks the severing of
     a tangible link with our long and storied Regimental past.

     In 1926, Jean Matthews met and was courted by a young subaltern of The Royal Canadian Regiment, Lieutenant Thomas Eric D'Oyly Snow. Lieutenant Snow was serving with "C” Company at Wolseley Barracks, London, Ontario.
     Jean was 20 years of age, Eric was 21. In those days of meagre pay and benefits, young subalterns simply did not marry. Nevertheless, despite the express disapproval of the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel E.A. Seely Smith,
     Jean and Eric married on 14 August 1926. The couple forged an unbreakable bond and the marriage flourished for 69 years, until the death of Brigadier Snow in 1996. T.E. Snow went on to become an inspirational and transformational
     Commanding Officer of The RCR during the Second World War, from 1941-1943. His tenure of command of The RCR was a watershed in the history of our Regiment. His life and career had a huge impact on The Royal Canadian Regiment
     and he was the Royal most readily identified with our unofficial motto, “Never Pass a Fault”.

     Mrs. Snow remained a stalwart member of the Regimental family and a passionate supporter of The Royal Canadian Regiment to the end of her life. After the retirement of Brigadier Snow from the Regular Army in 1960,
     the Snows remained very close to the Regiment. Living in Fredericton they were certainly well known and often seen by members of 2nd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment. Mrs. Jean Snow was very active with
     The RCR Association and always made a point of attending the 2 RCR Change of Command parades. As recently as 2002, Mrs. Snow attended a reception hosted by 2 RCR in honour of HRH Prince Philip. She was always well
     known for her tremendous sense of humour and extremely positive attitude towards life. That eminent Royal Canadian, Lieutenant-General J.H. Vance, himself a former CO of 2 RCR, has said this of Mrs. Jean Snow:
     "This wonderful lady is truly representative of the spirit and endurance of the Regimental Family. I consider her one of our regimental treasures."

     On behalf of Regimental Headquarters I would like to express my sincere sympathies to the family and many friends of Mrs. Jean Snow. They are in the thought and prayers of all Royal Canadians. Jean Snow was a truly
     a remarkable and great lady.


----------



## OldSolduer

Ray Sheppard, 2 PPCLI and 2 Commando passed away last week.

RIP Ray


----------



## Old Sweat

Brigadier General HE (Ted) Brown passed away in Toronto, aged 102. His obituary from the Toronto Star is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provision of the Copyright Act.

 HAROLD EDWARD BROWN

Brigadier General (Retired)

At The Bradgate Arms Retirement Residence on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 in his 103rd year. Predeceased by his loving wife Julia DeLacey Prindiville (d. June 1999). He is survived by his daughters Susan Kohn (Carl) and Janet Williams (Robert) and son Peter (Cindy) of Ardrossan, Alberta, and his sister Shirley Park (Grier) of Thunder Bay, Ontario. He was the proud and devoted grandfather of Tracey May (James), Mark Soteroff (Natalie), James Cartan (Kelly), Elizabeth Cartan (Warren) and Alex Brown; and loving great-grandfather of Jack and Madeleine May, Mikayla Soteroff, Brooke Smith and Cole and Rhys Cartan. Brigadier General Brown served in WWII with the 17th Field Regiment R.C.A., and as Commanding Officer of 1st Field Regiment R.C.H.A. in Italy and North West Europe. His post-war service was as Commander, Canadian Contingent, United Nations Emergency Force in Egypt in 1957; Commander, Central Ontario Area 1960-64, and as Senior Military Adviser, Military Component, Canadian Delegation, with the International Commission for Supervision and Control, Indo-China, 1964-65. He was also Honorary Lt. Colonel and Honorary Colonel of 7 Toronto Regiment R.C.A. from 1986-91. He was President of the Fort York Branch, Royal Canadian Legion in 1984, a Life Member of the Royal Canadian Military Institute, and a member of the Soldiers' Tower Committee, University of Toronto. The family will receive visitors at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME A.W. MILES – NEWBIGGING CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) from 2:00 – 4:00 and 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Thursday, October 23rd. Mass of Christian Burial will be held in Blessed Sacrament Church, 24 Cheritan Avenue, at Yonge Street, one block south of Lawrence Avenue, on Saturday, October 25th at 10:00 a.m. If desired, and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Catholic Missions in Canada, 1155 Yonge Street, Suite 301, Toronto M4T 1W2, or to the charity of your choice. Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymilesnewbigging.com

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=harold-brown&pid=172852375&fhid=9911&FBNF=ShareObitAt#.VEJGJ3Yx0u8.facebook


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## vonGarvin

Colonel (Retired) Maurice Chilson "Chet" Randall

It is with great sadness that the family of Maurice Chilson "Chet" Randall announce his passing on Saturday, October 18, 2014, at his home in Oromocto, NB.

Chet served 32 proud years as a fighter pilot in the RCAF and held many positions including Base Commander at CFB Chatham before retiring to his childhood homestead in Lakeville Corner, NB where he enjoyed the past 25 years. He was well known for his community service particularly with the Knights of Columbus.  

Born in Fredericton on February 6, 1939, he was the devoted son of the late Maurice and Effie (Burns) Randall and the loving husband of Jacqueline (MacDonald).

Chet is survived by his loving wife of  53 years, Jacqueline; sons John (Darla) of Lakeville Corner and Jim (Meg) of Ottawa; his brother Alden (Margie) of Lakeville Corner; his sister Linda Morris (Greg) of Miramichi; his grandchildren Scott, Paul, Marie, Krissy , Kathy, Michael, Rob and Jenn as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Chet was predeceased by his infant son Joseph Anthony and his sister Caryl Blackmore.

Resting at the Oromocto Funeral Home (108 Winnebago Street, Oromocto, NB) with visitation on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 from 2-4PM and 7-9PM.  The Funeral Mass will take place on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at 11:00 AM at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Oromocto, NB followed by a reception in the parish hall.

His interment will be conducted in the Byno Community Cemetery, Lakeville Corner, after the reception.

Donations in Chet’s memory may be made to the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul Church or to the charity of your choice.


NB: Chet flew both F-86 Sabres and CF-104 Starfighters.


----------



## MedCorps

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Allan D. Scott, CD, RCMS
1938 - 2014

Al Scott was raised and attended school in rural Manitoba. At the earliest opportunity (in February 1955) he joined the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps as a Private, Medical Assistant. Over the next 13 years he was posted to a number of airborne units including 2 PPCLI and 1 Airborne Medical Platoon. As a Sergeant, he underwent Parachute Instructor training and was employed as a Jump Master whenever his unit parachuted. During that period, he progressed in rank to Staff Sergeant (now Warrant Officer) and in trade. In 1967 while on his Group 4 Course (now 6B) he was selected for commissioning.

After, completing officer’s training, he was posted to the field ambulance in Calgary. During the next 22 years, he underwent all of the available CF Medical Services training as well as Army and Canadian Forces staff training. Postings included two tours as a field ambulance training officer, three tours as a hospital administrative officer, a posting to Army HQs and one to CF Europe HQ in Lahr Germany. During this period he progressed in rank to Lieutenant Colonel and ended his Regular Force career in 1989, as Chief Administrative Officer at the National Defence Medical Centre in Ottawa.

In the fall of 1989, he moved to Victoria, and in 1990 he joined the CF Reserves with 11 (Victoria) Medical Company (now 11 (Victoria) Field Ambulance). He served in the unit for 4 years retiring as the Commanding Officer in 1993.

Even after leaving the military he remained interested in the Canadian Forces and the CF Heath Services in particular. During retirement, he was a member of the Defence Medical Association of Canada and the Conference of Defence Associations. He was also instrumental in the creation of the CF Health Services Trust, now known as the Royal Canadian Medical Services Association. Throughout much of this time, he was a volunteer with the BC Paramedic Academy and promoted its training for CF medical assistants. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a plan to become actively involved in politics- but changed his mind. He believed it was more productive to spend his time improving his golf game and enjoying the outdoors.

His commitment and loyalty to the Medical Services remained unwavering He was appointed Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of 11 (Victoria) Field Ambulance in 2004 and assumed the duties of Honorary Colonel in 2008. The dedication to his duties and to the well being all members of the unit was admired by all. He retired as the HCol in January 2014 but maintained his membership as a unit trustee and the unit historian.

Al passed away peacefully December 2nd at the Victoria Hospice, family and loved ones by his side. He accepted his date with destiny with dignity and grace. He leaves behind many friends, all of whom are better for knowing him.


----------



## Fishbone Jones

Received moments ago:



> Dragoons and Friends,
> 
> We gave recently received word that General Withers an Honorary Life member
> of the RCD Association passed away peacefully on the night of 23/24 December
> 2014.  Unfortunately, we have no details at this time, but we will do our
> best to get the information to you as it comes in or published in the
> newspapers.
> 
> We have lost a great Friend and a great Dragoon.
> 
> Bill Smith, Secretary NC R Chapter, RCD Association



"General Ramsey Muir Withers, CMM, CD (born July 28, 1930) is the oldest living past Chief of the Defence Staff, the highest ranking position in the Canadian Forces.

From Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsey_Muir_Withers 

Military career

Born in Scarborough, Ontario to Scottish immigrant parents, Withers spent 35 years in uniform, serving in the Korean War and in command and staff positions throughout Canada and overseas. He became Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1977 and then Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 1980 before retiring in 1983.

From his retirement as CDS in 1983 until 1988, Withers served as Deputy Minister of Transport, during which time he was awarded the Commissioner's Award of the Northwest Territories and the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada.

Withers is a professional engineer and a Fellow of Georgian College, holding earned degrees from the Royal Military College of Canada (student # 2951) and Queen's University. He is a graduate of the Canadian Army Staff College and Britain's Joint Services Staff College.

After retirement, Withers became president of a government relations firm, director of an aerospace technology company, a consultant to the Office of the Auditor General and Chairman of the Industry Government Relations Group.

He also continued to be active in volunteer work. In addition to chairing a committee that reviewed the undergraduate program at the Royal Military College of Canada (culminating in the Withers Report), Ramsey is the honorary director of the Canadian War Museum. He is a former Trustee of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Chairman of the Canadian War Museum Committee, former Director of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, and an Honorary Vice-President of the Boy Scouts of Canada.

General Withers is married, and he and his wife Allison (née Saunders) have three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Honours

He was awarded the Commissioner's Award of the Northwest Territories and the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada. He is the winner of the Queen’s University Alumni Achievement Award. He is an honorary graduate of the National Defence College and the NATO Defense College. Withers holds two honorary doctorates. Archie Cairns composed the General Ramsey M. Withers (3/4 Retreat March 2003) for bagpipes in his honour. "

Audax et Celer


----------



## Edward Campbell

Gen (Ret'd) Ramsey Muir Withers

I just received word that Gen (ret'd) Ramsey Withers, late of the RCCS and a former CDS, dies last night, of a massive hear attack. He was 84 years old.

I had the pleasure of knowing Gen (ret'd) Withers, not really well but better than most, I suppose ... I will miss him, so will his Corps and his country.
   






   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Gen (ret'd) Withers as a cadet in RMC in 1950, as a subaltern - signal officer with the R22R - in Korea, as CDS and as a volunteer at the War Museum (with another old chum, 'Digger' MacDougall)


----------



## Old and Tired

Had to pass this news on to my Dad, Cal Lindsey (LCol, CD Ret, RCASC)  He and the General we get chums and friends for all their career's.  My Mm used to Baby sit the generals Kids when he was a newly promoted Capt, many, many years ago.  We also have a picture of General Wither and Dad when he was CDS visiting Dad's camp in Aldershot Nova Scotia in the summer of 1982.

A truly gracious Gentleman and Soldier.


----------



## OldSolduer

RIP sir


----------



## Fishbone Jones

Update:

Dragoons and Friends ,

The following is the text of the known details of the Visitation and Funeral arrangements for General Ramsey M. Withers as advised by the Colonel Commandant of the Communications and Electronics Branch.

Colleagues,

The current information indicates that the Withers family will plan for a 
Visitation 9 January 2015, 1700-2100 hrs and 1100-1300 hrs and for 10 
January a  Service Celebration of Life  1300-1400 hrs and Internment at 1400 hrs. I believe this will all be at Beechwood  Military Cemetery.



The family requests that the military be involved in the service , 
particularly the Celebration of Life. Individuals who can contribute to 
this Celebration of Life with stories and or photos are requested to  advise 
me and I can coordinate with the OPI.  I have already received  some 
anecdotes  from colleagues (Webber, Simpson. Leech, Arnold, etc). I request 
more. The Military C&E Museum will also be asked to assist.

More  detail to follow when available.



Bill

William S. Richard

BGen (retd)

Colonel Commandant

Communications and Electronics Branch

Tel 1-613-530-1249


----------



## Good2Golf

Master Warrant Officer (Retired), MMM, CD, Marcel 'Benny' Lemarbre, July 27, 1940 - December 24, 2014.

Initially serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, then the CF, MWO (Ret'd) MMM, CD, Marcel "Benny" Lemarbre completed his service to country in 4 Service Battalion after having served as the Squadron Warrant Officer (SWO) of 450 (Transport) Helicopter Squadron between 1986-1988.  Deeply respected by all in both Tactical Aviation and the Army's Transport Branch, Benny leaves us with the legacy of a senior [non-commisioned member] of the highest calibre, providing exemplary leadership to younger NCMs and valuable and wise advice to officers.  A central figure in the 'Old Guard' of 450 Squadron post-service, serving as a central focal point for maintaining the spirit of the Squadron for all those who served the unit in the past.

RIP Benny - Keep on Truckin'   




> Marcel Joseph Benjamin “Benny” Lemarbre
> 
> Benny passed peacefully but yet unexpectedly at the Ottawa Heart Institute on Christmas Eve at the age of 74. Loving husband of Christa for 50 years. Dear father of Sabine, Kiki (Steve) and Michael. Cherished opa to Kristyna, Jake, Zack, Kyle, Seth and great-opa to Emily and Julian. Loving brother of Pierrette (Yves), Yvette (Jean), Lise (Jean), Claude (Helene) and Murielle (Yves).  Benny will also be missed by his extended family in Germany and his many, many friends throughout the world in Australia, Belgium, Holland, Greece, Cuba and the United States. Benny was very involved in the Veterans Association for many years and his wish would be for this to carry on.  To all my family and friends don’t be sad be happy its gods will and time, nothing anyone can do so carry on and live a full life like I did. Special thanks to all the staff at the Ottawa Heart Institute for all their exceptional care. Friends may visit at the Garden Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 3440 Richmond Road (between Baseline Rd and Bayshore Dr.) on Sunday, December 28, 2014 from 11 a.m. until service time in the chapel at 1 p.m. followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, donations to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute would be appreciated.


----------



## PMedMoe

Clarence was my parents' neighbour for over 30 years. I went to high school with his son Michael.

Clarance Gauvin - Obituary

Clarence was employed for 25 years with the Canadian Armed Forces and a former employee with the Corps of Commissioners and Brinks Canada. He served in Korea from 1951-52 with the 2nd Battalion Royal 22nd Regiment.


