Legion Magazine 2015-01-02

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26. After reading Legion Magazine, have you ever Bought a product or service you saw advertised? No 1 Yes 2 Requested information about a product or service you saw advertised? No 1 Yes 2

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22. Do you use the following on a regular basis? Dietary supplements 1 Advil Vitamins 2 Tylenol Homeopathic remedies 3 Aspirin Prescription drugs 4 Orthopedics

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28. Reader comments:

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4 5 6

24. Which of the following places do you plan to travel to in the next two years? Caribbean/Mexico 1 Florida/Carolinas 7 Europe 2 California/Arizona 8 United Kingdom 3 Atlantic Canada 9 Australia/New Zealand 4 Quebec 10 Asia 5 Ontario 11 South America 6 Western Canada 12

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20. Would you like to see more information on living in a retirement community? No 1 Yes 2 21. What is your total annual household income before taxes? Under $20,000 1 $35,000 to $49,999 $20,000 to $24,999 2 $50,000 to $74,999 $25,000 to $34,999 3 $75,000 or more

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17. Is your principal residence Owned with mortgage 1 Owned mortgage-free 2

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25. What kind of travel are you interested in? RV/Camping Cruises Cultural and historical tours All-inclusive sun vacations Escorted tours in Europe or Asia Escorted tours in North America Winter-long getaways to a vacation home Motor coach and escorted tours Independent travel by car or train

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16. What is the approximate total population of the community or urban area where you live? Less than 50,000 people 1 250,000 to 500,000 50,000 to 100,000 2 500,000 to 1 million 100,000 to 250,000 3 More than 1 million

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THE NETHERLANDS Legion Magazine thanks you in advance! And nothing says thank you quite like a great vacation or a fistful of cash. Every three years, we ask you to tell us what you think about the magazine. Your answers help guide us as we work to improve your magazine and ensure we are serving your needs. The survey also helps us learn about a typical reader household so we can attract advertising, which is vital to the magazine’s economic success. Please take a few minutes to fill in the survey and send it in with your ballot. When you do, your name will be entered into a random draw for 10 prizes. The Grand Prize is a 10-day pilgrimage to Holland to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, courtesy of Verstraete Travel & Cruises. This marvellous opportunity includes round-trip airfare from Toronto, commemoration activities at Groesbeek and Holten Canadian war cemeteries, national Liberation Day festivities in Wageningen, ceremonies in Apeldoorn and much more. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the incredible gratitude the Dutch people have for their Canadian liberators should not be missed. The winner can choose to stay with a Dutch family or in a hotel. There are also three $150 cash prizes, three $100 cash prizes and three $50 cash prizes.

2015

Readership Survey To be eligible for the draw, you must be a Canadian resident, 19 years of age or older and your completed survey must be received at Legion Magazine by the close of business on Feb. 13, 2015. Send it by mail or fill in the survey online at www.legionmagazine.com/survey. No purchase is necessary and your individual survey response is confidential. One entry per reader. The number of entries received will determine the odds of winning. Salaried employees and officers of Canvet Publications Ltd. and Dominion Command of the RCL are not eligible, nor are members of their immediate family. The Grand Prize is non-transferable. There is no cash substitute for the Grand Prize. It has a retail value of more than $5,500. The person whose name is drawn for the Grand Prize will be required to correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question. All decisions of the judges are final. Remember to fill in your name and address in the form on page 99 to be entered in the draw. For full contest rules, write: Readership Survey Contest Rules, Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata ON K2L 0A1 And last, but very importantly, please consider allowing Legion Magazine the opportunity to include your comments in an upcoming article on the survey results. Prize winners will also be listed in that issue. Good luck and thank you! Jennifer Morse, General Manager Advertisement

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Readership Survey

ABOUT YOU

1. What is your level of interest in these subjects?

5. Are you?

Health Remembrance Pre-First World War First World War Second World War Modern Conflict

None 1 1 1 1 1 1

Low 2 2 2 2 2 2

Moderate High 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4

Legion member

2. What is your level of interest in these features?

War Art The Home Front Canadian Military History Army Navy Air Force Canadian Battle Honours Face-To-Face Posters/Maps/Inserts

None 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Low 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Moderate High 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4

None 1 1 1 1 1 1

Low 2 2 2 2 2 2

Non-member

7. Which age group are you in? Under 35 1 55–64 35–54 2 65 plus 1

Female

2 2b)

Retired

3 4 2

9. On average, how much time do you spend reading a copy of Legion Magazine? Less than 1 hour 1 3 to 4 hours 3 1 to 2 hours 2 4 hours or more 4 10. How many people besides yourself read your copy of Legion Magazine? 10 plus 1 2 3 4-6 7-9 plus 11. Do you have a computer with Internet access? No 1 Yes 2 12. Do you visit Legion Magazine online? 1 Yes 2 No

Moderate High 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 3

1

6. Have you served in the military? 1 Yes 2 (Serving 2a No

8. Are you? Male

Journal Eye On Defence Health File Humour Hunt Canada and The Cold War Letters

The province of Friesland offers a special program for her liberators and would like to hear from the veterans who participated there in April 1945. The Friesland Committee asks you to contact: Martin Boomsma Georgetown ON Tel 905 877 5843 Email: mhboomsma@ cogeco.ca

OUR 2015 READERSHIP SURVEY IS NOW AVAILABLE TO FILL OUT ONLINE. www.legionmagazine.com/survey

ABOUT US

3. What is your level of interest in these columns?

Friesland Invitation

Tour Host Family Stay Price $1295 – from Toronto

2015

4 4

13. Would you make purchases on the Legion Magazine website? No 1 Yes 2 14. Are you planning to purchase or lease a new vehicle in the next 12 months? Purchase No 1 Yes 2 Lease No 1 Yes 2 15. How often do you read these other publications?

4. What is your level of interest in these sections?

Official Travel Agent and Booking Office 14845 Yonge St. Suite 300, Aurora, Ontario L4G 6H8 • Tel: 416-969-8100 • Fax: 905-727-8113 • Toll Free: 1-800-565-9267 Ontario Registration 3367728 email: [email protected] Visit us at www.verstraetetravel.com

Honours and Awards Lost Trails/Unit Reunions/ Requests On This Date Snapshots News Section Travelling About Serving You

None 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Low 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Moderate High 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4

Reader’s Digest Good Times Zoomer/CARP News Canadian Geographic Canada’s History

Never Seldom Often Always 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Announcement - Battlefields of Europe Tour: Aug 17-28 with John Hetherington. Contact [email protected]

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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Trim: 7.5" (w) x 10.875" (h) Safety: 0.375” x 0.5” Bleed: 0.125”

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FEATURES

LEGIONMAGAZINE.COM

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WINTOATHETRIP

NETHERLANDS!

In the Dying Hours of War:

THE FATE of TWO BROTHERS

Take part in our 2015 Readership Survey for your chance to win. Turn to PAGE 97 for details.

By Don Gillmor

27

LINES FROM THE FRONT

Three Letters From Three Wars. By Janet Doleman

30

UNSHAKEN IN RESOLVE

Admiration And Gratitude At The National Remembrance Day Ceremony.

30

See our National War Memorial infographic on page 9.

By Ellen O’Connor

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CAPE BRETON REMEMBERS A Proud Day In Sydney, N.S. By Adam Day

35

IN

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FACE TO FACE

44

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Should The Canadian Government Have Sent Troops To Hong Kong? By Carl Vincent and J.L. Granatstein

38

WAR AFTER WAR

How Nations Are Dragged, Reluctantly, Into Dangerous Conflicts. By Adam Day

44

OPERATION KEEPSAKE: SHOWING HOW WE CARE

58 NEW MEMBER BENEFITS PACKAGE PARTNER

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Collecting Gifts Sent To Afghanistan. By Isabella Mindak

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IN

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BATTLE HONOURS OF THE CANADIAN FORCES

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Part 42: Italy—Landings In Italy By John Boileau JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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It was one of the largest Remembrance Day ceremonies in history as more than 50,000 Canadians gathered at the National War Memorial in Ottawa and thousands at local cenotaphs across Canada to remember all who have served or died for their country. Some of the day’s highlights included the Silver Cross Mother Gisèle Michaud (opposite page, bottom left) representing all mothers who have lost a child in the line of duty, the Princess Royal (Princess Anne) (bottom right) who visited Ottawa for two days as part of her royal tour and the rededication of the memorial (top middle) to add the dates of the South African War and Afghanistan Mission and the inscription “In Service to Canada.” See page 30. PHOTOGRAPHY BY METROPOLIS STUDIO; ELLEN O’CONNOR

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ON THIS

CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE

DATE

NAVY

Over The Side: The Courageous Boarding Of U-94

PAGE 6

By Marc Milner

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NEWS

15

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HEALTH FILE

ARMY

Nowhere To Hide: Chaos In The Ypres Salient

JOURNAL

By Ellen O’Connor

By Adam Day

By Terry Copp

60 Whitehorse Branch Keeps The Home Fires Burning

55

62 Carrying On In Dawson City

AIR FORCE

64 Kites Pay Tribute To Fallen Soldiers

Tiger In Waiting

65 Letter-Writing Campaign Launched By The Legion

By Hugh A. Halliday

66 Traditional Colours Restored To RCAF Uniforms 67 Serving You

DEPARTMENTS

68 Holten War Cemetery Trying To Put A Face To Every Name

65 75 90 91 91 91

69 Flowers And Notes Pay Tribute To Slain Soldiers 70 Princess Royal Unveils Plaque To First World War Recipients 71 Serving Veterans Close To The Base 72 Students Get A Hands-On Look At History 73 Ontario Command Supports New Homeless Veterans Project

8 10 12 18 92

74 Ottawa Bridge Honours Vimy VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

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SNAPSHOTS

SO

The Snapshots section is available online in the Community Section of legionmagazine.com.

ROSS MUNRO

ROSS MUNRO

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WINNER

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LEGION MAGAZINE’S

MEDIA AWARD

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STORYLINES EDITORIAL LETTERS EYE ON DEFENCE CANADA AND THE COLD WAR HUMOUR HUNT TRAVELLING ABOUT

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ANOTHER

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74 Walter Natynczyk Becomes Deputy Minister

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ON THIS

DATE

1 JANUARY 1916 Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden announces plan to increase the Canadian Expeditionary Force to 500,000 men.

JA N UA RY

5 JANUARY 1945

6 JANUARY 1900

7 JANUARY 1941

Flying Officer Norman Pearce of Portage la Prairie, Man., destroys six enemy vehicles while serving with No. 73 Squadron.

In South Africa, Boer forces attack the fortress at Ladysmith, but are driven back by British defenders.

A supplementary agreement to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan is signed between Canada and Great Britain, stating that 25 RCAF squadrons will be formed in the United Kingdom.

11 JANUARY 1815

10 JANUARY 1862 During a period of Anglo-American tension, the Victoria Rifles of Canada is organized as the 3rd Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles.

14 JANUARY 1942 The coastal region of British Columbia is defined as a “protected area.” A curfew is imposed for every person of Japanese race. The government later forcefully removes Japanese men from the protected area.

Sir John A. Macdonald is born. THE FACTS: BORN IN SCOTLAND; FIRST PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA; ONE OF CANADA’S FATHERS OF CONFEDERATION; DIED JUNE 6, 1891.

15 JANUARY 2006 A Canadian diplomat is killed and three Canadian soldiers are injured after a suicide bomber strikes a military convoy near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

20 JANUARY 2004

19 JANUARY 1942 The Canadian passenger ship Lady Hawkins is torpedoed as U-boats ravage unprotected shipping along the Atlantic coast.

Nearly 2,000 Canadian troops from CFB Valcartier, Que., head to Afghanistan to replace the Royal Canadian Regiment.

25 JANUARY 1945 The Battle of the Bulge ends.

24 JANUARY 1932 His Majesty’s Canadian ships Skeena and Vancouver land armed parties at Acajutla, El Salvador, to protect British nationals.

29 JANUARY 1856 Queen Victoria issues a warrant that establishes the Victoria Cross.

26 JANUARY 1980 Prime Minister Joe Clark vows Canada will boycott Summer Olympics in Moscow if Soviet troops are not out of Afghanistan by Feb. 20.

12 JANUARY 1944 In Italy, Allied troops launch their first attack on the German-held Gustav Line and positions on Monte Cassino.

16 JANUARY 1920 In Paris, the League of Nations Council meets for the first time.

21 JANUARY 1944 His Majesty’s Canadian Ship New Waterford is commissioned.

22 JANUARY 1944 Allies establish Anzio beachhead south of Rome. Canadian forces, meanwhile, face bitter opposition along the Adriatic coast.

27 JANUARY 1945 The concentration extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau is liberated. The liberation is now commemorated annually as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

31 JANUARY 1862 30 JANUARY 1991 At the Battle of Bubiyan, a CF-18 Hornet attacks and causes irreparable damage to an Iraqi warship.

The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada is organized as the 5th Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles.

PHOTOS & ILLUSTRATION: LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA; UNITED NATIONS MULTIMEDIA; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM; LEGION MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

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FIRST WORLD WAR

JANUARY

1914 –1918

1939–1945

SECOND WORLD WAR

2 JANUARY 1942

3 - 4 JANUARY 1951

Cabinet approves a $1-billion gift of war supplies from Canada to Britain.

In Korea, United Nations forces evacuate Seoul as it is captured for the second time by North Korean forces.

KOREAN WAR

1950 –1953

8 JANUARY 1916

9 JANUARY 1889

Allies complete the withdrawal of troops from Gallipoli.

The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge dislodges during a storm and collapses into the river.

13 JANUARY 1947 Britain’s Privy Council rules that Canada is within its rights to pass legislation making the Supreme Court the final court of appeal.

17 JANUARY 1888 Big Bear dies on Poundmaker Reserve following his release from prison the previous year.

23 JANUARY 1945 German Admiral Karl Dönitz launches Operation Hannibal, a naval operation to evacuate German troops and civilians.

28 JANUARY 1914 Nellie McClung and other suffragettes hold a mock parliament in Winnipeg to rally public support for women’s suffrage.

18 JANUARY 1915 The Canadian Expeditionary Force is reconstructed as infantry battalions are each converted from eight companies to four double companies.

February On This Date Events Visit our website legionmagazine.com The items will appear Feb. 1. Here’s a taste of what to expect.

22 FEBRUARY 1951 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry sustains the battalion’s first battle casualties during an attack on Hill 444 in Korea. Four men die, one is wounded.

HIVES

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Storylines Hello. This column follows a slightly more personal storyline—one that ends with a final word—followed by a full stop—marking my adieu from the best magazine in Canada. I’ve been with the magazine for 27 years, but can’t begin to tell you— in this short space—what that experience has meant. Enriching is the first word that comes to mind, but somehow it’s not enough. Readers like you have been a great part of the larger Legion Magazine storyline, and so it’s you I thank first for your faithful readership. You have complimented us many times and you have also taken us to task. We’ve listened and I know the magazine is better for it. I am very grateful for the veterans and Legionnaires I’ve come to know personally, especially during battlefield tours and other commemorative events. I will never forget how you shared often difficult emotional memories with care, patience and courage.

january/february 2015 The job has also given me the opportunity to travel with and witness members of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP in action. From Bosnia to Haiti to on board warships and into Canada’s Far North, I’ve seen how incredibly competent these men and women are—performing exceptionally well under trying and often dangerous circumstances. It’s also true that editors don’t work in isolation. I am, therefore, grateful to have worked with Canada’s top historians. Their contributions have truly raised the magazine’s banner of credibility. Finally, it is tough to leave the Legion Magazine team. From its editorial and art departments through to its front office and general manager, the magazine is truly blessed with excellent, hard-working professionals. So, the magazine’s storyline is strong and vibrant—good to know when it’s time to say goodbye. (Full stop) —Dan Black, Editor Advertisement

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Editorial & Advertising Policy

Opinions expressed are those of the writers. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, articles do not imply endorsement of any product or service. The advertisement of any product or service does not indicate approval by the publisher unless so stated.

Board of Directors

Chairman Dave Flannigan; Vice-Chairman Tom Eagles; Secretary Brad White; Directors Mark Barham, Jack Frost, Tom Irvine, Gordon Moore, André Paquette and Ed Pigeau.

Staff

General Manager: Jennifer Morse Editor: Dan Black News Editor: Tom MacGregor Staff Writers: Sharon Adams, Adam Day, Ellen O’Connor (term) Art Director, Production & Circulation Manager: Jason Duprau Designers: Dyann Bernard, Sophie Jalbert, Jennifer McGill Administration: Doris Williams Researcher/Administrative Assistant: Stephanie Slegtenhorst

Subscription Rates

The Royal Canadian Legion

Best Western International Exclusive hotel rates for Legion members TOLL FREE: 1-800-Western (ask for rate code 01497850) www.bestwestern.com/legion Starkey Hearing Technologies Canada Receive up to 25% off our hearing aids TOLL FREE: 1-800-387-9353 www.StarkeyCanada.ca Carlson Wagonlit Travel Special Vacation Club offers for Legion Members TOLL FREE: 1-800-CARLSON (227-5766) www.cwtvacationclub.ca/ legion

Vol. 90, No. 1 January/February 2015 www.legionmagazine.com Legion Magazine is published by Canvet Publications Ltd., ISSN 1209-4331. Member of CCAB, a division of BPA International. Printed in Canada. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063864 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO LEGION MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT 86 AIRD PLACE, KANATA, ON K2L 0A1 email: [email protected] Published six times per year, January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December. Copyright Canvet Publications Ltd. 2015. Reproduction or recreation, in whole or in part, in any form or media, is strictly forbidden and is a violation of copyright. Reprint only with written per­mission. Recommended by The Royal Canadian Legion.

Legion Magazine is $9.96 per year ($19.93 for two years and $29.89 for three years); prices include GST. For addresses in BC, a subscription is $10.63 per year ($21.26 for two years and $31.89 for three years). For addresses in NS, a subscription is $10.91 for one year ($21.83 for two years and $32.74 for three years). For addresses in ON, NB and NF, a subscription is $10.72 for one year ($21.45 for two years and $32.17 for three years). To purchase a magazine subscription visit www.legionmagazine.com or contact Legion Magazine Subscription Dept., 86 Aird Place, Kanata, ON K2L 0A1. The single copy price is $5.95 plus applicable taxes, shipping and handling.

Changes of Address

Send new address and current address label. Or, new address and old address, plus all letters and numbers from top line of address label. If label unavailable, enclose member or subscription number. No change can be made without this number. Send to: Legion Magazine Subscription Department, 86 Aird Place, Kanata, ON K2L 0A1. Allow eight weeks. Or visit www.legionmagazine.com.

U.S. Postmasters’ Information

United States: Legion Magazine, USPS 000-117, ISSN 1209-4331, published six times per year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December). Published by Canvet Publications, 866 Humboldt Pkwy., Buffalo, NY 14211-1218. Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, NY. The annual subscription rate is $9.49 Cdn. The single copy price is $5.95 Cdn. plus shipping and handling. Circulation records are maintained at Adrienne and Associates, 866 Humboldt Pkwy., Buffalo, NY 14211-1218. U.S. Postmasters send covers only and address changes to Legion Magazine, PO Box 55, Niagara Falls, NY 14304. We acknowledge the financial support of the Govern­ment of Canada, through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. On occasion, we make our direct subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose product or services we would feel would be of interest to our subscribers. If you would rather not receive such offers, please state this request, along with your full name and address, and email us at [email protected] or write to us at 86 Aird Place, Kanata ON K2L 0A1 or call us at 613-591-0116.

2014-11-27 11:25 AM

NEWST H E

N A T IO N A L WA R M E MOR I A L UNVEILED

May 21, 1939, by King George VI, before a crowd of 100,000.

The National War Memorial in Ottawa is known as THE RESPONSE. The remains of a First World War soldier were repatriated from France in May 2000 and buried in a tomb at the foot of the National War Memorial.

THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

Three of the four BRONZE CORNER PIECES on the tomb are decorated with replicas of the MEMORIAL CROSS (the Silver Cross), which is presented to families of those who die in service at war or while peacekeeping. Each cross carries a different cipher of either King George V, King George VI or Queen Elizabeth II. A POPPY is replicated on the fourth corner piece, representing those who fall in future conflicts.

honours more than 118,000 Canadians who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace and freedom.

The 22 figures represent infantrymen, machine gunners, artillerymen, sailors, pilots, air mechanics, cavalrymen, railway troopers, sappers, foresters, service corpsmen, dispatch riders, signalmen, stretcher-bearers and nursing sisters. There are also two horses and a field artillery piece.

‘‘

FAST FACTS $1.5 MILLION — Cost in 1939 (equivalent to 21.34 M — Height from about $25.6 million today) grade level 32 — Tonnes of bronze used 8.08 M — Width at lowest step

‘‘

PHOTOS: METROPOLIS STUDIO; LEGION MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

LARGER-THAN-LIFE FIGURES were modelled in clay, cast in plaster and finally made into bronze in a foundry by designer and sculptor Vernon March’s six brothers and his sister after his death in 1930.

503 — Tonnes of granite used in memorial 7 — Varieties of granite used in terraces and walkways

As your King I unveil today in your capital city the noble memorial to Canada’s courage and sacrifice in the Great War. The memorial speaks to the world of Canada’s heart. The symbolism has been beautifully adapted to this great end. It has been well-named The Response. It has a message for all generations and all countries, the message which called forth Canada’s response. It is not by chance that the crowning figures Peace and Freedom appear side by side. Peace and freedom cannot long be separated. It is well that we have in one of the world’s capitals a visible reminder of so great a truth, for without freedom there can be no enduring peace, and without peace, no enduring freedom. GEORGE VI’S REMARKS FROM THE 1939 UNVEILING, CAPTURED IN A DOCUMENTARY PRODUCED BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT MOTION PICTURE BUREAU

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VIEWS EDITORIAL

january | february 2015

With Silent, Steadfast Resolve And there they were—front and centre at ceremonies Wherever they gathered on Remembrance Day 2014, across Canada—young veterans and veterans in their Canadians shared a heightened sense of resolve that 80s and 90s placing wreaths or looking on with again galvanized their will to never forget those who memory-filled eyes, remembering moments that have died in the service of Canada. have never left them and never will. The horrific events in Ottawa and Saint-Jean-surBut on their faces—and on the faces of ordinary Richelieu, Que.,—just a few weeks before November 11th— Canadians who were quick to express their gratitude— led to a surge of expression that swelled around war was also a silent, steadfast resolve; a memorial in itself memorials and cenotaphs in small towns and big cities. that presented a united front—a sentiment hard as There was anger and sadness, but overtaking that was a granite that gripped the entire nation this year, even tremendous amount of gratitude for Canadians who have during the days leading up to Remembrance Day served their country—expressed in a day that became when The Royal Canadian Legion distributed nearly more personal for a lot more people, even though many 19 million poppies. already have very compelling reasons to remember relaSo where do we go from here? tives and friends who served and died in war. Words can say a lot about how people view remembrance, but it was the expressions on And there they were—front and centre at the faces of those who attended that spoke loudest about how we—as Canadians—feel ceremonies across Canada—young veterans about the 1.5 million soldiers who have and veterans in their 80s and 90s placing served throughout our nation’s history. wreaths or looking on with memory-filled Clutching homemade signs that read ‘Thank You’ and embracing portraits of loved ones, eyes, remembering moments that have people of all ages followed their hearts to never left them and never will. remember the nearly 118,000 who left home and family never to return. Seventy-five years after it was unveiled, the National In Ottawa, more than 50,000 filled the streets in and War Memorial has been rededicated with words from around the National War Memorial. For many, it did Governor General David Johnston that remind us of who not matter if they had a front-row view of the national we are and what we must continue to do. “And now here Remembrance Day ceremony. What mattered—there we stand, and here we shall remain: unshaken in resolve; and elsewhere across the land—was being present to grateful in remembrance of those who have sacrificed; remember—to be part of the deeply felt and abiding rerededicated, like this memorial, to our eternal duty: spect Canadians have for those who would put thempeace and freedom—the very soul of our nation.” selves in harm’s way.

rest easy Best Western International has joined The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) Member Benefits Package (MBP). The hotel chain is offering exclusive benefits to Legion members and their families and is contributing to the programs of the RCL. Best Western has been in business for 68 years and has some 2,200 hotels in Canada and the United States. Legionnaires will receive 10 percent off the best available rates, as well as enrolment in Best Western Service Rewards®, the award-winning loyalty program for veterans, in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. Best Western will also donate 10 per cent of all accumulated points to military charities, including the Legion. Members should call 1-800-WESTERN (937-8376) and quote ID number

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01497850 to take advantage of the offers. See page 5 for more information on these services or visit the newest RCL MBP partner at www.bestwestern.com/legion. The MBP offers discounts on satellite TV, specially designed travel insurance packages, home care services, funerals, complimentary access to airport lounges and airline seat selections, donations to Legion sports, and more. The other 11 MBP partners are Shaw Direct, Starkey Hearing Technologies Canada, Corby Spirit and Wine Limited, Medipac Travel Insurance, Home Hardware, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Philips Lifeline Canada, We Care Home Health Services, Premier Care in Bathing, Arbor Memorial Services Inc., and MBNA Canada Bank. These savings, discounts and special offers can pay for Legion membership many times over and are one more way to attract new members to the RCL.

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2014-12-02 3:22 PM

VIEWS

letters

WHO OWNS THE MEDALS? I MUST RESPOND to the debate on the selling of military medals (Face To Face, November/December). The simple question is: Who owns the medals? During my service with both the United Kingdom and Canadian Armed Forces, I have been awarded several medals for services. These medals were not given to me on a lend-lease agreement. I signed no contract to say that if I no longer want them that ownership of the medals will revoke back to the government who awarded them, or to some civil servant who has never heard a shot fired in anger. The medals I have received from the U.K. and Canadian governments were given to me to be my personal possessions. When I no longer have a need for them it is my right to sell them if I so wish and no bureaucrat should tell me that I can’t. Like thousands of others, I was willing to place my life on the line to protect that kind of freedom. REG COULDRIDGE, KESWICK, ONT.

POLITICIANS WITH MEDALS I WAS QUITE UPSET last year when a local lady was told she could not

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wear her late husband’s medals on Remembrance Day because it was against the law. I was even more upset to see our local member of Parliament sit on the stage with other invited guests, wearing three medals. They were the 125th Anniversary Medal of Canada plus the Queen Elizabeth II Gold and Diamond Jubilee commemorative medals. I have seen Minister [Julian] Fantino wearing similar medals. It is as though these politicians are trying to blend in with the men and women who have and are serving this great nation. It gives the wrong impression to many of the public attending these ceremonies. Please understand I have no problem with a veteran who has become a politician wearing medals, just the politicians who have never served wearing a chest full of medals. BEN RODGERS, EBENEZER, P.E.I.

ORDERING NEW AIRCRAFT IT BAFFLES ME that 18 Aurora air-

craft were purchased in the 1980s and the plans are to reduce the fleet to 10 aircraft (Eye On Defence, November/December). What happened to the other eight planes? Are they scrapped, crashed, unable to fly or just being used as parts for the remaining aircraft? Has anyone done the math to figure out that at any given time all 10 aircraft may not be in any condition to fly? Some will be in different states of inspection, in need of minor repairs or there may not be enough airmen to fly the plane. Can we not add our

COMMENTS CAN BE SENT TO: Letters, Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata, ON K2L 0A1 or e-mailed to [email protected] needs to another country’s order of new planes to try to reduce the cost? It’s tiring to be saying the same thing over again. Who is listening? ROGER MAGARIAN, REVELSTOKE, B.C.

THIS GOVERNMENT NO DIFFERENT MY DAD WAS WOUNDED three times

in the First World War. His health was never very good and he lost his farm he had under the Veterans Land Administration. During my entire childhood, we existed on the verge of starvation and he never received anything from the government until he got a pittance of a “burnt out” pension in his later life. I have been an associate member in the Legion for a long time and have contributed to the poppy fund. To put the blame for the lack of money for veterans on the present government is irresponsible. Canadians have never been overly anxious to support the military and/or veterans. You talk about closing veterans offices (Fantino Under Pressure, November/December). This is where a lot of waste lies as it does in all other government departments. Rather than a lot of useless offices, can our bright sparks not have a nationwide teleconferencing system to keep veterans in touch? BOB YOUNG, ALLISTON, ONT.

PERSPECTIVE ON THE ATOMIC BOMB FOR MANY YEARS now a bunch of the members have met at the branch. We were looking at the article on the atomic bomb being dropped (Face To Face, September/ October). George, sitting next to me, remarked, “Had the bomb not been used, only one quarter of us would be sitting around the table.” MIKE CUMMINGS, UXBRIDGE, ONT.

LEGION MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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?

A QUESTION FOR OUR READERS

OUR READERS RESPOND

The Royal Canadian Air Force is getting a new uniform which will pay tribute to its heritage (see page 66). Do you think this is a good move?

In November/December we asked our readers if Canada had an adequate navy.

COMMENTS CAN BE SENT TO:

CANADA IS A THREE-OCEAN country

with a bathtub navy. Aging destroyers, aging supply ships, aging polar icebreaker, aging Aurora surveillance aircraft, aging CF-18s. Nobody seems to care. Some never learn the lessons history teaches us. Pathetic.

LETTERS, Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata, ON K2L 0A1 or e-mailed to [email protected]

CORRECTIONS: A photo caption on page 70 (November/December) should have identified Clarence King’s rank as Commander, not Lieutenant-Commander. A letter in our November/December issue incorrectly identified the piper playing aboard ship on D-Day. The piper was Lieutenant Leslie Herbert Browne of the Royal Canadian Engineers. We regret the errors.

WAYNE GARFIELD, LINDSAY, ONT. Advertisement

I SERVED ON BOARD HMCS PROTECTEUR in 1999-2000 when it

Underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company.

deployed to East Timor. At that time the ship was 30 years old and already beyond its life expectancy. Through the tremendous efforts of its crew, it was able to perform all the tasks requested of it but it was a monumental effort that frequently left it vulnerable. The lack of reliable air support was only one of its many weaknesses. Here it is 15 years later and the government procurement system is still just slogging along without the promised replacement ships. Had it not been for the engine room fire last year, Protecteur would still be working, 20 years beyond its expected life. Should Canada be called upon to react to a significant threat, we will be sorely equipped and manned. Not that we don’t have dedicated and well-trained sailors; we don’t have enough and they don’t have the tools to perform adequately in a modern war scenario. TERRY GROVES, DUNCAN, B.C.

FOR A COUNTRY OF ITS SIZE, Canada’s fleet needs to consist of a minimum of 12 frigates, four larger combat vessels and at least six submarines. The replacements for the Tribalclass destroyers should have been identified several years ago. Canada, unfortunately, seems to lurch from one obsolescence crisis to another with seemingly little planning. That this should be the case is due to almost criminal negligence on the part of successive governments.

LUCK ISN’T ENOUGH.

DAVID BUCK, UPPER HUTT, NEW ZEALAND

Visit medipac.com or call 1-888-MEDIPAC.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE 2014EB Medipac ad Legion island.indd 2

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2014-12-02 3:23 PM

VIEWS

health file

BY ELLEN O’CONNOR

ADVANCES IN BATTLEFIELD MEDICINE

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Wounded Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan await helicopter evacuation.

to aid in surgical removal. The company announced on April 7, 2014, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved XStat. According to the RevMedx website, XStat will be available for use on the battlefield this year. Another applicator device was developed last fall by undergraduates at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., for the same purpose of curbing blood loss while a wounded soldier is transported to medical care, but rather than sponge, it uses polyurethane foam. The prototype device, invented by eight biomedical engineering students for a class project, is the size of a whiteboard marker and holds two liquid chemicals, a polyol and a diisocyanate, that are stored in separate canisters within the device. When injected, the chemicals mix together and create a foam that expands, hardens and applies pressure to the wound cavity to stop bleeding. The students’ project was supervised by two surgeons at All Children’s Hospital, a Johns Hopkins Medicine facility in St. Petersburg,

Fla. Supporting surgeon and veteran Paul D. Danielson said that the device is expected to be “a viable solution to a problem that’s been plaguing us on the battlefield.” While in development, doctors and engineers are working to ensure there is enough foam to effectively fill a wound and harden quickly, as well as address questions about the ease of removing the foam during surgery and if there would be any residual damage to body tissues. The “platinum ten” represents a ten-minute window of time that medical personnel have to assess the situation, administer treatment and then transport the injured to ensure there is minimal blood loss—and maximum survival. “The fate of the wounded lays with those who apply the first dressing,” wrote Colonel Nicholas Senn (1844-1908), surgeon and founder of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. Inspired by those words, today’s researchers keep striving to develop lightweight and quickly administered medical tools, knowing their success will be measured in lives saved on the battlefield.

PHOTO: CPL. ROBIN MUGRIDGE

FIRST-AID METHODS for saving wounded soldiers have evolved considerably over the centuries, from treating burns with hog’s lard during the American Revolutionary War, the use of ether and chloroform as an anaesthetic during the Crimean War, advancements in amputation during the First World War, and the establishment of fully equipped, mobile field hospitals in the Second World War. Today, control of blood loss is the top priority for military medics and researchers as hemorrhaging continues to be the leading cause of death in war. Soldiers and fully trained medics are now more knowledgeable, and far better equipped, with safer tourniquets and blood-clotting bandages. But the evolution of medicine hasn’t stopped there. Household items like sponges, typically used to clean dishes or scrub the bathtub, and polyurethane foam found in bedding, furniture and insulation are now being developed for the battlefield. Oregon-based company RevMedx Inc. has developed a hemostatic device called XStat, intended to control bleeding from junctional wounds in the groin or armpit, areas that aren’t protected by body armour and cannot be treated with a tourniquet or manual compression. The syringe-like applicator injects small sponges into the wound that rapidly expand and swell to fill the cavity within 20 seconds of contact with blood. The sponges provide internal pressure to prevent hemorrhaging and can be used for up to four hours until the wounded soldier can be transported to receive surgical care. The sponges contain an X-ray detectable marker LEGION MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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VIEWS

journal

BY ADAM DAY

PHOTO: CANADIAN FORCES COMBAT CAMERA

A CF-18 prepares to take off from Kuwait for a night mission over Iraq.

While certainly the big news

in Canadian military affairs concerns the extraordinary fact that Canada is back at war and has begun bombing Islamic militants in Iraq, there is in truth not a great deal known about the mission, as yet. We know it will continue until at least March, and we know there are CF-18s flying out of Kuwait to bomb Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) targets in Iraq, but we don’t know much else, such as: is there a strategy for the war beyond “degrading and destroying” the militants? How likely is it that Iraqi forces will ever be able to recapture ISIS-held territory? Are we committed to restoring the border between Iraq and Syria? If so, at what cost? However, some things are known. For example, a couple of bases—one in northern Iraq and one in Kuwait—have recently been named in honour of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo, the two Canadian soldiers killed by ISIS-inspired fanatics in October. According to the Canadian Armed

Forces (CAF), “one of the locations of Air Task Force—Iraq has been named Camp Vincent,” while an “operations base of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command in Iraq is now called Patrol Base Cirillo.” Interestingly, the naming of Patrol Base Cirillo may provide some hints as to the activities of the Special Operations Task Force in Iraq. While very little is known, the mission was originally publicized as a behind-the-wire training effort focused on Kurdish forces, but if the CAF base-naming conventions established during the Afghan war hold true today, then it could be surmised that a patrol base is a pretty active place. “The tragic deaths of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo have saddened all those who wear the uniform,” said Lieutenant-General Jonathan Vance, commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command. “The naming of Patrol Base Cirillo and Camp Vincent will allow personnel deployed to those areas—as well as allies who visit the installations—to mark the passing of

two proud Canadians and all those who died in the service of their country on home soil.”

Tragic Accident

Meanwhile—and not to be overlooked—the death of another Canadian soldier occurred on home soil in an unfortunate accident at 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre in Wainwright, Alta. Private Steven Allen was killed in early November when the “training structure” he was inside collapsed. Initial reports are that it was a kind of makeshift guard tower. Allen was just 20 and had been in the forces for just over a year. He was working on the last of his qualifications to become an infantry soldier. “We are heartbroken and have many unanswered questions about how this accident occurred,” said Allen’s family in a statement. “The military life was what Steven wanted since he was a young man and he was fulfilling this dream in the short time he had with the Canadian Armed Forces. Steven was following his dreams and, despite many obstacles, he never gave up. He wanted to serve his country and was january/february 2015 LEgion MagazinE

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so happy to be part of the military.” In an almost unbelievable footnote to this story while the funeral procession carrying Allen on Remembrance Day in Victoria was watched by police, a 20-year military veteran taking part in the convoy was given a $230 ticket for having an obstructed licence plate. The Victoria police quickly issued a statement: “We recognize that this report of a ticket being issued to fellow community members volunteering their time to see a compatriot home is regrettable. This is especially true on a day when many members of our community, including many Victoria Police officers, were paying our own respects to the fallen.”

PHOTOS: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

WinniPeg grenadierS identiFied

Keeping with the theme of remembrance and the fallen, some good news has arrived concerning the remains of eight Canadian soldiers discovered in 2006 and 2007 in the village of Hallu, France. While determining the identity of the fallen soldiers has taken some time—and is indeed not yet complete—the names of five of the soldiers have been determined through a combination of genetic testing and other historical and anthropological research methods. The five recently identified men are: Lieutenant Clifford Abraham Neelands, 26, who was born in Barrie, Ont., and residing in Winnipeg when he enlisted; Lance Sergeant John Oscar Lindell, 33, who was born in Virestad Parish, Kronoberg, Sweden, and residing in Winnipeg when he enlisted; Private Lachlan McKinnon, 29, who was born in Campbeltown, Argyllshire, Scotland

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Private William Simms’ identification tag was discovered near Hallu, France.

and residing in Manitoba when he enlisted; Private William Simms, 25, who was born in Russell, Man.; and Private Sidney Halliday, 22, who was born in England and residing in Minto, Man., when he enlisted. “We will never forget the sacrifice of those who came before us,” said Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse, commander of the Canadian Army. “As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War, it is extremely poignant to both reflect on this century of history and be able to identify and lay to rest these soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.” All five men were members of the Winnipeg Grenadiers. They died during the battle of Amiens in August 1918 when the 78th Battalion received orders to capture the small village of Hallu, located in the Somme region of France. The official report reads: “Although the advance towards Hallu started smoothly, enemy pressure increased steadily. During the evening of Aug. 10 and again on Aug. 11, the 78th Battalion was directly attacked by enemy fire, suffering over 46 fatalities and 54 missing, of whom 35 remained ‘missing’ with no known grave prior to this identification. The battle to capture Hallu was lost.” The announcement that the five had been identified was made in Winnipeg in honour of their service in the Winnipeg Grenadiers. While the other three soldiers found have yet to be identified, it’s believed they were also Grenadiers. Above: the locket given to Private Sidney Halliday by his sweetheart.

“The identification of these First World War soldiers is a meaningful demonstration that the sacrifice they made for Canada will not be forgotten,” said Minister of Defence Rob Nicholson. “In remembering these fallen soldiers who served such a valuable role in our history and in our wartime commitment, we reflect upon both the freedom they fought to preserve, and our appreciation for the present-day sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen who are continuing this proud tradition.” In total, more than 26,000 members of Canada’s army, air force and navy who died in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War have no known grave. The final resting place for these most recently identified Grenadiers has yet to be determined.

Member Benefits Package Changes Effective Jan. 1, 2015, Dell Canada and Ancestry.ca are no longer partners in The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) Member Benefits Package (MBP). Any member who purchases products from these organizations will no longer receive the RCL MBP discounts from them. The discounts Legion members and their immediate families are eligible for are substantial and available from the 12 partners that make up the MBP. These savings can be found with Best Western International, Shaw Direct, Starkey Hearing Technologies Canada, Corby Spirit and Wine Limited, Medipac Travel Insurance, Home Hardware, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Philips Lifeline Canada, We Care Home Health Services, Premier Care in Bathing, Arbor Memorial Services Inc., and MBNA Canada Bank. Please see the listing on page 8. For more information on the benefits these businesses offer, please go to www.legionmagazine. com/en/member-benefits-package.

LEgion MagazinE january/february 2015

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eye on defence

Canada is at war again, a real shooting war, having dispatched six CF-18s and two spares, two Auroras and a tanker to the Middle East to help a United States-led “coalition of the willing” to contain, degrade and ultimately destroy the Islamic State, in the words of U.S. President Barack Obama. With over 600 maintenance personnel, aircrew and controllers the Canadian effort was launched after significant U.S. and allied pressure to help deal with the most murderous Islamic faction to emerge in the area in modern times. Canada’s contribution to the air campaign is in keeping with a practice initiated 24 years ago in 1991 by then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney who sent Canadian fighter jets—some of which may even be part of today’s attack force—to help the U.S. and other nations expel Iraq from Kuwait. Canadian ships and ground personnel accompanied the small expeditionary force, but the jets were the sharp end of the stick. It was jets again in 1999 when Prime Minister Jean Chretien joined North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces to stop atrocities and ethnic cleansing of Muslim Kosovars by Serbs. And it was jets yet a third time in 2011 when Canada joined other nations in a campaign ostensibly aimed at stopping the imminent slaughter of civilians in eastern Libya during

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BY david j. bercuson

Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets taxi to the runway in Kuwait in support of combat missions over Iraq in November.

the civil war that ultimately sent Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi packing and then killed him. Canada is involved in the current campaign to once again stop the slaughter of innocents. It is difficult to find a consistent pattern in four events spread out over 24 years, especially because no Canadian jets were sent to Afghanistan even though Canadian ground troops fought there for close to 10 years. But one observation that most certainly can be made is that Canada’s small air force has played, and will continue to play, a useful role as an instrument of Canadian diplomacy. It is an inescapable fact of history that it is sometimes necessary to use violence to end violence. In this case attacks from the air will certainly not defeat the Islamic State, but may contain it and undermine its ability to maintain supply lines, to organize military campaigns and, when used tactically, to help the local population defend themselves against the Islamic State’s murderous embrace. That is about

all we can do because no one in this country wants to send troops to Iraq and if the locals don’t want to be forced by the Islamic State to return to the Dark Ages, then it is ultimately their fight anyway. But this brings us once again to the question of how much longer the Royal Canadian Air Force can continue to fly the CF-18 and what will eventually be its replacement. One press report published in late September quoted leaked documents that showed the government is seriously considering yet another upgrade of the remaining fleet to keep the jets flying past 2020 when the government has already spent some $2.6 billion dollars to keep the planes flying until 2020. A lengthy review of the entire question of what course should be selected to maintain a Canadian fighter capability was completed early this year but has not been released. Will it be released prior to the fall election? To add to the confusion, as this column was written, a new

PHOTO: CANADIAN FORCES COMBAT CAMERA

VIEWS

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report leaked from Washington claims that the government has decided to take four of the F-35s currently in production in the United States off the assembly line so that Canadian pilots and ground crews can begin to work with the new aircraft in 2015. However, this has been denied by senior officials in Ottawa. An already confusing project is becoming even more so and more than any other major procurement project the government is dealing with these days. Here is a perfect example of a procurement project that ought to have been completed four years ago but for an opposition using every flaw in a very complex development and production process to denounce the airplane, civilian

“experts” claiming the plane would never perform up to requirements or needed another engine, and a government suddenly grown excessively timid about virtually any major defence purchase whenever challenged by the press. These groups are looking at Canada’s purchase of 65 aircraft through a straw and ignoring the hard fact that the U.S. and other countries will buy more than 2,000 of these planes. Why will they? Because there is simply no other choice at the moment. China is already catching up to “fifth-generation” fighter technology and Russia will not be far behind. The longer this nonsense continues, the less chance that anything good will come of it. Remember the Sea King? Advertisement

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FEATURES

In the Dying Hours of War:

THE FATE of TWO BROTHERS PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA003286

BY DON GILLMOR

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n mid-October 1918, my grandfather, Donald Mainland, was near Maurois, France, with the Fort Garry Horse. A welterweight—150 pounds, five feet six inches, with sandy hair and grey eyes, Donald was older than some of the men in the trenches. His 25th birthday had just passed without notice. Fifty kilometres away, Donald’s twin brother Tommy was recovering from his second mustard gas attack. He had been overseas since September 1916, first with the 101st Battalion, then transferring to the 24th Victoria Rifles. In October, his unit was in France, heading toward the town of Aniche, north of Cambrai. Tommy was recovering quickly from the second gas attack just as he had from the first, and he felt the guilty relief of the natural survivor. He had been the first of the two boys to enlist, in December 1915. Donald followed in June 1917. They were born in Sutherlandshire, in the north of

Scotland, a part of the world with a long tradition of fighting—often among themselves if they couldn’t find a suitable enemy. They’d come to Winnipeg as boys and integrated easily into a culture that had a heavy Scots influence. They were both fine athletes, playing baseball in the Winnipeg baseball league, and soccer for Fort Rouge. In the winter they played hockey. Both boys worked for their father’s construction company where Donald learned his trade of bricklayer. Peter Mainland had been born in Shetland, and had inherited the largest farm on the island. A two-line entry in the local archives sums up his career as a farmer. “About this time the Grand Hotel was built in Lerwick and put in the first Billiard table to come to

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WAR WASN’T THE ROMANTIC ENTERPRISE THEY HAD IMAGINED, BUT IN THE AUTUMN OF 1918 THEY WERE OPTIMISTIC; IT COULD END ANY DAY.

Top: Canadian soldiers pick their way through the destroyed streets of Cambrai, France, October 1918. Opposite page: Private Donald Mainland enlisted in June 1917. This photo appeared on a postcard dated Sept. 27, 1918. Above: A squadron of the Fort Garry Horse passes a village, February 1918. thousands of soldiers on both sides, including one of the Mainland twins. My grandfather spent his first few months of the war digging trenches near Main Street, in Winnipeg. He finally shipped out to England in February 1918, and by March he was in France. On March 23, Donald’s unit took up a position between Le Four Croix and the Faillouel-Villequier-Aumont Road. It was his first taste of trench warfare: rats, lice, disease and the percussive orchestra of shells; the shock every new recruit felt. On Aug. 10, during the Battle of Amiens, the Garrys were advancing up the Roye Road, heading for Hill 100. The cavalry couldn’t expand into the fields, which were blocked by trenches and barbed wire. So they galloped up the dusty road in a straight orderly line,

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PHOTOS: COURTESY DON GILLMOR; DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA002493

Shetland. Peter spent his time playing billiards and drinking whisky and after a time became bankrupt.” After this public ruin, Peter immigrated to Winnipeg where he started building houses. In 1907, when business was slow, he cut a few corners and was arrested for “Obtaining Goods Under False Pretences” and served three months in jail. When asked about the whereabouts of their father, the boys were told to say, “He went off to college.” After the war started, business was slow once more. Goaded by their connection to Great Britain and by the lack of work in Winnipeg, the twins decided to enlist for overseas service. Perhaps they viewed it as redemptive, a way to get out of their father’s dark shadow, but maybe they just wanted to put some distance between them. War wasn’t the romantic enterprise they had imagined, but in the autumn of 1918 they were optimistic; it could end any day. Kaiser Wilhelm II had already been informed by the German Supreme Army Command that there was no hope of victory, though neither of the Mainland boys could have known this. On Oct. 4, the German government had sent a note to American President Woodrow Wilson suggesting the possibility of an armistice. Even the hawkish General Erich Ludendorff declared the war had been lost (though he would later reverse this position). A peace was slowly building, though it came too late for

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perfect targets. All of C Squadron was cut down by machine-gun fire as they rode along the road. Within minutes, horses and men littered the ground. The last rider died some 100 metres from the objective. After that catastrophe, the Garrys weren’t in action until Oct. 9, when they advanced on Gattigny Wood, south of Cambrai. That was the same day the Canadian Corps captured the well-known city. The Garrys, who were part of the Canadian Cavalry Bde. with General Henry Rawlinson’s Fourth Army, were supporting the advance to the Selle River. Allied pressure had, by then, forced the enemy to withdraw to the Hermann Line which in that area—opposite the Third and Fourth armies—ran from Valenciennes south to the village of Le Cateau. While retreating, the Germans left a series of rearguards which provided lethal resistance. On Oct. 9 the plan was to move forward astride the old Roman road which ran from the village of Maretz to Bavay. Sixth Cavalry Bde. would attack along the

right side of the road while the Canadian Cavalry Bde. would advance along the left side. Leading the Canadian attack, with four machine guns and a battery of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, was my grandfather’s battalion. Gattigny Wood, which sat directly in front of the Canadians, was still in enemy hands. The German machine guns on the right flank were the responsibility of one squadron of the Fort Garrys which steadily advanced and drove the enemy back. The left side of the wood was attacked by another squadron which charged and killed the Germans with their swords in close combat. Meanwhile, a charge over open ground by the Lord Strathcona’s Horse protected the left flank of the Garry’s attack and cleared out the enemy near the town of Clary.

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PHOTOS: COURTESY DON GILLMOR; DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA003016

PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA040183

HE LAY ON THE FIELD, BLEEDING, UNABLE TO MOVE. MACHINE-GUN FIRE CONTINUED ABOVE HIM. AROUND HIM, THE CRISP FRENCH AUTUMN LINGERED, THE PERFECT SEASON. THE END OF THE WAR WAS AT HAND—EVERYONE SAID SO.

PHOTOS: COURTESY DON GILLMOR; DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA003016

Some 200 prisoners, a 5.9-inch howitzer and roughly 40 machine guns were captured. The commander of the British Cavalry Corps described it as “the best cavalry action carried out by any cavalry unit on any front during the war.” Though by this late point in the war, what defined a successful cavalry attack was a relative term. This last bloody demonstration of 19th-century warfare came at a point when almost a million horses and hundreds of thousands of cavalrymen had been lost. The Garrys were able to advance up the road and capture the village of Maurois, even before orders were relayed to capture it. The Germans, however, still had a lot of fight left in them. There were desertions and doubt, but there were also pockets of fierce resistance. On Oct. 15—the day the Allied advance had forced the German Fourth Army back across the Lys River—my grandfather was scrambling for cover. He was hit by two bullets, one in his right thigh, and the other on the left side of his chest, near his heart. He lay on the field, bleeding, unable to move. Machinegun fire continued above him. Around him, the crisp French autumn lingered, the perfect season. The end of the war was at hand—everyone said so. They would be home by winter. Fifty kilometres away, his twin brother, Tommy, was moving toward Aniche with the Victoria Rifles. During his first month in the military, he forfeited a

From left: Troops are deployed within 1,000 yards of the enemy during the Battle of Amiens in France, August 1918; Private Donald Mainland (at bottom right) is pictured with members of the Fort Garry Horse; an armoured car equipped with machine guns supports soldiers near the front. week’s pay for being absent without leave. Two months later, he forfeited another two days pay for the same offence. A wiry young man with a wild streak, he was restless for action. A lot of men were, until they finally saw it. He arrived in France in September 1916. Ten months later, in a trench that bore no resemblance to the dry troughs he’d dug in Winnipeg, he heard the Strombos horn sound, warning of a gas attack. The Germans had become better at deploying poison gas, waiting for the right winds. The heavy gas stayed close to the ground and poured into the trenches. The bugles and gas alarms only gave a few minutes warning, often less, and Tommy was able to get his mask on, but he still needed to be taken to the field hospital to recover from the poisonous chlorine. He noticed that the brass buttons of his uniform had turned green.

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ON NOV. 11, THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES ON THE WESTERN FRONT SUFFERED MORE THAN 3,500 CASUALTIES. THE CANADIANS, BRITISH AND FRENCH ADDED THOUSANDS MORE. ALTOGETHER, THERE WERE ALMOST 11,000 CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES, MORE THAN D-DAY IN 1944.

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had drifted somewhat, but he sat in the stone church and prayed with the rest. They all prayed for the same thing—that they would wake up the next morning to peace. They did, though it wasn’t as simple as that. While Tommy was praying in the Petit Wasmes, the Allied Supreme Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch and his chief of staff General Maxime Weygand were sitting in a small stone church at Rethondes, to the south, meditating on peace as the German negotiators looked over the terms. The German negotiating team had arrived at the Forest of Compiègne on the morning of Nov. 8, and consisted of Matthias Erzberger, a politician, MajorGeneral Detlof von Winterfeldt and a few others. There was little room to negotiate. A sailors’ revolt, which had begun on Oct. 29 in Kiel, had spread across the city then the country. Kaiser Wilhelm II was on the verge of abdicating (and did so the following day, on Nov. 9). And Germany’s Chief of General Staff Paul von Hindenburg had stipulated that the armistice be signed, even if better terms couldn’t be negotiated. At first it wasn’t clear what the terms were. When the Germans took their seats at the large table in Foch’s elegant private railway car, Foch asked

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PHOTO: WILLIAM RIDER-RIDER, DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA003377

Tommy was gassed again in 1918, but recovered once more. While his brother was lying on the uneven ground not far from the town of Inchy, Tommy was moving north and east, following the retreating Germans. He hadn’t heard anything about Donald, despite their proximity. By Nov. 8, the 24th Bn. was at the village of Dour, some 12 kilometres west of Mons, Belgium. The fall weather was perfect and the men were awaiting orders. Peace, they had heard, would arrive within days. There was a mood of quiet celebration, and they organized a soccer game between the 24th and the 25th battalions. Those moments, playing in the late autumn sun, may have been the happiest of Tommy’s three years in France. The exhilaration of a game he played well, the sense that home was close. Playing on that muddy field, surrounded by the recent destruction of war, France finally held a sense of promise rather than the death and ruin that he had witnessed. But they were soon in action, moving east, pursuing a retreating enemy that was unsure what its role was. Some of the German infantry surrendered and there were mutinies in the ranks. But there was still intermittent shelling from the retreating Germans, who were unaware that their leaders, both military and political, had already conceded defeat among themselves. On Nov. 10 there was a church service at Petit Wasmes, a rare Protestant church, and Tommy attended. He had been raised as a Presbyterian though

PHOTO: WILLIAM RIDER-RIDER, DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA003377

Canadian soldiers on the outskirts of Valenciennes, France, November 1918.

Erzberger why he was there. Surprised, Erzberger replied that he was there to listen to the Allied proposals for peace. Foch said he had none. After some confusion, Foch said the Germans first had to ask for an armistice, then Foch would dictate the terms. Erzberger did ask for an armistice, and Weygand outlined the terms. Erzberger asked if they could declare a ceasefire while they were negotiating. He had to report back to the German government and it would take time and in those 72 hours thousands of lives would needlessly and certainly be lost. Foch wouldn’t agree to a ceasefire and said the deadline for a German response was 11:00 a.m. on the 11th. At 2:05 a.m. on Nov. 11, Erzberger said they were ready to sign. It took almost three hours to go through the terms. A few minor changes were made (the number of machine guns and aircraft the Germans were required to surrender was slightly reduced) and at 5:10 a.m. he signed. Ten minutes later news of the peace was broadcast from the radio station in the Eiffel Tower. Paris woke to a cold rainy day, but the city quickly filled with joy, though many of its citizens stuck with the original deadline of 11:00 before it was official. There was that symmetry—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. But at that moment, in the pre-dawn gloom of a French forest, the war was effectively over. There was still that limbo though, those six hours. It was a destructive stretch, even by the horrific standards of the first modern war. On Nov. 11 the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front suffered more than 3,500 casualties. The Canadians, British and French added thousands more. Altogether, there were almost 11,000 casualties on both sides, more than D-Day in 1944. The key difference was that

the lives lost on D-Day were sacrificed to further the war effort. Those lost on Armistice Day were arguably the most futile in a war that would come to define futility as much as bravery. After the war, a congressional subcommittee was formed to find out why there were so many American casualties on Armistice Day given that the military leaders knew peace was at hand. Why risk the lives of men to take ground they could simply stroll to in a few hours? There were accusations of careerism— that ambitious officers had sacrificed their men to pad their records. In the end, it came to General John Pershing, the leader of the American forces, to offer a dismal testimony that would be echoed a few decades later: he was following orders, in this case, those of Foch, who had instructed the Allies to pursue the retreating Germans with “a sword at their backs” until the final minute. The morning of Nov. 11th was rainy and cold in northern France, the sun obscured. The grey wasted fields blended with the sky. Tommy Mainland was in his trench. It was mid-morning and peace was upon them. Tommy climbed to the lip of the trench to scan the grey landscape. Perhaps he wanted a last glimpse of the battlefield. Three years of his life had been spent in battle. He had survived two gas attacks and countless close calls, had seen friends die beside him. Maybe he was thinking of home, the clean snow already covering Winnipeg. A sniper’s bullet hit him in the chest, knocking him backward; a German sharpshooter who must have been lying in wait, scanning the horizon for his final target to present himself. Tommy was taken to a field hospital where he was listed as “dangerously ill.” By the time he got there, the news had arrived almost everywhere at the front: the war was over. It wasn’t of course. Colonel Thomas Gowenlock, an intelligence officer in the U.S. 1st Division, wrote in his journal, “At last eleven o’clock came—but the firing continued. The men on both sides had decided to give each other all they had—their farewell to arms. It was a very natural impulse after the years of war, but unfortunately many fell after eleven o’clock that day.”