----------



## vonGarvin

This just came through on the regimental net of The RCR:



> Regimental Headquarters was notified this morning of the tragic and completely unexpected passing of Chief Warrant Officer Ernest Joseph “Ernie” Hall, MMM, MSM, CD (Ret’d). Chief Warrant Officer Hall was one of three pedestrians struck and injured by a motor vehicle on Sunday night, 11 January, at approximately 9:00 PM on Lake Street, Pembroke, Ontario near the Pembroke Memorial Centre. Ernie Hall had been attending a Pembroke Lumber Kings hockey game at the Pembroke Memorial Centre, which had just concluded when the accident occurred (please see Pembroke Observer news release below). Severely injured, he was eventually transported to a medical facility in Ottawa. Ernie Hall passed away peacefully in hospital late last night, 12 January 2015, at 10:10 PM, with family and close friends at his side. This sudden loss, tragically sad under any circumstances, is especially poignant as Chief Warrant Officer Hall had only recently retired from the Canadian Armed Forces after a long and distinguished career.
> 
> Ernie Hall enrolled in the Regular Force on 14 August 1975, serving initially with 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (3 RCR) at Petawawa, Ontario. Following a peacekeeping tour with 3 RCR in Cyprus in 1977, he was posted to 2 Commando, Canadian Airborne Regiment at Petawawa, also in 1977. Chief Warrant Officer Hall would serve in the Airborne Regiment until 1986, including time as a Pathfinder Recce Det 2IC and as a Section Commander with 3 Commando. He completed another tour in Cyprus in 1981, was promoted to Master Corporal in 1982 and to the rank of Sergeant in 1986. Ernie Hall served with The RCR Battle School at Petawawa from 1986-87 and was then posted to 3 RCR at Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1987. In 1988 he was posted to Baden Soellingen, Germany with Mortar Platoon, 3 RCR as a Mortar Fire Controller (MFC). Chief Warrant Hall remained in Germany with 3 RCR until 1993. During this period he served in the Gulf, during the Gulf War in 1990, with M Company, 3 RCR; and deployed to Croatia in 1991 as a Platoon Warrant Officer in November Company, 3 RCR, part of the Royal 22ieme Regiment Battle Group. Ernie Hall was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer following his return from the Gulf in 1990. Posted to 2 RCR in 1993 he was subsequently employed as Intelligence Warrant Officer; Mortar Platoon Warrant Officer; Rifle Company CQMS; CQMS Admin Company; and Operations Warrant Officer. Chief Warrant Officer Hall completed a tour in Bosnia with 2 RCR in 1999. Promoted to Master Warrant Officer in 2001, he served as the Sergeant-Major of Hotel Company, 2 RCR, including a deployment to Eritrea as part of Task Force East Africa.
> 
> Following the tour in Eritrea, Chief Warrant Officer Hall was posted to NDHQ Ottawa as The RCR Career Manager. After promotion to Chief Warrant Officer in 2005 he subsequently became the Infantry Corps Career Manager. Chief Warrant Officer Hall was appointed Regimental Sergeant-Major of 3 RCR on 16 December 2006. His tenure of appointment would last until 16 June 2009. During this time he was also RSM of the 3 RCR Battle Group (Task Force 3-08) in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan from September 2008 – April 2009. In June 2009 Chief Warrant Officer Hall returned to NDHQ Ottawa as the Army Chief Warrant Officer Career Manager. In January 2011 he was appointed the Regimental Sergeant-Major of 42 Field Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment), Royal Canadian Artillery, at Pembroke, Ontario. Ernie Hall retired in 2014 at the conclusion of a career that spanned more than 38 years and that was typified by loyal, devoted and outstanding service. He was invested as a Member of the Order of Military Merit in 2005 and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in June 2010.
> 
> The thoughts and prayers of all Royal Canadians are with the family and friends of Chief Warrant Officer Ernie Hall at this most difficult time. His sudden and tragic loss will be a particularly cruel blow; he will be deeply missed.
> 
> At his time I do not have information pertaining to funeral or memorial services for Chief Warrant Officer Hall. As soon as I do I will be sure to pass such news on to the Regiment right away.


----------



## OldSolduer

General Disorder said:
			
		

> This just came through on the regimental net of The RCR:




RIP RSM.


----------



## AmmoTech90

RIP Ernie.


----------



## Good2Golf

Very sad news.  Mr. Hall was amongst the finest, most respected RSMs with whom I have had the honour of working with.  

RIP RSM Hall.   
_EX COELIS, PRO PATRIA_


----------



## Danjanou

I have been remiss in posting this in here. I was waiting for the family to post the official obituary  and now that they've done so.

WO (Ret'd) Douglas Cohoon CD Pictou Highlanders of Canada and Royal Canadian Signal Corps 
December 5, 1926 - December 22, 2014

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/vancouversun/obituary.aspx?pid=173800093

http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/987:douglas-cohoon/

Rest in Peace Uncle Doug.  I'll always remember you coming over and showing a then brand new Army Cadet how to properly roll and wear puttees and Battle Dress  so I'd be okay on my first Parade. I still have your old Drill Cane in a safe place and it will be passed on to the next member of the family who someday puts the uniform on.  I'm sure the salmon fishing is fine where you are now.


----------



## Fishbone Jones

My condolences James, sorry for your loss. I'll hoist a large Irish whiskey in remembrance tonight, and another next time I make it to Hog Town.


----------



## The Bread Guy

From the funeral home obit ....


> Ken Himes CD, was born in 1932 in Fort William, Ont. and although he fought for every breath before he died, he passed away on the 16th of January 2015. Ken was predeceased by his daughter, Chrystal Celeste; his brother, Walter and his former wife, Doreen.  He is survived by his beloved wife, Beverly, estranged son, Ken Jr.; daughter, Coral (Steve); grandchildren, Steven, Andrew and Adam; his stepson, Tim (Michelle); stepdaughter, Tracy (Byron); half-brothers, Steve (Patty) and Albert; his grandchild, Nicole; his great grandchildren, Ava, Liam and Finn and his “West Coast Kids”, Derek and Pat.
> 
> Ken had many careers during his life, including owning the Sleeping Giant Dairy in Thunder Bay Ont. but his heart was always with the military.  Ken joined the Royal Canadian Regiment in Winnipeg and after basic training in 1953, was sent to Korea.  He fought at the Battle of Hill 187, where 27 members of his company were lost, including his best friend. Ken retired from the service as a Warrant Officer and in 1983, he joined the Korean Veteran’s Association (KVA).  In his 30+ years with the KVA, he assisted with the opening of new KVA chapters in Sault Ste Marie and Minnesota and was the Sergeant at Arms for the Pacific Region.  He returned to Korea with fellow veterans for the 50th Anniversary of the Korean Armistice. Ken had many honours bestowed upon him during his life, including being a life member of the General John M. Rockingham Memorial Unit # 1 and was an Honorary Member of the U.S. Marines ....


From his service in Thunder Bay, I remember him as a man who collected valuable wartime experience and was _always_ willing to share it with younger NCO's.  Rest in peace, Kenny ....


----------



## The Bread Guy

Big, interesting guy - the world is a sadder, more boring place without him    - from his obit:


> Whip has been called to the RSM’s Office one last time
> 
> Sadly on February 01, Donald Edward passed away peacefully in the comfort of his own home with his wife and best friend holding his hand.
> 
> Don was born in Geraldton, Ontario May 8, 1939, the only son of David and Margaret Watson. The family moved to Thunder Bay in his early years and Don attended Francis Street School and Fort William Collegiate Institute until he was “convinced” that serving his country as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces was the best life choice for him. He spent 35 years as a proud member of the Canadian Guards, The Royal Canadian Regiment and the Canadian Airborne Regiment.
> 
> Of all his accomplishments in life including the military and athletics, that which gave him the most pride was watching his son Shawn grow up to become an outstanding family and business man. Don could not contain himself when Shawn asked him to be the best man at his wedding. Family was and will always be the most important thing to him. The “Kinfolk” always had his back.
> 
> Don thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of life including golfing, fishing, telling stories in the garage over a “jug”, but especially the yearly ritual of the Hunt Camp with the Five Star Lodge gang. Last year’s hunt was most special for him as it was the first for his young grandson Ryder. Always thinking of others, Don never hesitated to come to the rescue – whether it be getting a loan to supply prizes for a long running golf tournament or helping out stranded and distressed Southern Ontario hunters. He loved to make people smile and laugh.
> 
> Staying behind to cherish his memory are his wife of over 25 years, Barbara, son Shawn and his wife Jodie and grandchildren Ryder, Beckett, Sawyer and brand new baby girl Scout, his daughter Sherri (Peter) and grandchildren Brandon and Kaelyn and many special nieces, nephews, cousins and other Kinfolk.
> 
> Following Don’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date when his ashes will be spread at one of his favourite places and we will all raise a double rye and pepsi, small glass, no ice. In lieu of flowers, if friends so desire, a donation in Don’s name to the TBRHSC or to an animal rescue site of your choice, would be appreciated.
> 
> A special thank-you goes out to ALL the Staff at the TBRHSC, Nurse Practitioner Crystal Kaukinen, Dr. K. Simpson and her palliative care team, CCAC, paramedics from Superior North EMS, the Neebing First Response Team and the nurses of the VON for always treating Don with the highest level of care and compassion. An extra special thank-you to Nurse Practitioner Aaron Medd and CCAC Community Care Coordinator Lynda Roussel for making the home visits and video conference “fun” even in the most difficult of circumstances. And of course to Rob and Debbie for always being there when we need you most.


----------



## Rifleman62

He was RSS in TB; "married" younger, local?? 1980's?


----------



## The Bread Guy

Rifleman62 said:
			
		

> He was RSS in TB; "married" younger, local?? 1980's?


Correct on all three counts - part of the RSS cohort including RSSO Andrew Butters at that point.


----------



## Rifleman62

Worked with both of them. Both good guys. Andy Butters was a gentleman, professional, typical of The RCR.


----------



## Rheostatic

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Gen (Ret'd) Ramsey Muir Withers
> 
> I just received word that Gen (ret'd) Ramsey Withers, late of the RCCS and a former CDS, dies last night, of a massive hear attack. He was 84 years old.
> 
> I had the pleasure of knowing Gen (ret'd) Withers, not really well but better than most, I suppose ... I will miss him, so will his Corps and his country.



I enjoyed these stories from The Memory Project:


			
				http://www.rcsigs.ca/index.php/Withers said:
			
		

> We all volunteered of course, but we knew that we were destined for Korea. They told us in April at the [Royal Military] College that if you go regular army, you’ll go to Korea. Period. So all of us who were regular army graduated and then immediately headed for Korea.
> In August of 1952 the [25th] Canadian [Infantry] Brigade was going back into the line. And the orders had come down, I think from the corps commander, the American corps commander, that we the Canadians were to sort of imitate the 3rd US [Infantry] Division. The idea was the corps commander wanted the Chinese to think that he had rather overextended the 3rd Division, to possibly goad them into making a probing attack and taking some prisoners. So we were issued American helmets and we changed attack signs and vehicles that were going to be forward, etc. – this great deception plan. And on the air we were to use American voice procedure, which was quite different from the whole Commonwealth procedure. The Commonwealth procedure, without going into too much technical detail, was a very secure single call system, a single call sign. The American system was different. You named the station you were calling and then said who you were. For example, “Hello, Pine Pine, this is Quick Quick.” That was different from ours. Now we were supposed to do that, and, I said, “It’s not going to work very, very well for us, is it? Because we speak French.” So we were going to say “Allo, Pine Pine, voici Quick Quick. Qu’est-ce qui ce passe avant de votre position, over?” [“Hello, Pine Pine, this is Quick Quick. What is happening in front of your position, over?”] Unless you’re a battalion from Louisiana in the States, you’re not very American are you? But they insisted we do it and it gave them all of 24 hours before the Chinese put up little signs across from us, “Van Doos* welcome back.”
> 
> The signal platoon provided the signalers to the company headquarters. And generally speaking, two or three to the company headquarters to maintain communications there. Each of the platoons had its own operator who was normally also the platoon commander’s batman. So that would be – the wireless set would be carried by that individual. Sometimes on patrols the platoon commander himself would carry the backpack radio to ensure that he had immediate control to call back for fire. And then what we of course did when we had one going out like that, we had backup base sets that would be perhaps deployed at another company, or whatever, so there was always a backup. But it always radio. You didn’t carry a line out on these patrols.
> 
> Line was extremely important. I’m not going to underestimate it. Actually our main system of communication was line, telephone, for quick reaction to – in other words to call for supporting fire. Every outpost was connected by line to its company and then back to battalion. We did what was called laddering. In other words, you wouldn’t just have a single line going from a company back to the battalion, you would ladder. You would put out another line, then put it through say the neighbouring company and then back, so that you always had a bit of flexibility and redundancy.
> 
> It wasn’t very fun for us to maintain the line, because through shelling and mortaring and Chinese patrols cutting things, we were at it all the time. And of course the only time you could work in that position was at night. Because otherwise we were overviewed by the Chinese positions on the four hills including [Hill] 227 – which we called – the four hills, we called them the Apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – and they could look down on us. And so if you were out there in daylight, the line crew, you got mortared. You had to do all the work at night. And at night it was also dangerous because of possible Chinese patrols. So it was a demanding task. There was this one piece of ground between Hill 159, which was our left forward company, and leading back to battalion, where that line would be, it was being shelled out practically every day. And it was very – we were constantly repairing it until our pioneer officer Hal Merrifield had a brilliant idea. He said, “What if we take the casings off the mortar bombs coming in – they are necked down at the top – what if I blow the bottom out with explosives and then two of them will fit together. Get a bunch of those and you can bury them and put the line through that?” And we did. That line never went out again. So that was good. That was 1952.
> 
> Now I want you to cast your mind forward to 1962 and I’m now the Brigade Major of 4 Canadian [Mechanized] Brigade [Group] in Germany and I’m at a divisional conference. And I meet a British staff officer by the name of John Ballington. And you could look at his ribbons, he was in Korea. And I asked him where he was and so forth. When the ceasefire was called, he was on Hill 159. And they were given – I forget whether it was 42 or 72 hours, to take all warlike things out of what was going to be the Demilitarized Zone, and 159 was in that zone, of course. This work was overseen by these international commissioners [Military Armistice Commission] or whatever they were called, who decided whether something had to be removed or not. Well there was my little steel encrusted line and they said, “Oh that has to come out.” And John Ballington said, “We had to work almost a full day to get that damn thing out! I wish I could find the guy that put it in there!”
> 
> Art Herman was a platoon commander in the battalion. I had been at his platoon, it was on Hill 210. And that was the other thing I used to do, is go around the companies and inspect their equipment to make sure it was all working properly. And so I had a regular routine of visiting and that was the day to visit his company and I went and things were fine in his platoon. And he said, “I’ll walk up to company headquarters with you.” And I went up and we got just up to the company headquarters and I was climbing into my Jeep to go back down to battalion headquarters, when the Chinese started shelling. Art said, “Oh God. There’s three of my guys – they’re all huddled together.” And it was a Y in the trench. Art’s platoon was the last forward platoon. One branch led there and the other went to the right forward platoon and he said, “I’ll go down and disperse them. We’ll see you.” And off he went, and off I went and I got down – literally, the battalion headquarters was only about 400 metres away, and I got down there and into the command post to report in, and people were looking at me with kind of stony faces and said, “Your friend’s gone.” A 122[mm howitzer shell] came in and got Art and the other three men [on 19 August 1952].


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## Edward Campbell

Mrs. Willa Jean Holmes: widow of the late MWO Fred Holmes and mother of MGen(ret'd) Walt Holmes, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps 

Just got this from The Regimental net:

Regimental Headquarters has received very sad news of the passing of a long-time and beloved member of our Regimental family. Mrs. Willa Jean Holmes of London, Ontario passed away peacefully at University Hospital, London, on Tuesday 03 March 2015. Born on 24 September 1917, she was 97 years of age. Willa Jean Holmes was married to Master Warrant Office Fred Holmes, a Second World War Veteran and distinguished member of The Royal Canadian Regiment. He passed away in 1983. Mrs. Willa Holmes is the mother of Major-General Walter M. Holmes, MBE, MSM, CD, the Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps and a former Colonel of The Regiment of The RCR. Please read the inspiring In Memoriam below and the moving e-mail from the son of Willa Holmes, Major-General Walter Holmes; from these it is not hard to form a vivid picture Willa Holmes. In the words of her son, “Mom enjoyed all things regimental and she and Dad were very active members of the Sergeants Mess. She looked forward to every opportunity to attend regimental events and functions and was usually the life of the party remaining a staunch supporter and member of our regimental family until the end.” Having met Mrs. Willa Holmes at the Regimental Paardeberg Ball at Ottawa in February 2011, I can certainly attest to her being the life of the party as can anyone else who was present on that memorable evening. I have respectfully included a photograph of Mrs. Holmes from that occasion.