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Tommy lay in his bed for four days, pondering the irony of his years as a soldier, his recklessness, his charmed existence—only to end like this; gravely wounded after peace was declared, though still not formally recognized. He died on Nov. 15. My grandfather, Donald Mainland, survived his two wounds. He was first taken to a stationary hospital in Rouen, France, then transferred to Birmingham, England. He was discharged in January 1919 and came home alone. He had lost his twin, the closest thing to himself. Donald understood the war to be a matter of luck and fate—a bullet missing by centimetres, a sudden shift in winds that carries the poisonous gas away, a machine gun jamming, an arbitrary moment chosen for peace to be declared. Back home, Donald worked as a bricklayer, first in Detroit, then in Winnipeg where he built the home that he and my grandmother lived in. He never spoke of the war. My father said that when he asked Donald about his experience in France, he would deflect the question with a joke. His wounds plagued him throughout his life. Eventually, he was unable to work. Two months after I was born, he was watching the Edmonton Eskimos play the Montreal Alouettes in the Grey Cup. He was a Westerner and when the West clinched the game—the result of last minute

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heroics from Jackie “Spaghetti Legs” Parker—my grandfather suffered an angina attack. He survived, though died of a heart attack five months later. His experience of the war died with him. I have several photographs of him. In one he and my grandmother are standing beside a car in Detroit. He’s wearing a three-piece suit and a hat. It was the early 1920s and they have the optimism of that decade. Another photo shows him in the kitchen, with Donald comically raising a rolling pin as if to hit my grandmother, a caricature of domestic strife. The most striking photograph was taken in Valentine’s photography studio in London, England, in 1917. He is standing in front of a mural that features a dappled grey sky. There is a small stone ruin beside him, two pillars still standing. Donald is wearing his greatcoat with his hands behind his back. The photograph is laminated onto a postcard; something to send home. It was a romantic evocation of a battlefield, designed to impart a sense of nobility and suggest that the subject had heroically survived. A backdrop created for those on their way to battle, not those returning from the horrific, too often meaningless slaughter.

PHOTOS: COURTESY DON GILLMOR

Left: Private Donald Mainland in a London studio before his deployment to France. Below: Donald Mainland and his wife, Georgina, pose proudly beside their car in Detroit. Bottom: The couple parody wedded bliss in their Winnipeg kitchen.

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FEATURES

Lines From

Front

the

BY JANET DOLEMAN

PHOTOS: ERNEST MAUNDER, DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA040226; COURTESY JANET DOLEMAN

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hree wars, three letters and three generations touched by service and sacrifice. The first is dated Aug. 1, 1917, from Private Fletcher Wilson of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, to his first cousin—my grandmother, Edna Nickerson. He writes from Shorncliffe, England, before heading to France. “Dear Edna: I’m sure it’s with great blessing that I send this letter of congratulations—and to think the little tot arrived on Annie’s and my birthdays! April 5th, 1917, was a great day in my life—for it was on the evening of our birthdays that our company marched in battle order to our front line, where we waited in readiness for the great day—Easter Monday—when we went over the top and took all that was detailed for us to capture. Were the little kiddy mine—I would name him or her— Vimy Ridgey Wilson!! It is a name that will never die.” The ‘little kiddy’ was my Aunt Lillian. She and I shared a special bond because I, too, was born on April 5th. In later years, she was both horrified and amused that her parents would consider naming her after that famous battle, and eternally grateful that they chose a family name instead. Fletcher, who was born at Barrington Passage, N.S., but enlisted in Winnipeg in November 1915, did not come home to marry the girl he dreamed of, nor did

From top: Canadians move along a road near Arras, France, August 1918; a memorial to Private Fletcher Wilson at Forest Hill Cemetery, Barrington Passage, N.S.

the five-foot-four-inch soldier have the opportunity to visit my grandmother the next summer, as he promised. He had embarked for England from Halifax on May 31, 1916, on the SS Olympic. While in France during the summer of 1916, Fletcher was admitted to an Australian field hospital after suffering shrapnel wounds to one of his arms. The wounds became infected and he was unable to return to his battalion until November that year. Well after Vimy Ridge, on Sept. 3, 1918, near Arras, Fletcher was hit again by shrapnel—this time it killed him. He was only 24. Fletcher is buried in Ligny-St. Flochel British Cemetery, roughly 24 kilometres from Arras. A bronze plaque in his memory is one of two hanging in the church at Barrington Passage, where I read the inscriptions every Sunday while growing up. Our Wilson cousins lived in the two family homes, located side by side near us in the village on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia. I remember frequent visits to see Isaline and Ruth, Fletcher’s sisters. Isaline was the postmistress for many years and shared the house with Ruth, her widowed sister. Their front parlour was like a time capsule, dominated by the large oval portrait of Fletcher on the wall.

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he blue-grey paper in my hands is faded, crumpled a bit around the edges, an ‘air letter’ addressed to my grandmother. It’s dated Sunday, Jan. 28, 1945, from Leading Aircraftman Charles Nickerson, CH, RCAF-Overseas. “Dear Ma and Pa and family,” my father writes. “We have had... real winter, it has been below zero with quite a bit of snow for here but believe me that is cold. According to the papers it has been the coldest in history, that’s not good. I’d sooner they make history in that respect when I’m about 3,000 miles from here. Ha. They don’t have the heating to cope with that sort of weather...or the fuel just now and I’m positive we don’t on the station.” My father was assigned to RAF Bomber Command, in Yorkshire, as an airframe mechanic. In his letter he wrote about being ill with the flu, trying to find parts for his motorbike and about the friends in his barracks. To his younger sister, he noted: “So, you like the way the English dance, Moit [My father’s affectionate nickname for Mildred]. I can’t say as I do, although I’ve been told that I dance more like an Englishman than a Canadian which was no compliment, what’s more I’ve been taken for an Englishman. That was the last straw so if you hear of this island sinking, I did it. I do like some of their dances such as the Polly Slide, etc. although can’t do them very well.” Dad was concerned about the bad headaches that plagued my grandmother. He tried to cheer her up by telling her about the Canadians and Americans who introduced basketball to the English, noting that they quickly adopted the game, but played it like they were in a rugby match. He reassured his mother that he was eating well, but also wrote about the months of deprivation for the local people, even after the war ended. “Marion [a relative living in London] said when I was there that their soap ration was cut again so the last bunch of coupons I got I sent her the works, so have been getting my soap by giving the N.A.A.F.I. (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) girl a sob story and it works pretty good! I read in the paper the other day where the British troops abroad

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Clockwise from right: Aircraftman Charles Nickerson; Warrant Officer Richard Nickerson, including the moment he received a medal; Charles Nickerson with his kit.

are having their rations cut so as to help out at home. It will be a long time before this country gets back to normal living again.” Dad was shipped home in April 1946, after months of waiting and seeing friends leave amid the constant turnover of personnel at the base. Up until his death in 2004, he regularly exchanged letters with a family he met in Ripon, Yorkshire, and this contact continues to this day, through us—the younger generation.

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PHOTOS: COURTESY JANET DOLEMAN

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amp Polom, Croatia, 30 June 1993— Warrant Officer Richard Nickerson. The words United Nations are stamped in blue on the envelope, which contains three lined sheets of paper in my brother’s handwriting. A month of extra training at Wainwright, Alta., a brief stop in Trenton, Ont., to see his wife and daughter while en route to Valcartier, Que. From there, it was off to Croatia on a six-month tour with the United Nations Protection Force. Rick’s correspondence, which was written while he was overseas, is amusing, newsy and true to his “older-brother” nature. He was the one who teased his younger siblings and was popular in school and in the neighbourhood crowd. He was a leader at church, at summer camp, in the Boy Scouts and was quick to acquire friends. All of this served him well in the Canadian Armed Forces. His writing displays glimpses of introspection and candour. “We are working as much as 14-18 hours a day, 7 days a week with very little time to do much else. Have taken some time (as well as it being part of my job) to get out and see part of the country—the part we can drive around

in without getting shot at. Most of Croatia, away from the Bosnian border, is pretty safe and gorgeous; rolling farmland with large deciduous forests and white stuccoed houses with red tiled roofs. If it weren’t for the war going on right now...it would be an excellent place to come on vacation...” Rick describes the destruction around the town of Daruvar, just north of where he was based. “There are things...that remind us that there was a war there last year—demolished buildings and houses, craters in the streets that obviously weren’t just from bad pavement, pockmarks on the sides of buildings... Most of the stuff you see on TV is down south of here, about 500 kilometres, in Bosnia... The TV news crews are sure to be where all the action is because that’s what sells...most of the fighting has petered off and the UN is actually making the mandate work. You should be happy to know that where the mandate is being best followed ‘to the letter’ is in the Canadian area. With 61 countries involved over here, that’s quite a compliment.” Focussing on the Canada Day barbecue at the Canadian contingent headquarters, he writes: “Too bad we couldn’t arrange the party for the Croats and Serbs as well!” And in reference to the international nature of the UN mission, Rick notes that he never thought “I’d be standing there talking and passing the time of day with a Russian major, but I was a few weeks ago. He was here as a UN military observer and quite an interesting fellow, actually.” Sharing more good news, he notes that “the guys from here [the Canadians] are going up to Budapest, Hungary, for their 3-day leaves that they get once-a-month.” He ends by saying: “Even though we can phone from time to time, a letter is much better. You can read it over and over where a phone call, once you hang up, is over! Take care, Love, Rick” Three wars, three letters, three generations—lines you can read over and over again, and share.

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UNSHAKEN IN RESOLVE As a bell in the Peace Tower sounded

the 11th hour and two minutes of silence fell, tens of thousands of people—standing shoulder to shoulder in Canadian pride—attended the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa. More than 50,000 people—tightly packed and spread out in every direction from the National War Memorial amidst heightened security—travelled from near and far to pay their respects and remember the more than 1.5 million Canadians who served throughout our nation’s history and the 118,000 who left their homes and families never to return. Soaking up the unusually warm temperatures for November, young and old, families, serving members and veterans began lining up behind the barricades as early as 6 a.m. with poppies pinned proudly to their lapels, Canadian and homemade flags, flowers, signs and even personal mementos to remind them of the loved ones they lost. Their thoughts drifted to familiar faces and names—a son, a comrade, a grandfather, great-grandfather, an uncle,

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Above: A poppy is placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following the national Remembrance Day ceremony. Below: Some of the more than 50,000 people at the ceremony.

REM

FEATURES

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2014

•

BY EL L EN O ’C ONNOR

a sister, a fiancé—and also to Corporal Nathan Cirillo, who just 20 days before was shot dead while standing ceremonial guard at the very memorial they gathered around. “There’s so many that I’ve lost. Every year it gets a little bit more heart tugging to remember all the people that have gone,” said 86-year-old Donald Carrington, who, originally from Hamilton, was a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, and then served in the regular forces with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. “Especially this year I think of Cpl. Cirillo who was from my regiment. I had to come down and pay my respects to him and to all those fellows up there.” On Oct. 22, the 24-year-old corporal was standing sentry when a gunman shot and killed him before rushing into the Centre Block on Parliament Hill where, following an exchange of gunfire, the assailant was shot dead. In minutes, a senseless act of violence took the life of a Canadian soldier and turned a place of remembrance and solace into a crime scene. This happened just two days after Warrant

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French and Aboriginal Veteran Alex Maurice in Michif. New to this year’s ceremony was the rededication of the National War Memorial. Dates of the South African War and the Afghanistan mission were added to the memorial and the inscription “In Service To Canada” is now emblazoned on the granite face to recognize all those who served. The Princess Royal (Princess Anne), whose grandfather King George VI first unveiled the memorial to 100,000 people in 1939, read a message from Queen Elizabeth II. Governor General David Johnston also delivered a speech. “And now here we stand, and here we shall remain: unshaken in resolve; grateful in remembrance of those who have sacrificed; rededicated, like this memorial, to our eternal duty: peace and freedom—the very soul of our nation,” said Johnston. “Lest we forget.” Following the rededication of the memorial, BrigadierGeneral John Fletcher, Chaplain General to the Canadian Armed Forces and Honorary Chaplain of the Legion’s Dominion Command, offered prayers. As the opening words of In Flanders Fields rose from the Ottawa Children’s Choir, Princess Anne and Johnston began the wreath-placing ceremony. Silver Cross Mother Gisèle Michaud paused for a moment longer with her hand to her chest after she placed a wreath on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in the line of duty. Her son, Master Corporal Charles-Philippe Michaud, was a member of the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment and JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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PHOTOS: METROPOLIS STUDIO

Officer Patrice Vincent, 53, was killed in a hit-and-run attack in a strip mall parking lot in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., while helping a colleague visit a Veterans Affairs service centre. For many, the memories are still fresh as they continue to come to terms with the deaths of Cirillo and Vincent and the attack on the Nation’s Capital. Yet despite feelings of fear, anger and sorrow, what unfolded on Nov. 11 was an overwhelming show of gratitude and admiration for all who have died in war and peace and the silent determination to prove to the world the strength and resiliency of our nation. “I’m here to show my respect for the soldiers who sacrificed so much, especially with the events that have taken place recently right here at the memorial, I wanted to make sure that I was here to show veterans that we think of them and we appreciate what they’ve done for us,” said Denis Bruneau of Ottawa who arrived at 7:30 a.m. to claim his spot. “I come every year and try to be right here in front.” Richard and Luann Busch travelled to Ottawa from Cambridge, Ont., to attend the national ceremony for the first time. “We made plans to come because of the 100th anniversary and it just so happened that a number of other events have taken place that makes it very special as well,” said Busch, his wife adding that attending the service was on his bucket list. “We’ll be thinking of all of our soldiers who passed on and were killed, but certainly the ones in the forces today because they’re all vulnerable as well.” As the second gun of the 30th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, broke the two minutes of silence, a piper’s lament and trumpeter’s rouse followed. Overhead, two CF-18s roared past as Legion Dominion President Tom Eagles recited the Act of Remembrance in English, followed by Legion Grand President Larry Murray in

Clockwise from left: Silver Cross Mother Gisèle Michaud; marching veterans are greeted with applause; members of the viceregal party (from left) Sharon Johnston, Governor General David Johnston, the Princess Royal (Princess Anne), Sir Timothy Laurence, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Laureen Harper, Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino, Legion Dominion President Tom Eagles.

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died July 4, 2009, from critical injuries sustained after stepping on an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol in the Panjwaii District southwest of Kandahar. “When he was injured, since his last moment he was conscious, he told the guys, ‘Stop crying, guys. Take care of yourself, because the Taliban is not far,’” said Michaud, remembering the strength of her son, whom she had spoken to on the phone just three days before he was wounded. Master Corporal Michaud was transferred to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany where he stayed for five days before he was put into a medically-induced coma to be transported to a Quebec City hospital on June 28, 2009. “He knew he was dying and he didn’t want to die over there,” explained Michaud who lives in Edmundston, N.B., and was accompanied by her husband Conrad and son Denis. “Before he left on his mission, he said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be back.’ So he came to die with us with all his wounds.” Michaud said that since her son’s death, members of his regiment come to her home whenever they can to visit her family and share stories of their time in Afghanistan with their friend and brother “Chuck.” Other members of the viceregal party who placed a wreath included Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino, Chief of the Defence Staff General Tom Lawson, Legion Dominion President Tom Eagles for the Veterans of Canada, Speaker of the Senate Noël Kinsella, and youth representatives Sarah Jessica Butler, Joo Hee Chung, Darynn Bednarczyk, Hareem Masroor, wreath bearers CPO1 David Ficht (Sea Cadet), C/CWO Teegan Martin (Army Cadet), and WOII David

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Clockwise from left: Youth representatives (from left) Sarah Jessica Butler, Darynn Bednarczyk, Hareem Masroor, Joo Hee Chung; families, veterans and serving members place poppies; Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa parade past the memorial; members of the viceregal party arrive for the ceremony. Joiner (Air Cadet). These were followed by wreaths that were placed by veterans organizations, the Diplomatic Corps, various associations and the public. Dominion Command Honorary Chaplain Rabbi Reuven Bulka delivered the benediction saying the memorial had been violated, yet it remains a sacred place. “We love our troops!” he yelled out to thunderous applause from the crowd. The ceremony drew to a close as the Massed Pipes and Drums, the Canadian Armed Forces Central Band and Governor General’s Foot Guards played for the march past of veterans and military contingents. Although the official ceremony was over, the crowd lingered for hours afterward, some chatting quietly or standing in reflective silence, others making quick phone calls to relatives or friends to thank them for their service. Louise St. Jean of Gatineau, Que., sat off to the side, cradling in her hands a black-and-white photograph of her father, Horace St. Jean, in uniform. “This is my father during the Second World War; I always bring his picture,” she said, fresh tears springing to her eyes as she recalled her parents’ love story. “It’s important to me. I feel close to him.” Around her, people slowly moved toward the memorial to carpet the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with red poppies.

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BRAN EM

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NEWS FEATURES

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2014

The parade arrives at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S.

•

CAPE BRETON

REMEMBERS

You didn’t need a map to find this year’s Remembrance Day

ceremony in Sydney, N.S.; you just had to follow the crowds. Starting early on the morning of Nov. 11th, thousands of Cape Breton Islanders were streaming through the downtown heading toward Centre 200, the local hockey rink, casino and performing arts centre. Inside the rink, the ice had been covered up and hundreds of chairs were set on the boarded-up surface, facing a stage and small cenotaph. The parade came in just after 9 a.m., led by a contingent of RCMP with local police and a mass of soldiers and veterans behind. The best estimate placed the number of marchers at more than 400. Originally, three Second World War veterans were set to be on the reviewing stand for the parade, but two could not make it due to illness, leaving Betty Metcalfe, 93, formerly of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, to take the salute. The program began with the Brookland Elementary choir singing war-era songs, including Keep The Home Fires Burning. Until the ceremony itself began, the ever-growing crowd was entertained by performances from local students and musicians. They read letters home from war, both from the world wars and from Afghanistan, comparing the sentiments. Popular musician Matt Minglewood sang his tribute to soldiers in Afghanistan, which he wrote after visiting the country. Students also read the names of locals who died serving their country. After the ceremony concluded with the traditional

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ADAM DAY

two minutes of silence, Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command District A Commander Ted Martens delivered the keynote address. A member of the Dutch resistance during the Second World War, Martens joined the Dutch military before moving to Canada in the 1950s. His speech was a rousing and well-received overview of the importance of remembrance that concluded with a series of reminders that those who survive war need to be cared for. “What was owed to the veterans of yesterday is also owed to the veterans of today,” said Martens, to which the crowd responded with spontaneous applause. “‘Never has so much been owed by so many to so few,’” he said, quoting Winston Churchill. “Too many veterans are falling through the cracks,” he said to more applause. “Today we honour and remember; tomorrow we must carry the torch again.” Local MP Mark Eyking summed up the day as he stood at the microphone, looked out at the crowd and said, “It’s a proud day for Cape Breton Island.” Lifelong Sydney-resident Melanie Sampson was in the stands for the entire event. “I cried as they paraded in,” she confessed. “It was seeing my dad at the head of the parade with all his friends he’s had over the years, all in their uniforms. It was just so much respect for all that they’ve done to sacrifice for our freedoms.” JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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NEWS

Sampson’s dad, Dave Kane, is a veteran and the Sgt.-atArms for Ashby Branch. By tradition, several of Sydney’s Legion branches typically team up to host a city-wide ceremony, and this year Ashby Branch was responsible for taking the lead in organizing the events. After the main event, Ashby Branch—led by President Lowell Crowe—held its own wreath-placing ceremony on their upper floor. During the well-attended ceremony, dozens of wreaths were placed in honour of local veterans, families and loved ones. This was the first time Sydney had held their ceremony in the Centre 200. Previously, it had been held in local school gymnasiums. “The whole thing began back in February,” explained Mel Crowe, Ashby Branch member, brother of Lowell and Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command’s second vicepresident. “We had a couple of members who’d been pushing to have it in Centre 200 for a couple of years now and when it became our turn to lead again, we decided we’d give it a try.” Immediately, the Legionnaires found their idea supported, as the town of Sydney donated use of Centre 200. “It turned out to be a beautiful venue,” said Mel Crowe. “We had a fantastic crowd and everything went well; it was a really good day.”

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Top: The Brookland Elementary choir sings, wreaths are placed, pipes are played and special guests stand on stage behind the cenotaph amid scenes of remembrance at Centre 200. Above: At Ashby Branch, the brothers Charles, Melvin, Lowell and Milo Crowe place a wreath as Dave Percy looks on. With attendance estimates ranging from 2,500 to more than 3,000, this was one of Sydney’s largest Remembrance Day ceremonies, a fact many attribute to the terrorisminspired attacks in October that killed Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo. “Our biggest fear was that we wouldn’t get a big crowd,” said Mel Crowe. “Well, circumstances being what they are in the last month-and-a-half dictated the reason we had a big crowd.” The deaths of Vincent and Cirillo certainly loomed above this year’s ceremony, coming as a reminder that the world is not at peace and that soldiers past and present are the foundation of Canada’s security and freedom.

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FEATURES

Canadian soldiers arrive in Hong Kong, November 1941.

FACETOFACE TOFACE ON

SHOULD THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT

HAVE SENT TROOPS TO HONG KONG? Did the government make the right decision in 1941?

Author Carl Vincent of Stittsville, Ont., says NO. Author J.L. Granatstein of Toronto says YES.

PHOTO: LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—C049744

Vincent is the author of a number of articles and books, including No Reason Why—the Canadian Hong Kong Tragedy—an examination. From 1962 to 1995 he was an archivist at Public Archives of Canada/National Archives of Canada. Granatstein has written dozens of books, including Who Killed Canadian Military History? and Canada’s Army: Waging War and Keeping the Peace. He is a former director and CEO of the Canadian War Museum. Do you think the Canadian government made the right decision? Go online at www.legionmagazine.com to voice your opinion, or send us a letter to the editor.

PORTRAIT ILLUSTRATIONS BY TERRY SHOFFNER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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FEATURES

CARL VINCENT

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HE SUBJECT OF THE DISPATCH of Canadian troops to Hong Kong during the Second World War is one that has sporadically captured the attention of writers and historians. In response to a request from the British government in September 1941, Canada agreed to provide troops to reinforce the crown colony. Two battalions previously employed on garrison duty were selected and dispatched along with a headquarters component to Hong Kong, arriving on Nov. 16. Following the Japanese invasion of the Kowloon peninsula in early December and the invasion of Hong Kong Island on Dec. 18, they fought continuously until the garrison surrendered on Dec. 25. Of the 1,975 Canadians only 1,418 survived, many of whom suffered physical and mental damage from their ordeal. Many aspects of this tragic event have been the subject of controversy. For this discussion, I am focusing on the question that is asked in the introduction. The request received by Canada on Sept. 19, 1941, had been repeatedly redrafted to expand the political and diplomatic and diminish the military aspects of the request. Beyond stating that one or two battalions would increase the strength of the garrison “out of all proportion to the numbers involved” it added

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and consider the risks. The that it would have a Canadian government did this good effect on the colony in an extremely cursory manner, and show the Chinese although sufficient information and the Americans that was undoubtedly available. Britain was serious 3. Were any of the advantages about fighting for Hong touted as a reason for this Kong. Never mentioned reinforcement achieved? They was that at all times the British were not. It is doubtful that Chief of Staff had viewed Hong the Chinese or Americans Kong incapable of a prolonged even noticed the arrival of the defence or of being relieved. Canadians while if the Japanese There is no evidence that did, they ignored it. In the this was ever brought to the battle, while the Canadians put government’s attention either up a brave and surprisingly by the U.K. or its own military effective resistance, the advisers. When the senior cabinet Japanese did not suffer excessive members asked the Chief of the casualties nor were their plans Canadian General Staff for advice for the capture of Hong Kong on the subject he claimed that his and, later, Southeast Asia in responsibility in the matter was any way delayed or disrupted. solely to ascertain the availability of troops. They were available and the War Cabinet agreed OF THE 1,975 CANADIANS ONLY to dispatch the force, 1,418 SURVIVED, MANY OF WHOM subsequently testifying SUFFERED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL that they considered that this could not be refused. DAMAGE FROM THEIR ORDEAL. This knee-jerk “Ready, Aye Ready” response is With hindsight, one can see strange in light of Mackenzie King’s the causes of the tragedy, the usual attitude to such requests. motivations of some of those The question of the justification involved and even find some of the dispatch of Canadian small degree of sympathy for the troops is summarized below. Canadian government—sincere 1. Could the request have been men who wanted Canada to refused? Undoubtedly it could do its part. However, when the and Canada would occasionally ostensible reasons and the actual do so later in the war. results are weighed with nothing 2. What was the Canadian on the other side of the balance government’s responsibility? but the hopeless bravery of the While in a democratic country defenders it is apparent that the government is entitled to neither diplomatic, political, deploy its troops for diplomatic military nor moral considerations or political reasons rather justified the dispatch of Canadian than solely military ones, it is troops to Hong Kong. expected to weigh the options

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HERE WAS NO CHOICE: Canada had to send troops to Hong Kong. We were at war, in effect as a nominally independent power, but still psychologically a British colony. London had asked for troops, the Chief of the General Staff and the army brass in Ottawa agreed that men were available, and the War Cabinet decided to accept the mission. In hindsight, of course, this was a grave mistake. But hindsight is not the best tool to assess failed military operations. We need to look at the reasons why as they appeared at the time. First, in the late summer of 1941, Britain was losing the war against Hitler. Hitler was at the gates of Moscow, and the U.S. was neutral. So was Japan, though it was making threatening noises in Asia. The best judgment in London was that Tokyo had not yet decided on war, and any decision might be deterred or deferred by bolstering the defences of possessions like Hong Kong. No one wanted a war in the Pacific, and anything that might help Japan decide on peace was essential—hence the War Office’s request to Canada for two battalions of infantry. Canada’s main effort thus far in the war had been to help defend Britain from invasion, and the Canadian Corps overseas was building up. But there had been no action yet for the army, the memory of the glorious Canadian Corps in the Great War was strong, and there was restlessness in the country and the beginning of a campaign for overseas conscription. Prime Minister Mackenzie King

J.L. GRANATSTEIN

had forged a defence and economic alliance with Washington in 1940-41, and he could read the signs of discontent. If word leaked out, as it would, that Ottawa had refused a British request for troops, the political explosion would be fierce. Canada was concentrating on the defence of North America, critics would shout, not helping Britain to the maximum extent. The government literally had no choice on Hong Kong. Was this an informed decision? For all practical purposes, in late

on board for the decision. But the headquarters staff did a terrible job preparing for Hong Kong. The two battalions chosen, the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers, had done garrison duty in Newfoundland and Jamaica and neither was fully trained nor up to strength.

THE REALITY IN 1941 WAS THAT CANADA WAS A MILITARY COLONY THAT DID ALMOST ANYTHING BRITAIN WANTED. THERE WAS NO INDEPENDENT STRATEGIC ANALYSIS, AND THE ARMY STAFF WAS NOT YET FULLY COMPETENT. 1941 Canada had no independent capacity for intelligence analysis. We picked up some information in Washington, and Ottawa received copies of the telegrams and analyses that London believed necessary. If the British said that Japan might be impressed by the bolstering of Hong Kong’s defences, that in effect was good enough for Ottawa. Yes, the Chief of the General Staff, General Harry Crerar, should have known better. He had studied the defence of Hong Kong when he attended the Imperial Defence College, but he had met recently with a Royal Military College contemporary returning from command of the crown colony and been told the Japanese were no soldiers. The army was

Still, Hong Kong, so the advice was from London, was expected to be more garrison duty, and there would be time to bring the training up to speed. Unfortunately, when the battalions shipped out, incompetence at Army Headquarters led to the unit’s transport and other heavy equipment literally missing the boat. Mistake compounded mistake, and the result in December, 1941 was a military disaster. The reality in 1941 was that Canada was a military colony that did almost anything Britain wanted. There was no independent strategic analysis, and the army staff was not yet fully competent. The soldiers in Hong Kong paid the price for the interwar neglect of the military. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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FEATURES

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PART ONE:

ABOARD HMCS TORONTO ON OPERATION REASSURANCE,

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ER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR R AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER ER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR R AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER R AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER ER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR R AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER ER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR R AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER R AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER WAR AFTER

INVESTIGATING THE POSSIBILITY OF WORLD WAR III. One hundred years after The Great War lit the world on fire and killed tens of millions, a strange combination of threats has once again pushed the allied countries toward greater conflict. And we are not immune. On the Iraq front, Canada’s fighter jets are bombing Islamic militants in Fallujah and JTF2 commandos are training Kurdish Peshmerga in Erbil. On the Russian front, The Royal Canadian Regiment has deployed to Poland, more CF-18s are flying out of Lithuania and HMCS Toronto faced down attack jets in the Black Sea. Russia wants a new empire, the Islamists want a new caliphate— countries are to be annexed, maps redrawn. How this will all turn out is impossible to guess, but the underlying threat is of widespread war. On the centenary of the First World War, the question must be asked: could it happen again?

BY ADAM DAY

PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

CE,

WAR AFTER WAR

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The Great War was oversold. The War to End All Wars

it was called, though that was certainly wrong. Besides being a historic disaster, it definitely did nothing to end future wars. For reasons understood only dimly even now, the world spent the four years from 1914-18 doing its very best to destroy all it could. The logic of the war—whether it was justified, whether its conduct made any sense—seems to matter less as time passes. It now seems like a tsunami or an earthquake; an unavoidable disaster loosed upon us all. But that’s not true, exactly. In the years leading up to 1914 there was an epic swell of small events and factors leading toward conflict (How The World Fell Over The Edge, July/August 2014). There were prideful monarchs, hawkish politicians and functionaries and on all fronts a combination of voracious nationalism and unrepentant exceptionalism. Beyond that, there were multiple conflict zones and areas of instability full of irredentist, militarist, ideological forces—all underpinned by a complex system of alliances; each piece a small cog in a great machine moving toward its own unravelling. Nobody in the world wanted what they ended up getting from the First World War. Our forefathers stumbled into it, resolutely failing to predict the scope and horror of what was about to happen. To think we are any different is likely a mistake. That we now collectively lack the imagination or ability to foresee conflict is so obvious it may be easy to overlook. If you had asked Canadians on Sept. 10, 2001, if Canada would be deploying to war in Afghanistan next month and would stay militarily involved in the country until 2014, no one would have believed it. Similarly, imagine having that same conversation a few months ago about Iraq, where Canada is now bombing a group of Islamic militants so vile that al-Qaida even disowned them. There may not be an intention to start a war or even to cause conflict. But it isn’t necessary that one actor or more has a coherent intention, all that is required is that certain interests come into conflict in such a way that the

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situation can’t easily be de-escalated, either because of treaty commitments, domestic politics, actual national security concerns or all three. The effect is that no single party is rushing toward war, nor even walking toward war, rather they are curiously sauntering toward danger. Is it possible the same kind of mistakes that led to the First World War could be happening again? Certainly there is enough potential for instability in the world. To the East there is the rise of China and the complicated antagonisms and alliance commitments between Taiwan, Japan and the United States. In Africa—and worldwide—there’s the possibility that the Ebola virus could somehow become uncontrollable. And looming over that is the ongoing collapse of Arab civilization and the resulting schism between Sunni and Shia Muslims that threatens to explode into a chaos affecting billions. Then there is Vladimir Putin, the ex-KGB agent now in charge of Russia who seems determined to kick-start a new Russian empire by any means possible. Beginning with Russia’s outright annexation of Crimea last year, and continuing with the covert invasion and annexation of eastern Ukraine, Russian aggression has evidently begun and anyone who tells you they know where and when Putin will stop is guessing. Among those now deeply concerned about Russia’s intentions is Prime Minister Stephen Harper himself, who has been unusually candid in his denunciations of Putin’s desire for a new empire. “Our duty is to stand firm in the face of Russian aggression,” was the title of an editorial Harper wrote for The Globe and Mail this past summer. In the article, Harper derides the “criminal aggression and recklessness” of Russia and its proxies fighting in Ukraine. He says there “can be no weakening of our resolve to punish the Putin regime,” and that “Russia’s aggressive militarism and expansionism are a threat to more than just Ukraine; they are a threat to Europe, to the rule of law and to the values that bind Western nations. Canada will not stand idly by in the face of this threat.” Harper concludes by evoking previous wars Canada has fought to defend its values, which is as stark a warning as you’d ever want to read in a national newspaper. Unless Russia backs down, he wrote, Canada and its allies will take further punitive steps against Russia because “the values and principles we cherish as Canadians, and for which so many generations have fought and died, demand it.” While the overheated rhetoric is certainly flying, there are also more classical signs that the brinkmanship games have begun in earnest: the movement of men and arms into better position. The current state of mobilization is almost entirely symbolic, at least on paper. Operation Reassurance is Canada’s contribution to the NATO mission attempting to deter

Opening spread: A photo of the Russian Sukhoi Su-24 as it buzzed HMCS Toronto in the Black Sea. Above: HMCS Toronto on patrol.

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Putin’s aggression by placing token amounts of soldiers, planes and ships in the line of his potential advance against NATO allies like Poland, Estonia and Lithuania. Where the operation gets very real, however, is out where the symbols of our resistance to Putin actually stand face-to-face, missile-to-missile, with the Russians. So that’s where I wanted to go. If the conflict was going to start, that’s where it would happen—on the Estonian border or in the sky over the Ukraine or on the Black Sea. In August, HMCS Toronto entered the Black Sea as a part of the NATO effort alongside ships from Spain, Turkey, the U.S. and the Ukraine, among others. HMCS Toronto was to be the canary in the coalmine. Or, put another way, a Canadian frigate in the Black Sea facing the Russians. A slight provocation to test the waters, you could say.

IT’S A HOT MOVE, GET YOUR WAR BAG

PHOTOS: MASTER CORPORAL DAVID SINGLETON-BROWNE, DND; ADAM DAY

I joined up with Toronto just after she left the Black Sea,

during a port visit on the Greek island of Crete in the Mediterranean. Life aboard a warship in the days that might be leading up to WW III is relaxed, even happy. The crew of 250plus, led by Commander Jason Armstrong, initially give the impression of being engaged in a great adventure. Not me, however. I come on board and immediately get sick. Apparently this is not uncommon. I’m sharing a bunk with the engineering officer, Lieutenant (N) Anthony Morash. At first he doesn’t say much, but I can tell he’s impressed with my ability to take naps. I have the top bunk. The bed is very nice; it’s about exactly as wide as my shoulders, so there’s lots of room. It’s surrounded by hard, sharp metal and the ceiling, which is a mass of pipes, wires and steel boxes, is about 18 inches

above my pillow. The bunk is also more than five feet off the ground and there’s no ladder or any other obvious way to get into it except to try using the cabin’s office chair, which sits on well-greased wheels, so getting into bed is super easy and I do it gracefully every time. My first morning aboard ship starts very suddenly and painfully when the speaker on the wall a foot from my head starts screeching at a shocking volume and I lurch up in surprise and smash my head directly into the metal ceiling. “It’s a hot move,” the speaker warns me. “Get your war bag.” My head is ringing and I have no idea what that sentence meant. The sound volume is impressive though. On a ship that for the most part seems pretty old the sound system is a masterful work of acoustical engineering. The ‘pipes,’ at least in my cabin, are so loud and clear that the effect is less like listening and more like having someone else’s thoughts ported directly into your brain at maximum amplification. At first it’s unpleasant, but over time it becomes reassuring: I’m constantly being told what’s happening and what to do—how to wear my sleeves (rolled), where the flight safety briefing will be and when (in the wardroom, 30 minutes) and how the ship performed on the last manoverboard drill (below fleet standard, unsatisfactory). In any case, we soon get underway (that’s the hot move part) and as we do I tour the ship. With the exception of the 57-mm gun on the front deck, the ship doesn’t look particularly menacing as most of the weapons—various kinds of missiles, mostly—are kept out of sight beneath covers and my initial suspicion that we are somewhat under-equipped to fight the Russians is never quite dispelled. I also can’t help noticing that there is a smell. They call it shipsmell, one word. It’s various kinds of fuel, paint and a blend of all the various odours the human body is capable of producing. Smell is the wrong word. It’s more like fumes. There are fumes. It’s like being inside a big machine. I meet the ship’s captain, Commander Armstrong.

THOUGHTS ON BEING BUZZED BY THE RUSSIANS…

‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ “I was just hoping that things didn’t escalate from what they already were.”

SUB-LIEUTENANT JAROSLAV KOURZENKOV

“It was a different kind of challenge than we’re used to. I’ve sailed in many places before and that was a unique experience.” CHIEF PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS IAN McNAUGHTON

“They were fighter jets—and I’m used to seeing those—but this time I thought: ‘They’re not really our friends.’” CAPTAIN MELANIE JUPP

“I don’t think their goal would be to draw NATO into the Ukraine; it would be to keep them out.”

LIEUTENANTCOMMANDER SHELDON GILLIS

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He’s in his 40s, stocky and just generally comes across like a very competent hockey coach—good-humoured but imperious, precise in his demands and quick to reproach any appearance of weakness or confusion. Consequently, most of the junior officers tread very lightly around him. During a surprise drill in the middle of that first night, I finally find out what a war bag is—a bunch of fire-retardant gear in a small pouch everyone carries around to avoid getting their faces burned off in a fire.

A BRIEF DETOUR INTO HISTORY While the actual causes of the First World War remain

somewhat unclear, it is far easier to track the way it started, which could still be useful. Life in Canada in the decade leading up to the outbreak of war was essentially oblivious to the roiling discontent in Serbia and Austria; two countries enmeshed in a longstanding conflict over who got to control the Balkans. The details of that particular regional conflict are less important than the complex system of alliances that had been established over the long period of peace preceding the war. That a pre-existing Serbian nationalist irredentism was exacerbated by the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1908 set the conditions for war six years later was probably easy to overlook at the time, but impossible to miss in retrospect. As the conflict heated up, Russia stood with Serbia in a show of pan-Slavic pride and France stood with Russia. Britain was standing with Belgium and France. Naturally, we stood with Britain. In the same way, Germany had tied itself to the fading, almost defunct Austro-Hungarian Empire. So when a Serbian assassinated Austrian prince Franz

Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in the summer of 1914 it set the stage for the First World War, which in this reading is essentially no different than the chain reaction that sets off a bench-clearing brawl. Which is how it came to be—though it was a course never decided upon explicitly by anyone, anywhere— that the fate of young Canadian boys from such places as Moose Jaw, Sask., or Corner Brook, Nfld., was sealed by the conspiratorial activities of Serbian nationalists in Belgrade, consumed by the desire to retake Bosnia and re-establish the Serb empire over the Balkans. Our current situation as a member of NATO is not dissimilar. Will we go to war over the Ukraine? No way. The territorial integrity of the Ukraine is clearly not a cornerstone of Canadian national defence. However, what about Estonia, Latvia or Poland? The answer there is less clear. Why will we go to war to protect Poland? Because we are in alliance with them and have pledged to treat an attack against them as an attack against us. The alliance system works as a deterrent right up until the exact point that it stops working as a deterrent, at which point it works like a dragnet sucking all sorts of countries into doing things they really have no business doing. That a country joins an alliance to bolster its own security is obvious, but that the alliance may drag you into conflicts that don’t impact your security is less obvious. And that sometimes those alliances will drag you into conflicts that undermine your security is something that should be considered.

THE BLACK SEA CRUSADERS Captain Armstrong knew this was going to be a historic mission. There hadn’t been a Canadian ship in the Black Sea since HMCS Gatineau in 1991 after the end of the

THOUGHTS ON BEING BUZZED BY THE RUSSIANS…

‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘ “How do you say hello in Russian?”

“There was no time I was concerned for my safety. My concern was that we didn’t escalate things.”

CAPTAIN SANDY OSBORNE

COMMANDER JASON ARMSTRONG

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“Don’t mess with the Canadians.“

LEADING SEAMAN DANIEL VAUGHAN

“It would have been weird if they hadn’t done that. We were in their backyard, so I get what they did.”

SUB-LIEUTENANT EMMA LUNDE

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PHOTOS: ADAM DAY

Cold War. Before that, it had been many, many decades since a Canadian ship had been up that way, since before the Cold War really cranked up. In August, Toronto sailed up past the Dardanelles, past Gallipoli and through Istanbul and the Straits. A few years ago, Armstrong and his second-in-command, LieutenantCommander Sheldon Gillis, had cubicles right beside each other in Ottawa and now they were standing beside each other on the bridge watching the Black Sea open up right in front of them. This was Russia’s backyard. Armstrong had his mission: get in there and fly the flag to show NATO’s allies that the alliance was serious about protecting them. He knew two further things, however, which is that the Russians knew they were coming and that his actual primary mission was to avoid escalating the situation any further. And the situation was pretty far from status quo. In early September, after Russia had annexed Crimea, they were conducting a proxy war against Ukraine in an attempt to secure more territory. Novorossiya, Putin was calling the eastern Ukraine: New Russia. HMCS Toronto would be sailing to within about 50 kilometres of the coast, where Ukrainian ships were being fired upon—and sunk—by Russian-backed forces. Sabre-rattling is a fine art. And when it’s a billion-dollar warship and the whole world is watching, the man doing the rattling needs a steady hand. “We knew we were going to interact with Russian air and sea assets,” said Armstrong, “And there’s always a risk. This is a risky business. But my concern was that we didn’t escalate things.” On the morning of Sept. 7, that concern was put to the test. The first sign that something was up was the arrival of a Russian maritime patrol aircraft in the vicinity of the ship. At that time, Toronto’s Sea King helicopter was in the air and so Armstrong made the call to assemble the special team they’d put together to deal with this situation. It was called the ICRT—inevitably dubbed the Iron Curtain Response Team—and when the call for the ICRT went out over the pipes everyone scrambled as the ship closed up. Armstrong radioed the Russian aircraft and told them to maintain their distance. He issued a legal warning called a Safety of Flight Advisory, but he was careful how he did it, not specifying what distance to maintain, “because if I said 10 and he came 9, then I have to do something.” The Russians didn’t respond on the radio, but shortly after the warning, Toronto picked up something even more provocative—incoming fighter jets, moving fast and right at them. “We tracked them all the way in,” said Armstrong. They didn’t know what the Russian intentions were, they just knew the fighters were coming and they had to wait to see what would happen. If the fighters were going to launch missiles, it would happen quickly and from a distance. “At certain range gates we were looking for their reactions and at each gate I was making decisions.” The jets were Su-24 Fencers, air-to-surface bombers. When they got even closer, Armstrong read them another Safety of Flight Advisory, essentially warning them off. They didn’t respond.

HMCS Toronto sends out its boarding party during a patrol in the Mediterranean. As the Russian jets closed on Toronto, Armstrong was beneath the bridge in the ship’s darkened operations room, a place packed with radars, screens and notably, controls for Toronto’s weaponry. One of Armstrong’s biggest decisions at this point was whether to turn on the ship’s fire control radar, which would enable the use of its sophisticated sea-to-air missiles. With the fire control radar off, the ship’s defences were lessened, but turning the radar on could be seen by the Russians as a prelude to firing. On the bridge, Gillis had moved outside. The fighters appeared, a few hundred feet above the ocean and moving fast. As the first jet flew past, it pulled up and to the left, revealing to Toronto that it wasn’t carrying weapons. “He came in very low on our bow,” said Gillis, “but then he rose and turned to show me the underside of his jet. He turned over and showed me that he had nothing; it was him saying, ‘I’m just having a look.’ That’s my interpretation.” The jets just thundered past.

IN THE MARCH/APRIL 2015 ISSUE:

IN PART 2 HMCS TORONTO CONTINUES ITS MISSION TO DETER THE RUSSIANS ON OPERATION REASSURANCE.

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FEATURES FEATURES

OPERATION KEEPSAKE

Showing How We Care by ISABELLA MINDAK

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owards the end of June 2010, Irene Lythall, a grandmother and civilian visits and protocol officer with the Canadian Armed Forces’ Joint Operations Command (CJOC) in Ottawa, told her three adult children that she was travelling to a war zone. They were upset so she explained that staying at home could be just as dangerous. “I could be crossing the road and get hit by a bus,” she said. Besides, it was an opportunity of a lifetime and it meant a lot to her. On June 28, 2010, Ed Storey, a retired warrant officer who is in charge of the Military Tasks and Training section with CJOC Headquarters, was getting ready to leave his home for the same trip. It was a windy day when he and Lythall finally boarded the commercial aircraft for an overnight flight to Frankfurt, Germany. That started their two-day journey to Camp Mirage in the United Arab Emirates and then, on to Afghanistan. Once they arrived, they witnessed an unprecedented spectacle: Literally thousands of sentimental gifts and handcrafted items given by Canadians at home to the troops to say, “Thank

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Silvia Pecota’s haunting image has been used on everything from screen savers to tattoos.

you, we care about you and we want you to know.” Unlike any other war that Canadians participated in, this 13-year war in Afghanistan enabled and inspired entire cities from retirees to toddlers, from mom-andpop businesses to huge corporations and from teachers to entertainers and sports celebrities all across the county to reach out in many different ways to all of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces. Storey and Lythall were in Afghanistan to initiate Operation (Op) Keepsake, a Canadian Armed Forces operation to salvage the many items of support and admiration that were donated by Canadians to the troops in the combat zone and to bring them home. Storey, a studied and passionate military memorabilia and artifact collector, originally came up with the idea. “I know from past experience that nothing comes back from these missions when we close down,” he said.

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Master Corporal Stacey Williamson and Irene Lythall stand in front of a quilt donated by the Ottawa Valley Quilters Guild.

“So I got to thinking, it would be nice if some of this stuff was saved and displayed in museums to show future generations how much support Canadians had for the military overseas. Plus it would give an insight into the Canadian population’s mindset at the time.” Storey shared his idea with Lythall, who gathered the necessary support and approvals from senior officers and it was given the fitting name of Operation Keepsake by Anne McMahon, the editor of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command, Directives for International Operations. Within a few months, Storey and Lythall were in Afghanistan loading enormous sea containers with hundreds of items. “There was all kinds of stuff hanging everywhere that had been donated by Canadians. Tons and tons of stuff,” said Storey. “I was very surprised at the number of things, really surprised at the diversity and the fact that it came from coast to coast,” said Lythall. Virtually every space in the military’s theatre of operations was decorated with hundreds of banners, photographs, quilts, letters, signed sports jerseys, children’s handprints, a torch from the 2010 Winter

“THANK YOU, WE CARE ABOUT YOU AND WE WANT YOU TO KNOW.” Olympics, drawings, a signed guitar, paintings and handmade crafts. They were found on balcony railings, in kitchens, hallways and offices at Camp Mirage, Kandahar Airfield and forward operating bases. Everywhere they looked, there were cheering items of support from Canadians at home, from all walks of life. It wasn’t the first time Canadians at home created or donated items to support their troops. According to Sarah Glassford, a writer for the website www. wartimecanada.ca, “When war broke out in 1914, the Canadian Red Cross national headquarters office in Toronto found itself deluged by items ranging from raincoats and baseball uniforms to worn-out phonograph records and broken furniture, sent in by Canadians hoping the items could be put to use in aid of the sick and wounded soldiers.” When the Second World War started in 1939 the response was even greater from the home front. But this 21st-century war was unlike that war where the primary source of communications to Canadians at home was through newspapers, radio and the newsreels

ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTO: SILVIA PECOTA; WO ED STOREY, CEFCOM HQ

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[CANADIANS COULD] GET A GLIMPSE OF THE PERSONALITIES UNDERNEATH THE BERETS AND HELMETS. that played before the start of movies at local theatres. With the Internet, most handwritten letters from family members and loved ones were replaced by sometimes daily, instantaneous two-way e-mail conversations with the troops. Servicemen and servicewomen in Afghanistan could be seen and heard in Canada, in real time by using Skype cameras on their computers. Minute-byminute information, video and news footage about the progress, challenges and losses during the war were constantly flooding Internet news sites, YouTube and documentarysites on the web. Plus, that information and film footage could be seen all over the world many times and at any time anyone wanted to see them. This war was different in the challenge of fighting the often invisible Taliban with extensive knowledge of its own terrain. Advances in weaponry, technology and communications changed the way the war was experienced by Canadians in combat. Also, unlike other wars, Canadians at home could experience repatriation ceremonies for the fallen whenever they wanted. They could watch video tributes to the fallen produced by Canadians at home. They could see crystal clear photographs and look into the eyes of each and every one of servicemen and servicewomen who perished. They could stare at the lost potential and spirit and get a glimpse of the personalities underneath the berets and helmets. This time, due to ceremonies viewed on television and on line, Canadians could see the cost of loss on the faces of Canadian Armed Forces members and family and friends and they could feel the impact of the war in a way they never could before. “To see military guys carrying the coffin of their

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comrade and they’re weeping and crying,” added Storey. “It brings home to the civilian population that we’re just the same as they are, only we wear military uniforms.” The result of this rapid and powerful communication was an overwhelming expression of compassion and support for the military from all across the country. Canadian artist Silvia Pecota of Kingston, Ont., used her emotions to create a haunting image of perished soldiers leaving a memorial to be together with other fallen soldiers. “When I heard that the soldiers were killed, it hit me very hard,” said Pecota. The art work entitled Fallen Comrades: Task Force Afghanistan is recognized by the troops as “the” art work for the fallen. “They’ve used it for everything. For tattoos, motorcycles and screen savers on all of the computers in Afghanistan. That was the biggest compliment,” added Pecota. Husband and wife team Walter and Sandra Moses, owners of Ablaze Metal Art & Design in British Columbia, took the time to design, mold and send a beautiful copper coloured metal map with Canadian maple leaves to show their support for the troops. “The troops don’t have a choice where they go so we just wanted to show our appreciation,” said Sandra. Nancy Francis of the Ottawa Valley Quilters Guild

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Clockwise from opposite page, top left: Students at West Kings District High School form a human thank you; David Arrigo donated his painting to the troops; soldiers enjoy foosball at a military police rest area in Kandahar; BrigadierGeneral Jonathan Vance accepts a signed guitar from Glass Tiger’s Al Connelly; Walter and Sandra Moses created a metal map of Canada to express their appreciation.

worked along with Grace Whiting to design and produce a red and white quilt for the troops. “I thought it would be sent and given to one soldier,” said Francis. “But, when I got the news that they decided to hang it for all to see, that pleased me.” The student council of West Kings District High School near Kingston, N.S., and Grade 12 student Nick Dunning came up with the idea to form a human chain to spell the word “thanks” that could be photographed aerially and sent to the troops. Years later, Dunning was honoured when he joined the military, served in Afghanistan and as a 23-year-old, saw that same photograph displayed in Camp Mirage. “I think it’s important,” said Dunning. “The troops are involved in a wide range of challenging and dangerous jobs, so they need our support.” Alan Frew, lead singer, and Al Connelly, guitarist, of the Canadian rock band Glass Tiger volunteered along with their band to perform for the troops in Afghanistan. While they were there, they witnessed a tragic and unforgettable ceremony for three fallen soldiers. “When they were playing the national anthem as the fallen were going up the ramp onto the plane to go back home, there’s nothing that’s more solemn than that. It really makes you think about what people give to their country,” said Connelly. “We were so moved at how selfless they are and how giving they are of themselves for the nation,” said Frew. As a small gesture of their appreciation, the band donated a signed guitar to the troops. David Arrigo, another Canadian artist, from Hockley Valley, Ont., north of Toronto, painted his interpretation of the war and donated it to the troops. “I’ve always been a staunch supporter of the military,”

said Arrigo. “This is my small way of paying them back.” Other Canadians at home produced an online video series to express their great appreciation. Brian Long, a Grade 6 teacher at Madoc Public School in Madoc, Ont., 120 kilometres northwest of Kingston, teamed up with Maurice McFadden, a fellow teacher, to produce a series of films found at www.theytooshallremember.com. This moving tribute presents a brief biography, photographs and interviews with family and friends who talk about the personalities and dreams of each of the fallen. “Lots of comments have come in from men and women who served with and knew the soldiers we feature,” said Long. Op Keepsake was hopeful that the hundreds of items produced and donated by Canadians at home to honour the troops could be photographed and posted on a website for the world to see. But for now, select items have been salvaged for national display. “Several items have been circulated to 66 museums across Canada,” said Sean Hunter at the Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence. Storey hopes someday the material might be part of a travelling exhibit that will cross the country. “It would show Canadians: ‘Look! This is the stuff you sent. It went overseas and we thought enough of it to bring it back and to show you what you gave us.’”

PHOTOS: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE; COURTESY OF DAVID ARRIGO; WO ED STOREY, CEFCOM HQ; GLASS TIGER; DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

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PART

NAVY

FEATURES

Canadian Military History in Perspective / BY MARC MILNER

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Over The Side:

HMCS OAKVILLE, 1942.

On board a crippled U-boat, two brave Canadians—a young gunnery officer and a petty officer—faced increasing peril as they worked against time to capture the doomed sub.

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y midnight local time on Aug. 28, 1942, the battle for convoy TAW-15 was underway in the Windward Passage, east of Cuba. It started when a United States Navy aircraft attacked U-94 just as it was preparing to fire torpedoes. His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Oakville responded quickly and caught the U-boat on the surface. Two attempts to ram the sub failed, but the U-boat was struck heavily by Oakville’s fire, losing her 88-mm deck gun to a direct hit from the corvette’s four-inch gun. As Oakville slipped by U-94 the second time, and amid a shower of Coke bottles and epithets thrown by idle

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PHOTO: COURTESY SEAN E. LIVINGSTON, www.hmcsoakvillebook.com

The Courageous Boarding Of U-94

crewmembers, Lieutenant-Commander Clarence King ordered his depth charges away: at least one exploded directly under the U-boat. The blast did enough damage to U-94 for her captain, Otto Ites, to order his crew to abandon ship (Bullets, Bombs And Coke Bottles: Battling A U-boat In The Caribbean, November/December 2014). With U-94 now nearly stationary, Oakville was finally able to ram it squarely aft of the conning tower. Ramming U-boats was a perilous tactic, especially for a corvette. At high speed the bow of a corvette—and other escorts for that matter—tended to rise, leaving little in the water to strike the blow. Moreover, the gently curved bow of a

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PHOTO:  GEORGE LAWRENCE, DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA106482 PHOTO: COURTESY SEAN E. LIVINGSTON, www.hmcsoakvillebook.com

Oakville’s officers, from left: Sub-Lieutenant K.D. Fenwick, Lieutenant-Commander Clarence King and Sub-Lieutenant E.G. Scott shown in September 1942.

corvette was designed to ride over obstacles, not cut through them. If the speed and angle were not just right, the ramming vessel simply rode right over the sub, stripping away external fittings in the process and leaving the tough pressure hull of the sub little worse for wear. Oakville’s crew later reported three distinct shocks as they rolled over U-94. These probably came from the initial contact of the bow on the sub, the sheering off of Oakville’s asdic dome and oscillator, and the propeller dragging over the sub’s hull. What this did to U-94 remains unclear: her damage was already so bad that she was being abandoned. Hal Lawrence, Oakville’s young gunnery officer, recalled that after the ramming U-94 “wallowed, and stopped.” King noticed this too, and barked “away boarding party!” followed by “Come on Lawrence! Get cracking!” King wanted to capture the sub, so the boarding party had to act fast. What followed was something of a tragic comedy, at least the way Lawrence told it. By the time Lawrence arrived at the boarding party locker all 12 men pre-assigned to that duty were struggling to load up their gear. For Lawrence this included an inflatable lifebelt, then, “You need a pistol. Hand grenades might be handy: I had two,” and a gas mask. He also had six feet of chain tied to six feet of rope: the chain would be secured to the conning tower and thrown down through

open hatches to keep the U-boat from submerging. A flashlight and a pistol hung from his neck by lanyards. “The engineer has a bag of tools for his own mysterious purposes,” Lawrence wrote in his memoir titled A Bloody War. There is no mention of cutlasses. The boarding party was just about to head for Oakville’s boat when King bellowed, “Never mind lowering the boat, I’ll put you alongside.” As King eased his corvette towards U-94, Lawrence and his band gathered on the portside of the fo’c’sle, preparing for the eight-foot leap onto the crippled U-boat. As they waited, the captain of the four-inch gun worked to clear a misfire. This was done by gingerly withdrawing the charge, carrying it to the side and throwing it in the sea. Lawrence and the rest of the crew nearby watched this with more than passing interest, but it was safely done. Then, in the euphoria of the moment, the gun crew set about clearing the round in the barrel by reloading and firing the gun. To his amazement, Lawrence could hear the loading drill as he leaned over Oakville’s side to watch her approach U-94. The boarding party was only 15 feet from the muzzle when the gun went off. The blast blew all 12 men over the edge of the fo’c’sle and onto the deck below. Lawrence woke a few moments later with Petty Officer Art Powell slapping his face and saying, “Come on, sir, we’re nearly alongside.” Concussed by the blast, january/february 2015 LEgion MagazinE

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ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTO: REGINALD ROGERS, CANADIAN wAR mUSEUm—19750317-102; COURTESY SEAN E. LIVINGSTON, www.HmCSOAkVILLEbOOk.COm

A propaganda poster depicts gunnery officer Hal Lawrence and Petty Officer Art Powell during the perilous boarding of U-94 in the Caribbean, August 1942; engine room artificers on board HMCS Oakville.