 The Colonel of The Regiment, Colonel W.J. Aitchison, OMM, CD, in offering his sympathies to Major-General Holmes also paid tribute to his mother. “So sorry to hear of this. Your mother was brave to the point of being exemplary throughout her last fight – a true warrior and a worthy Royal Canadian. Please accept our deepest sympathy and condolences.”






Willa Jean Holmes was a long-time and passionately loyal supporter of both the Wolseley Barracks Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess and the Home Station, London and District Branch of The RCR Association. Her husband, Master Warrant Officer Fred Holmes, had a noteworthy career with the Canadian Army, from 10 January 1941 – 27 October 1973. He served with: The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), 10 January 1941 – 26 July 1944; The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, 27 July 1944 – 27 February 1946; The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), 25 March 1946 – 01 September 1954; The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment), 01 September 1954 – 25 April 1958; 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers), 25 April 1958 – 06 July 1970; and 4th Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers), 06 July 1970 – 27 October 1973. While serving in the Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) during the Second World War, Master Warrant Officer Holmes participated in the Aleutian Islands Campaign (June 1942 – August 1943) against the Japanese, landing with the Canadian Fusiliers on Kiska Island on 15 August 1943. Later, as a member of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, he saw active service in North West Europe, in 1944-45, where he saw action in Belgium and the Netherlands. Willa’s son, Major-General Holmes, was a serving member of The Royal Canadian Regiment for 40 years, from 1963 until his retirement in 2003; he has indeed served the Regiment for over 51 years. He was the Colonel of The Regiment from 06 June 2006 – 25 February 2011. Major-General Holmes has been the Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps since 14 August 2013. Ms. Lisa Holmes, a granddaughter of Willa, has also been closely associated with The RCR. She has formerly been an Assistant Curator/Director of the Regimental Museum at London, Ontario.


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## vonGarvin

Again, from the Regimental Net:



> Fellow Royals
> 
> From the 4th Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment comes very sad news of the passing of a long-time and well respected Royal Canadian. Chief Warrant Officer Claude Roy J. “Buzz” Gomes, CD (Ret’d) passed away at London, Ontario in the early hours of Thursday 12 March 2015. Born on 13 August 1947 he was 67 years old.  Chief Warrant Officer Buzz Gomes had fought a long, arduous and courageous battle with cancer. For the past month he had been in palliative care at London Health Sciences, Victoria Campus. Buzz Gomes had a long and distinguished career in both the Regular and Reserve components of The Regiment. He will be especially well remembered for his many years as a soldier and Senior Non-Commissioned Officer at Wolseley Barracks with the 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR). After transferring to the Primary Reserve Chief Warrant Officer Gomes would go on to serve as the Regimental Sergeant-Major of the 4th Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (4 RCR) from 27 November 2002 – 14 June 2007. Although no obituary has yet appeared online, it is anticipated that funeral services will occur at London on Tuesday afternoon, 17 March 2015. The funeral is to take place at Needham Funeral Service/Home, 520 Dundas Street, London, Ontario, N6B 1W6, 519-434-9141, e-mail: www.needhamfuneralhome.com. As soon as I have confirmation and further details I will be sure to forward these.


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## X Royal

RIP Buzz.
Very good man which I served with in both 1 & 4 RCR.


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## vonGarvin

More on Buzz:



> Fellow Royals
> 
> Visitation and funeral details have now been confirmed for Chief Warrant Officer C.R.J. “Buzz” Gomes. A Memorial Service will take place at Needham Funeral Service, 520 Dundas Street, London, Ontario on Tuesday, March 17 at 1:00 PM with a visitation for one hour prior to the service. Chief Warrant Officer Gomes served his country faithfully and with honour in a military career that spanned 42 years. He soldiered in the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, The Royal Canadian Regiment, and the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Buzz Gomes will be missed on many different levels. For further information please see the obituary below.
> 
> Chief Warrant Officer H. Klausnitzer, Regimental Sergeant-Major of 4 RCR, has forwarded the following message for military personnel attending the memorial service on 17 March.
> 
> Royal Canadians: A Memorial Service will take place at Needham Funeral Service (520 Dundas Street) on Tuesday, March 17 at 1:00 with a visitation for one hour prior to the service.
> Bn members 1230 hrs; Dress: DEU 1A w/medals, please pass on email; thanks.
> 
> Pro Patria
> RSM





> In Memory of Claude Roy Gomes
> August 13, 1947 - March 12, 2015
> 
> Gomes, Claude Roy (Buzz) 67 years
> 
> Passed away at Parkwood Hospital on March 12, 2015 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Buzz was born in Halifax N.S. on August 13, 1947, son of the late Victor and Irene (Lillies) Gomes. Buzz is survived by his loving wife Dale, his step-children Yvonne Cormier, Adrian Trenchard and Wanda (Rob) Knight. Grandchildren: Erin, Cole, Joshua, Lindsay, Mackenzie, Spencer, Olivia, Weston and Charlotte. He is also survived by his sisters: Marina (Nelson) Burkey, Daphne Gomes, Cindy (David) Johnstone and Kelly Gomes. Brothers: Victor (Teresa) Gomes, John (Sharon) Gomes and Nephew Colin Johnstone, nieces: Jessica and Kaley Gomes. Buzz served his country proudly for 42 years with the Canadian Armed Forces: the Queen's Own Rifles, The Canadian Airborne Regiment and The Royal Canadian Regiment, he retired as Chief Warrant Officer and Regimental Sergeant-Major of the 4th Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment in 2002 - 2007. Buzz was an avid Golfer at Westminster Trails and a Wednesday afternoon bowler with a group of seniors from Nortel. Buzz will be greatly missed by family, friends and fellow soldiers. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the nurses and staff at Parkwood for their care and compassion for Buzz during his brief stay. A Memorial Service will take place at Needham Funeral Service (520 Dundas Street) on Tuesday, March 17 at 1:00 with a visitation for one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place in N.S. at a later date at Gates of Heaven Cemetery on Lower Sackville. Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or a charity of your choice would be appreciated. Friends and relatives are invited to sign Buzz's online book of condolences at: www.needhamfuneralhome.com


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## ueo

An excellent NCO and rep of the Regt. RIP Buzz


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## MedCorps

I am sad to report this from the RCMS net.  

LCol Souter was one of Canada's foremost expert physicians on CBRN medical defence and worked, almost up to his death as a public servant at the CF H Svcs Gp HQ on biological warfare vaccines. A gentleman physician-officer, and a pleasure to have worked with.  

*LCol (Ret'd) Francis (Frank) Carl Glenn Souter, CD, MD*

Frank passed away on Friday, March 13, 2015 at the age of 70 years after a battle with cancer. Beloved husband of Elena “Helen” (nee Arnone). Loving father of Andrew (Jin “Jill” Wang), Patrick and Robert. Cherished grandpa of Damien and Xavier. Survived by his brothers Gord (Joanne), Sam and his sister Jeanne (Paul Roberts). Predeceased by his brother William “Bill”.

Frank had a long affiliation with the Canadian Forces Medical Service / Royal Canadian Medical Service both in uniform and as a public servant and has left a significant legacy in the CAF and for Canada in the area of CBRN medical defence and preparedness.

Friends may call at the Garden Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 3440 Richmond Road (between Bayshore and Baseline Road), Nepean on Friday, March 20, 2015 from 1 p.m. until time of service in the chapel at 2p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation would be appreciated. Condolences, tributes or donations may be made at www.tubmanfuneralhomes.com

---

MC


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## medicineman

Then LCol Souter was my first CO when I got to 1 Fd Amb.  RIP  .

MM


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## MedCorps

HCol (ret'd) Dick Butson GC, CStJ, OMM, CD, MB, BChir - Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps / Canadian Forces Medical Service. 

Richard Butson, who has died aged 92, was awarded the George Cross for saving the life a fellow member of a research expedition who fell into a crevasse in the Antarctic in 1947. 

The Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) originated in 1943 when an expedition left Britain to establish Antarctic bases on Deception Island in the South Shetlands and on Goudier Islet in Port Lockroy. After the end of the Second World War, responsibility for the expeditions was transferred from the Admiralty to the Colonial Office. 

In 1947, FIDS, under the leadership of Major Butler, drew up a programme with the United States Ronne Antarctic Expedition (RARE), under Commander Ronne, for their joint cooperation during the sledging season. To provide better weather forecasting for the long exploratory and survey flight Cdr Ronne intended to make, two meteorological stations were set up: one at an altitude of 5,600ft on the Graham Land plateau, north-east of Stonington Island; the other on the shelf ice off a point shown on some charts as Cape Keeler. 

During July, the RARE planned to sledge supplies to the base on Graham Land. The first attempt was unsuccessful and, on the evening of July 26, two men were left on the plateau at 4,700ft while the rest of their party returned for fresh supplies. Bad weather set in, their tent was damaged and, while returning to base on foot, Peterson, an American, fell into a deep crevasse. 

His companion marked the spot and walked the six miles back to base, arriving alone in the dark. Teams from both camps were sent to the rescue, but the hazards of crossing a heavily crevassed glacier were greatly increased by darkness. Fortunately, it was a clear night with a full moon – the only night like that for several days – and at 4am on the morning of July 27 they found the crevasse into which Peterson had fallen. 

Butson, the FIDS medical officer, immediately volunteered to be lowered into the crevasse. He found Peterson 106ft down suffering from shock and exhaustion, but conscious. The tapered sides of the crevasse had broken his fall; otherwise he would have been killed. The American’s pelvis and legs were trapped in the lower, narrow part of the crack. To try to free them, Butson had to work head down, and he got stuck several times. 

At this point the two men heard a loud noise and the sound of cracking, warning them that several million tons of ice were on the move. Butson felt the crevasse narrow by about half an inch on either side of his chest, but he managed to extricate himself and tried to work faster. 

For nearly an hour, in an extremely confined space, he chipped the ice away until he was able to free Peterson. The American was not seriously injured, so Butson placed a rope sling under his thigh and called to the men above to pull. Peterson suddenly became dislodged and shot upwards to the surface, where he was quickly put inside a tent. 

The rope was lowered again and the equipment hauled up, followed by Butson, who rendered the necessary medical aid to Peterson. At dawn, the party returned to base, carrying the American on one of the sledges. Peterson recovered after a few weeks’ rest. 
Butson was invested with the Albert Medal by King George VI at Buckingham Palace on November 2 1948. After the Albert Medal was revoked by royal warrant, he was reinvested with the George Cross in July 1972.

Arthur Richard Cecil Butson, always known as Dick, was born to British parents on October 24 1922 in Hankow, China. He was educated at Leighton Park School at Reading, then Cambridge University and University College Hospital, where he took an MB, BChir, graduating in 1945. 

During the air raids on London, Butson served in the Home Guard and the light rescue squad. From 1946 to 1949 he was a medical officer to the FIDS, the British government sponsored expedition to the Antarctic. The expedition, which included Kevin Walton among its members, discovered a route for dog teams over the 5,000ft high mountains of the Graham Land Peninsular and surveyed the last 1,000 miles of the most inaccessible coastline in the world. 

Butson pursued his postgraduate studies in surgery until 1952, when he emigrated to Canada. The following year he settled at Hamilton, Ontario, where he practised as a surgeon. In 1970, with the establishment of the McMaster University Medical School, he joined the faculty part-time, eventually being appointed clinical professor in the department of surgery. For two years Butson was chief of staff of St Joseph’s hospital in Hamilton, a 600-bed teaching hospital, where he was head of general surgery for many years. 

In 1956 Butson joined the Canadian Militia as medical officer to the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Regiment, later transferring to Hamilton’s Militia Medical Company as commanding officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel. During his command, the unit twice won the trophy for the best militia medical unit in Canada. 

Butson qualified as a parachutist at the age of 55. One winter, he commanded a Canadian field surgical team on a Norwegian Army field hospital exercise. 

Butson was president of the Defence Medical Association of Canada and for four years represented Canada in medical matters on the Nato Reserve Officers Association. In 1977 he was appointed honorary surgeon to the Queen, and in 1982 an officer of the Order of Military Merit of Canada. He was awarded the Polar Medal for distinguished service in Antarctica. 

A keen mountaineer, Butson climbed extensively in the Canadian Rockies, the Antarctic, the Alps and at Baffin Island. He also led a climbing expedition to the Hindu Kush in the Himalayas. On his farm near Hamilton, he raised Galloway breed cattle. 
Dick Butson married first, in 1946, Joyce Scott Cowell. They had two children. He married secondly, in 1967, Eileen Gallon, with whom he had a son. 


MC


----------



## Edward Campbell

Not a serving member, but the spouse of a distinguished soldier, MGen (Ret'd) John Leech (late the RCCS) and a good friend:

     Anne Pauline Leech 
     *11 Jan 1941 - 31 Mar 2015* 

     Surrounded by her family, Anne passed away at home with peace and grace. 

     Survived by her high school sweetheart, now loving husband John, son David and his partner Karen and their children Mikhaila, Meghan, Kieran, Anna-Lise, and Kieran (Lexi); daughter Susan and her husband Jeff and their children
     Billie and Cameron. Mourned by many friends and relations around the world, especially in her church community at St. Helen’s Anglican Church. 

     Anne was an inspiration to us all, whether as wife, mother, friend, hostess, student, traveller, teacher, athlete…Determined and competitive, Anne was a woman of her era, independent yet compassionate, with strong spiritual convictions
     as well as the certainty that only questioning could reveal the truth. Her charm and smile warmed many throughout her life. Our thanks are offered to the many health care workers who cared for her during her short illness. 

          
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




     Friends and family are invited to visit at Beechwood, Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Services, 280 Beechwood Ave. (east of Vanier Parkway), Ottawa on Monday, April 6, 2015 from 10 a.m., followed by a Memorial Service in the
     Sacred Space at 11a.m. and a reception in the Sir Robert Borden room from 12:00 onward. 

     In lieu of flowers, donations in Anne’s honour may be given to St. Helen’s Anglican Church (http://www.sthelens.ca/) or to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation (http://ohfoundation.ca/; designated for cancer research).

It was my privilege to have known Anne since the 1960s. She was a true gem of a person. She'll be sadly missed.


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## Rifleman62

Please see the note below that we have received from Lt Col Cliff Jamieson reporting the very sad passing of *Capt (Retired) Chris Drummond. *The family need some time and space at this moment, but in due course there will be a Celebration of Life, on which we will send out details.

It is with sadness that I must inform everyone that Capt (retired) Chris Drummond, former RSM of BCD, Bde RSM of 39 CBG and WO and NCO in LDSH(RC), has passed away earlier this evening. I was informed by Fran and asked to pass this news along to the military community. She has expressed that we can pass this sad news along to all his military friends. As you can understand, Fran and the Drummond family are very heartbroken at this news and will need some time to deal with the events. As many of you know, Chris was diagnosed with cancer only a short time ago and this disease, all too quickly took his life. He fought valiantly over the last couple of weeks, but sadly it took its grip on him very fast. I will endeavour to keep everyone updated as other events progress.