Lawrence was the first to land on U-94. The shock of landing snapped his belt and his shorts fell off: he kicked them into the sea. Powell followed right behind him. bleeding from his nose, and lumbered by equipment, Lawrence staggered to his feet. “Well, come on then,” he said. “Over we go!” Lawrence was the first to land on U-94. The shock of landing snapped his belt and his shorts fell off: he kicked them into the sea. Powell followed right behind him. Now clad only in “a pistol, two hand grenades, a gas mask, a length of chain, a flashlight and a lifebelt,” Lawrence ordered Powell to head for the “bridge.” The rest of the boarding party remained stranded on Oakville as the corvette lost power and drifted away. The ramming had stripped away sections of her bottom plates, rupturing fuel and water tanks, completely flooding the asdic compartment and filling the after boiler room with seawater nearly to the point where her boiler might blow. So the

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crew of Oakville could only watch from a distance as the drama unfolded on the stricken sub. As he struggled towards U-94’s conning tower, Lawrence was swept into the sea by a wave, and was dragged back aboard (less the six feet of chain) by Powell. It was just as well they were delayed because Oakville machine gunners began to plaster U-94 with bullets again. That fire seems to have stopped by the time Lawrence and Powell finally reached the conning tower. The two men found that the conning tower was riddled by bullets and littered with broken glass from Coke bottles. Its hatch was also blasted open. Their first encounter with two German crewmen, almost certainly Ites and one of his officers, went well enough. They were directed aft and then just jumped overboard. Two others coming out of the conning tower hatch were not so fortunate. “Get below!” Lawrence shouted. But, as he admitted later, his command was not in German. In his defence, Lawrence observed that a pistol three feet from your face “is international for ‘stop.’” The German did not. Lawrence shot him and Powell shot the next man out: both fell overboard. Too late, Lawrence and Powell realized that the men were probably trying to surrender. While Powell stood over the hatch with his pistol to keep the rest of the crew below, Lawrence went aft to another open hatch and was nearly washed into the sea again. Looking down, he found the compartment fully flooded. Content that they were not going to be “outflanked”

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from the stern, Lawrence ordered Powell to allow the Germans to come up. They refused. Lawrence knelt at the open hatch, shone his flashlight on his face, smiled and then told them to “Come on up. It’s all right. See—no gun!” All the Germans probably understood was “Come.” They boiled out so quickly that someone was soon standing on Lawrence’s flashlight, tightening the lanyard to a choke hold around his neck, while his pistol banged painfully against his shins. “I had certainly lost command of the situation,” Lawrence concluded. But Powell had not, and he quickly mustered the PoWs on the after portion of the conning tower. It was now time for Lawrence to go below. U-94’s conning tower was dark, but Lawrence’s light quickly revealed nothing of interest. Signal equipment, code books, logs, etc., all appear to have gone over the side. The next step was to slip down into the control room below, to check on valves and try to save U-94. Lawrence had some idea of what the valves did: numbers one, three and five were main ballast, two and four were trim tanks. The control room was pitch-black, chest deep in water and Lawrence’s flashlight was now growing dim. As U-94 wallowed, the water inside the sub sloshed back and forth, carrying Lawrence with it as he checked gauges and tried to figure out instruments. At times he was standing, at other times treading water, and his flashlight was good to about a foot. Two large thumps signalled collapsing bulkheads. Finally, Powell yelled down through the open hatches. “Come up sir, she’s sinking!” Lawrence swam to the ladder and shouted to Powell to “Get them over,” and with a jerk of his thumb the PoWs jumped into the sea. Powell followed. Lawrence paused on the conning tower to take a look around, heard the dull thump of torpedoes striking ships in TAW-15 and saw the

flames rising in the dark sky. Then he slipped off and swam away. U-94 raised her bow in the water a few minutes later and went down: he had gotten off none too soon. By then King had asked the USS Lea to look for his boarding party. Lawrence hoped someone would come. He was now wearing only his lifebelt. There was, he said, much blood in the water, and sharks and barracuda were known to be active in the area. “You have no idea what confidence a pair of cotton shorts can give you,” he wrote later, “or how I missed them.” Lawrence swam on his back, using one hand to protect his “vital parts.” Ites and one of his officers swam to Oakville, and her boat picked up five more Germans. USS Lea recovered 21 PoWs as well as Lawrence and Powell. “It was dark and suddenly there was a light on us and we heard a motor launch approaching,” Powell recalled. “I heard a call, ‘Where are those Canadians?’ and finally they were close enough and they picked us up before the Germans.” It took some effort on Lawrence’s part to convince his American rescuers that he was a Canadian naval officer. He was hustled onto the quarterdeck of Lea along with the Germans, protesting the whole way. Finally, there was a “steady and ever-rising stream of vituperation”—a burst of obscenity learned as a midshipman in a Royal Navy gunroom that called into question the moral integrity of the U.S. sailors’ mothers, “the diseases of their fathers, the certainty of animal ancestors and more”—led to an audience with the destroyer’s captain. Some clothing, coffee and a quick return to Oakville followed. Lawrence’s reception on Oakville at 1 a.m. hours local time was matter of fact. “Well, you’re back, eh?” the First Lieutenant, K.B. Culley, said simply. “Good boy.” He reminded Lawrence that they were still at action stations and told him to get to the bridge. “It’s your watch.” january/february 2015 LEgion MagazinE

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PHOTO: COURTESY SEAN E. LIVINGSTON, www.hmcsoakvillebook.com

The crew of HMCS Oakville, Halifax, 1942.

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CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE / BY TERRY COPP

PART

ARMY

FEATURES

116

NOWHERE TO HIDE:

A sign marks the location of Kitcheners Wood, site of the April 1915 battle.

Chaos and death ensued after the Germans released tons of chlorine gas in the Ypres Salient, April 1915. Gaps appeared in the front line and plans were made to plug them, but men were caught in the open and the list of casualties grew.

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hortly after midnight on April 22, 1915, Major Garnet Hughes made his way back to Mouse Trap Farm where Brigadier Richard Turner waited for news. Hughes, the son of Minister of Militia Sam Hughes, had gone forward to brief the two battalions ordered to attack Kitcheners Wood, in support of a promised French counterattack. Hughes reported that the 10th and 16th battalions had reached the woods and the hastily organized operation appeared to be successful. There was, however, no sign of the French Army. Less than eight hours had passed since the Germans transformed warfare on the Western Front, releasing tons of chlorine gas and routing the forces that had been defending the northern half of the Ypres Salient. The exposed flank, running north of the YpresPoelcappelle road, was defended by small groups of Canadian soldiers, but there was no continuous line. Lieutenant-General Edwin Alderson, the Canadian

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PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA004564

CHAOS IN THE YPRES SALIENT

divisional commander, and the corps commander, Lt.-Gen. Herbert Plumer, were assembling reserves to help plug the gaps. Alderson informed Turner that two battalions from 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade were on their way to his headquarters. A composite British brigade soon to be known as Geddes Force would fill in between the Canadians and the French who had withdrawn west of the Yser Canal. By the time Lieutenant-Colonel David Watson and his 2nd Bn. arrived, the news from Kitcheners Wood was much less optimistic and Turner sent the battalion forward to provide support and capture a German strongpoint that was harassing the Canadians with enfilade fire. Watson, a Quebec City newspaper publisher and militia officer, was a friend and political crony of Sam Hughes. This relationship, which undoubtedly led to Watson’s appointment, has obscured the reality that Watson was a success as a battalion, brigade, and eventually commander of 4th Division in the last two years of the war. His

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Minister of Militia Sir Sam Hughes (left), his son Garnet (centre) and Sir Sam's brother St-Pierre, France, 1916.

together to consider the situation on the morning of April 23, they might have found a better way of preparing for the next enemy onslaught. No such meeting took place and a series of unco-ordinated decisions compounded the unfolding disaster. Sir John French, the British commander, met with General Ferdinand Foch, who according to the British official history “assured him that it was his [Foch’s] intention to make good the original line and regain the trenches lost by the 45th Algerian and 87th French Territorial divisions. For this purpose he had ordered up large reinforcements. The British Commander-inChief agreed to co-operate in any counterattack, but stipulated that if the positions were not re-established within a limited time he should be free to withdraw his troops from their exposed and dangerous situation…” The British commander, therefore, knew that while the French planned to mount a major operation, it could not take place for several days. He ordered the army commander, Gen. Horace Smith-Dorrien, “to assist the French

Soldiers nestle in a shallow trench near St. Julien, Belgium.

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PHOTOS: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA000698; CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM—19800833

PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA004564

military background was modest, but at age 45 he retained the fitness of an accomplished athlete and the self-confidence of a successful, self-made man. Watson needed all his leadership skills to transform the 2nd Bn. from a quarrelling group of volunteers, drawn from 17 Eastern Ontario militia regiments, plus detachments from the Mississauga Horse and Soo Rifles, into a disciplined battalion. He decided to use one company to attack the strongpoint while the rest of the battalion established a blocking position to the west. A hastily organized attack without artillery support would only succeed under cover of darkness. However, the men were still moving forward as dawn broke, and they were caught in the open, breaking under the onslaught of enemy machine-gun fire. The rest of the battalion secured Oblong Farm and dug in, but it was now evident that there was no one occupying the flank to their left. Geddes Force was still well back. The 3rd Canadian Bn., drawn from the Queen’s Own Rifles and Royal Grenadiers of Toronto, was deployed along the eastern edge of Kitcheners Wood towards St. Julien, though they too found a gap on their flank. Lt.-Col. Robert Rennie, a 52-year-old-militia veteran and heir to the William Rennie Seed Company, worked easily with his fellow officers, but neither he nor they had any significant military experience. The lessons learned since arriving at the front ensured that everyone was well dug in, but the ground—flat, featureless, and overlooked by the enemy—could not be easily defended if the Germans attacked in strength. To the east, the situation was equally bleak. The 7th British Columbia Bn., from Arthur Currie’s 2nd Bde., had moved three companies to Keerselaere, closing the gap between the Black Watch and the St. Julien garrison, but the 7th—like the Black Watch and the 48th Highlanders— were occupying ground at the apex of the salient under fire from three sides. As one officer noted: “What trenches existed were just a pretence…the whole thing was just a graveyard.” If all the responsible senior commanders had met

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“What trenches existed were just a pretence…the whole thing

PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA168103

was just a graveyard.” and ensure that no further ground was lost,” but left the question of how to accomplish this to Smith-Dorrien. The army commander in turn failed to offer operational advice, allowing Plumer and Alderson to improvise plans that simply wasted precious lives. Plumer and Alderson had met briefly at a midnight conference when it was still posLieutenant-General Edwin Alderson sible to believe that the 45th Algerian Div. was capable of offensive action. They decided to order Brig. Malcolm Mercer’s remaining battalions, the 1st (Western Ontario) and 4th (Central Ontario), to support an attack by two Algerian battalions to regain Mauser Ridge. After the fiasco at Kitcheners Wood, these orders ought to have been cancelled because by morning there was ample evidence that the Algerians were not ready to advance. To further complicate matters, Geddes Force, moving into the same area, was not informed about the planned attack or even the presence of the Canadians. The 4th Bn. was commanded by a 38-year old British officer. The author of a widely-distributed pamphlet, The Rapid Training of a Company for War, Captain A.P. Birchall was an instructor in the Canadian Militia before his promotion to serve as commanding officer of 4th Bn. Birchall’s pamphlet emphasized the importance of artillery support and the necessity of fire and movement in properly supported rushes of 10 to 30 yards. No such methods would be employed on the morning of April 23. The only artillery available, a single battery of the 1st Canadian Field Artillery, was on the far side of the canal. While Mauser Ridge was in range, the guns, with perhaps 200 rounds of shrapnel shells, firing at a target which could not be clearly identified, were of little consequence. An advance under cover of darkness seemed to be the only option. Lt.-Col. F.W. Hill, commanding the 1st Bn., formed his unit up behind and to the right of Birchall’s men, waiting for 5 a.m., when the French advance was supposed to begin. The men lay in the open fields for more than an hour. They were 1,500 yards from their objective and there was

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little time left before sunrise would illuminate the battlefield. Birchall decided he couldn’t wait. The 4th Bn. fixed bayonets and moved out, covering the first 500 yards without incident. As dawn broke they came under intense aimed fire and were pinned down in the fields. Birchall asked Hill to bring 1st Bn. forward and requested artillery support. It was now evident that there were no French troops in the area so divisional headquarters ordered Birchall to extend his line to the canal, more than a kilometre away. “We have reached a point 450 yards from the German trenches,” he replied. “All my companies are up in line and I cannot move them to the flank in daylight.” Hill was equally unwilling to attempt such a dangerous manoeuvre, but he placed his reserve company to face the flank. Fortunately, the enemy made no attempt to exploit the gap and by afternoon Geddes Force was in position under orders to seize Mauser Ridge. French battalions were also ready to join in but the attacks were not coordinated. The Canadians supported the British troops, overrunning the forward German line before suffering casualties and being forced to withdraw. Birchall was among the casualties, killed while leading his men. The two Canadian battalions suffered 855 casualties, close to 50 per cent of their rifle strength. More than 600 of these were wounded and heroic efforts were required to evacuate them from the battlefield. Both Canadian battalions established their Regimental Aid Posts (RAP) at a farmhouse east of the canal. The walking wounded and those on stretchers were brought to the RAP for first aid but the area was under German artillery fire. At 10 a.m., two medical officers from 1st Field Ambulance, with wagons and 100 men, braved the shellfire, crossing the canal on a pontoon bridge to set up a Collecting Post (CP) at the farmhouse. After basic triage the seriously wounded were stabilized, loaded on the horse-drawn wagons and taken across the canal to safety. As the battle raged and hundreds of additional wounded men arrived, the farmhouse suffered direct hits, including tear gas shells. Captain E.L. Stone moved the CP to the west side of the canal, working his teams forward from this more secure position. Colonel J.G. Adami, whose book, The War Story of the C.A.M.C. (Canadian Army Medical Corps) 1914-1915, offers a narrative of the medical corps at Second Ypres, described Stone’s efforts. “By dusk the wounded ceased to come in and now he heard of a large farm half a mile beyond…he found it full of wounded, with no medical officer… Capt. Stone made this farm his next Collecting Post.” He and his men “were too busy to do any dressings. There was no time to take notes and make records. They were fully occupied in looking after the creature comforts of the wounded, tagging them and sending them on.” At the apex of the salient, the enemy, surprised and frustrated by the continued defence of the area, was targeting the shallow trenches, waiting for the wind to shift so that gas could again be used.

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AIR FORCE

CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE / BY HUGH A. HALLIDAY

PART

FEATURES

67

An Avro Lincoln, as it would have been flown by Tiger Force.

TIGER IN WAITING I

n preparation for Royal Canadian Air Force participation in the 1945-46 air campaign against Japan, a number of Canadian officers were passing in and out of American units, ostensibly on liaison or observer duties. Precisely how they did so outside the continental United States is uncertain, but at least one—probably more—took their job description to the limit. In 1945, Group Captain Henry M. Carscallen, DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross), was commuting regularly between Ottawa and Washington, D.C., on staff duties. He was a veteran of Bomber Command operations, having commanded both a squadron and a station in No. 6 Group. Late in June 1945, Carscallen was dispatched to the Pacific. A memo dated July 5, 1945, stated he had been

“placed on temporary duty with Headquarters, Deputy Commander, Twentieth Air Force, in an observer status with the mission of familiarization with operations of V.L.R. (Very Long Range) aircraft against Japan.” We would know very little about his work there if it were not for a letter dated Sept. 10, 1947, by Brigadier General George W. Mundy of the United States Air Force. “Group Captain H.M. Carscallen spent approximately one month (July-August 1945) at North Field Guam as an observer of V.L.R. operations with the 39th Bomb Group V.H.B. (Very Heavy Bomber) which I commanded,” Mundy wrote. “In this capacity he didn’t limit his observations to ground activities alone, but voluntarily flew operational missions in order to gain first-hand information on the tactics of long-range bombardment.” Carscallen almost certainly was the last RCAF officer JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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PHOTO: COURTESY HUGH A. HALLIDAY

It was called Tiger Force, but the Second World War ended before this new strategic bombing formation could roar off into the Pacific. Canadians—in the air and on the ground—were among the thousands of Commonwealth personnel who volunteered to serve against Japan.

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tious, but where was it going to be based? The Pacific’s Mariana Islands were practically sinking under the weight of American concrete and their airfields were already jammed to capacity. It was suggested that the Miyako Islands, further to the west—bordering the East China Sea—might be used by Tiger Force, but they would have to be captured first. Tiger Force had another problem. It had to take into account the endurance of its aircraft in a theatre every bit as vast as Europe and with a lot more water. Other than air-to-air refuelling, efforts to extend the Lancaster’s range included removal of the midupper turret and fitting huge “saddle tanks” on top of the fuselage—as awkward a solution as one can imagine. Initial deployment of Tiger Force Lancasters was scheduled for November 1945, with Lincoln replacements beginning to arrive in January 1946. In truth, the Americans regarded the final fight with Japan as pretty much their personal affair. From the logistical standpoint, an RAF presence was more a nuisance than a help. Nevertheless, in June 1945 they offered space on newly captured Okinawa Island for British and Commonwealth bases, which would ease the problems of aircraft range. However, the RAF, RCAF and Royal Australian Air Force would have to build their own airfields, although airfield protection, including anti-aircraft guns, would be provided by U.S. forces. The United States Army Air Force also volunteered to provide fighter cover for Tiger Force, which allowed some reduction in its size. Even so, the realities of manpower, long supply lines and geography were forcing the British to cut the force further. As of May 1945 it looked as though the RCAF portion would be eight bomber squadrons, three long-range transport squadrons and one air-sea rescue outfit. Not all would be deployed at once. The most immediate problem was airfield construction, and the RAF looked to Canada to provide 2,500 airfield engineers, out of a total of 15,000 needed. By mid-June the RCAF had canvassed 6,600 such men

ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTO: COURTESY HUGH A. HALLIDAY; DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, PL-15470

to fly a bombing mission during the war. On Aug. 14, 1945—the day Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender—752 B-29s attacked seven different targets. Carscallen was on the raid to Isezaki which involved 86 Superfortresses dropping incendiaries. Whether he was piloting a B-29 or merely “observing” is not known. These activities were different in concept and status from Tiger Force, which was planned as the Royal Air Force’s return to strategic bombing in the Pacific with significant contributions from Commonwealth countries. The third volume of the official RCAF history, The Crucible of War, devotes 19 pages to this, in large measure because of the political evolution of a formation that started out as a big idea and actually shrank with every month that it lasted. When Tiger Force was first discussed in January 1944, the final campaigns against Japan were expected to last well into 1946. The Canadian government was prepared to contribute, but the scale of the effort was uncertain. Air Minister Charles Gavin “Chubby” Power considered 60 to 70 squadrons. He looked on the project as a means of creating a truly national Canadian air force which had been envisaged in the 1939 British Commonwealth Air Training Plan agreements, yet barely achieved when “Canadianization” of the RCAF units abroad proceeded at a snail’s pace. Prime Minister Mackenzie King was dubious about the enterprise. His realistic view was that whatever Canada did, it would get little credit from either the Americans or the British. Moreover, King was reluctant to help Britain in recovering her colonies. He urged that Canadian air efforts be in the north Pacific—well clear of India or Malaya. The British were not happy with this, but they wanted to demonstrate to the Americans that they could pull their weight against Japan. As of August 1944, the British suggested 40 heavy bomber squadrons (Lancasters) but half of these were to be aerial tankers, refuelling the other half until Avro Lincolns replaced the Lancs. It was further proposed that 18 of the tanker and bomber units be Canadian, plus 14 fighter squadrons, 10 transport squadrons, one or two air-sea rescue units and perhaps one air observation post squadron. King was prepared to balk at such a large commitment, but it was not long before the British themselves had to rethink the plan. Tiger Force was going to be very ambi-

From top: A sketch shows how “saddle tanks” would have been fitted on top of a Lancaster’s fuselage; Henry M. Carscallen, England, 1942.

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The RCAF interviewed 103,402 men and women and only 21.5 per cent stepped forward for Tiger Force.

PHOTOS: COURTESY HUGH A. HALLIDAY

From top: A Lancaster from No. 428 Squadron at Yarmouth, N.S., after returning from service in Europe; C.R. Slemon, the commander-designate of the RCAF part of Tiger Force.

and garnered only 335 volunteers. The aircrew situation was not much better. Although hundreds of men were willing to take part in second-phase operations of the war, thousands with previous overseas service were anxious to be demobilized, having “done their bit.” The RCAF interviewed 103,402 men and women and only 21.5 per cent stepped forward for Tiger Force. Indeed, the only group that volunteered in disproportionate numbers were members of the Women’s Division. Meanwhile, with the cessation of hostilities in Europe, RCAF bomber squadrons were busy flying former prisoners of war from the Continent to Britain. This was followed by several weeks of intense training. The most obvious need was to convert Halifax crews to Lancasters, and there was much attention given at this time to navigation over long stretches of water. More and more it became clear that finding, training and dispatching aircraft and men for Tiger Force operations were going to be huge challenges. Between May 31 and June 18, 1945, the RCAF repatriated eight bomber squadrons from Europe, flying to the Azores, then Gander, Nfld., and finally their designated Canadian bases. The transfer of units to Canada was not without incident. A total of 165 Lancasters were dispatched and 164 made the crossing. On June 4, 1945, Lancaster KB764 of No. 428 Squadron departed St. Mawgan, England, bound for Lagens in the Azores. While flying through cumulus cloud, both port engines began to run erratically. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Elihu Paul Acree, suspected icing and applied hot air, which had the desired effect on the inner port engine. Half an hour later, the port outer engine again lost power and was eventually shut down. Soon after the port inner engine became erratic. As Acree approached Lagens, with at least 1,816 litres of fuel still aboard, the port inner engine cut entirely. Power was completely asymmetric and the bomber quickly swung out of control. The aircraft cleared the cliffs, but crashed approximately three kilometres out to sea. The port wing struck first and broke off, as did the tail. “No trouble was experienced in leaving the aircraft,” wrote Acree. Another unfortunate incident occurred June 15 in the

Azores when one bomber, taxiing for takeoff, ran into another. Both Lancs were damaged and Flight Sergeant W. Halloway, a rear gunner, was killed. As the Lancasters reached Canada they were met by VIPs, bands and enthusiastic crowds. Veteran machines adorned with risqué cartoons and bombs recording dozens of sorties attracted special attention. Before training for the Pacific, air personnel were granted a month’s leave. The training was expected to last approximately six weeks, after which they would be posted back to Britain—roughly two squadrons at a time—to undergo conversion to Lincolns. Given these moves back and forth across the Atlantic, it was expected that the first two RCAF Tiger Force squadrons would be operational in the Pacific no earlier than January 1946. Personnel began trickling back from leave at the end of July, but their units were still being reorganized. Station Yarmouth, home to the intended No. 661 Wing, was still furnishing the quarters of the force in early August, and the training that commenced on the 8th consisted of preliminary lectures; there was still no flying practice. Abruptly, two atomic bombs, the Russian invasion of Manchuria and the Japanese capitulation ended it all. On Aug. 15, 1945, Air Vice-Marshal C.R. Slemon, the designated leader of the RCAF component, reported to his headquarters in Greenwood, N.S., thanked the men for having volunteered, and wished them well. He then commenced a round of similar visits to Debert, Dartmouth and Yarmouth. Slemon was in an anomalous position—the commander of a force which he had not actually commanded, saying farewell to personnel with whom he had not really been associated, except for No. 6 Group overseas. His was probably the shortest command experience in the RCAF. The four wings that had constituted the formation were disbanded on Sept. 5. Tiger Force ended not with a roar, but a whimper. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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Part 42: Second World War

maritime neighbours in the Carleton and York Regt. would land on the right on Green Beach and then swing south By John Boileau through Reggio to capture the airfield. Battle Honours: 1 Landing at Reggio 2 Salerno 3 Potenza The Royal 22e Régt. (the Van Doos) Dates: 1 Sept. 3 2 Sept. 9-16 3 Sept. 19-20 would land shortly afterwards, folLocation: (1, 2 & 3) southern Italy lowed by Brig. Howard Graham’s 1st Units awarded: 1 Royal Canadian Regiment, Royal 22e Régt., Bde., which would pass through the Hastings & Prince Edward Regt., 1st Battalion Royal New 3rd, followed by Brig. Chris Vokes’s 2nd Brunswick Regt. (Carleton & York), West Nova Scotia Regt., 48th Bde. next taking the lead. A short disHighlanders of Canada, 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards tance inland from the coast was rough, 2 417, 420, 424, 425 Squadrons 3 Royal 22e Régt., mountainous terrain with few roads. West Nova Scotia Regt. At 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 3, a fleet of several landing craft cast off from the Sicilian shore, carrying the assault troops to the beaches 11 kilometres away. Two hours later as an artilThe Allied campaign in Sicily ended on the morning lery and naval barrage fell on the mainland, Canadian of Aug. 17, 1943, 10 days after Canadian troops soldiers splashed ashore, the first Allied troops to return had been pulled out of the line for a bit of rest permanently to continental Europe. For the first time and recreation. Based on its performance on the some of them had been carried by the Royal Canadian island, General Bernard Montgomery, commanding Navy—several landing craft (mechanized) of the 80th Eighth Army, had selected 1st Canadian Division Flotilla—with others in various Royal Navy landing craft. to spearhead the Allie assault on mainland Italy. Meanwhile, events had been moving swiftly on the Two separate invasions followed, both within a 290political side. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini had kilometre radius of northeastern Sicily to ensure probeen removed from power on July 25—partly as a tection by Allied air power. Baytown, a British crossing result of the invasion of Sicily—and the new Italian of the Strait of Messina, was assigned to Montgomery, government surrendered on Sept. 3, although it was while Avalanche, an Anglo-American landing at Salerno not announced until Sept. 8. The Germans immediately Bay south of Naples, was allocated to the new U.S. seized control of Italy and established a main defensive Fifth Army under Lieutenant-General Mark Clark. line across the narrow, mountainous central part of Lt.-Gen. Miles Dempsey, commanding XIII Corps, the Italian peninsula, farther north of the landings. decided to cross the Strait of Messina with two As a result the invasion was unopposed, which was a divisions leading. Fifth British Div. on the left would good thing as the massive bombardment had obscured assault with two brigades, while 1st Canadian Div. the shoreline, causing the two Canadian battalions to land on the right attacked with one. The British were to widely dispersed. For the West Novas, only one of two capture Villa San Giovanni and then follow the coastal assault companies landed on the right beach, with the highway north; the Canadians would capture Reggio other scattered north and south of its intended objective. di Calabria and its airfield, and then drive inland. At 5:26 that morning the Canadian sector was secure. The landing beaches were between the two towns. After the Carleton and Yorks occupied Reggio, they First Canadian Div. commander Major-General seized the airfield and sent a two-platoon flying patrol Guy Simonds ordered Brigadier Howard Penhale’s 3rd down the coastal road to the south. At the same time, Brigade to lead the Canadian assault. Within 3rd Bde. the West Novas took the now-unmanned coastal battery the West Nova Scotia Regt. would land on the left on on Point 305. The Van Doos followed at 7 a.m. and imAmber Beach and then head inland for Point 305, which mediately headed into the mountains along the road to held an Italian coastal howitzer battery, while their

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FEATURES

From top: A painting depicts a No. 425 Squadron pilot on takeoff from an African base in September 1943; Canadians near Potenza, Italy, Sept. 20, 1943. San Stefano. Hundreds of Italians happily surrendered en masse to the three battalions and were sent to the beaches unescorted. The ease with which the landing and initial advance took place necessitated a change in plans. Third Bde. led the advance for a while longer and took the objectives originally assigned to 1st Bde. before 1st Bde. then passed through and assumed the lead. When that happened, Toronto’s 48th Highlanders snaked up into the mountains, followed closely by the Hastings and Prince Edward Regt. before stopping for the night at 2 a.m. some eight kilometres inland. For their part in seizing the tip of the Italian toe, all six infantry battalions of the assault (3rd) and reserve (1st) brigades were awarded the battle honour Landing at Reggio. Additionally, the division’s reconnaissance regiment, 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, also received it. First Div. continued to make its way slowly inland, its progress hampered by narrow, winding roads on which the retreating Germans had blown all major bridges through the mountainous terrain. Action was limited to the odd encounter with small pockets of diehard Italian Fascists. Italian resistance ended with the announcement of the country’s surrender on Sept. 8, followed by large numbers of Italian soldiers surrendering en masse. The next day the second Allied blow landed; the amphibious assault at Salerno, farther to the north. Although no Canadian ground troops were involved there, the Royal Canadian Air Force provided fighter and bomber support. No. 417 Sqdn. Spitfires provided escort duties for fighter-bombers and bombers, while the three Wellington bomber squadrons of 331 Wing initially concentrated on railway yards and airfields, before moving on to steelworks and roads in the days before the Salerno landings. Once these occurred, the

wing turned to tactical bombing behind the beachhead to blunt any potential German counterattacks. On the night of Sept. 14-15, the wing made a major contribution to the fighting on the ground when it participated in the bombing of a strong German counterattack and stopped the enemy. Other bombing missions followed until the front was stabilized and the German counterattack threat removed. The three squadrons of No. 331 Wing—420, 424, 425—as well as 417 Sqdn. received the battle honour Salerno for their part in supporting the Allied landings. To the south, the advance continued in haphazard fashion along the limited roads available. By Sept. 17, the Canadians were less than 200 kilometres from Potenza, an important road and rail centre that Eighth Army had named as its prime objective for the next phase. The capture of the town was assigned to 1st Div. Simonds created a flying column based on the West Nova Scotia Regt. and named it “Boforce” after its commander, Lt.-Col. Pat Bogert. Tanks from the Calgary Regt., plus artillery, machine guns and engineers rounded out the force. Boforce set off in the early afternoon of Sept. 17 on its 60-hour dash to Potenza, which it reached by nightfall two days later. Despite having to overcome blown bridges, the Canadians’ speed surprised the small German delaying force. Potenza, a town of some 30,000 inhabitants was perched on the top of an 825-metre hill, overlooking a dry riverbed. Unsure whether it was occupied or not, Bogert waited until after dark before sending three companies of West Novas into Potenza. As it turned out, the town was defended by 100 well-equipped paratroopers from 3rd Parachute Regt. and a fierce firefight soon ensued. By next morning it was obvious the Nova Scotians needed help. As it was impossible to tell where Canadian and German soldiers were among the buildings, artillery support was out of the question. Penhale, watching from across the valley, sent the Van Doos to outflank Potenza to the east, while Bogert’s engineers cleared the approaches to the town so Calgary Regt. tanks could get forward. By the time they entered the town, the enemy had fled. The Van Doos and the West Novas received the battle honour Potenza for their actions there.

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ILLUSTRATION AND PHOTO: FLIGHT-LIEUTENANT PAUL GORANSON, BEAVERBROOK COLLECTION OF WAR ART, CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM—19710261-3804; LIEUTENANT ALEXANDER STIRTON, DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA116851

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FEATURES NEWS

Whitehorse Branch KEEPS THE HOME FIRES BURNING Story and photography by Tom MacGregor

Keeping alive the spirit of the pioneers who first came to Yukon and settled is important to the members of Whitehorse Branch of The Royal Canadian Legion. That’s one of the reasons the branch has become involved in restoring the long neglected Pioneer Cemetery. “To tell the truth, people were using it as a dog run,” said Red Grossinger, a former president of the branch and one of the more active volunteers. The Pioneer Cemetery, on 6th Avenue in downtown Whitehorse, dates back to 1900 but was closed in 1965. A dispute over jurisdiction between the territory and municipality left the cemetery neglected for years. When the city finally took it over in the 1970s many of the wooden crosses in the cemetery were discarded in an attempt to clean up the field where about 800 of the first residents are buried. Records had been poorly kept and then the site was disturbed by a landslide. “Everything shifted under the headstones. We don’t know who is buried where now,” said Grossinger. The branch is working with the Yukon Order of the

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Whitehorse Branch President Darcy Grossinger (centre) is joined by former presidents Red Grossinger (left) and David Laxton in front of the branch. Opposite page: A bust of writer Jack London recalls Yukon’s gold rush.

Pioneers, a fraternal organization which originally brought order to the prospectors in the absence of a police force. The intention is not to dig up the graves and identify the bodies, but to turn the area into a nice park. “It has to be respectful of the pioneers who first came here,” said Grossinger. It is one of many projects taken on by the branch. It is the only Legion branch in the city of 27,000. “We are the only branch in Yukon big enough to look after the things that normally involve the Legion,” said former president David Laxton, who is also Speaker of the Yukon Legislature. “There are about 250 veterans in the Yukon, including the RCMP. Only a few are Second World War veterans,” said Laxton. Yukon provided an outstanding number of recruits for its population during the First World War. Laxton said it stands to reason, the territory was full of itinerate prospectors and other workers. The gold rush was over and the economy wasn’t doing well in 1914. “A lot of the First World War veterans were from Britain and Europe and the patriotism was very strong in Yukon,” said Laxton.

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Commissioner George Black, the Ottawa-appointed manager of the territory, raised a contingent of Yukon volunteers and served with them at the front from 1917 to 1918. All the while he retained the position of commissioner. More famously, mining tycoon Joe Boyle of Dawson City used his own money to raise a contingent of 35 men and equipped them with machine guns. Whitehorse, which gets its name from its formidable rapids on the Yukon River said to look like the manes of white horses, also saw a surge of activity in the Second World War when the United States Army arrived to build the Alaska Highway. Thousands of troops poured into the territory to build a secure route for transporting troops and goods between Alaska to the United States mainland. The city became the capital of Yukon in 1953. Dawson City, 530 kilometres to the north, was the original capital but it had been in slow decline ever since the gold rush ended. Whitehorse, meanwhile, had flourished during the war and was still a transportation hub for the territory. Whitehorse Branch dates back to at least 1935. There is a charter hanging on the wall which is dated 1957 but that was issued to the existing branch when it became affiliated with Pacific Command, now known as British Columbia/ Yukon Command. Red Grossinger remembers the branch having a small log building in the 1960s. The branch moved a number times before moving into the present location on Steele Avenue. “This used to be an old house. We originally bought it as an investment but then we decided to move in,” said Laxton. “We really expanded it and pushed it out toward the street.” Now the branch lounge is the upstairs portion where it displays its memorabilia, including plaques from HMCS Whitehorse and HMCS Yukon. The lower level has a boardroom and offices which bring in some rent. At back is a patio where in summer it is not unusual for President Darcy Grossinger, Red Grossinger’s son, to be barbecuing steaks for the branch’s popular Friday night supper. “We have a membership of about 400. Although a lot of our members live in a warmer climate,” said Darcy Grossinger. The branch finds itself in the centre of community activities. On Canada Day, it organizes a parade and runs a beer garden. “Canada Day is very big. About 5,000 people participate. The parade runs two and half kilometres and there is a crowd all the way,” said Darcy Grossinger. Another big event is the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous in February. “It’s basically a celebration to get over the cabin fever in winter,” said Darcy. The winter carnival celebrates the legacy of the longtime residents of Yukon, often called sourdoughs, with a flour-packing competition, axe-tossing, the chainsaw chuck, dogsled races and cancan dancers. Among the attractions are the Whitehorse Legion’s Musical Ride where members wrap papier mâché horses around themselves and do a light-hearted parody of the RCMP Musical Ride

We are the only branch in Yukon big enough to look after the things that normally involve the Legion. and the Whitehorse Legion’s Whistling Pigmies where men with substantial bellies draw faces on their stomachs and try to make them “lip-sync” to music. Another project on the horizon is the Vimy Heritage Housing Society. Although the project is still in the planning stage with other not-for-profit groups, a committee has been formed that hopes to see about 85 low-rental units for seniors. “We basically borrowed the idea from [British Columbia’s] New Chelsea Society. There was no sense in reinventing the wheel,” said Red Grossinger. In 2005, the branch undertook its own campaign to bolster the morale of Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan. “A lot of people were coming in and asking about the We Support Our Troops ribbons; we wanted to do our own thing,” said Darcy. The branch suggested making gift packages to send to troops serving in Afghanistan. Darcy, a former member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, served with the first contingent of Canadian Armed Forces in Kabul. “I’ve served overseas at Christmastime and I know how well Operation Santa Claus is received,” he said. However, there was a problem. “You can’t just send a package off to the troops the way you can send a letter. We had to have a name,” said Darcy. “But due to operational security, you can’t get a name.” So the branch did its own searching to find anyone currently serving overseas who was from Yukon or had a Yukon connection. Red Grossinger had to make a tough decision when he was president. “I got a call from the military saying they couldn’t deliver one parcel because the recipient had just been killed. It was one of Darcy’s closest friends.” Sergeant John Faught, 44, also of the PPCLI was killed by an improvised explosive device in Kandahar on Jan. 16, 2010. “They wanted to know what they should do with the package,” said Red. “I said, ‘Just give it to any soldier.’” Supporting the troops, past and present, continues to keep the branch busy throughout the long Yukon winter.

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Carrying On IN DAWSON CITY

Story and photography by Tom MacGregor

Relaxing on the veranda of Dawson City Branch are members (from left) Chris Collin, Myrna Butterworth, President Diane Baumgartner and John Mitchell.

News from the outside world wasn’t always easy to get in Dawson City in the 1910s. In the summer of 1914, little attention had been paid to the growing tensions in far-off Europe. On Aug. 5, Yukon Commissioner George Black and his wife Martha were attending a show at the Auditorium Theatre when he received an urgent telegram. After reading it quickly he went to the stage and read aloud his message from the undersecretary of state in Ottawa informing him that Britain had declared war on Germany. After a brief silence, a couple of members of the Northwest Mounted Police rose to their feet and began singing God Save The King. The rest of the room joined in, followed by Rule Britannia and other patriotic songs. That scene was recreated in August to mark the centennial of the beginning of the First World War. The Auditorium Theatre is now known as the Palace Grand Theatre and the current commissioner, Doug Phillips, read the telegram. The re-enactment was co-ordinated by organizer Max Fraser, the Yukon Historical and Museums Association, Parks Canada, Klondike National Historic Sites and Dawson City Branch of The Royal Canadian Legion.

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“A lot of us were in period costume and we had RCMP and others there,” said Dawson City Branch President Diane Baumgartner. Dawson City Branch is one of only two Legion branches left in the Yukon. With a membership of just over 30, and no licensed lounge to generate revenue, the members stick together ensuring that there is a poppy campaign every year and other events in the community. Not having a bar does not mean the branch does not have an attractive home. The branch has its own building beside a post office in the main section of Dawson City. It was opened up in September one afternoon where Baumgartner, executive members Chris Collin, John Mitchell and Myrna Butterworth and Mayor Wayne Potoroka gathered to show Legion Magazine its artifacts. The walls are lined with photographs from Dawson City’s heyday following the discovery of gold in 1896. The town on the Yukon River at the mouth of the Klondike River swelled to a city of 30,000 in 1898 and was the largest city north of Seattle. “They were mostly Americans but we had the NWMP,” said Collin. “There was no claim jumping or gunfights.”

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Now down to a population of about 2,000, the town of the City of Dawson, as it is officially designated, retains its historic look with many businesses preserving facades from the gold rush era. The streets are not paved and board sidewalks keep visitors out of the mud. In the summer that era is recalled as Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall operates a casino and puts on three shows a night featuring music and dancing girls. The literary side of Dawson City is preserved in the Robert Service Cabin, where the poet lived after his first success. Just down the street is the Jack London Museum which preserves the memory of the American writer’s time in the Klondike, including a recreation of the cabin he lived in on Henderson Creek. The Berton House, where a young Pierre Berton lived for 12 years is also preserved and now acts as a writers’ retreat operated by the Writers’ Trust of Canada. The town was still a going concern when the First World War broke out. It is believed that approximately 620 men from the region signed up and served overseas. The government issued special permits which would protect the land claims while the men were away. The Legion branch has its origins in the War Veterans Dawson Club which became a branch of the Great War Veterans Association (GWVA) in 1918 with a ladies auxiliary added that same year. According to a brief history put together by member John Gould, the branch moved into the Kenwood Hotel in 1919 where there was room to seat 80 and an office. Then in 1927 the branch agreed to join the newly formed Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League. The branch moved several times until taking residence in the current wood-frame building which was constructed by the city as an office for the 1996 centennial of the first gold strike and then the gold rush in 1898. Having served its original purpose, the building was empty, so the city agreed to lease it to the branch. The building has one room but it is large enough to host a reception after the Remembrance Day service, usually held in a local auditorium. “There are not many military people here,” said member Collin. “There are some RCMP and we are very close with the Canadian Rangers.” There are 39 rangers in the Dawson Patrol. “The rangers are a dynamic part of the community,” said Mitchell. The branch gives the rangers a place to meet and to store their equipment and memorabilia. On top of their duties in search and rescue and defending Canada’s sovereignty, the patrol is responsible for a unit of junior rangers which is also supported by the branch. Mitchell said there are 25 junior rangers. “I’m just back from taking 20 kids into the woods for four days to learn bush skills,” he said. The branch is also very supportive of the local food bank,

Above: Dawson City Branch leases its building from the town. Left: A photo of mining tycoon Joe Boyle in military uniform is part of the branch’s memorabilia.

Meals on Wheels and the Alexander McDonald Home for Seniors. “People think of the Legion as a place to go on Friday night. We are more of a charitable organization,” said Baumgartner. “At one point we almost gave up on the Legion but we gave it a good look and decided to carry on.” “We had a [liquor] licence for one year but we couldn’t get volunteers to work the bar on a regular basis,” explained Butterworth. Mayor Potoroka, who is also a member, said, “We wanted to make sure Remembrance Day ceremonies took place and be sure that there was a poppy campaign. There is a lot that is done quietly with the poppy fund. We find that we are helping individuals who are having difficulty a lot more than we used to.” The branch also keeps an eye on the cenotaph in the Victory Garden that was unveiled in 1925 in an impressive ceremony attended by 150 schoolchildren and members of the GWVA and the Independent Order of the Daughters of the Empire. Two captured German Krupp guns flank the cenotaph. The Dawson City Volunteer Firefighter Association recently upgraded the monument with donations from a local trucking company and landscaping firm at no cost to the town or Legion. The branch recently replaced the flags and bought one commemorative bench. “We’ll be buying another bench this spring for a matched set,” said Baumgartner. While there was much construction around the Victory Garden this summer as a new seniors extended care facility is being built which will have a fresh air veranda stretching the length of the building and looking out at the Victory Garden. It is a peaceful setting to remember the sacrifices that followed the news that fateful night in 1914. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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NEWS

Kites Pay Tribute To Fallen Soldiers by Ellen O’Connor

PHOTO: CATHY HOLLIS

It was a day of high-flying fun and remembrance in Ajax, Ont., as an array of brightly coloured kites soared through the sky over Rotary Park to pay tribute to veterans who served in Afghanistan. The warm sun and breeze off Lake Ontario made for perfect kite-flying conditions for the event, which took place Aug. 28. As Legion, family and community members watched, children from the town’s Summer Blowout Camp expressed their thanks to Canada’s servicemen and women by flying kites, some store-bought and others crafted from paper bags and streamers. The initial idea for the aerial tribute came from Ajax resident and retired schoolteacher Cathy Hollis, who had a certain Canadian veteran in mind. “I remember reading about Master Corporal Byron Greff’s death in the Toronto Star,” explained Hollis, a member of Ajax Branch. “He had made a comment to his mom saying, ‘When I look out in Afghanistan and see the children flying kites, I know they feel safe and that we made a difference,’ because the Taliban prohibited kite flying.” Greff, the last Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan, was killed in a suicide bomb attack aboard an armoured bus as he was crossing Kabul on Oct. 29, 2011. Greff, 28, left behind his wife Lindsay, his six-year-old son Kellar, and newborn baby, Brielle. After reading the story in 2011, Greff’s story stuck with Hollis. “You can imagine how I felt when I opened Legion Magazine and read the article on Byron Greff’s death,” said Hollis (Byron Greff’s Wedding Ring, September/October). “I saw that Lindsay is still hurting very much and thought it was important her children know their dad made a difference.” It was during her daily morning run through Veteran’s Point Gardens along the Ajax waterfront that she was struck with the idea. Hollis

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contacted town councillor and fellow Legion member, Pat Brown, and community recreation co-ordinator for Ajax, Amanda Bedwell, and the tribute began to take to the sky. First Vice-President of Ajax Branch Dave Wylie and President of the Toronto Kite Fliers Walter Corsetti

fuchsia, yellow and lime green that highlighted the phrase, “Freedom is the kite’s response to the wind.” The decorated kites were mailed to Byron’s mother, Candy Greff, who lives in Lacombe, Alta., and who greatly appreciated the tribute. Another work of art was also created to remember the day. Ajax artist and veteran Patrick Waite created a painting called Freedom Fields that depicts a young veteran handing a kite with a Canadian

Left: Painter Patrick Waite of Ajax, Ont., created Freedom Fields. Above: Children create an aerial tribute of brightly coloured kites.

also participated in the day’s event. To help the children understand the significance of kite flying and what it means to Afghani children, Hollis equated it to hockey in Canada. The children also read a book that told the story about a young Pakistani boy who flew and chased kites. Along with crafting kites that, to the delight of the children, soared high behind them as they ran through the park, they also created a special gift. Two large kites were adorned with painted handprints in turquoise,

flag design to two children. In remembrance of the recent deaths of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, 53, killed in a hit-and-run attack in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and Corporal Nathan Cirillo, 24, shot while standing ceremonial guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa,  the Toronto Kite Fliers and other Southern Ontario kite clubs held a Canadian Forces Tribute Kite Fly in Bayfront Park in Hamilton, Ont. (Cirillo’s home town), on Oct. 26.

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Letter-Writing Campaign Launched By The Legion by Sharon Adams Frustrated by the federal government’s slow response to substantive changes recommended to the New Veterans Charter, The Royal Canadian Legion has launched a campaign asking its members and the public to write letters to the federal government urging action before tabling of the 2015 federal budget. “Our injured veterans and their families cannot wait any longer,” said Dominion President Tom Eagles. “We decided to undertake another letter-writing campaign because we wanted politicians of all stripes to hear from veterans, their families, Legion members and the public about how serious this issue really is.” After an eight-month study, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs recommended 14 changes to improve Charter benefits in June (Parliamentary Committee Recommends Changes to New Veterans Charter, September/ October). The government responded in October that it would tackle the recommendations in two phases. Immediate revisions were begun on non-monetary items and those not needing approvals outside the department. More substantive issues—including those considered vital by the Legion—would be addressed after “further due diligence.” (Government Response on Charter Changes Disappoints Veterans, November/December). “The Legion does not believe the delay is justified,” said Eagles. Nine years of reports on the Charter’s deficiencies, including an actuarial analysis by the veterans ombudsman, have identified what needs to be done. “This government is now sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars of unspent funds that could easily and readily be channelled to address the needs of veterans and their families.”

The Legion identifies three major issues requiring urgent action: • Increasing the Earnings Loss Benefit, which is now pegged at 75 per cent of pre-release income. The Legion is urging it be increased to 100 per cent; the committee report recommended 85 per cent, with a cap of $70,000. • The disability award, in 2014 a maximum of $301,275, be raised to reflect civil court awards, approximately $360,000 in 2014. • Reservists be entitled to the same earnings loss benefits and support as veterans of the regular forces. The Legion provided a template letter for mailing, e-mailing or faxing to members of Parliament, the ministers of Veterans Affairs, Finance and National Defence, president of the Treasury Board and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The template can be found at www.legion.ca/call-foraction-on-the-new-veterans-charter. In the first month of the campaign, the Legion had 10,000 responses, in par with responses to its 2013 letter-writing campaign which resulted in 50,000 letters to government and an increase in funeral and burial benefits for veterans. The Legion intends to keep up the pressure. “We will continue to put the interests of veterans and the situations of veterans before government so they can see first-hand what is happening to the men and women they have put in harm’s way,” said Eagles. The Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada are among veterans’ organizations encouraging their members to write letters in support of the Legion campaign, said Dominion Secretary-Treasurer Deanna Fimrite. Members can use the template from the Legion website, or the one on anavets.ca, she said.

On Nov. 23, Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino and Defence Minister Rob Nicholson announced that an additional $200 million will be spent by their two departments and Health Canada for improvements to the mental health care of veterans and Canadian Armed Forces personnel. While the money does not address the priorities outlined by the Legion, Eagles did express cautious optimism. “It has taken a great deal of effort from the Legion, veterans groups, veterans themselves and all Canadians to get this action from government,” he said. “This funding represents a small step forward on a very long road.”

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NEWS

Traditional Colours Restored To RCAF Uniforms by Ellen O’Connor

The Canadian Armed Forces is pressing the rewind button again, this time for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Following the trend of returning to Canada’s Commonwealth roots, RCAF unveiled new uniforms that restore the traditional colours of their forefathers.

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by a pearl-grey propeller worn on the uniform sleeve. All other rank names will remain unchanged. “Changes made to the insignia will be adapted to the uniforms currently issued to members of the RCAF. As such, costs are associated with the production, delivery and adoption of the new insignia,” said RCAF spokesperson Captain Fraser

ILLUSTRATION: DEPARATMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

“This is the next logical step for the air force,” said Defence Minister Rob Nicholson in a press release. “Military service espouses values that bind us to the past, the honour and tradition from the very foundation of our success. Yet, as an organization, we must forge ahead, and the changes announced today herald the future of the air force.” The melding of pre-unification rank insignia with modern elements familiar to today’s serving members is intended to strengthen RCAF’s link to its history. It falls on the heels of CAF’s rebranding in 2011 that reinserted the royal designation back into the titles of the air force and navy and reverted to the historical name of the army. The new uniform was unveiled by Nicholson and RCAF Commander Lieutenant-General Yvan Blondin at the Battle of Britain ceremony in Ottawa on Sept. 21, which coincided with the 90th anniversary of the RCAF. Pearl-grey stitching, the original colour worn by RCAF non-commissioned members until 1968, will return on rank insignia and national shoulder titles for both officers and non-commissioned members to signify unity. The gold piping on wedge caps worn by general officers will be replaced by pearl-grey piping, and dress tunic buttons will retain their design, but switch from gold to complimentary silver. The new rank title of aviator will replace private, accompanied

Clark.“The changes will first be reflected on April 1, 2015, when RCAF members begin to wear new epaulettes reflecting the changes on their summer uniforms.” All members will be dressed in their newly tailored uniforms by the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, September 2015. Dominion President Tom Eagles of The Royal Canadian Legion said the restorations of traditions are welcomed by the Legion and that “these changes be phased in over a couple of years so as to minimize any potential impact on military operations and/or effectiveness.”

New rank insignia have been introduced for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Clark, adding that the estimated cost for the change is $1.7 million, excluding the costs of tailoring, which are still being determined. “The pearl-grey rank colours, insignia, shoulder-titles and embroidery will become available in the military procurement system in March 2015,” said

RCAF is the last service to reflect the Canadian Armed Forces’ historic throwback, already identified by the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy. The navy was the first armed force in the trio to go retro when former defence minister Peter MacKay announced in May 2010 he was

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reinstating the executive curl on naval officer uniforms to mark the 100th anniversary of the navy. The Canadian Army’s makeover happened in July 2013: the traditional pips and crowns made their way back onto the shoulder boards of officers in place of the Maple Leaf designation, and the rank of private for non-commissioned members was pushed to extinction in place of historical rank names such as trooper, bombardier, signaller, guardsman and craftsman. The different regions of the country also received a name change, replacing the land force designations with their historic divisions, such as 2nd Canadian Division for the former Land Force Quebec Area (Journal, September/October 2013).