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## George Wallace

*Canadian Armed Forces announce the passing of former Commander of the Canadian Army*

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=958469&tp=1



> *Canadian Armed Forces announce the passing of former Commander of the Canadian Army - Retired Lieutenant-General leaves behind a strong legacy of military service*
> 
> OTTAWA - The Canadian Armed Forces express sincere condolences upon the death of Lieutenant-General (Retired) William Leach. (Photo to the right: Formal portrait of Colonel Commandant William (Bill) C. Leach, CMM, CD, Logistics Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces).
> 
> Lt.-Gen. Leach, CMM, CD, passed away in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. He is survived by his three children and one sister.
> 
> *Quick Facts*
> 
> Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Lt.-Gen. Leach was a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario and served more than 40 years in various logistics command, senior administrative and finance appointments in the Canadian Army.
> Lt.-Gen. Leach served as Chief of the Land Staff, now referred to as Commander Canadian Army, from 1997 to 2000. He retired from the Regular Force in the summer of 2000. As of 2011, he assumed the advisory role of Colonel Commandant to the Logistics Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces.
> Lt.-Gen. Leach is a recipient of the Canadian Order of Military Merit (Commander) and the United States Legion of Merit (Commander).
> Following his retirement, Lt.-Gen. Leach was active in the private sector, as well as a wide variety of volunteer activities. He served as Honorary Colonel of the Ottawa Service Battalion and as Chair of the Defence and Security Committee of the Royal Canadian Legion. He was also involved with the Military Families Fund and Support Our Troops initiatives and held board positions with the University of Ottawa, the Royal Ottawa Hospital and the Institute for Mental Health Research. Most recently, he served as Chair of the Board of the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum.
> 
> *Quotes*
> 
> “We have lost an exemplary soldier and leader. It is most appropriate to honour Lieutenant-General Leach’s commitment and his contributions to the success of our Canadian military family. A colleague and friend, he will be fondly remembered.”
> Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse, Commander Canadian Army
> 
> “Lieutenant-General Leach exemplified the values and attributes of all Logisticians.  He was a great supporter and advocate of the Branch and he will be greatly missed.”
> Colonel Angela Banville, Logistics Branch Advisor


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## MilEME09

I regret to inform those that may have known him of the passing of MWO (Retired) Michael “Mike” Secord, he was a 35 year veteran of the CF before he retired.



> October 10, 1950 – St. Catharines, Ontario
> April 21, 2015 – Calgary, Alberta
> 
> Michael “Mike” Stephen Secord beloved husband of Ruth of Calgary, passed away after a brief battle with cancer on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at the age of 64 years.
> 
> Besides his loving wife Ruth, Mike is survived by his daughters Brenda (Jeff Grant) and Chrystal (Eric Vondron); sons Aaron (Tammy) and Adam (Char); and grandchildren Payton and Jordan Grant.
> 
> Those wishing to pay their respects may do so at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY (Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road S.E.) on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. On Mike’s behalf everyone is invited to wear jeans and a t-shirt. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com.
> 
> In living memory of Mike Secord, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Fish Creek.


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## 211RadOp

Marcel Joannette, former Lineman.

JOANNETTE, Marcel - Passed away peacefully with his family by his side at the Kingston General Hospital on Monday, May 4th, 2015. Loving father to Doug (Judy) and Andy (Christine). Proud grandfather to Marc, Eric, Ben and Grace. Beloved son of the late Archille and Cecile Joannette. Dear brother of Normand (Marielle), Lise (Gilles), Ronald (deceased), Huguette, Roger (deceased), Therese (Richard), Bernard, Serge (Sheila), Andre (Maureen), Daniel (Sherry), Gabriel, Jean-Marc (Suzanne). Uncle and Great Uncle to many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to express their thanks to the staff at Kingston General Hospital - ICU. Family and friends will be received at the ROBERT J. REID & SONS FUNERAL HOME 309 Johnson Street (at Barrie Street) on Friday, May 8th, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Liturgy of the Word Service to be held in "The Chapel on the Corner" on Saturday, May 9th at 11 a.m. Cremation to follow


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## Old Sweat

Today's Ottawa Citizen reported the death of Major Beverly Robert Brown, RCCS (retired) with his wife at his side in hospital. I worked with him when I was in HQ 4 CIBG and he was in 4 Sigs Sqn. In those day the Brigade Headquarters Company and the Signals Squadron were separate units.

My wife, a DND teacher then, and I owe him big time. Back then I was casually dating her, but she had told me she was going to get married to a guy in Toronto after she returned to Canada. A couple of years later I ran into Bev in the mess in Shilo when he was doing the high tower on the basic para. He told me to get in contact with unowho as her guy in Toronto had ducked out, so I did. The rest, as they say is history, and we will have our 40th anniversary this June.


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## Edward Campbell

I got that message on the Signals net ~ I guessed only you and I might know Bev. He was one of the good, solid guys. Too young.  :'(


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## Alberta Bound

For the info of everyone.  Gord Yorkston a retired member of the CAR, Engineers and RCAF passed away July 15th in Leduc AB of Cancer.  His memorial service will occur September 17 at the Leduc Legion. It is open to everyone. Gord was a fixture at Remembrance Day and as a retired piper, a supporter of the RCMP Pipes and Drums. Gord was loved for his smile, quick wit and great stories. He will be missed by his wife, children and everyone who knew him.


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## Edward Campbell

For those (of a certain age) who knew him, my good friend and former DCO, LCol (ret'd) Brian Costello (RCCS) died, unexpectedly, after suffering a stroke. 

Visitation will be held at Kellys Funeral Home Carling Chapel (2313 Carling Avenue, Ottawa) on Wednesday, 14 October from 6-9 pm and again on 15 October at Beechwood Cemetery (280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa) starting at 12 pm.  Funeral service will follow at Beechwood at 2 pm followed by a military burial at 3 pm


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## Gunner

Sadly, I heard that Colonel Jim M Jeffries passed away yesterday.  He spent time in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, 26 Field Regiment and (I believe) the Fort Garry Horse.  He ended his career as the Commander of Manitoba Lakehead District.


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## Rifleman62

I served wth Col Jeffries for many years including as his CSM with the RWpgRif and on his staff as the Comd. Col Jeffries was also the HCol of 26 Fd Regt (RCA).

His civilian job was a challenge as a teacher and principal in Youth Corrections. He once had a wooden chair smashed on his head among other pleasantries.

Colonel (Retd) James Jeffries

JAMES PATRICK JEFFRIES 1940 2015 In loving memory of James Patrick Jeffries (Jim), beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend, who died on October 14, 2015, surrounded by his loved ones. He is remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Margaret; his daughter Fiona (Karen); his sister, Lynda; and by his nephew Sean; nieces Erin and Lisa and their families, and by many friends and associates. Jim was predeceased by his parents, Catherine and Constant Jeffries, sister Natalia and great-niece Brooke. Jim grew up in St. Boniface and lived most of his life in Winnipeg. He lived a life of service to God and his community. He was a counsellor, teacher and principal in Youth Corrections for 26 years. He served his church community as a lay minister, chorister, and member of vestry for many years. He welcomed friends into his life as family, and maintained lifelong connections with many of them. Jim's military career began at age 12 when he joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers Cadet Corps. As an adult he joined the Army Reserves, serving with the Fort Garry Horse, Royal Winnipeg Rifles, and the 26th Field Regiment (Artillery). He rose to the rank of Colonel, commanding the Manitoba Lakehead District. In retirement he continued to serve the military and the wider community through numerous boards and committees. His service was recognized most recently when he was made Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Thanks to Dr. Aaron Mellon, everyone at CancerCare Manitoba, and to the nurses and doctors who cared for Jim at the Victoria General Hospital. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim's name to a charity of your choice. A celebration of Jim's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2015, at St. Andrew's Anglican Church, 2700 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg. NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 nbardalinc.com
Publish Date: Oct 19, 2015

See you latter Jim.


----------



## Edward Campbell

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> For those (of a certain age) who knew him, my good friend and former DCO, LCol (ret'd) Brian Costello (RCCS) died, unexpectedly, after suffering a stroke.
> 
> Visitation will be held at Kellys Funeral Home Carling Chapel (2313 Carling Avenue, Ottawa) on Wednesday, 14 October from 6-9 pm and again on 15 October at Beechwood Cemetery (280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa) starting at 12 pm.  Funeral service will follow at Beechwood at 2 pm followed by a military burial at 3 pm




It's a bit late but here is Brian's obituary:

     COSTELLO, Brian D. LCol (ret'd)

     It is with profound sadness, and much gratitude, that we share news of the death of LCol (ret'd) Brian Denis Costello, CD, who died peacefully October 9, 2015 at the Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital, following a stroke
    suffered hours earlier at his family home.  He was 74 years old.

     Brian is survived by his loving and caring wife, Martha Carolyn Costello (Patterson, of Gaspé, QC), his loving sons Capt (N) Brian Andrew (Maureen), LCol (ret'd) Joseph Patrick (Margaret), Lt (N) Sean Michael (Pam), his beloved
     granddaughters Katherine and Jamie, and by younger siblings Sheila, Michael (Patty) and Aileen (Jack). Predeceased by his parents Capt (ret'd) Edwin and Doris Costello (Switzer) and brother Terry.

     A career Army officer, first with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and later the Communications & Electronics Branch, he enjoyed a diverse career filled with both field and staff positions, including an exchange tour in Colorado Springs,
     deployment to Ismalia, Egypt with UNEF II, communications support of the 1976 Olympics (Montréal) and highlighted by command of CFS Masset 1981- 84.  He later earned accolades and great recognition for his successful leadership
     of a multi-year, international undertaking, the CFSRS Remoting Project, OP WINTERCHILL.

     Retiring from the Canadian Forces in 1995 and later from the Communications Security Establishment in 1998, he continued his 33-year challenge of Multiple Sclerosis with the unending support and love of his wife and partner in life, Martha.

     The family would like to gratefully acknowledge and thank the staff on duty in the Emergency Department during Brian's short time in hospital; the care, and caring, could not have been better!


----------



## Edward Campbell

For those who knew him ...

     GORDON MACDOUGALL

     MACDOUGALL, Gordon Keith "Gord"
     Retired LCol

     
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





     Passed away suddenly at Kingston General Hospital Friday November 6, 2015 in his 75th year; beloved Husband of Mary Noreen Catherine (nee Patrick), loving Father of two sons and families: Gordon (Howe Island), Michael (Ottawa)
     and family Josee D'Amour and loving Grandfather to Gabrielle MacDougall.  Gordon was predeceased by his parents George Keith and Phyllis Ruther (Gerard), and will be sadly missed by his sisters: Marilyn Kinley (B.C.), Phyllis (Joe) Mrak (B.C.),
     Janet (Ron) Schek (B.C.), and Grace and (Tony) D'Ariano (Hamilton).

     Born in Toronto, raised in British Columbia, he entered the Canadian Military Royal Signals Corps in 1960.  After postings in: Petawawa, London Ontario, Kingston, Germany, Calgary, Toronto, Washington D.C., Jericho Beach, Ottawa,
     Gord retired from the military and moved to Howe Island.

     On Howe Island, he renovated an old cottage which became his life's work.  He turned his hand at drafting, designing, and implementing Noreen's dream for their home.  Many friends helped with the dream: Bob Conroy, Dan Spencer,
     Don Banks, and Gerald Coady.  His next love was a love of golf and was a member of the Garrison Golf Club and played regularly with his golf "buddies."

     Gord will be sadly missed by his nieces and nephews in Hamilton and British Columbia. You were, and will always, truly be an "Officer and a Gentleman" and will live on in our memories forever holding a special place in our hearts.
     Visitation will be held at JAMES REID FUNERAL HOME, 1900 John Counter Boulevard on Thursday, November 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday, November 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with the Funeral Service to follow
     in the chapel at 2:30 p.m.  Reception to follow.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Gord's memory may be made to the Military Communications and Electronics Museum. 

Gord will be remembered as a stalwart of the old (pre Canadian Airborne Regiment) Airborne Signals community and as a member of The RCR Regimental Family.

Edit: to add photo


----------



## dapaterson

Maynard, Robert 1954 – 2015 Colonel (retired).  Peacefully passed away at home in Ottawa, on November 14, 2015, at the age of 61.  Eldest son of the late Marcel Maynard and Louise Chapdelaine.  He is survived by his wife Sylvie Delwaide-Maynard and his children Nicolas and Patricia, his mother, his sisters Danièle (Christian Rousseau) and Anne-Marie, his brothers (the late Pierre), André (Andrée Ducharme) and Michel, his aunt Lyse Maynard, his nieces and nephews and cousins of both the Maynard and Chapdelaine families.  A celebration of life will be held at 14:00 hours on November 21, 2015 in the Chapel of the Beechwood Cemetery.  As expression of sympathy, donations can be made to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation or a favorite charity of your choice.  Please no flowers.

Bob’s obituary and accompanying online 'Guest Book' can be viewed at: http://beechwood.permavita.com/site/RobertMaynardColretraite.html?s=40


----------



## Rifleman62

Lt Jack Mitchell, MC
The Royal Winnipeg Rifles



As written by Old Sweat in our latest History book, action on D-Day, 6 Jun 44:

             The advance by C and D Coys to Phase Line ELM, which included the town of Creully on the River Seulles, went well against scattered resistance, which was not surprising as the crust of the German defence line had been broken. Perhaps the most significant incident occurred at a bridge near Creully where Lt Jack Mitchell’s 18 Pl handled a MG position “skillfully and with cool dash.” The Bn area was consolidated by 1700 hrs and the LBD’s settled in for their first night in Normandy. During the evening 5 offrs and 78 men arrived from the reinforcement unit and joined the sadly depleted ranks of B Coy. Rfn Bob Smellie in Lt Lew McQueen’s 15 Pl recalled, “The night was as black as pitch except for the awesome display of fireworks and the noise was incredible.” At about 0200 hrs the Pl heard the sound of marching feet and to their astonishment, a party of Germans walked into their position. A flare was fired from the Pl’s 2-inch mortar and the enemy were ordered to surrender. Nineteen astounded Germans were taken prisoner, although the only officer was shot when he tried to make a break for freedom. The rest of the night was relatively uneventful, if stressful, and few could have been sorry when the sky began to lighten.

Military Cross citation attached (2 pages).


----------



## Old Sweat

I interviewed him at length in the Deer Lodge veterans' home. He was a most impressive individual even in his golden years and the kind of Canadian soldier we should all aspire to be. Imagine clearing the way for the tanks to advance by running out onto a bridge under fire and throwing anti-tank mines into the river!


----------



## Rifleman62

From the Regimental net:




> It turns out the clerk at VAC Deer Lodge was mistaken.  Jack Mitchell has not died.
> 
> I have just spoken with Jack Mitchell’s daughter to apologize for what occurred and to explain how it happened.  She was very understanding and grateful for my call.  She told me Jack is still in Deer Lodge, but he is not taking visitors.  He is in a lot of pain and she hopes his passing will come quickly.
> 
> I am truly sorry for having sent this false information out, and for any sadness or alarm I have caused.


----------



## Edward Campbell

John Woods, late The Royal Canadian Regiment, veteran of the Korean War, noted especially for his action at Chail Li, 28 May 1951, when he was a platoon commander with 2RCR.





John, earlier this year, reminiscing about Korea at a regular monthly meeting of our Regimental Association.

John was a businessman, an active member and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, a stalwart member of The Regimental. Association and a good friend.

More to follow.


Edited to add:





John Woods, as a subaltern, in Korea, 1951, visiting Bde HQ.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Just got this on the Corps net:

    "It is with great sadness that I am informing you  that BGen (retd) Don Banks  passed away  last evening .  He passed quietly, in no pain.  Carol and family, Patrick and Sandra,  - all were with him when he passed.
     The  details on funeral will be advised when known

     Bill
     William S. Richard
     BGen (retd)
     Colonel Commandant"

Don joined the Army at the age of 16 as an apprentice soldier in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. After completing the two year solider apprentice programme he was one of the very few who qualified as a Radio Mechanic (technician).

Don was commission in about 1960 and served in a variety of units, including as CO of the old Airborne Signal Troop in the Mobile Striking Force, then as CO of the Airborne Signal Squadron in  the CAR, as CO of 1st Canadian Signal Regiment and, last, as Commander Canadian Forces Communications Command.

On a more personal note, we were good friends, and he was Godfather to one of my two sons. I will miss him.

Details will follow.


----------



## Fishbone Jones

Condolences Mr Campbell.


----------



## 211RadOp

BGen Banks was an outstanding man.  He would still show up at CFJSR to hand out his trophy for the Banks Competition or for parades.

RIP Sir.


----------



## armyvern

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Just got this on the Corps net:
> 
> "It is with great sadness that I am informing you  that BGen (retd) Don Banks  passed away  last evening .  He passed quietly, in no pain.  Carol and family, Patrick and Sandra,  - all were with him when he passed.
> The  details on funeral will be advised when known
> 
> Bill
> William S. Richard
> BGen (retd)
> Colonel Commandant"
> 
> Don joined the Army at the age of 16 as an apprentice soldier in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. After completing the two year solider apprentice programme he was one of the very few who qualified as a Radio Mechanic (technician).
> 
> Don was commission in about 1960 and served in a variety of units, including as CO of the old Airborne Signal Troop in the Mobile Striking Force, then as CO of the Airborne Signal Squadron in  the CAR, as CO of 1st Canadian Signal Regiment and, last, as Commander Canadian Forces Communications Command.
> 
> On a more personal note, we were good friends, and he was Godfather to one of my two sons. I will miss him.
> 
> Details will follow.