According to a CBC story, Department of Defence figures showed that the cost of the new uniforms for Canadian soldiers and naval officers cost $4.5 million,

are much more than the military would typically spend on upgrading uniforms. “Uniforms have always evolved, and as long as they are in keeping with the Canadian military

The melding of pre-unification rank insignia with modern elements familiar to today’s serving members is intended to strengthen RCAF’s link to its history. with the bulk of that–$3.1 million –going toward new dark green dress uniforms for army officers. Aaron Pope of Ottawa, a retired service member in the Canadian military, said he doesn’t think the cost associated with the uniform change

tradition, I think it’s a good thing,” said Pope, who served from 1997 to 2008. “In less than 10 years, I went from wearing a solid green uniform, to green Cadpat (Canadian Disruptive Pattern) to brown Cadpat. Uniforms change, soldiers stay the same.”

serving you

Serving You is written by Legion command service officers. To reach a service officer call toll-free 1-877-534-4666, or consult a command website. For years of archives, visit www.legionmagazine.com

Introducing The CFOne Card Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) has introduced the CFOne Card, the one card you need to access morale and welfare programs and services. The CFOne Card consolidates the functions of several cards into a single card. It easily and accurately confirms your membership within the military community of one million strong and currently provides you with access to both the CANEX Rewards Program (the program that rewards you for shopping at CANEX) and the CF Appreciation Program (the official discount program of the CF community). In the future, CFMWS will introduce expanded use of the CFOne Card for access to morale and welfare programs and services at bases and wings across the country. You are eligible to receive a CFOne

card if you are part of one of the following categories: • Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members (Regular and Reserve Force) and their families • Veterans (former members of the CAF) and their families, including families of the deceased • Members of foreign military currently serving with the CAF and their families • Current staff of the Non-Public Funds, Canadian Forces (NPF, CF) and their families • Current staff of Military Family Resource Centres (MFRCs) and their families • Current Department of National Defence (DND) public servants and their families • Serving and former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and their families

• Current staff of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), Defence Construction Canada (DCC), Communications Securities Establishment (CSE) and their families • Honourary colonels/captains (N), lieutenant-colonels/commanders and their families • Former staff of the Non-Public Funds, Canadian Forces with a pension and their families • Former staff of Department of National Defence (DND) with a pension and their families Members of the CF community may apply for a card through the online registration process at www. CF1FC.ca. The toll free number for CFOne queries is 1-855-245-0330. Spread the word to friends and family members. Help CFMWS reach the goal of issuing CFOne Cards to all members of the CF community. january/february 2015 LEgion MagazinE

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NEWS

Holten War Cemetery Trying To Put A Face To Every Name by Ellen O’Connor

“I am so proud of all my loved ones and have such a glorious future to go home to that my heart will be bursting with happiness on that wonderful day when I step off that old train in Ottawa, into all your loving arms. I am only existing till that day. By the way things are moving the war will be over soon, dear ones…” Scribbled with the promise and patriotism of a young man fighting for his country, this letter home was written April 3, 1945, less than a month before its author died in battle. His name was Sergeant Gerry C. Nichol of the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. His body now lies in the Holten Canadian War Cemetery, one of three massive cemeteries in the Netherlands for Canadian war dead who fought to liberate the Dutch from Nazi occupation in the final months of the Second World War. Long held close to his sister Joy’s heart, a copy of this handwritten letter along with original photographs and even his military cap, will find their final resting place with Nichol, thanks to the efforts of a Kingston man, Mike Muntain, and residents of Holten. Muntain, a retiree and civilian piper with the Princess of Wales’ Own Regiment, is working with the Welcome Back Veterans Committee in the Netherlands to put faces and stories to the 1,355 Canadians buried in Holten’s war cemetery. “It started as an impersonal project with a list of names, but when you spend an hour-and-a-half or two hours, and sometimes two or three phone calls, with the brother, sister, wife or daughter, you really get to know these guys,” said Muntain. Their goal of the project, called A Face For Every Name, is to reach

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out to people across the country– family members or friends who may know the young servicemen–and collect photos and biographical information on each fallen liberator to be placed at their headstone as well as eternalized in the database at the cemetery’s interpretation centre. Muntain’s involvement in the project began back in 2011 when a YouTube video was posted to his Facebook wall that shows Holten schoolchildren taking part in a candlelight memorial service held at the cemetery every year on Christmas Eve. The video resonated with him so much he approached Kingston MP Ted Hsu and Mayor Mark Gerretsen about sending a Canadian flag and Kingston lapel pins to every child as a token of thanks–a symbolic

with the committee for 35 years and raised one million euros to build the interpretation centre, which opened in 2011 (Princess Opens Information Centre At Canadian War Cemetery, November/December 2011). He called Muntain to thank him for the pins and enlist his help for the project, beginning with the names of five Kingston boys. Working with Peter Gower who researched names for a memorial in Kingston, Muntain found the names and stories of six more Kingston servicemen buried in Holten, and then began moving east across the country contacting every newspaper he could to help spread word of the project. “We had front page on the [Kingston] paper and within an hour of it hitting the stands my e-mail was flooded and my phone was ringing off the hook,” said Muntain reminiscing on the first day, last January, that his nationwide search truly kicked off. When van’t Holt contacted Muntain, he and the Holten committee had gathered just 300 photos

And the pile of relics continue to grow: the letters home to loved ones, the telegrams that begin with the dreaded words, “We regret to inform you…” gesture that will be enacted this year by his hometown of Nanaimo, B.C., and he hopes will extend to other Canadian cities as well. Shortly after, Muntain was contacted by the late Gerry van’t Holt, founder of the Welcome Back Veterans Committee, who died unexpectedly Oct. 15 after a fall. The 73-year-old van’t Holt volunteered

and few life stories since they began the project in 1986, primarily due to the language barrier. Now, there are 800 photos and almost 900 life stories gathered. “Thanks to this project we have a lot of extra information in our collection and this is very special for us,” said current chair of the Welcome Back Veterans Committee

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Henk Vincent in an e-mail from the Netherlands. “Thanks to those personal stories and backgrounds from our liberators from the Nazi regime, who gave their lives, we can give our visitors (and especially our young ones) a special dimension to their

impression of this memorial centre.” And the pile of relics continue to grow: the letters home to loved ones, the telegrams that begin with the dreaded words, “We regret to inform you…” and the old photographs of soldiers posing in hockey jerseys or

PHOTO: TOM MacGREGOR

Legionnaires walk along the headstones at Holten Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

kissing their newborn baby goodbye. Muntain says he is often asked by reporters, what’s in it for him. “If these people who could just be on the line…with someone who says, you’re looking for my brother. They aren’t 10-minute calls, they’re hour or hourand-a-half long calls with widows and family members. There are a lot of tears on both ends,” he said. There’s the Saskatchewan woman who every day touches the Regina Leader Post news clipping on her fridge that lists her brother’s name. “I’m 94 and don’t know how long I’ll be around, but I know my brother will be honoured for years to come because of this project,” she told him in a phone call. Despite the death of van’t Holt, his partners in Holten will continue the project until each name has a face. Muntain plans to send all the keepsakes he’s received overseas in time for the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands in May this year.

The National War Memorial in Ottawa was ringed with flowers, wreaths and personal notes in the weeks following the senseless shooting of a guard standing duty at the memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Corporal Nathan Cirillo, 24, a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada was killed by a lone gunman on Oct. 22. The culprit, later identified as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau then drove to the Centre Block on Parliament Hill where he in turn was shot down. Two days earlier Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, 52, was fatally run over in a parking lot in Saint-Jeansur-Richelieu, Que., by a car driven

by Martin Couture-Rouleau. The flowers became a tribute to both soldiers. They remained in place until the Sunday before Remembrance Day when they were respectfully gathered up and many of the notes and gifts were given to the families of the dead soldiers. Not to be intimidated, the guard positions were taken up again two days later and continued until Remembrance Day. The Canadian Armed Forces have been posting sentries at the National War Memorial in July and August since 2007. Due to restoration work on the monument in 2014 the sentry program did not begin until Aug. 4 but carried on into September and October.

A sentry stands guard as people place flowers and gifts at the National War Memorial.

The sentry program will resume on April 9, 2015, Vimy Ridge Day, and continue until Nov. 10. january/february 2015 LEgion MagazinE

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PHOTO: TOM MacGREGOR

Flowers And Notes Pay Tribute To Slain Soldiers

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NEWS

Princess Royal Unveils Plaque To First World War recipients by Tom MacGregor

The courage of Thain Wendell MacDowell was recalled by British High Commissioner Howard Drake in November as a plaque was unveiled commemorating the Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross during the First World War. gained, in spite of heavy shellfire, until eventually relieved by his battalion.” The plaque which is fixed to the outside wall of the high commission on Elgin Street in Ottawa Princess Anne and her husband Vice-Admiral Sir Tim bears the names of Laurence arrive at the British High Commission in Ottawa. 70 recipients of the Victoria Cross. It is one of several bronze plaques being highest number of recipients outside the U.K. given to Commonwealth countries “I am deeply honoured to present as a symbol of gratitude by the this plaque, a gift from the people people of the United Kingdom. of the United Kingdom,” said Canada’s 70 VC recipients are the Drake. “The First World War was a defining moment for both Canada and Britain and one that profoundly strengthened our relationship. The self-sacrifice and valour by those whose names now adorn 500 the very walls of the British High Commission will be a permanent and public reminder of the values 400 we share and hold so dear.” Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino responded to the high commissioner saying, “It is with 300 tremendous pride that I witness 286,683 271,438 280,703 the unveiling of this commemora258,007 tive plaque recognizing 70 remarkable Canadians who were awarded 200 the Victoria Cross.” Princess Anne unveiled the plaque as part of a two-day royal 100 visit to Ottawa which included her attendance at the Remembrance Day ceremonies organized by The Royal Canadian Legion at 0 APR’14 JUN’14 AUG’14 OCT’14 the National War Memorial.

In the presence of the Princess Royal (Princess Anne), Drake read the citation for MacDowell, who was born in Lachute, Que., and graduated from the University of Toronto. MacDowell earned the Victoria Cross for actions while serving with the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion at Vimy Ridge, April 9, 1917. “By his initiative and courage this officer, with the assistance of two runners, was enabled, in the face of great difficulties, to capture two machine-guns, beside two officers and 75 men. Although wounded in the hand, he continued for five days to hold the position

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NEWS

Serving Veterans Close To The Base by Tom MacGregor

Service Officer Jimmy Labrie stands outside his office in Valcartier, Que.

Manon Smith, co-ordinator for the Return to Work program, which tries to get injured veterans, whether physically or mentally injured, to come back to work without taking a medical release and returning to civilian life. The program has about a 60 per cent success rate. “The first thing we do is to get the veterans into a routine. For instance, we may start by sending them to the gym on a regular basis. The whole idea is to see if they can follow a routine once it is set,” said Smith. After a routine is established, then it is time to start the person back to work. “It may just be three and a half days. It may be the work they were doing in the military or something else,” said Smith. Labrie has used the program to get clerical support at his office, creating a win-win situation, getting the person back to work a few days a week while he gets the support he needs. When the veteran does return to work he or she is usually assigned to a Joint Personal Support Unit operated by DND and VAC. At Valcartier, that office is right

in the base hospital. “Our job is really outreach,” explained Tony Gaugin who heads an office of about 23 people; five are civilian and the rest are military. “We need to make sure everyone knows about the benefits to which they are entitled. We go to the family and make sure that they know as well,” said Gaugin. “We make sure that VAC has opened a file on them at least six months before they are medically released. We talk about career counselling and deal with the chain of command.” Gaugin said they develop an Integrated Transition Plan for each veteran, many of whom never thought about life after being in the Canadian Armed Forces. “These people are usually 23 to 36. They are very young. They thought that they were joining the military forever and then they have to be released after seven or eight years,” he said. Labrie said that working near the base has been essential for working with the younger veterans. “It is not just about filling in forms,” he said. “You feel like you really are helping people.” january/february 2015 LEgion MagazinE

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PHOTO: Tom MacGregor

For Quebec Command Service Officer Jimmy Labrie, going to work is not just showing up at a Legion office. His office is part of a Canex complex on Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, 25 kilometres north of Quebec City. It is here that he meets his clients, most of whom have served or are still serving on the base which employs about 2,500 personnel in 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and 2nd Canadian Division Support Group. The brigade includes three battalions of the Royal 22nd Regiment. “The Department of National Defence is my landlord. This office used to be the base post office,” he says of the small office he keeps for himself and occasional support he gets from other services such as the Return to Work program. “It is the perfect location. We are right at the base but we are not on the base,” says Labrie, who spent more than 30 years in uniform in and around the area. “A lot of veterans do not want to be on the base. They don’t want to see people who are in uniform.” In his first six months in the location, Labrie opened 240 files and now handles about 400 files. “About 75 per cent of my veterans are still in uniform. About 20 per cent are retired but are still young veterans.” Like all Legion service officers, Labrie helps the veterans with the paperwork to seek benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), but unlike most command service officers he handles few cases under the old Pension Act. Most of his cases are under the New Veterans Charter. “A lot of these people just need real help. It’s not just pensions,” said Labrie. Much of the work is referring veterans to resources that are available on the base. He works closely with

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2014-12-02 3:30 PM

NEWS

Students Get A Hands-On Look At History by Ellen O’Connor

Ottawa students try on artifacts from a First World War Discovery Box.

arms ammunition, a service dress cap and jacket and a small-box respirator or gas mask. The 25 boxes also include contextual photos as well as lesson plans and background documents for teachers to follow and adapt for Grades 4 to 12. “This is actually the first time I’ve seen it in action so I’m incredibly pleased,” said learning specialist Sandra O’Quinn of the war museum. “It’s really nice to see the kids looking closely, examining the objects, really putting themselves in the place of the soldiers or the Canadians who participated in the First World War.” O’Quinn said that reservations for the boxes began Liam Fairbairn peers through a trench periscope. Sept. 16 and within days, hundreds of requests began flooding in from as far east as of the First World War and promote New Brunswick to as far west as a hands-on learning experience in British Columbia. classrooms across the country. The classroom was a flurry of activCalled First World War Discovery ity as students eagerly tried on dress Boxes, the travelling trunks can be jackets and hats, a gas mask and a rented for a two-week period at no nursing sister’s apron, pausing only cost. Each contains 22 authentic and as the ear-piercing sound of a replica items such as posters, small

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replica gas alarm rattle filled the air—and without a doubt echoed through the school’s hallways. They then put on their historic thinking caps as they examined the artifacts and answered questions on an accompanying worksheet. “We know that the hat is a replica because of the new sticker and new cloth, but the badge is authentic because its rusty and old,” said Manuel Lebron, holding up a wool service dress cap decorated with a general list cap badge, a standard badge worn by soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, intended to distinguish Canadian soldiers from their British counterparts. “We know that this hat is standard for all the allies, but the badge itself is different for every country. We also know you don’t wear it at war because you wear a helmet instead, you just wear it with a uniform so everyone can see it because it looks nice.” Meanwhile, across the classroom, Liam Fairbairn pressed his eye up to a trench periscope, an optical device used by soldiers to observe the ground from within their trenches. “When you look in it, it has a bunch of mirrors so it reflects. You can

PHOTOs: ELLEN O’CONNOR

It was a Grade 10 history class that 15-year-old Josh Heritage isn’t soon to forget. Heritage, along with 23 other Brookfield High School students in Ottawa, swapped out his history textbooks for artifacts from the Canadian War Museum’s First World War collection as part of the official launch of a free nationwide program called Supply Line. “All of us will probably remember this experience for quite a long time,” said Heritage, as he modelled a replication of a Mark I helmet during the launch on Oct. 9. “You always eventually forget something you read in a textbook, but you can’t forget wearing a soldier’s helmet, an aviator’s scarf, a sling or a soldier’s gas mask.” The Canadian War Museum, with funding from Operation Veteran and individual donors, created Supply Line to commemorate the centenary

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meals to veterans visiting the museum. It has since expanded to offer educational programs to teach military history to students. “Right now kids go home and they have these threedimensional TVs…an Xbox to play war games and it’s The boxes contain 22 authentic and replica nothing but fun for them,” items from the First World War. said Kavanagh, who supports Supply Line with the weight of a helmet or read a money raised through Operation letter a young soldier wrote to Veteran. “Kids go to school today his mother. “We’re reaching back and they’re bored. They open their 100 years in time and helping our books and memorize a chapter for veterans come back to life again.” a test next week.” To learn more about the Supply The beauty of Supply Line, he Line program or to book a discovery said, is that now schoolchildren box, visit www.warmuseum.ca/ have something to work with that’s supplyline. three-dimensional—they can feel

PHOTO: ELLEN O’CONNOR

see if the artillery has stopped so the men can safely go over the top, or if the enemy is coming, the men can start to shoot,” he explained. Aside from the handful of history buffs who grace every classroom, most students are only vaguely familiar with the world wars and Canada’s other historic conflicts. The living memory is vanishing, too. The First World War veterans are gone and there remain alive fewer and fewer veterans from the Second World War. One person who has made it his mission to perpetuate the memory of Canadian veterans and their contributions is Dr. Paul Kavanagh, founder of Operation Veteran, a program launched in 2009 in association with the Canadian War Museum to provide complimentary

The former Royal Canadian Air Force base at Rockcliffe in Ottawa will be the site of a new housing facility for homeless veterans. Veterans House is a new initiative for a purpose-built facility which will be owned and managed by the Multifaith Housing Initiative, which provides low-cost safe and secure housing while creating mixed and vibrant communities. The announcement was made Nov. 6 at Eastview Branch of the Legion in Ottawa by Multifaith Housing Initiative President Hugh O’Donnell. The partners include Ontario Command’s District G and the Ontario Command Homeless Veterans Initiative, as well as Ottawa Salus, Soldiers Helping Soldiers, Veterans Emergency Transition Services Canada, True Patriot Love, the Centretown Affordable Housing Development Corporation and Canada Lands

Company, which is overseeing the redevelopment of the base. “If we have one veteran with no home with the onset of winter then that is one too many,” said retired lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie, who addressed the audience. District G Commander Garry Pond presented Ontario Command President Bruce Julian with a $100,000 donation for Ontario Command President Bruce Julian (left) the command’s Homeless accepts a $100,000 donation for homeless Veterans Initiative raised veterans from District G Commander Garry Pond. by the district’s branches helps individuals gain stable and ladies auxiliaries. housing so that they can recover The project is in a preliminary from health, mental-health and stage and still needs approval addiction-related issues. from the City of Ottawa before Veterans made up seven per cent launching a fundraising campaign of all homeless people in a 2013 for $1.5 million. The facility will use survey conducted in Toronto. a “Housing First” model, which january/february 2015 LEgion MagazinE

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PHOTO: TOM MacGREGOR

Ontario Command Supports New Homeless Veterans Project

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NEWS

Walter Natynczyk Becomes Deputy Minister By Adam Day Walter Natynczyk

Forces. With many veterans groups promising to make an election issue out of their treatment by VAC, it’s easy to see the advantage in having a well-respected “soldier’s soldier” like Natynczyk taking the bureaucratic helm at the troubled department. “On behalf of the more than 300,000 members of The Royal Canadian Legion we are pleased with the appointment of General (Ret’d) Walter Natynczyk as the new deputy minister for Veterans Affairs Canada,” said Legion Dominion President Tom Eagles. “His military experience and heartfelt concern for the welfare for both those who have served and currently serving personnel brings a shared connection between their experiences and how government programs and services need to adapt to the new complexities facing veterans and their families.”

Ottawa Bridge Honours Vimy A new bridge spanning the Rideau River in Ottawa was dedicated to First World War veterans and officially named Vimy Memorial Bridge Nov. 8. The 143-metre-long bridge has traffic and bike lanes as well as a sidewalk on each side. Completed in July at a cost of $48 million, the bridge had been called the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge because of the streets it connects in Barrhaven and Riverside South. “Vimy Memorial Bridge honours

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and recognizes our national heritage and one of our greatest military triumphs,” The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa cross Vimy said Ottawa Mayor Memorial Bridge. Jim Watson. “With the 100th anniversary of The name was suggested by the beginning of the First World two nearby branches of The Royal War, it is a fitting reminder of Canadian Legion, Barrhaven the sacrifices that our men and Branch and South Carleton Branch women make for us each day,” said in Manotick. Councillor Steve Desroches who The bridge naming ceremony led the push to build the bridge featured a parade over the bridge by in the ward he represents. the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa.

PHOTO: department of national defence

Keen observers will note that this plan may have been a while in the making, as Fantino made quite a public display of meeting with Natynczyk last February in order to presumably get some guidance on dealing with oft-disgruntled veterans. “Pleased to meet Gen. (ret’d) Walter Natynczyk, former chief of defence staff, to discuss veterans’ issues,” Fantino tweeted on Feb. 10, 2014. Before becoming CDS, Natynczyk was in the news while on exchange with the United States Army for a year-long deployment to Iraq as deputy commanding general of the Multi-National Corps. In Iraq, Natynczyk was in charge of 35,000 troops in combat, a task for which he received the Meritorious Service Cross. Natynczyk, who was also an honorary vice-president of The Royal Canadian Legion, became president of the Canadian Space Agency after retiring from the Canadian Armed

PHOTO: RATAN MOHAPATRA

In a sign that the troubled Veterans Affairs portfolio is finally getting some attention, it was announced Nov. 3 that popular former chief of defence staff Walter Natynczyk has been appointed deputy minister at Veterans Affairs Canada. Natynczyk rose to prominence in the military under the tenure of former chief of defence Rick Hillier, whom he succeeded as CDS from 2008-12. Popular with soldiers and politicians alike, Natynczyk has a noted ability to handle tough situations and stay out of trouble. He was in charge of the military throughout much of the war in Afghanistan. Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino said in a statement Natynczyk “arrives at a crucial time for our department, which is in the midst of an ongoing transformation to further improve how it supports veterans and their families when they make the important transition to civilian life.”

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MARCH/APRIL 2015

HOW WELL ARE YOU BEING SERVED? SPECIAL FEATURE IN ONE SINGLE ISSUE OF LEGION MAGAZINE, YOU’LL FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DISABILITY AWARDS, PENSIONS AND BENEFITS Following up on the success of last year’s Veterans Benefits Guide, this year’s guide will include the latest rates for 2015 and helpful hints on how to fill in first applications. We’ll also include the latest on veterans’ educational programs and a look at the benefits available to members of the RCMP. In addition, the 2015 Veterans Benefits Guide will feature the results of our readership poll on the quality of service from Veterans Affairs Canada.

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May 3, 2015 • 13 Days

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Lowest Prices & Unmatched Value!

ALSO IN THE MARCH/APRIL ISSUE • Should the victory at Vimy Ridge hold the place it does in the annals of the Canadian Corps? That’s the big question we ask in our popular Face-To-Face series. The series, which explores controversial issues related to Canadian military history, also invites readers to weigh in on the debate. • On Board Ship: Join us for part 2 of Adam Day’s experience on HMCS Toronto, as part of Operation Reassurance. • Canadian Military History In Perspective: Top Canadian historians Terry Copp, Marc Milner and Hugh A. Halliday return with their perspectives on historic moments in the army, navy and air force.

National Parks Tour

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14 days from $1299USD* Departs May-September. Visit eight amazing National Parks! Witness King’s/ Sequoia’s scenic forests, Yosemite’s waterfalls, Zion’s domes and the spectacular Grand Canyon. Explore Bryce Canyon, Arches and Capitol Reef National Parks. You’ll also tour Salt Lake Don’t Dela City, Reno, Lake Rese e y! your Tahoe and Moab SpacervTo day! and spend two nights in Las Vegas. * PPDO. Plus $159USD tax/service/government fees. Seasonal charges may apply. Add-on airfare available.

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Alberta–Northwest Territories: Bobbi McCoy, Red Deer RCL, 2810 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, AB T4R 1M9, [email protected] Saskatchewan: Stephanie Anhorn, 3079–5th Ave., Regina, SK S4T 0L6, [email protected] Manitoba: Vanessa Burokas, 563 St. Mary’s Rd., Winnipeg, MB R2M 3L6, [email protected] Northwestern Ontario: Roy Lamore, 155 Theresa St., Thunder Bay, ON P7A 5P6, [email protected] Ontario: Mary Ann Goheen, Box 308, Gravenhurst, ON P1P 1T7, [email protected] Quebec: Len Pelletier, 389 Malette, Gatineau, QC J8L 2Y7, [email protected]

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Correspondents’ Addresses Nova Scotia/Nunavut New Brunswick Dominion Command Newfoundland and Labrador Ontario Alberta-Northwest Territories Quebec

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British Columbia/Yukon: Graham Fox, 4199 Steede Ave., Port Alberni, BC V9Y 8B6, [email protected]

The Snapshots section is available online in the Community Section of legionmagazine.com.

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Send your photos and news of The Royal Canadian Legion in action in your community to your Command Correspondent. Each branch and ladies auxiliary is entitled to two photos in an issue. Any additional items will be published as news only. Material should be sent as soon as possible after an event. We do not accept material that will be more than a year old when published, or photos that are out of focus or lack contrast. The Command Correspondents are:

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“In this issue, Legion branches

donate more than

$188,000 to their communities.”

British Columbia/Yukon Saskatchewan Manitoba-Northwestern Ontario Honours and Awards

New Brunswick: Marianne Harris, 115 McGrath Cres., Miramichi, NB E1V 3Y1, [email protected] Nova Scotia/Nunavut: Jean Marie Deveaux, 651 Church St., Port Hawkesbury, NS B9A 2X6, [email protected] Prince Edward Island: Dianne Kennedy, Box 81, Borden-Carleton, PE C0B 1X0, [email protected]

PHOTO: JEAN MARIE DEVEAUX

Newfoundland and Labrador: Brenda Slaney, Box 5745, St. John’s, NL A1C 5X3, [email protected] Dominion Command Zones: Eastern U.S. Zone, Gord Bennett, 12840 Seminole Blvd., Lot #7, Largo, FL 33778, [email protected]; Western U.S. Zone, Douglas Lock, 1531 11th St., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, [email protected]. Editor’s Note—Submissions for the Honours and Awards page (Palm Leaf, MSM, MSA and Life Membership) should be sent directly to Doris Williams, Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata, ON K2L 0A1 or [email protected].

Membership chairman Junior Langley (centre right) of Port Hawkesbury Branch, N.S., welcomes three new members, (from left) Ann Marie Langley, David Meagher and Jane Abalakov.

Technical Specs For Photo Submissions (1) Glossy Photos—To get good magazine-quality reproduction we need photos that scan well. Glossy photos from a photofinishing lab are the best answer because they do not contain a dot pattern. We will do our best with prints coming from a digital camera but some will not make the grade, so, if you can, please submit digital photos electronically. (2) Electronic Photos—Photos submitted to Command Correspondents electronically must have a minimum width of 1,350 pixels, or 4.5 inches. Final resolution must be 300 dots per inch or greater. As a rough guideline, black-and-white JPEGs would have a file size of 200 kilobytes (KB) or more, while colour JPEGs would be between 0.5 megabytes (MB) and 1 MB.

Second Vice Betty Thistle of Calais Branch in Lower Sackville, N.S., presents a $1,000 bursary to student Tyler Jon MacDougall.

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Dorothy MacKenzie (left) accepts the Legionnaire of the Year award from Sydney, N.S., Branch President Alfie Giorno.

Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command’s District B Commander Sandra Ehler presents an award to student Veronica MacDonald for her entry in the poetry contest.

PHOTO: GARY SILLIKER

Sherbrooke, N.S., Branch President Gregor Lambourne presents a $500 bursary to student Cecily Strongman.

PHOTO: DEBBIE MACINTYRE

President Gregor Lambourne of Sherbrooke, N.S., Branch presents a $500 bursary to student Hannah Langille.

PHOTO: DONNA REDMOND

PHOTO: DONNA STEEVES

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Arras Branch in Antigonish, N.S., presents $500 to the Antigonish Highland Society’s Caravan program. At the presentation are (front, from left) Tom Connors, poppy chairman J.P. MacEachern, Antigonish Caravan President Danny Chaisson, President Fred Mattie, Angus Coutts, Gordon MacDonald, (rear) Clarence Siteman, Havelock Mason and Paul O’Leary.

The Calais Relay for Life team from Calais Branch in Lower Sackville, N.S., make a substantial donation toward cancer research. The team is (front, from left) team captain Darlene Hynes, Maureen Carswell, Theresa King, Sherry LeRiche, Bette Thistle, (rear) Donna Redmond, Myrna Inkpen, Lydia Dixon, Rita Watson, Linda Burns, Cathy Hailes, Carol Gray and Daisy Gavel.

Mahone Bay, N.S., Branch President Helen Whitehouse and service officer Gary Silliker prepare a package of maple syrup for the Canadian troops on Operation Soprano in South Sudan.

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BURSARIES PRESENTED • Lancaster Branch and L.A. in Saint John, N.B., presented $5,500 in bursaries to 11 local students. • Moncton L.A. donated $1,500 to the branch.

Four southern New Brunswick branches, Carlton and Lancaster branches in Saint John, Peninsula Branch in Clifton Royal and Norton Branch donate funds for the purchase of two cloverleaf tables for the veterans at Ridgewood Veterans Wing. Surrounding veteran Eugene Zwicker (seated) are (from left) Jean Stevens, Dawna Little, L.A. President Donna Middleton, Barb Sweet, Norton Branch President Sandra Kierstead, Bob Beyea, Lancaster Branch President Larry Lynch and Henry D’Eon.

Barb Sweet (left) and First Vice Henry D’Eon of Lancaster Branch in Saint John, N.B., and Norton Branch President Sandra Kierstead donate four adjustable clover chairs to Ridgewood Veterans Wing to better fit the resident veterans.

In Rothesay, N.B., Kennebecasis Branch awards prizes to poster and literary contest winners (from left) Nick Allison, Bryce Miller, Justin Giggey, Brett Flight, Kathryn Reilly and Hayden McKinnon. Looking on are (from left) Second Vice Eric Adams, President Harold Defazio and First Vice Ed McMahon.

Campbellton, N.B., Branch donates $538 to each of three local cadet corps. At the presentation are (from left) President Raymond Gallant, Capt. Michael Audet of the army cadets, Lieut. (N) Marc Fournier of the sea cadets, Capt. Denis Morin and poppy chairman Jim Adams.

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Barb Sweet (left) of Lancaster Branch in Saint John, N.B., and Norton Branch President Sandra Kierstead present a special lift chair for veterans at the Ridgewood Veterans Wing. Seated is veteran Eugene Zwicker.