My condolences to you and your son on your loss Edward.

General Banks was a great man and infuence.  I really enjoyed my chats with him when he visited CFJSR for the Banks' Competetion and our parades.  Personable and honest and enjoyed his time with the troops.


----------



## armyvern

211RadOp said:
			
		

> BGen Banks was an outstanding man.  He would still show up at CFJSR to hand out his trophy for the Banks Competition or for parades.
> 
> RIP Sir.



He certainly was.  His loss will be felt at JSR.


----------



## Edward Campbell

BGen Don Banks' obituary:






BANKS, Brigadier General (Retired) Donald - Don passed away peacefully while lovingly surrounded by his devoted wife and children on December 4, 2015 at the age of 75.

Survived by his dearly beloved wife, Carolyn, daughter Sandra (Kim) and son Patrick (Trish). Loving and proud grandfather to Kate, Grace, Zachary and Justin. Brother of Bud (Madeline), Jack (Margaret) and the late Margaret (Chuck) Cox. Brother-in-law to the late William (Ann) Hutcheson and dear uncle to many nieces and nephews.

Don had a very distinguished career in the Canadian Army, starting as an Apprentice Soldier and rising to the rank of Brigadier General in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals/Communications Electronics Branch. He served with distinction and honour across Canada and overseas. He commanded at every rank level, and locally as Commanding Officer of the 1st Canadian Signal Regiment, Commandant of the School of Communications and Electronics and more recently as Base Commander of Canadian Forces Base Kingston.

After promotion to Brigadier General in July 1990, he assumed command of the Canadian Forces Communication Command. In June 1993, he was inducted into the Order of Military Merit in the rank of Commander.

After retirement, Don remained active in the local military and civilian community, serving as Colonel of the Regiment for 1st Canadian Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment; president of Signals Welfare Incorporated; as a member of the Board of Governors of the Corps of Commissionaires. He was also, for many years, a Director on the Board of the Military Communications and Electronics Museum, where he was one of the driving forces behind the production of the Corps/Branch history. He was appointed Colonel Commandant of the C&E Branch in February 2000 and was serving in that capacity during the visit of the Branch Colonel-in-Chief, HRH the Princess Royal, Princess Anne in 2003.

Don will be missed by his many friends, both military and civilian as he had a positive effect on all those who had the great fortune to know him.

The family will receive friends at the JAMES REID FUNERAL HOME, 1900 John Counter Blvd, on Tuesday, 8 December 2015 from 2-5 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. A funeral service will be held on the Base at the Reading Drill Hall (Drill Hall Alpha - 10 Satellite Ave., Vimy Barracks CFB Kingston.) at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 9 December 2015. Reception to follow at the Vimy Officers Mess. Donations in Don's memory may be made to the Communications & Electronics Museum or the Canadian Lung Association.


----------



## Rifleman62

Official now, see several posts above.

JACK MITCHELL

JACK MITCHELL Veteran broadcaster, Craig Oliver, paid tribute to Jack Mitchell on CTV's national Remembrance Day programme this year. He referred to Jack as the only living officer who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Three weeks after that broadcast, on December 3, 2015, Jack drew his final breath. Craig Oliver's last words that night had been, "Good luck, Jack!" In fact, Jack considered himself a very lucky man. On D-Day, for example, he took a bridge by clearing it of grenades with his bare hands. In the process his rifle broke the impact of a bullet. (Some residents of Cruelly, France still refer to that bridge as the Jack Mitchell Bridge.) In the Battle of Carpiquet Airport on July 4, 1944 Jack considered it good luck that he slipped and fell in the mud a moment before an artillery volley leveled many of the men in his troop, "D Company" of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. For his bravery that dayensconced in a full body cast, Jack received the Military Cross personally from King George V1 at Buckingham Palace. In 2004, the French Government bestowed on him the Legion of Honour, the highest award for non-patriots, thus conferring upon him the title of honour Sir Jack Mitchell. Born in Winnipeg on 26 September 1920, Jack (John) was the son of British immigrants, Mary (Mollie) nee Bricknell and Henry (Harry) Curry Mitchell and older brother to Richard (Dick) who died in 1996. Jack graduated from Kelvin High School and was among the first to enlist in 1940. After the war he considered himself lucky to have married such "a good looker" as Donna Morrison, whom he called Slim, "by way of incentive." He often spoke about how lucky they were to have three "wonderful" children. Post war Jack established a career in sales, the last 30 years of which was focused on commercial windows. And, until the end of his life he expressed gratitude for his war wounds because the associated pension afforded him more opportunity to help others. In later years, Jack dedicated himself to tending to Donna, saying it was his turn; she'd looked after him for their first half a century together. In 2002 Jack and Donna were admitted to Deer Lodge Centre. Despite numerous infirmities, he remained optimistic and steadfastly grateful for what he considered to be a most fortunate life. Over the years Ed Aston, the late Norm Donogh, Sir Paul Martin and Paul Wright enriched Jack's life as did his lifetime friend, the late Cliff Chadderton whose achievements for amputees was an immense source of pride to Jack. The entire Mitchell family are profoundly grateful to the staff of T6 at Deer Lodge for their wonderful care and to Peachy, Rolando, Leina and Ron who ably supplemented that care during Jack's last months. Always the first to dig deep to help those less fortunate than himself, always honest, faithful to his word and keen to observe justice, Jack was an honourable man who is sorely missed. Donations in Jack's honour can be made to Darcy's Animal Rescue Shelter, 730B Century St., Winnipeg, MB, R3H 0M1; 1-888-2266.


----------



## Old Sweat

Jack was an impressive individual. Of interest, Cliff Chadderton told me he and Jack were the first two Little Black Devils who were selected for officer training and then served in the unit. Both landed on D Day (Cliff unofficially as he had been designated as left out of battle for the operation) and were later wounded in action.


----------



## ueo

CWO Marv MacDonald, The RCR passed away last week. No other details at this time. Marv was a true gentleman and served with distinction in both The RCR and the CAR. On retirement he became a mainstay at the Donnybrook branch RCL in Dorchester ON. Anyone who has seen the old, large sign for the Museum at Wolsely has seen "Marvellous" Marvin. Vaya con dios amigo!

As a pointed aside: NOTHING! on either regtl net. In fact can't even post to the RCR one. :

Larry Williams


----------



## X Royal

Larry I posted this in this already here with obituary details.

RIP Marvin


----------



## Edward Campbell

LCol (Ret'd) Ralph Priestman (Florida) late of The Royal Canadian Regiment, passed away last night after a massive heart attack.  

RIP, old chum.






Just a few weeks ago, with his lovely wife Liz





3rd row, 2nd from the right (between Al Chaplin and Ben Gilmore) in the late 1960s, Ralph was ACD to HRH, the Colonel in Chief.


----------



## 211RadOp

Rest in Peace Ralph.  You will be missed.


----------



## 211RadOp

Ralph will be laid to rest at Beechwood Cemetery on 1 June at 1400.


----------



## ueo

Capt Steve Rickets passed away this week in London. Steve was a main stay in the old 3RCR and 4RCR as well as subsequently  giving freely of his time to RHQ and the Association. RIP friend


----------



## Old Sweat

Just received the sad news of the passing of Lieutenant Colonel RB (Dick) Rogers (ret'd) in Fredericton. Dick and I were OCP classmates in 1960-1961 and then earned our PSCs on the same staff college course at Kingston in 1970-1971. Dick was an AOP pilot who opted to pursue his career as a pilot, eventually commanding 403 Squadron. He still remained a staunch gunner at heart and attended all our class reunions less this year's as his health would not permit him to travel.

Ubique and End of Mission

        :cheers:


----------



## Edward Campbell

I have just heard that Capt (ret'd) Ed Mastronardi, MC, passed away at the age of 91. (Actually Ed served in the RCN, in 1944/45, the Canadian Army (The RCR) in 1950-53 and in the RCAF, 1950-63, retiring as a Flt Lt.) Ed was one of the heroes of the battle of the Song-gok Spur on Nov. 2, 1951. Later, Ed joined the De Havilland Aircraft Company and later, still, held the senior executive position of Assistant Secretary to the Treasury Board in Ottawa. He wrote a couple of books, too.

He was a regular at our RCR Association gatherings in Ottawa and I was lucky enough to be called "friend" by him. He was a brave man and an all 'round nice guy who will be sorely missed.  

     
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






                                            Ed Mastronardi as a subaltern in Korea circa 1951                                                                                                             Ed Mastronardi as an octogenarian in Ottawa


----------



## Jed

A tribute for Sapper Oscar T. Carlson

Oscar Carlson - A humble, honourable man and lifelong ‘Soldier at Heart’

Oscar was born in farm house in Minnesota on 23 Aug 1919. He moved with his family in the 1920’s to the Fosston Saskatchewan area. He and his siblings lost their beloved mother Helen in 1930 and persevered through the bleak ‘dirty thirties’ decade raised by his strong, principled but demanding father, C.O. Carlson. 
From an early age he was expected to pull his load without complaint. He and his older brother Clarence would be up harnessing two Percheron horse teams and feeding livestock every morning before eating breakfast. Oscar was an intelligent, thoughtful man who did not have the opportunity to gain a higher education as his family needed him to labour hard early in life. 
Canada asked its young men and women to go to war in September 1939 to fight the Nazi evil plaguing the world. Oscar volunteered in 1941 and served as a Sapper in the Royal Canadian Engineers until 1946.  The latest Legion magazine describes ‘Canada’s 5 Greatest Battles’. One of those crucial battles was ‘The Battle of the Scheldt’ and Oscar did his part then, in those hard times. Clearing the Scheldt to allow Allied forces to defeat the Nazis cost Canada 6,367 young soldiers’ lives against the SS and the Wehrmacht.
You have to know that these experiences affect a person very deeply and shape how one lives the life that God has given him. 
Oscar was a very private person who had an active and inquiring mind. He was never one to brag or even take a strong self-protective stand. He lived alone very simply. It was as if he was the ever vigilant soldier who is expected to have his kit bag packed and be prepared to receive his ‘Warning Order’ and given 5 minutes ‘Notice to Move’.
Oscar freely gave his time and his modest resources to his community and special interests such as ‘Ducks Unlimited’, Saskatchewan Wildlife Habitat Fund, Fosston Curling Club, the Bethel Church and Cemetery maintenance and the Royal Canadian Legion.
The Community honoured and showed their respect to him many times when he was the ‘Guest of Honour’ at Ducks Unlimited and Wildlife Federation events and was granted a Life Member of the Royal Canadian Legion.
He was blessed with amazingly good health for most of his 97 years. At 95 he was still going on a daily morning patrol along Highway 35. He finally had to turn in his golf putter club, ala cane, for a new ‘Racing Wheel’ walker when he moved to Caleb in Tisdale.
On the 30 Oct 2016, Lutheran Reformation Sunday, God needed a good soldier and ‘Sapper’ to work on his bridges in Heaven. In typical Oscar fashion he left this world without complaint with his kit packed and in good order.
Chimo, Oscar. I am glad to have known you and you will always have a place in my heart.


----------



## Edward Campbell

A good man, a damned fine soldier and commander: LGen (ret'd) CH (Charlie) Belzile, QORofC and R22R ...






... I was, I think, luck enough to be counted amongst his friends, at least amongst those with whom he never seemed too busy to stop with and share a pint, a joke and a few words about friends and family ...






... I met him first when he was a fast rising captain in the QORofC, he was doing the two year staff college course and he explained to a bunch of very, very young and impressionable subalterns why Mr Hellyer was no the devil incarnate and why some of his changes would be good for the CF (we managed to kill the good ideas in 1975) and some bad (we didn't kill the bad ideas until a decade later) ...









... I had the pleasure to serve around him in the 1960s and '70s, and, eventually, directly under his command (1981). In the 1990s, and beyond, I enjoyed his company at various social gatherings, large and small. He was a fine man.


----------



## Journeyman

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> A good man, a damned fine soldier and commander: LGen (ret'd) CH (Charlie) Belzile, QORofC and R22R ...


I'd heard that from Don Pryer on Thursday night.      A fine man, indeed.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Journeyman said:
			
		

> I'd heard that from Don Pryer on Thursday night.      A fine man, indeed.




I would have posted it earlier but the rebuilding of the server made posting a bit problematical ... there will be a memorial service in Ottawa on 13 December followed by a private, family, funeral wherein the R22R will provide full honours. PM me if you need details, but I think everything I know is here, but I believe regimental blazers and medals are expected at the Tuesday afternoon public service.


----------



## vonGarvin

Joe "Snee" Schechtel, formerly of The RCR, The Canadian Airborne Regiment and Princess Patricia's Light Infantry passed away overnight.  He was in the loving care of former fellow soldier Rocky Boudreau, at Rocky's place in Costa Rica.  Joe had cancer and it really took him down quick.  In his final weeks he remained optimistic and travelled to Newfoundland to visit some friends, and then it was off to Costa Rica where he lived his final days.  He was really looking forward to that trip.





This is Joe with Rocky taken about a week or so ago.







Here's Joe from his time in 3 Cdo.

Joe was one of the first members of my company I met when I joined 2 RCR back in 1989.  My first weekend there he was DD and took a bunch of us into Fredericton for a night on the town.  After he went off to the Airborne in 1990, I next saw him when I was going through officer training at the infantry school.  He was a MCpl then, and I, an OCdt, was part of the demo section (they were short a guy so they used me as LMG #2 in the demo section attack).  I remember Joe jacking the living crap out of me.  Then with a wink and a smile he said it wasn't every day he got to jack up an officer.

Joe will be missed.


----------



## Nfld Sapper

LCol Kenneth John Chisholm, CD (Ret’d)

We regret to advise of the death of Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth John Chisholm, CD (Ret’d) on 26 November 2016 at the Waverly Seniors Village in Chilliwack, BC. Ken was a Royal Canadian Engineer Korean War veteran.
Born in Toronto in 1923, Ken earned his Engineering Degree at the University of Toronto. He enrolled in Canadian Army Reserve Force in 1942 and then transferred to the Canadian Army Active Force in May 1945. After the war he joined the Permanent Force with the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1946.
Ken’s first posting was to the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering (RCSME) Chilliwack, BC followed by a tour at 11 Works Company in Camp Chilliwack in 1952. He was then transferred to 23rd Field Squadron in Chilliwack and and deployed for the Korean War in 1953. He then had a geographical move to  Camp Gagetown, NB where he joined 8 Works Company shortly after the new camp had been opened. This tour was followed by his successful completion of the Army Staff Course before he moved to 24 Works Company in Camp Borden, ON in 1961.
Ken had the distinction of holding two appointments as Commanding Officer of the Regular Force Field Squadrons: 1 Field Squadron at Camp Petawawa, ON (1961-62) and 4 Field Squadron in Werl, Germany (1962-64). After these commands he returned to RCSME for a short tour before being assigned to the Command Construction Engineering staff in Headquarters Mobile Command at St Hubert, QC (1966-69). Ken then served at Canadian Forces Headquarters, Ottawa including a tour as Canadian Forces Fire Marshall (1969-72).
Ken retired in 1974 and returned to Chilliwack where he had started his Canadian Military Engineer career. He continued with public service in his second career where he was the British Columbia Inspector of Dykes for ten years and responsible for ensuring flood containment for much of the Lower Mainland District and other areas of British Columbia.
In full retirement Ken maintained his strong commitment to the Engineer Family and was active with the Military Engineers Association of Canada where he served as National Registrar. Ken was also a very active supporter of the Retired Sappers and the Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack Historical Society. His contribution to the Canadian Military Engineers Family was recognized with his being awarded a Canadian Military Engineering Association Commendation.
A celebration of Ken's life will be held on 12 January 2017 at a family home. Ken's friends will be contacted once arrangements have been finalized. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Eve Project through Hungry for Life (604-703-0223) or the Alzheimer/Dementia Society.


----------



## Old Sweat

It is with considerable emotion that I report the death of my old friend Lieutenant Colonel Jim Bryce, RCA (ret) this afternoon at about 1630 hours. Jim had been admitted to palliative care a short time ago, and fell into his last sleep after smiling at his wife and daughters this morning.

We met on OCP Phase One in September 1960 and served together on and off over the years, including in Germany and then on the IG Course and as IsG in the School in Shilo. We also served together as battery commanders in 2 RCHA and were members of each other's wedding party.

Good Shooting, Stand Easy ( The equivalent to End of Mission in the gunner speak we first trained on together 55 years ago.)

Frigging allergies are acting up; that's three classmates this year.


----------



## FJAG

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> It is with considerable emotion that I report the death of my old friend Lieutenant Colonel Jim Bryce, RCA (ret) this afternoon at about 1630 hours. Jim had been admitted to palliative care a short time ago, and fell into his last sleep after smiling at his wife and daughters this morning.
> 
> We met on OCP Phase One in September 1960 and served together on and off over the years, including in Germany and then on the IG Course and as IsG in the School in Shilo. We also served together as battery commanders in 2 RCHA and were members of each other's wedding party.
> 
> Good Shooting, Stand Easy ( The equivalent to End of Mission in the gunner speak we first trained on together 55 years ago.)
> 
> Frigging allergies are acting up; that's three classmates this year.



That's terrible news indeed and just like him to go out that way. Jim was truly a gentleman, a caring soul and a stalwart in the Regiment.

I first met Jim when I transferred as a subbie from 3 RCHA to F Bty 2 RCHA of which he was the battery commander. I still remember when, at the end of a very long happy hour, he and another officer decided that it was necessary to settle a point of honour with sabres on top of the roof of the old 2 RCHA officers' mess. Thanks to copious amounts of alcohol, both survived unscathed.

Good shooting, end of mission, Jim. You will truly be missed by Kathy and I.

 :'(


----------



## LWH

That is very sad news.  Although I never served together with Jim, I worked with him on various projects over the years and occasionally shared a glass with him.  He was a first class gunner and a true gentlemen, in every sense of the word.  I don't often comment on public boards, but want to add my condolences to his family and his many, many friends and colleagues, a sad day for us all.  End of Mission Jim.  Stand Easy!


----------



## Old Sweat

It seems we are going through a bad patch. Word has just come down the regimental net of the passing of Col Conrad Malikowski (ret) on 28 December. Con was an ex-CO of 2 RCHA and father of Col Conrad Malikowski, the Comd 2 CMBG.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> It seems we are going through a bad patch. Word has just come down the regimental net of the passing of Col Conrad Malikowski (ret) on 28 December. Con was an ex-CO of 2 RCHA and father of Col Conrad Malikowski, the Comd 2 CMBG.




Very sad, Con and I worked together in BGen Terry Liston's combat development shop back in the 1970s. He was one of the (relatively) few arms officers to actually study the nuts, guts and feathers of C3 systems before pontificating. He was also a jolly, _*happy warrior*_ type who brought some laughter and good fellowship into some otherwise difficult projects.


----------



## Old Sweat

And for whatever it is worth, this past week also brought an odd coincidence. Back in the pre-unification days the army had an establishment for so many officers by rank for each corps. For fy 1967-1968 the artillery was going to be short five captains. Someone in authority heard of this and suggested they conduct a special board on the lieutenants who were due for promotion in 1968 and make five of them acting captains. So a board was conducted and five lieutenants became acting captains on 2 May 1967. Three of these fortunate gentlemen were Dick Rogers, Jim Bryce and Con Malikowski, all of whom appear above.. 

I am one of the surviving other two and am pondering the oddity of life.

Three months later the forces set the time in rank for promotion to captain at two years in rank, so just about everybody with a discernible pulse (but not necessarily many brain waves) was a captain. But that was life in the CF of that era.


----------



## OldTanker

Mialkowski? Per his son's name. https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjj8MHyp5rRAhVP6WMKHT8sAgUQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailyobserver.ca%2F2015%2F06%2F28%2Fcol-mialkowski-takes-over-petawawas-2-brigade&usg=AFQjCNG0EZ4zJhcOvsEl3XYeTSUL7PqDWA


----------



## a78jumper

Technoviking said:
			
		

> Joe "Snee" Schechtel, formerly of The RCR, The Canadian Airborne Regiment and Princess Patricia's Light Infantry passed away overnight.  He was in the loving care of former fellow soldier Rocky Boudreau, at Rocky's place in Costa Rica.  Joe had cancer and it really took him down quick.  In his final weeks he remained optimistic and travelled to Newfoundland to visit some friends, and then it was off to Costa Rica where he lived his final days.  He was really looking forward to that trip.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is Joe with Rocky taken about a week or so ago.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's Joe from his time in 3 Cdo.
> 
> Joe was one of the first members of my company I met when I joined 2 RCR back in 1989.  My first weekend there he was DD and took a bunch of us into Fredericton for a night on the town.  After he went off to the Airborne in 1990, I next saw him when I was going through officer training at the infantry school.  He was a MCpl then, and I, an OCdt, was part of the demo section (they were short a guy so they used me as LMG #2 in the demo section attack).  I remember Joe jacking the living crap out of me.  Then with a wink and a smile he said it wasn't every day he got to jack up an officer.
> 
> Joe will be missed.



I knew Joe here in Edmonton and saw him shortly before he headed to a short stay in palliative care in Medicine Hat. I did not think he would stay long there given he did travel to St Johns then Costa Rica where he passed. Never quite met anyone with his sense of optimism right until the end. I knew he was not well at all in Costa Rica because his FB and text messages stopped. It was an honour to attend his celebration of life. Godspeed on newfound wings Bro.


----------



## Edward Campbell

BGen (Ret'd) MHF Webber, late the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, former Colonel of the Regiment, 1st Canadian Signal Regiment.






Brigadier Mike Webber was an imposing man, a good athlete in his younger days, a strict but happy soldier, and a good engineer. I knew him fairly well and I liked him. He was honest, fair, diligent and industrious ... but he also enjoyed a good party, loved to laugh (especially a 'Colonel Blimp' types) and thoroughly enjoyed 'rough-housing' with soldiers.

His official obituary is:



> January 29, 1919 -  October 16, 2017
> WEBBER, Michael Henry Fairfax Webber, C.D.
> BGen (Retired) – RC Sigs
> 
> Michael Webber died peacefully at home in Ottawa, on Monday, October 16, 2017 in the company of family.
> 
> Michael was born in Kings Lynn, England, January 29.1919, the only child of Harold Fairfax and Edith (nee Proctor) Webber.
> 
> As an infant, he emigrated with his mother to Ottawa, rejoining his father who had preceded them as a returning World War I veteran. As the child of a career army officer he lived in Kingston, Toronto, Camp Borden and finally back to Ottawa.
> 
> In 1937 Michael entered a four-year course of study at Royal Military College of Canada, cadet #2612, with the aim of pursuing a military career. In 1939 his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. He accepted a commission as Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. In April 1940, he married Margaret Frances Marr and four short months later was shipped overseas. It would be nearly five years before he would return to his wife and meet his young son, Michael. Early in the war he endured the London air raids and was the first to land in the vital 1941 Spitsbergen raid. On July 10, 1943 Capitan Webber waded ashore with much of the Canadian Army in Sicily for the beginning of the arduous Italian campaign. As the war progressed he transferred with the rest of the Canadian Army to N.W. Europe. V-E day found Major Michael Webber in Hilversum Holland.
> 
> Post-war Michael completed his electrical engineering degree at Queens University and was posted to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. In 1952, promoted Lt. Colonel, and became the first Commanding Officer of the First Canadian Signals Regiment (1CSR) based at what was then Camp Borden, near Barrie Ont.
> 
> During his distinguished career, he served in several roles at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, attended the Canadian Army Staff College, the US War College and the Canadian Defence College. He served in 1957-1958 in Indochina with the International Control Commission, in 1960-1964 in Washington D.C. as Canada’s Military liaison to the Pentagon, in 1970-1972 as Honourary Aide-de-Camp to Governor General D. Roland Michener CC, CMM, CD., represented Canada at NATO’s military communications committee in Paris. Promoted Brigadier General in 1971 he served at NATO Headquarters in Brussels until his retirement in May 1974.
> 
> Post-retirement Michael worked ten years for the Law Reform Commission of Canada, and served in 1987-89 as Colonel Commandant of the Communications and Electronics Branch.
> 
> Michael is predeceased by his wife of 50 years and the mother of his children, Margaret (nee Marr), and his son Michael Fairfax Marr Webber, as well as his second wife, Louise Gray (nee MacBrien)
> 
> He is survived by his children, Christopher, Peter and Jennifer, and his wife Louise’s children Michael, Brien, Bruce and Diana and their families. Also left to treasure his memory are his grandchildren, Michael and Christina Webber, Andrew (Francine) Altman, Matthew (Stacy) Altman, step-grandchildren, Lynnette and Gregory White, and great granddaughter Elsie Fairfax Altman.
> 
> Visitation will be at the Hall of Colors of the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Ave. Ottawa on Saturday October 21 after 12 noon. Funeral Service will be held in the Sacred Space at 2 p.m. followed by interment with military honours and reception.
> 
> For those preferring to make a charitable memorial donation in lieu of flowers, please consider making one to the RMC Foundation Truth, Duty, Valour Fund in memory of BGen (Ret’d) Webber either online at www.rmcfoundation.ca, via phone at 613-541-6000 ext. 6807, or to PO Box 17000 STN Forces, Kingston ON K7K 7B4. All memorial donations will be noted in the Book of Remembrance in Currie Hall at RMC in Kingston.



I guess that covers most of it ... but there was so much more to the man, himself.

I will miss him ...


----------



## RocketRichard

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> BGen (Ret'd) MHF Webber, late the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, former Colonel of the Regiment, 1st Canadian Signal Regiment.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Brigadier Mike Webber was an imposing man, a good athlete in his younger days, a strict but happy soldier, and a good engineer. I knew him fairly well and I liked him. He was honest, fair, diligent and industrious ... but he also enjoyed a good party, loved to laugh (especially a 'Colonel Blimp' types) and thoroughly enjoyed 'rough-housing' with soldiers.
> 
> His official obituary is:
> 
> I guess that covers most of it ... but there was so much more to the man, himself.
> 
> I will miss him ...


RIP. VVV


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 30mmavenger

I hope I am posting this in the right area and it is allowed. I wanted to pass along the sad news of the passing of a family member. I wanted to be sure he is remembered. He served with the Airborne (maroons) from 1969-1976. Corporal Roderick Baines. He lived mostly in the Toronto and Guelph area and then made his way back to Kent County to be closer to family a few years back. He struggled with PTSD but that did not take him. The Legion was helping him with services/coverage through Veteran's Affairs and life was starting to be good again for him. I guess his comrades that went before him needed him more just now, and he is now Forever Airborne. Bless all those who serve/served. Thank you.


----------



## Gunner98

May Roderick Baines Rest in Peace knowing that his duty on earth is done and done well!   My sincere condolences to his family, friends and brothers-in-arms.


----------



## kratz

Your struggles are over, thank you.


----------



## Edward Campbell

For those who knew him ... Col (ret'd) GL (Gerry) Coady (Signals) of PEI and, mostly, Kingston, died last night after a long, painful struggle with ALS. Funeral details to follow.






That's Gerry and his lovely wife Trish in happier times.


----------



## RocketRichard

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> For those who knew him ... Col (ret'd) GL (Gerry) Coady (Signals) of PEI and, mostly, Kingston, died last night after a long, painful struggle with ALS. Funeral details to follow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That's Gerry and his lovely wife Trish in happier times.


RIP. VVV


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----------



## ueo

Lt (N) (Ret) Charlene MacDonald Williams, RN passed away 06 Mar at LHSC London after a short but valiant fight with cancer. Cremation and interment has taken place IAW Char's wishes.


----------



## AmmoTech90

James DOMINE, C.D. - February 17, 1935 - May 10, 2018 - Peacefully at Northumberland Hills Hospital, Cobourg, on Thursday May 10, 2018, at the age of 83. 

Beloved husband of Joanne (nee Elphick). 

Loving father of Kathleen Williamson (Andrew) of Perth, Australia, and James (Abby) of Palo Alto, California.

Proud grandfather of Sean, Cameron, Kayleigh, Ben, Gigi, and Lori. 

He will be missed by his sisters Patricia and Sandra, brother John, cousin Marsha, Joanne’s sister Glenda, and many other friends and extended family. 

Jim was an active member of the Royal Regiment of Canada most recently serving on the foundation board. He was an employee of Bell Canada for 33 years, an occupation that took him around the world. He was enthusiastic about politics and enjoyed golfing and curling. 

When the children were young, Jim devoted much time to organizing and volunteering for children’s sports. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. 

If desired, donations may be made to St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Cobourg, The Royal Canadian Regiment Association Fund, or Northumberland Hills Hospital.


----------



## OldSolduer

RIP sir


----------



## Kat Stevens

Alfred Keep was killed in an MVA west of Calgary on Monday. A long serving Sapper and someone I've been proud to call my friend since 1980.
The last bridge has been crossed, hold fast brother,  see you on the objective soon.


----------



## Rick Goebel

Former Artillery and Infantry Officer, he passed away at age 83.  He commanded the HF of C and was Honourary Colonel of 7 (Toronto) Regiment RCA.  He was an keen supporter of the Order of Saint John and the Order of Saint Lazarus.  He was my CO when I was commissioned.  His obituary is at https://necrocanada.com/obituaries-2018/jamesroosjimbreithaupt-1934-2018/#.W4sB8s5KjIU.


----------



## 211RadOp

Cpl (Ret'd) Agnes Drury, Tel Op/Sig Op, passed away on Tuesday 25 Sep 18.  Services will be on Saturday in Carleton Place ON.

I first met Aggie in the mid 90's working at Node Tunney's then reconnected with her just before her retirement through the Navy League of Canada.  Great lady with a huge sense of humour.

http://www.barkerfh.com/obituary/agnes-drury


----------



## Edward Campbell

MGen (ret'd) HC Pitts, MC CD ... the best CDS we never had.






From The RCR regimental net:

----------Note below shared from Jim ... F.Y.I. to Royals who have served with MGen Herb Pitts, MC, CD4 ...

Herb's own story in The Memory Project:
http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/2306:herb-pitts/
____________________

It is with a heavy heart that we regretfully must share some very sad news.

Major General Pitts, MC, CD, passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours this date 27 September 2018.

More details will follow in his obituary, at which time the Branch president, will issue directions.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember him!

VP
James P. MacMillan-Murphy
Secretary & VPP Contact
Victoria Branch
PPCLI Association
--------

I can only repeat my initial reaction: "Damn! He was a great boss ... tough, kind, smart, demanding, helpful, friendly, fierce, loyal ... the best CDS we never had. 😥"


----------



## Old Sweat

And I will second everything Edward said. I had the good fortune to work for then-Major Pitts in operations branch in HQ 4 CIBG in 1965-66 when he was the brigade major. My wife, who had been a DND teacher, remarked that everyone - teachers, parents and other kids, had a lot of time for the Pitts family, who did not wear his rank in any way whatsoever.


----------



## Edward Campbell

And, to make a bad day even worse, my old chum (we served together in 2RCR in the 1960s) Col (ret'd) Larry Bowen, who was CO of 1RCR in the 1980s, passed away last night. My thoughts are with Sue and his family ... he was one of the good guys.


----------



## Good2Golf

Damn, Ted!  Larry was a real gentleman warrior. I worked a lot with him at the Army Staff College,, where he was one of the trusted inner circle of “good Calian guys.”

RIP Larry.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Colonel (ret'd) W.H. (Humph) Sheridan, late RCCS, died of heart failure on Tuesday at the age of 81. 

Humphrey was a first rate engineer, a good field unit commanding officer, an all round good officer, a true gentleman in the best sense of that word, a trusted mentor and a dear friend. The world was better for his being here; I will miss him

He had some innovative training ideas, more than one of which I copied, including the one about detachments not being able to have all the 'comforts' of their trailers until every detachment member could back the trailer into a tight spot in the woods, in the dark. It made corporals teach their younger det members how to do things right, the first time.

He was also not afraid to "speak truth to power," I was 'shadowing' him (at his invitation) one exercise when he, patiently, explained to the brigade commander why his (the general's) wishes were not going to happen ... little things like the laws of physics got in the way; the brigade commander wasn't happy but he accepted a bit of a very polite but very firm 'dressing down' from a major. That example also helped me in later years.

My thoughts go out to Kathleen and the family.


----------



## OldSolduer

RIP sir.


----------



## The Bread Guy

In case you knew him or dealt with him during his time in ...


> It is with profound sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our loving husband and father, Mr. David Allan Wilkie, age 68 years, on Friday, October 12, 2018.
> 
> (...)
> 
> *David began with the Militia as a Private at the age of 16. He continued his commitment throughout the years, working his way up the ranks to Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Officer of Lake Superior Scottish Regiment (LSSR). He was most recently the LSSR Senate Chair.*
> 
> (...)


More in the full obit here.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Colonel (ret'd) Paul E Morneault, RCCS ...







I first met Paul in the 1960s, he was, then a pretty senior major but highly regarded by his subordinates for his brains, ability and willingness to get involved in the day-to-day details of the work. (At that time he was CO of Canada's embryonic tactical Electronic Warfare  Unit). Paul was probably promoted a bit more slowly than most others because he was a French Canadian in a corps other than the Infantry; that's the way things were in the 1940s and '50s. 

He was a demanding task master but a brilliant teacher; he was also a quiet, reserved, I guess introspective man, who functioned best in small groups where his very real charm and erudition could sparkle. He died at the age of 91 but, sadly, in his last few years, he suffered from senile-dementia (Alzheimer's) and his friends and family watched as both the charm and the erudition faded.  :'(

I know he was a devoted husband and father ~ some of you will know his son Paul Jr who was blamed for part of the Somalia fiasco.

Paul Morneault was, above all else, a gentleman as I, at least understand that term: honest, upright, caring and generous, and all that but a man who practiced what he preached and did his very best to always set a good example, in both his professional and personal affairs, for others.


----------



## Kat Stevens

I don't know how many here would have known him, but it is my sad duty to report that Cpl (ret) Jerome Harley Fitzherbert passed away in his sleep this past friday. No further details available as of yet. Hold Fast, old friend, see you on the far bank one day.


----------



## OldSolduer

RIP soldiers


----------



## 211RadOp

Sgt (Ret'd) Luc Robertson passed away in Kingston last week.

https://www.arbormemorial.ca/reid/obituaries/luc-robertson/29109


----------



## Petard

LCol (ret'd) John Davidson, RCHA, passed away on 4 Feb 2019, funeral services will be held in Ottawa at the Beechwood memorial centre on 15 Feb 2019.

A very sad loss for the Regimental family, he was my first Battery Commander and was quite a charismatic leader; sincere condolences to his family and friends

 https://beechwood.permavita.com/site/JohnADavidson.html?fbclid=IwAR3fDFZqbotno79HZKS4N87ALMWisYCXzXMRSlS25SrBBxJyFEnlBN3EGz0


----------



## Old Sweat

I met John in Shilo in 1967. We used to take my canoe for a paddle on Sewell Lake where we would solve the army's problems. A month or so ago we had a long email exchange, where we told me that his situation was not good. I told him in turn that we would get together on my return from Arizona, but it looks like our reunion is postponed indefinitely.


----------



## stoker dave

Brigadier General (Ret’d) James A. Bruce, MMM, CD, MBA

It is with great sadness and a broken heart that we the family announce the passing of Brigadier General James “Jim” A. Bruce, MMM, CD, MBA on 28 February 2019.

https://www.halifaxtoday.ca/obituaries/bruce-james-a-1303135


----------



## Nfld Sapper

Warrant Officer (ret) Kevin O'Keefe
March 27, 1946 - March 04, 2019

It is with overwhelming sadness that we announce that Warrant Officer Kevin Patrick O`Keefe (ret.) Field Engineers Squadron, Royal Newfoundland Regiment passed peacefully in the early morning hours of March 4th, 2019 at 72 years old surrounded by his loving family at his home in Mt.Pearl, Newfoundland. Predeceased by his parents James and Catherine, brother Walter, and loving aunts Mary and Shelia. Leaving to mourn his son, Sean, his two adoring daughters Susan and Barbara, and most especially by his loving granddaughter, Sara Kristina.  Kevin is survived by his brothers Dennis, Brian, and Barry, his sister Noreen Lee, former wife Patricia, as well as his large extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Special thanks to his dedicated and loving caregivers and the entire team at 4NorthA, Health Sciences Complex. Resting at Caul`s Funeral Home LeMarchant Road. Visitation on Tuesday from 7-9:00pm and Wednesday 2-4:00pm and 7-9:00pm. Mass of Christian Burial Thursday, March 7th, 2019 at 10:00am at Mary Queen of the World Church.  Cremation to follow. Inurnment to follow at a later date. Flowers graciously accepted or donations can be made to the Diabetes Association of Newfoundland, Royal Canadian legion (Mount Pearl Branch), or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.


----------



## kkwd

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> Warrant Officer (ret) Kevin O'Keefe
> March 27, 1946 - March 04, 2019
> 
> It is with overwhelming sadness that we announce that Warrant Officer Kevin Patrick O`Keefe (ret.) Field Engineers Squadron, Royal Newfoundland Regiment passed peacefully in the early morning hours of March 4th, 2019 at 72 years old surrounded by his loving family at his home in Mt.Pearl, Newfoundland. Predeceased by his parents James and Catherine, brother Walter, and loving aunts Mary and Shelia. Leaving to mourn his son, Sean, his two adoring daughters Susan and Barbara, and most especially by his loving granddaughter, Sara Kristina.  Kevin is survived by his brothers Dennis, Brian, and Barry, his sister Noreen Lee, former wife Patricia, as well as his large extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Special thanks to his dedicated and loving caregivers and the entire team at 4NorthA, Health Sciences Complex. Resting at Caul`s Funeral Home LeMarchant Road. Visitation on Tuesday from 7-9:00pm and Wednesday 2-4:00pm and 7-9:00pm. Mass of Christian Burial Thursday, March 7th, 2019 at 10:00am at Mary Queen of the World Church.  Cremation to follow. Inurnment to follow at a later date. Flowers graciously accepted or donations can be made to the Diabetes Association of Newfoundland, Royal Canadian legion (Mount Pearl Branch), or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.



Sad news, Kev was quite the character. Rest in peace old man.


----------



## Nfld Sapper

That he was...


----------



## 211RadOp

WO (Ret’d) Jordon (Jordy) Christopher Ochoski, CD

It is with heavy hearts the family of Jordon (Jordy) Christopher Ochoski announce his sudden passing at the age of 48 years.

Jordy is survived by his parents Bob and Judy Ochoski, fiancée Carrie-Ann Bettinger, brothers Jason (Susan) and Joel (Amy), niece Quinn and nephew Jackson. He is also survived by loving “Auntie” Anne-Louise; uncles Peter, Barry and Michael; Grandma Gwen Cull; cousins Pamela, Kim, Adam and Angela; and Otto his faithful and loving dog.

Jordy was a loving partner, son, brother and friend. He was loyal, protective and generous. While he portrayed a tough exterior, he was a ‘softie’ inside as those closest to him will attest. “It’s all good”, he’d say when asked how he was. His family and friends are heartbroken and he will be missed by all who loved him.

Jordy spent 25 years serving his country as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. He served, with distinction, on five tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan. He completed his military service as a Warrant Officer in Ottawa as an ACISS-CISTM ITSEC INSP. Upon retiring from the military, Jordy went on to a successful career as a computer specialist with Department of National Defense and the Canadian Border Security Service.

Friends and family are invited to visit at the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Ave., Ottawa on Monday June 3, 2019. from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the Memorial Service at 11 o’clock. Interment will take place at the National Military Cemetery. A reception will follow.

Donations to the Canadian Mental Health Association would be appreciated in lieu of flowers.


----------



## Edward Campbell

Colonel Peter Sutton, aged 86. A few of you will know him, the rest are unlucky.

Colonel Sutton was a good soldier and better man.


----------



## 211RadOp

There is a room at CFJSR named after him.  RIP Col Sutton.


----------



## RocketRichard

RIP. VVV


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----------



## cmandan

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Colonel Peter Sutton, aged 86. A few of you will know him, the rest are unlucky.
> 
> Colonel Sutton was a good soldier and better man.



It is very sad to know that he left us. I am really sorry and pray that more of people like him stay with us for long.


----------



## Edward Campbell

CWO (Ret'd) RSM Dave Russell, RCCS

Dave Russell joined the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals in December 1950 and served in Korea, the Congo, Europe and Egypt (twice). He saw many postings throughout his career retiring as the Regimental Sergeant-Major of the 1st Canadian Signal Regiment in April 1980.

I first met Dave in the early 1960s when I was a young corporal Radio Mechanic posted to 2SSM Bty (RCA) in Camp Shilo. Dave (a radio operator) was the Signal Troop sergeant. We became friends and he gave me a lot of good, solid advice about being a better soldier and NCO.

Fifteen years later, when I took command of 1 Cdn Sig regt I was pleased to have Dave as my RSM. He continued to offer me good advice. I counted him as a friend.

Dave is survived by his loving wife Jeannette (nee Lortie), they were in their 65th year of marriage.

RIP, old friend.


----------



## Good2Golf

RIP, Mr. Russell.


----------



## Eye In The Sky

RIP, RSM Russell.


----------



## OldSolduer

RIP RSM


----------



## Humphrey Bogart

> OBITUARY FOR WILLIAM BRANCH
> 
> William Blair Branch, CD, MS (Ret), 56 of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia formerly of Bathurst, New Brunswick peacefully passed on October 11, 2019 at the Dartmouth General Hospital after a brief illness with family at his side. Born October 19, 1962, the second son of Norman William and the late Ethel Joyce (Scott) Branch.
> 
> He is survived by his daughter Nicole Erin Branch of Truro Nova Scotia and survived by brothers Kenneth (Monique) of Clifton, NB, Robert of Oakbank, MB and sister Chantal Tycholiz (Ronald) of Kenora, ON. He is also survived by nieces and nephew, Charlene, Samantha, Jenna, and Jayden.
> 
> Billy graduated from Bathurst High School in 1982 then pursued the Youth Training Employment Program with the Canadian Armed Forces and decided to join the regular forces in 1983 as a Naval Steward. MS Branch’s career included postings from CFS Shelburne, NS to CFB Esquimalt, BC. During these postings he served on the HMCS Athabascan, Iroquois, Preserver, and the Vancouver. His naval NATO and Peacekeeping tours included; CFS Alert (x2), Adriatic Sea (x2), Afghanistan (x1). He participated in the Cross Canada International Tattoo in 1985. After 24 years of dedicated service to Queen and country MS Branch was honorably discharged. During his retirement Billy took up employment with the Corps of Commissioners in the City of Halifax. In his spare time, you would find Billy tending to his immaculate kept yard, waxing his Ford trucks and loving his cats. He was full of life, and when Billy walked in a room his bright smile warmed the place. He will be deeply missed by all who have had the opportunity to know him.
> 
> Our family send heartfelt thanks to the physicians and staff at the Dartmouth General Hospital; 3 West for their professionalism and dedication during this difficult time.
> 
> There will be no visitation. Billy’s wishes a committal of ashes at sea with a celebration of life; time and place to be determined.
> 
> Donations in the memory of Billy may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, or a charity of the donor’s choice.
> 
> Arrangements are in the care of A. L. Mattatall Funeral Home, Dartmouth. To view or leave a condolence please visit: www.mattatallfuneralhome.com



Billy's parents were my next door neighbours for my entire childhood.  All his brothers also served in the CAF and his sister Chantal is married to a former Combat Engineer.

Great bunch of people who loved their trucks and family.  Found memories of Billy waxing his truck meticulously every Saturday!


----------



## Edward Campbell

Deeply sad to learn of the death, at age 92, of my mentor and, I daresay, friend, Colonel Don Strong. 

Don enlisted in the Canadian Army, in The Royal Canadian Regiment, during World War II. He was selected for commissioning and was part of the Royal Military College's "New One Hundred" Class of 1952 - the first graduating class when the college reopened at the end of World War Two.  Upon graduation, as an electrical engineer, he went back to war, this time in Korea, as a Signal Officer. 

I worked for Don a couple of times ~ he was a hard task-master but, unfailingly kind and willing to explain why he always wanted things done the right way, the first time and why it was even more important to do the right thing rather than just doing things right. In one particular instance, I recall that he gave me leave to follow a somewhat risky course of staff action and then stood up to a group of sceptical very senior officers to defend me because he was convinced that I was doing what the Army needed, even if my solution to a problem was unconventional.  

Don and his lovely wife Jeannie were, very simply, good people ~ examples to us all. He shall be sorely missed.


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## Edward Campbell

I'm very sad to learn of the death of my longtime friend and mentor and, once CO, Col W.E. Bill Grant.

Here's the official stuff:



> After a life well-lived, Bill passed away peacefully at home by his wife’s side on Remembrance Day.  A fitting timing for a Veteran who proudly devoted 41 years of service to his country.  Bill was predeceased by his parents, sister, niece Joanne Hogarth and his first wife Suzanne.  His memory will be forever cherished by his wife Ruth Matte and stepson Simon Matte.  His dry humour, kindness, gentlemanly spirit and generosity will be missed by his nieces and nephews, Annabelle Hogarth and Grant Hogarth and their families.  Bill was also instantly embraced by Ruth’s “Clark” family of 35+ brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and nephews and all their friends as well.  Bill’s special bond with Ruth’s brother Oliver, and his wife Sharon Clark, was one of his most important retirement friendships.  They totally enriched each other’s life.  Plus Oliver transformed Bill into the Perley Day Program’s billiards shark at age 83!
> 
> Bill was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and graduated from UBC with a degree in History.  He had over 37 years commissioned service in the Canadian Armed Forces in tactical command control, communications and intelligence.  Eighteen of these years were out-of-country: residing in six countries and representing/officially visiting an additional 20 countries on behalf of Canada.  His career was highlighted by several notable assignments including serving as Second-in-Command 56 Canadian Signal Squadron, United Nations Emergency Force, Egypt, as well as a series of increasingly senior appointments: Commanding Officer, 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters & Signal Squadron, Soest and Lahr Germany.  Chief, Policy and Requirements Branch, NATO HQ; Canadian Forces Attaché, Prague, Czechoslovakia (pre-democracy period) and Canadian Forces Attaché in Seoul, Korea.  During his five years in Seoul, he also served as Chief, Canadian Liaison Group to the United Nations Command and a Member of the Military Armistice Commission, Panmunjon.  His final posting found him back in Ottawa as Director, Foreign Liaison for the Department of National Defence.
> 
> Bill then spent 5 years as the Director, Canadian Business Development for TRW Canada before being promoted to General Manager.  In his business capacity he met Ernst & Young’s Senior Principal Consultant, Ruth Matte, and their 30-year journey began instantaneously.  Ruth was thrilled to go along for the ride.
> 
> In lock-step with his military life, his retirement life with Ruth was non-stop, insatiable, full-throttle, laced with joy and an enthusiasm for travel and fine dining.  He had a voracious appetite to read everything he could get his hands on, and embraced each day as an adventure in the making.  Bill and Ruth travelled constantly. From working in an orphanage in the jungles of Guatemala to almost every cruise itinerary that Holland America offers; to Clippers-ship yachts in the Caribbean and a month in French Polynesia; to every Caribbean island (even one with only sand and 1 palm tree); and to Europe, Middle East, Asia, India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Black Sea, Russia, Scandinavia, South America, many trips to Hawaii – the list goes on.  Winters were often spent in Portugal or Florida.  Bill wanted to enjoy and learn, to the fullest extent possible, from every second of his life.  As everyone who knew him says “he was special”!   He was a soldier, a scholar, a true gentleman, kind and generous.  An honourable man indeed.
> 
> Visitation will be private.  Due to government-imposed restrictions related to COVID-19, attendance at the graveside service with military presence at the National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Armed Forces is restricted to a limited number of individuals, personally invited by the family.  You are most welcome to attend the service through a livestream broadcast on Friday, November 27 at 2 p.m.  The link will be made available shortly on this website.
> 
> As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the Military C&E Museum, your local humane society or a charity of your choice.



Bill was always, and equally: kind and acerbic, a friend and a relentless critic, and a jolly good companion and a very private person.

We worked well together in both the field (4CMBG HQ and Sigs) where Bill disapproved of my methods but admitted that they worked better than anything else. We also worked well, even better, on the staff where Bill, even though he always outranked me, was more than willing to take 'operational' direction from a Tech Staff officer because he suspected that I knew what I was doing.


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## tomahawk6

My condolences to Colonel Strong's family and colleagues.


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## Breacher

I'm not sure if it is a "covid year effect" or something else but it seems that we have lost a disproportionate number of sappers this year. Pete Mushrow left us on Christmas Eve.

https://cmea-agmc.ca/cwo-peter-k-mushrow-cd-retd


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## Rifleman62

Many condolences messages at link: https://www.castanet.net/obituaries/CAREW,_Patrick_Henry_Curtis/22421/


Brigadier General (Retired) Patrick Henry Curtis Carew, CD


Patrick passed away in Kelowna on Thursday, 28 January, 2021 at age 89. He was predeceased by his loving wife Norma Diane (nee Willcox). Patrick is survived by his daughters Janice, Dana, and Suzanne Carew as well as his cherished granddaughter Myken Carew. He was born in Vernon, B.C. and went to school there as well as in Kelowna where he met Diane.

Patrick entered the Canadian Army in 1948 joining the British Columbia Dragoons in Vernon and Kelowna. In 1951 he was commissioned as an officer and joined the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) in Calgary. He served with them in the Korean War. In 1965 he was promoted to major and joined the Fort Garry Horse. After promotion to Lieutenant Colonel he became the 32nd Commanding Officer of The Royal Canadian Dragoons in 1970 in Lahr, Germany. Subsequently, he held several command and staff appointments including becoming the 17th Commandant of the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College in Kingston and Base Commander of CFB Suffield. He retired from the Canadian Forces after 37 years of service in July 1985. Although he travelled throughout the world, he and Diane returned home to Kelowna. They played golf at Shannon Lake and enjoyed living closer to family and friends surrounded by the familiar beauty of the Okanagan. Following his keen interest in military history Patrick became a founding member of the Okanagan Military Museum Society. He became the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the British Columbia Dragoons in 1986. Still very involved in military life he served as the Colonel of the Regiment for The Royal Canadian Dragoons from 1990 until 1993. He oversaw many Regimental events and milestones including the first visit of Prince Charles in His Highness' role as Colonel in Chief of The Royal Canadian Dragoons. He was a loyal and involved parishioner at Saint Michael of All Angels Cathedral in Kelowna for many years. Patrick will be remembered for his sense of humour, for his sense of duty and for his commitment to his country and his family.


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## Weinie

Rifleman62 said:


> Many condolences messages at link: https://www.castanet.net/obituaries/CAREW,_Patrick_Henry_Curtis/22421/
> 
> 
> Brigadier General (Retired) Patrick Henry Curtis Carew, CD
> 
> 
> Patrick passed away in Kelowna on Thursday, 28 January, 2021 at age 89. He was predeceased by his loving wife Norma Diane (nee Willcox). Patrick is survived by his daughters Janice, Dana, and Suzanne Carew as well as his cherished granddaughter Myken Carew. He was born in Vernon, B.C. and went to school there as well as in Kelowna where he met Diane.
> 
> Patrick entered the Canadian Army in 1948 joining the British Columbia Dragoons in Vernon and Kelowna. In 1951 he was commissioned as an officer and joined the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) in Calgary. He served with them in the Korean War. In 1965 he was promoted to major and joined the Fort Garry Horse. After promotion to Lieutenant Colonel he became the 32nd Commanding Officer of The Royal Canadian Dragoons in 1970 in Lahr, Germany. Subsequently, he held several command and staff appointments including becoming the 17th Commandant of the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College in Kingston and Base Commander of CFB Suffield. He retired from the Canadian Forces after 37 years of service in July 1985. Although he travelled throughout the world, he and Diane returned home to Kelowna. They played golf at Shannon Lake and enjoyed living closer to family and friends surrounded by the familiar beauty of the Okanagan. Following his keen interest in military history Patrick became a founding member of the Okanagan Military Museum Society. He became the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the British Columbia Dragoons in 1986. Still very involved in military life he served as the Colonel of the Regiment for The Royal Canadian Dragoons from 1990 until 1993. He oversaw many Regimental events and milestones including the first visit of Prince Charles in His Highness' role as Colonel in Chief of The Royal Canadian Dragoons. He was a loyal and involved parishioner at Saint Michael of All Angels Cathedral in Kelowna for many years. Patrick will be remembered for his sense of humour, for his sense of duty and for his commitment to his country and his family.


RIP Sir


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## Fishbone Jones

Godspeed. Audax et Celer.


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## FJAG

BGen Carew was the commandant when I went to Kingston on my Army Command and Staff Course. A good man who ran a fine organization. 

End of Mission; Stand easy.


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## Retired AF Guy

From yesterdays Whig-Standard:



> William  HEWSON
> 
> HEWSON, Major-General C. William,
> CMM CD BASc (Civ Eng)
> 
> February 2, 1937 - February 3, 2021
> 
> Major-General Bill Hewson passed away peacefully on February 3, 2021, a day after his eighty-fourth birthday. His wife Norah was at his side.
> 
> Bill and Norah met at a party in Toronto in 1959, where he was a recent graduate from the Royal Military College gaining a civil engineering degree from the U of T. Norah was a student nurse at Sick Kids Hospital. They said goodnight, but Bill was smitten, and he called Norah the next day to ask her to dinner. Despite postings and deployments across Canada and to Germany, England, Cyprus, Australia and Belgium, he never really left her side again. He married Norah in 1961, and they made homes together around the world. After raising their sons Douglas and Richard, they retired to their property on Calabogie Lake, in the Ottawa Valley.
> 
> Bill lived his life with honour, courage and loyalty. His military service began with command of a rifle platoon in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. He was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility with the Patricias and in the Intelligence Branch. He served as Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion PPCLI; Commander of the Canadian Contingent to the UN Force in Cyprus; Chief of Intelligence at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, and as Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence at SHAPE, the NATO Headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Appointments as the Colonel of the Regiment, PPCLI; Colonel Commandant of the Intelligence Branch, and as a Commander of the Order of Military Merit reflected his dedication to his Regiment, his Branch, and his Army.
> 
> Bill was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1985, and retired from the Canadian Forces in 1991. He served as Director General of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) until 2000.
> 
> He was a leader to all, and a mentor to many.
> 
> As a husband, father and grandfather, he showed us how to live a life with love, humour and integrity, and without fear or regret. At a ski hill or a hockey rink, at a board room table or a carpenter's work bench, and in all our many different homes around the world, he was the steady presence that inspired us with confidence that no matter what happened, he'd always be there.
> 
> Bill is survived by Norah, the other half of the Dynamic Duo. He is survived as well by Douglas (Marisia), of Kanata, Ontario and by Richard (Stephanie) of Vernon, BC and their sons Mitchell and Spencer.
> 
> The family is grateful for the care Bill received from his physiotherapist Mr. Ben Wassell, Dr. Kristian Davis, Dr. Tilak Mendis, and the staff at the Queensway Carleton Hospital, including Dr. Sanjay Acharya.
> 
> A private service will be held at Beechwood Cemetery in the near future. All of Bill's family, friends and colleagues will be welcomed at a Memorial Service, to be scheduled and announced as soon as better times return. In the meantime, please consider a donation to Parkinson Canada.
> 
> Published on  February 13, 2021
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Link
> 
> I don't remember ever meeting him while in the PPCLI, but had the pleasure on several occasions while in the Int Branch. Will be missed.
Click to expand...


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## OldSolduer

Retired AF Guy said:


> From yesterdays Whig-Standard:


RIP sir. VP 

In 1983 General Hewson was serving in Cyprus as COS UNFICYP I believe. During our Regimental game of Broom-I-Loo one of our corporals picked him up and tossed him in the muddy sports field, and rolled him over a few times for good measure. For a moment we thought he was going to jail but General Hewson thought this was pretty funny, Mrs. Hewson not so much!!  He was a good sport and a very down to earth soldier friendly officer. We've lost a good one. VP sir.


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## ueo

Don't know weather this is going into the correct spot- Capt Duncan MacMillan RCR. recently passed at age 66. No further details as yet.


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## OldSolduer

ueo said:


> Don't know weather this is going into the correct spot- Capt Duncan MacMillan RCR. recently passed at age 66. No further details as yet.


RIP sir.


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## Edward Campbell

My old and dear friend Colonel (ret'd) Don Pruner died two weeks ago at the age of 96.

Don served overseas in WWII with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) and also attended the No. 2 Canadian Army University Course and Khaki College.

After graduation from the University of Toronto in 1949, he re-enlisted in the Canadian Army with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, serving in Canada, Korea, Germany (NATO), USA and Israel.  On retirement from the Canadian Forces in 1979, he worked briefly for the Federal Department of Communications, followed by many years of contract employment with Bell Canada International, Bell Sygma and Bell Canada.

Don was tough, demanding, unfailing kind and fair and usually dryly funny.


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## OldSolduer

RIP Sir 


Edward Campbell said:


> My old and dear friend Colonel (ret'd) Don Pruner died two weeks ago at the age of 96.
> 
> Don served overseas in WWII with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) and also attended the No. 2 Canadian Army University Course and Khaki College.
> 
> After graduation from the University of Toronto in 1949, he re-enlisted in the Canadian Army with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, serving in Canada, Korea, Germany (NATO), USA and Israel.  On retirement from the Canadian Forces in 1979, he worked briefly for the Federal Department of Communications, followed by many years of contract employment with Bell Canada International, Bell Sygma and Bell Canada.
> 
> Don was tough, demanding, unfailing kind and fair and usually dryly funny.


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## Good2Golf

RIP, Colonel… EOM


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## Viking17

Sad news from PEI. 
Colonel bill Minnis msm cd | SaltWire


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## Edward Campbell

Viking17 said:


> Sad news from PEI.
> Colonel bill Minnis msm cd | SaltWire


So sad; I knew Bill, off-and-on, over the years, We served together (or nearby) a couple of times, most memorably in HQ AFCENT in Brunssum in the 1980s. He was a good guy and, indeed, a "happy warrior."


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## Fishbone Jones

So sorry for your losses Edward. Godspeed to them.


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## Edward Campbell

Fishbone Jones said:


> So sorry for your losses Edward. Godspeed to them.


Thanks. At my age losing old friends is to be expected; it doesn't make it easier; it's a reminder that my time is running out, too ... like everyone's.


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## daftandbarmy

Edward Campbell said:


> Thanks. At my age losing old friends is to be expected; it doesn't make it easier; it's a reminder that my time is running out, too ... like everyone's.


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## ueo

Just heard Lt(N) Terry Meloche Passed recently. No details.


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## dapaterson

Maj (retired) Walt Conrad, passed away a week ago.  He served 1949-1969, including deployments to Korea and Cyprus.  We met at Ottawa's Orpheus Musical Theatre Society in the early 2000s.  He was a gentleman, and a delightfully fun man, all around.









						Remembering the life of Walter CONRAD
					

Walter CONRAD passed away . This is the full obituary where you can express condolences and share memories. Published in the Ottawa Citizen on 2022-02-05.




					ottawacitizen.remembering.ca


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## Rick Goebel

BGen (Retd) Ovas Wagg, former Commanding Officer of the Calgary Highlanders and former Commander South Alberta Militia District and Prairie Militia Area has passed away.  More details are available Ovas Wagg Obituary.


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## FJAG

Rick Goebel said:


> BGen (Retd) Ovas Wagg, former Commanding Officer of the Calgary Highlanders and former Commander South Alberta Militia District and Prairie Militia Area has passed away.  More details are available Ovas Wagg Obituary.


I remember him. He commanded Mil Area Prairie while I was RSSO at 26th Fd Regt. Things ran fairly well in those days.

🍻


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## Rifleman62

A Gentleman


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## desindarfur

Major George Swan, CD
My friend George Swan passed on 25 Feb 2022. George was a reservist who served with the Lorne Scots, 11th Field RCA (he was infantry) and the RHFC. George wasn't a dynamic or charismatic leader, he didn't make anyone tremble in their boots. In civilian life he was a teacher and his leadership reflected the same careful planning he displayed in that role. He achieved his objectives, the troops were fed and got everyone home safely. And he managed to do that without making anyone hate him. George retired from the military in the early nineties. He was diagnosed with Lewy-Body Dementia in 2010 and I watched as that damned disease stole his mobility and his health but never his dignity. For the last few years I visited him every month. We'd watch old war movies and trade stories about our time in the Militia. I'll miss him.


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## MedCorps

desindarfur said:


> Major George Swan, CD
> My friend George Swan passed on 25 Feb 2022. George was a reservist who served with the Lorne Scots, 11th Field RCA (he was infantry) and the RHFC. George wasn't a dynamic or charismatic leader, he didn't make anyone tremble in their boots. In civilian life he was a teacher and his leadership reflected the same careful planning he displayed in that role. He achieved his objectives, the troops were fed and got everyone home safely. And he managed to do that without making anyone hate him. George retired from the military in the early nineties. He was diagnosed with Lewy-Body Dementia in 2010 and I watched as that damned disease stole his mobility and his health but never his dignity. For the last few years I visited him every month. We'd watch old war movies and trade stories about our time in the Militia. I'll miss him.



When was he in the HFofC?

MC


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## desindarfur

MedCorps said:


> When was he in the HFofC?
> 
> MC


1991-92 I think.


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## MilEME09

This is as good a place as any if anyone knew Edward Davidson, servrd in the RCN, he was unfortunately the victim of a random attack and was stabbed to death this past week.









						Police identify victim in Saturday's Inglewood homicide, say attack was random
					

Edward Brett Davidson, 39, was a navy veteran who had moved to Calgary in search of a new adventure, according to his family.




					calgaryherald.com


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## OldSolduer

RIP - my condolences 💐


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## dapaterson

Remembering CWO Chris LaSalle, ex Reg F, former RSM of 33 CER in Ottawa, who passed away yesterday after a long struggle with cancer.  His wife posted to his Facebook page:



> Farewell Chris
> Former RSM of 33CER passed at 15:10 this afternoon. I was with him all the time. The last two years have been really hard on him, but the last month was too much. He left us peacefully within a few hours telling me that he was ready to go.
> 
> Chris didn’t want any ceremonies of any sort. However, you can Celebrate his life as you see fit.
> 
> I am not on Facebook and I will not monitor this account.
> 
> Even if he was not a spiritual or religious person, he always kept 4CER Prayer in his wallet.
> 
> ALMIGHTY GOD. WE PRAY THEE TO BLESS THE CANADIAN MILITARY ENGINEERS. MAY OUR BRIDGES ALWAYS STAND AND OUR CHANCES NEVER FAIL. OUR MEN BE EVER LOYAL, AND OUR OFFICERS WORTHY OF THEIR LOYALTY. MAY WE WORK DILIGNETLY IN ALL OUR PURPOSES AND BE SKILLED IN OUR TRADES; GOOD SOLDIERS FOR QUEEN (KING) AND COUNTRY EVERYWHERE. AMEN
> 
> Farwell my beloved,
> Dominique


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