Portland Branch in Saint John, N.B., awards $9,500 in bursaries to local students. Making the presentation are President Roseanne Morris (rear, left) and secretary Theresa Speight (rear, right).

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Funded by Herman Good VC Branch in Bathurst, N.B., the official grand opening of the fully equipped Snoozelin room for residents at the Robert L. Knowles Veterans Unit, is attended by (front, from left) veterans Gerald Guignard, Amedee Boudreau, Jacques Asselin, Gerard Doucet, Vincent Christie, Roger Benoit, (rear) First Vice Eugene Godin, Second Vice Diane Rennie, Marvin Ramsay, poppy trust fund chairman Rene Frenette, President Graham Wiseman, N.B. Command Past President Paul Poirier, Glen Lavigne and Cleveland Jagoe.

At Caraquet, N.B., Branch, 14 new members are welcomed by (front, from left) Sgt.-at-Arms Orphir Boucher, treasurer Denise Dumaresq, President Armel Lanteigne, First Vice Fernand Dumaresq and Second Vice Aubin Albert.

On hand to dedicate their relocated cenotaph in Fredericton Junction, N.B., are Gladstone Branch members (from left) First Vice Richard Mott, Sgt.-at-Arms Brian Dykeman, padre David Olive and President Gilbert Briggs.

Dominion Command President Tom Eagles (left) shakes hands with Governor General David Johnston following the presentation of the first poppy at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

At Bay D’Espoir Branch in St. Alban’s, Nfld., members (from left) Christine Farrell, Dan Jeddore, John Nick Jeddore and Mary Willcott present a certificate to Aaron John for his winning poster at provincial level.

PHOTO: adam daY

At the presentation of $1,000 from Sackville, N.B., Branch to the Veterans Health Care Centre in Moncton are (from left) Westmorland/ Albert District veterans visitation chair Shirley Whyte, health centre staff member Lucille LeBlanc, President Doreen Richards, health centre staff member Amy Good and branch visitation chair Eunice Johnson.

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BOWMANVILLE HOSPITAL RECEIVES DONATION • Bowmanville, Ont., Branch presented $7,100 on behalf of the Ontario Command, Branches and L.A. Charitable Foundation to the Bowmanville Memorial Hospital Foundation. • Stouffville L.A. presented the branch with a cheque for $3,000. • North York Branch presented a Friendship Award to St. Louis Bar and Grill.

In St. Catharines, Ont., H.T. Church Branch member Ed MacDonald rides in a troop carrier leading the Decoration Day parade.

Elliot Lake, Ont., Branch holds a wreath-placing ceremony following a widows’ luncheon during Legion Week.

Gen. Chris Vokes-Bronte Branch in Oakville, Ont., presents $10,000 for the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. At the presentation are (from left) Mary Nieuwpoort, poppy chairman Ed Charlebois, hospital foundation representative Michelle Kirby and Wendy Charlebois.

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In Corunna, Ont., Leslie Sutherland Branch President Dan Watson (left) presents $865 to Corunna Fire District Deputy Fire Chief Dave Yorke.

Ontario Command’s District D holds a walk-a-thon raising $15,000 for the Tony Stacey Centre for Veterans Care. Joining a group of walkers are event chairman John Harris (back row, left) and District D Deputy Commander Karen Moore.

At the Kitley-Toledo Branch in Toledo, Ont., President Greg Williams (right) presents $291 to Kitley Minor Soccer. Accepting the donation are parents Peter and Wendy Armstrong and players Darragh (left) and Adrianna Armstrong.

At the presentation of $2,000 from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Branch to the local navy league cadets are (from left) Sub-Lt. Robin Ritchie, President Wayne Paulencu, poppy chairman Rob Gardner and CP01 Ashley Quimby.

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Petawawa, Ont., Branch unveils a new cenotaph with a special ceremony.

Goderich, Ont., Branch President Paul Thorne (left) accompanied by community fundraiser chairman Norm Leddy (right) present $3,000 to Lions Club finance chairman Norris Peever for Camp Klahanie for children.

Dunsdon Branch in Brantford, Ont., presents $10,000 to the Stedman Community Hospice. At the presentation are (from left) Huck Welton, Stedman Community Hospice President Olga Consorti, poppy chairman Lloyd Berkeley, Marlene Todd and Jack Wallace.

At North Bay, Ont., Branch, Zone H-2 Commander Len Burnham (left), presents the 50 Years Long Service Medal to Jack Alderson (centre) while Sgt.-at-Arms Norm Gyatt looks on.

In Oakville, Ont., Gen. Chris Vokes-Bronte Branch poppy chairman Ed Charlebois presents $5,000 to Ian Anderson House hospice representative Margaret Anderson. Looking on are Mary Nieuwpoort (left) and committee member Wendy Charlebois.

At Bertie Township Branch in Ridgeway, Ont., councillors John Hill (left), Stephen Passero (rear) and Ryan Donnelly present bursaries of $500 each to local students. At the presentation of $3,500 from Bowmanville, Ont., Branch to Bowmanville Memorial Hospital are (from left) Dr. Athy Ro, poppy co-chairman Gary Switzer, hospital foundation representative Chris Hooy, service officer John Greenfield, President Bill Thrasher and poppy chairman Don Cooper.

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At the presentation of $11,500 from Richmond Hill, Ont., Branch to the MacKenzie Health Richmond Hill Hospital foundation are (from left) President Sheelagh MacDonald, hospital representative David Stolte, foundation President Ingrid Perry, board member Joe Galluzio and First Vice Paul Ducharme. Oakville, Ont., Branch former president Shirley Stacey (left) and President Brian Ray (right) present the Legionnaire of the Year award to Dorothy and William Wright.

Harriston, Ont., Branch President Terry Fisk (left) and Ken Reuber (right) welcome new members Krista Fisk and Ron Forrest.

Brigden, Ont., Branch members hold a Red Friday rally in support of troops. At the Ontario Command track and field meet (from left) Ontario Command Vice-President Dave Smith and Ontario Command L.A. President Lorraine Johnson present awards for the girls midget 1,500-metre steeplechase to Emily Bartolumucci, Libby Marlatt and Makayla Charette as District B Deputy Commander Wes Kutasienski looks on.

East Toronto Branch youth education chairman Helen Pearce and treasurer Gord Pearce welcome Hamilton Signals Association President Maj. Kenneth Lloyd (left) and George Stal during Legion Week.

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Lennox and Addington County Hospital Foundation Chairman Robert Paul (left) accepts $2,400 from (from left) Second Vice Kathy Gardner, First Vice Chris Ingersoll and public relations chairman Robert Norrie of Lt.-Col. Harry Babcock Branch in Napanee, Ont.

Long Sault, Ont., Branch poppy chairman Noella Whorrall (left) and poppy fund treasurer Marg Clarke (right) present $500 to South Stormont seniors support centre representative Tina Primeau-Brown.

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At Hepworth-Shallow Lake Branch in Hepworth, Ont., (from left) seniors chairman Darlene Brown, secretary-treasurer Joyce Wettlaufer and President Elmer Brown present $4,000 to Owen Sound hospital foundation development officer Willard VanderPloeg.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Former president Malcolm Boczek and Sgt.-at-Arms Walt Nicholls of Leslie Sutherland Branch in Corunna, Ont., place a wreath at the cenotaph recognizing Merchant Navy Veterans Day.

Woodland Villa manager Michael Rasenberg (left) and resident Cyril Ridal accept $500 from Long Sault, Ont., Branch poppy chairman Noella Whorrall (centre, right) and poppy treasurer Marg Clarke.

In Welland, Ont., Rose City Branch membership chairman Barbara Cimek (left) and bar chairman Gloria Armbrust welcome new members following initiation. Arnprior, Ont., Branch hosts a veterans dinner during Legion Week. Attending the event are (front, from left) Bill Terle, William Bahm, McGregor Scobiein, (rear) Warren Gale, Leonard Spinks, Eddy Levesque and Doug Spaull.

MacDonald Branch in Kincardine, Ont., helps place banners depicting First World War servicemen killed in action throughout the town. Helping out are (from left) poppy chairman Stewart Neely, former president Red Larsen, great-nephew of fallen soldier on banner Bill Shewfelt, President Maureen Couture and poppy co-chairman Laura Haight.

At Fort York Branch in Toronto, District D charitable foundation chairman Pat Burford (left) and District D Commander Jay Burford attend the unveiling of an Afghanistan memorial and flag dedication.

In St. Thomas, Ont., Lord Elgin Branch President Shelly Haycock presents the Legionnaire of the Year award to Second Vice Wayne Donnelly.

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Thessalon, Ont., Branch celebrates its 80th anniversary. President Corrine Dingman (centre) accepts commemorative certificates from Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Mantha (left) and MP Carol Hughes.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Goderich, Ont., Branch President Paul Thorne (left) and Zone C-1 Commander Larry Bailey (right) present the Legionnaire of the Year award to Gordon Jameson. Burlington, Ont., Branch poppy chairman Burns MacLeod presents $10,000 to Juravinski Cancer Centre foundation representative Helaine Ortmann.

Eleven new members are welcomed to Elliot Lake, Ont., Branch by (back row from left) Zone H-4 Commander Tom Hywarren, membership chairman Monica Gilchrist Smith, chairman Howard Tait and committee member Denis Harwood.

Pte. Joe Waters Branch in Milton, Ont., initiates 10 new members. Welcoming them (from left) are Ontario Command Vice-President Sharon McKeown, membership chairman Lynn Bousefiled, President Pat Thompson and Sgt.-at-Arms Urban Faria.

Kemptville, Ont., Branch President Ray Ansell (left) and poppy chairman Joanne Dudka present $5,000 to Kemptville Hospital Foundation representative Mary Boucher. Trenton, Ont., Branch commemorates the Merchant Navy with a memorial service. Placing the wreath is Glen Brunton (centre) flanked by Clive Allan (left) and President Everett MacLean.

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Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Branch member Fred Gard (centre) celebrates his 100th birthday with son Phil (left) and Mayor Debbie Amaroso.

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Kemptville, Ont., Branch President Ray Ansell (left) and poppy chairman Joanne Dudka present $2,500 to navy cadet corps representative Jay Tousaw.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Millbrook, Ont., Branch event chairman Roger Saunders (left) presents $1,000 to Wounded Warriors Canada representative David MacDonald.

At the presentation of $5,000 from Stratford, Ont., Branch to the Stratford General Hospital are (from left) executive director Andrea Page, poppy committee members Leroy Workman and Cliff Morgan, and hospital CEO Andrew Williams.

Ontario Command President Bruce Julian leads the provincial officers through the Princess Gates at the Toronto CNE during the Warriors Day parade. Fergus, Ont., Branch President Tom Semanyk (right) and poppy chairman Ray Pearse (back row, centre) present $500 to the Grand River Mustangs girls hockey team.

NEW COMMAND CORRESPONDENT IN ALBERTA • Alberta-Northwest Territories Command has named Bobbi McCoy as the new command correspondent. McCoy, a member of Red Deer Branch, is a vicepresident of the command. Photos and news for the Snapshots Section should be sent to her at Red Deer RCL, 2810 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, AB T4R 1M9, [email protected]

Claresholm, Alta., Branch President Kevin Linn presents $500 to Karen Linderman for the Claresholm Society of the Arts.

Dorval Air Services Branch in Dorval, Que., presents $5,000 to the Manoir Cavagnal Lakeshore Housing Association. At the presentation are (from left) manoir president Hans Gruenwald Jr., manoir secretary Nicole Durand, branch President Bill Bray and chairman Rick Cartmel.

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Roxanne Marchand (centre) holds her winning poster in the poster contest at Trois-Rivieres, Que., Branch. Looking on are (from left) secretary Patrick Daigle, visual arts professor Christelle Lebel, Second Vice Serge Pothier and Richard Keep.

PHOTO: CHaNTaL dE LONGCHamPS

PHOTO: CHaNTaL dE LONGCHamPS

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At Trois-Rivieres, Que., Branch, retired lieutenant-colonel and former president Pierre Bruneau discusses life at the front and in the trenches during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The crowd of about 100 included members of the 12th Armoured Regiment.

LONG SERVICE RECOGNIZED • Courtenay, B.C., Branch presented Frank Harding with a 60-year bar to his 50 Years Long Service Medal.

The Lantzville cenotaph has been dedicated by B.C. Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon. Seaview Centennial Branch oversaw this community project from initiation, through various fundraising efforts, to final completion, including a Path of Remembrance leading to the monument.

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President Pauline Mann (centre) of Mission City Branch in Mission, B.C., presents $1,750 to Patricia Jappy-Loker (left) and Bev Pearson of The Residence in Mission towards the purchase of medical equipment.

Past president Jim Irvine of Vancouver TVS Branch presents $700 to Lizz Lindsay, founding director of Sharing Abundance Association.

Cadet liaison Margaret Groeneveld (right) of Alberni Valley Branch in Port Alberni, B.C., presents a cheque to Capt. John Cloke (left) and Taylor Czezel of the local sea cadets.

Sick and visiting chair Catherine Schaff (left) and President Bill Richardson of Vancouver TVS Branch present Sarah Chui of the Vancouver General Hospital Foundation with $10,000 to go towards the purchase of respiratory equipment.

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North Vancouver, B.C., Branch presents $9,000 to Lions Gate Hospital. At the presentation are (from left) Lions Gate Hospital Foundation President Judy Savage, branch President Rhonda Thomas, B.C./Yukon Command Vice-President Valerie MacGregor, North Shore-Howe Sound Zone Deputy Commander Steve Cochrane and ANAVETS Unit 45 past president Archie Kelly.

Cadets from the Avenger sea cadet corps and Ashcroft, B.C., Branch members gather to remember the start of the Second World War. At the ceremony are (from left) PO1 Ian Curran, poppy chair Flo Berry and PO2 Jarrett Thompson-Fisher.

Courtenay, B.C., Branch presents the 50 Years Long Service Medal to (from left) Norm Haney, Ron Webber, Mel Thompson and Gordon Pelletier.

To honour the memory of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and WO Patrice Vincent, Maple Ridge, B.C., Mayor Ernie Daykin places a wreath on behalf of the town at the local cenotaph as Maple Ridge Branch President Mike Ward and RCMP Inspector David Fleugel salute. The branch organized a similar service at Pitt Meadows.

Comox, B.C., Branch celebrated its 75th anniversary with a dinner provided by the L.A. Cutting the cake are President Stu McKinnon and L.A. President Eileen Paulin. Cadet Brayden Arsenault (left) and Capt. Rob Welbourn of the Canadian Scottish Regiment army cadet corps accept a donation from cadet liaison Margaret Groeneveld of Alberni Valley Branch in Port Alberni, B.C.

President Polly Mann (right) of Mission City Branch in Mission, B.C., presents $1,000 to Betty Bergen for the Canadian Cancer Society’s driver program.

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Maple Ridge, B.C., Branch First Vice Andre Wesseling (left) presents President Mike Ward with a photo of the Nijmegen Marches Canadian contingent at the Vimy Memorial in France, where Wesseling placed a wreath on behalf of The Royal Canadian Legion.

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Former president Phil Rawsthorne (left) and Oyama, B.C., Branch President Ann Robinson (right) present $600 to Meals on Wheels President Dorothy Desalt.

Joanne Henderson, (left) of B.C./Yukon Command receives a donation from President Edna Barnes (right) of Whalley L.A. in Surrey B.C., and Wal-Mart representative Gail Dobranski. The L.A. decorated Easter eggs to raise money and Wal-Mart matched the donation to support veterans with PTSD.

Sgt.-at-Arms Bob Muir (left) and former president Mike Landry of Cranbrook, B.C., Branch place a wreath in commemoration of the Merchant Navy’s participation in the Second World War.

Using a $5,000 donation from the Cranbrook, B.C., Branch poppy fund, the Dr. F.W. Green Memorial Home was able to purchase a new Broda Chair and four pulse oximeters. Looking over the equipment are (from left) site manager long-term care Jeff Betker, Bernice Yurkoski, Second Vice Robbie Klassen, Toni Wilhite, and Flavia Jackson. Seated in the chair is Executive Director Donna Grainger of the East Kootenay Foundation for Health.

Oyama, B.C., Branch President Ann Robinson (left) and navy veteran Lorne Pittman (right) present $500 to Lieut. (N) Carolynne Dufresne and the Kalamalka sea cadet corps.

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NEW CORRESPONDENT FOR SASKATCHEWAN COMMAND • Saskatchewan Command has named Stephanie Anhorn as the new command correspondent. News and photos for the Snapshots Section of Legion Magazine should be sent to her at 3079-5th Ave., Regina, SK S4T 0L6 or e-mailed to [email protected]. • Saskatchewan Command awarded 10 Jack Moore Memorial Scholarships and 10 Burgess Bursaries for $300 each to students from Saskatchewan finishing their Grade 12 education and furthering their studies in a first year university or technical school program.

Prince Albert, Sask., Branch presents $40,000 to the Victoria Hospital Foundation. The funds were used to purchase two operating chairs and two pressure relief air mattresses for longterm care and palliative patients. At the presentation are (from left) Victoria Hospital Foundation Executive Director Sherry Buckler, nursing unit manager for outpatient services Shawn Phaneuf, ambulatory care nurse Elona Matheis, President Russell Barton, and poppy and wreath committee chair Carol Eybersen.

Scholarships went to Jenna Bratvold and Logan Morhart of Prince Albert; Keara Carter, Sarah Keene, Nicole Matsalla, Selina Muise and Cloe Woo of Saskatoon; Brynne Martin of Maple Creek; Irene Stamatinos of Yorkton and Shaelyn Standish of Kelvington. Bursaries were presented to Anika Albers of Loon Lake; Brooke Clary of Leader; Katherine Cole of Vanscoy; Vanessa Cote of Spiritwood; Ivy Decorby of Rocanville; Jessica Klassen of Assiniboia; Jade Paley of Tuffnell; Cody Sands of Turtleford; Tylynne Tondevold of Willow Bunch and Samantha Whittingham of Qu’Appelle.

MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE PRESENTED • Winnipeg-South Osborne Branch in Winnipeg presented the Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence to WO1 Alexandre Darcel.

Central Butte, Sask., Branch unveiled a cenotaph on Main Street to honour 828 individuals from Central Butte and Riverhurst communities who served. The project was funded by the Veterans Affairs Canada Community War Memorial Program, individuals, the business community, and the sale of commemorative walkway bricks for the front of the cenotaph.

Donald Zollen of Flin Flon, Man., Branch does the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge with the help of his son, Ryan. The event raised $350. Veterans in Moose Jaw, Sask., gather to enjoy a veterans’ luncheon hosted by Moose Jaw Branch. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

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snapshots

HONOURS AND AWARDS

Maureen Dunlop of Winnipeg South Osborne Branch in Winnipeg presents $2,500 to Capt. Andre Vautour, commanding officer of the St. Vital air cadet squadron.

Souris, Man., Branch poppy chairman Ken McBurney (centre) presents $4,500 to Souris Hospital Care team manager Karen Thomas (left) and Souris Personal Care Home charge nurse Juanita Aitken-Harasymchuk for the purchase of medical equipment.

LONG SERViCE AWARDS

frank harding, Courtenay Br., B.C. 60 years

D’arcy Plant, Brandon Br., Man. 65 years

bill Parfitt,                Nick      Phlipchuk,    North Bay Br., Ont. North Bay Br., Ont. 60 years 60 years

Jack hamilton, Brandon Br., Man. 65 years

William Simpson, Portage la Prairie Br., Man. 60 years

Clifford Steeden, Portage la Prairie Br., Man. 60 years

Paul Dallain, Mount Sorrel Br., New Carlisle, Que. 70 years

Jack Davis, North Bay Br., Ont. 60 years

Marvin Ramsay, Herman Good VC Br., Bathurst, N.B. 60 years

Reid Sawyer, Mount Sorrel Br., New Carlisle, Que. 70 years

Justin Nadeau, Mount Sorrel Br., New Carlisle, Que. 70 years

WEbSiTES of iNTEREST Red Newnham,           Vern      hack,     Redcliff Br., Alta. Grenfell Br., Sask. 70 years 70 years

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bill Shields, Oakville Br., Ont. 70 years

Lloyd hart, Waterloo Br., Ont. 65 years

MiLiTARY UNiTS Royal Canadian Army Service Corps family tree, military.tribalpages.com/.

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HONOURS AND AWARDS

MSM AND MSA (L.A.)

DEPARTMENTS

lost trails Rick Lundin, South Okanagan and Similkameen Zone, B.C.

Brian Lobb, South Okanagan and Similkameen Zone, B.C.

Owen Howe, High River Br., Alta.

JACQUES, Cpl. Oswald G.—60692, 27th Bty., 32 Bde., RFA. Killed Sept. 14, 1914, aged 26. Buried in Ligny-enCambresis Cemetery, France. Parents Henry and Jane from B.C. Relatives sought by regimental historian. Chris Dunham, 54 Woodburn Rd., Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland EH22 2BG, U.K., chrisdunham@ aol.com, www.42regt.com.

palm leaf

Mary Marquette, North Bay Br., Ont.

ARNOTT, John—Anglican missionary from Scotland, in Argentina, 1920-40. Served in WW II, moved to Canada after war. Info, relatives, photos, etc. sought re his time in South America. Kathleen Lowrey, 306-8488 111 St. NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 2V9, 780-231-8978, [email protected].

John Greenfield, Bowmanville Br., Ont.

John MacEachern, Arras Br., Antigonish, N.S.

Life Membership B.C./YUKON

ONTARIO

Barry Ostrand, Seaview Centennial Br., Lantzville

Herb Hewitson, Claude Nunney VC Memorial Br., Lancaster

ALBERTA/NWT

Carolyn Laing, Claude Nunney VC Memorial Br., Lancaster

Gordon Carter, St. Albert Br. Dale Dinsmore, St. Albert Br. David Frizell, St. Albert Br. Ted Kaftan, St. Albert Br. Al Macbride, St. Albert Br. Frank Mostyn, St. Albert Br. Elma Watt, St. Albert Br.

SASKATCHEWAN Rev. Virgil Anderson, Tecumseh Stoughton Br., Stoughton

Pierre Roy, Claude Nunney VC Memorial Br., Lancaster Linda Thompson, North Bay Br.

NEW BRUNSWICK Thomas Daigle, Richibucto Br. John Wylie, Richibucto Br.

NOVA SCOTIA/NUNAVUT Joe Gillis, Sydney Br.

KENWRICK, Pte. Harry—775830, 20th Bn., WW I. Born England, Oct. 19, 1881. From Toronto. Relatives sought to return war medal found in family estate. Ron Robinson, 8871 Demorest Dr., Richmond, BC V7A 4N5, 604-275-5945, [email protected]. WAR BRIDES—Sought for reunion, Calgary, 2015. Olga Rains, 504-120 Cherryhill Pl., London, ON N6H 4N9, [email protected].

REQUESTS WW I: Anything related to loans and bonds, espec. Victory Bonds (letters, documents, posters, flags or originals) sought for study of Canada’s war loans, 1915-19. David Roberts, 18 Concorde Pl., Unit 321, Toronto, ON M3C 3T9, [email protected].

UNIT REUNIONS PHYSICAL EDUCATION & RECREATION—Aug. 19-22, Kingston, Ont. Jocelyn Girard, Royal Military College of Canada, Athletic Dept., Box 17000, Station Forces, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, [email protected]. RCASC (Western)—Sept. 11-13, Edmonton. Ed Piperno, 228-592 Hooke Rd., Edmonton, AB T5A 5H2, 780-475-3080.

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VIEWS

Canada

and the

cold war BY j.l. granatstein

Bilingualism in the Canadian Forces was historically a non-starter.

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Lieutenant-Colonel Jacques Dextraze (centre) at Fort Lewis, Washington, January 1951.

English-speaking officers had been posted to FLUs, he said, including commanding officers, “positions that should be reserved for French Canadians.” Just as bad, Allard said, FLUs were being used as “a language training school for young Anglophone officers,” and he pointed to the armoured regiment at 5e Brigade in Valcartier which, he said, had 20 young English-speaking officers. “If we are short of officers,” Allard stated, “we should adjust the recruiting quotas and our training methods to fill these vacancies by obtaining French Canadian officers.” The CF tried to do this under the new Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Jacques Dextraze, one of Canada’s greatest fighting soldiers of the Second World War and Korea, but despite the new policies, attrition rates for French-speaking personnel remained high, and the ratios had to be reduced. After five years, 40 per cent of generals were to be bilingual, 30 per cent of officers, 20 per cent of senior non-commissioned members, and 15 per cent of privates. To achieve that goal, given the low

retention rate for francophones, recruitment was to aim for 50 per cent French speakers for officers and 40 per cent for other ranks. As the Canadian Forces struggled to find enough French-speaking recruits, it faced substantial opposition at the top from the Defence minister, after November 1972, Winnipeg businessman James Richardson. The minister repeatedly tried to stall bilingualism, until some of his officials had to bring in Trudeau to set him straight. Dextraze had his difficulties with his boss, as well. “Do you think you can just bury six million French Canadians? They won’t lie down,” he recalled telling Richardson. Bilingualism cost too much, the minister replied, and Dextraze remembered saying that if costs worried him so much, “just speak French.” Richardson duly resigned from the Trudeau government in October 1976 because of objections to the Trudeau government’s B&B—Bilingualism and Biculturalism—policies. Overall, there were real problems

PHOTO: PHILIP PLASTOW, DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA—PA190294

The army, navy, and air force operated in English only, and francophones adapted or else. That likely helped explain why French-speaking Canadians were reluctant to serve in the two world wars and after, in numbers appropriate to their share of the Canadian population. But the Quiet Revolution in Quebec in the 1960s, the rise of independantiste sentiment and the accession to office of General Jean Victor Allard as Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and Leo Cadieux as minister of National Defence began to change matters. So too did the Trudeau government’s Official Languages Act. The Canadian Forces now had to operate in a new linguistic era. By the early 1970s, as a result, French Language Units (FLUs) were in operation in all three environments and the Canadian Forces had a 72/28 linguistic policy in place. English speakers were to make up 72 per cent of the CF, French speakers 28 per cent. The CDS in 1971 ordered that “equal opportunity will be achieved by designating 28 per cent of the existing rank structure at all levels and in all areas of responsibility for francophone personnel.” In addition, by 1976, four in 10 officers at the rank of lieutenantcolonel or equivalent and above and 35 per cent of the remainder of the CF were to be functionally bilingual. Both ratios were expected to be substantially higher by 1980. But there were serious difficulties in making this policy work. Now retired, Allard expressed his concerns to Defence Minister Donald S. Macdonald in August 1971. LEgion MagazinE january/february 2015

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operated at sea in English, the FLU ships had to be bilingual, and that caused difficulty in finding enough sailors and captains. But the naval staff included senior officers who knew Dextraze served as Chief of the Defence Staff from that francophones had 1972 to 1977. He was considered one of Canada’s never had a fair shot at greatest fighting soldiers. careers in the old navy. These officers support the program, and somehow it began in implementing linguistic duality to work. in the CF. The Royal Commission Some senior officers in the air on Bilingualism and Biculturalism force complained that wing effihad recommended that “qualiciency suffered because operational fied personnel who can exercise units had to be raided for francotheir duties in French be rapidly phones to man the FLUs. So too promoted.” They were. But what, did army officers. Major-General besides language, determined W.C. Leonard, the commander of who was qualified? That was the Canadian Forces in Europe (CFE), problem for bypassed anglophones said that sometimes bilingualwho watched francophone officers ism meant that “like breasts, we and non-commissioned members had to have two of everything.” achieve rapid promotion based Some French-speaking solon what they sometimes viewed diers, alert for slights, he said, as less than military merit and counted lines in the CFE newsmore on their mother tongue. paper, The Beaver, to be certain Quotas create a perverse dynamic they received equal space. of their own, and there was real But there were real successes, too. anger as English-speaking officers watched less qualified francophones The number of francophones in the CF rose substantially over time. (for so they believed) get promoted In 1966, only 15.8 per cent of CF to major or lieutenant-colonel bestrength was French speaking; in fore they did or saw vacant jobs 1976, 23.18 per cent; and in 1982, go unfilled because no bilingual 26.9 per cent. The percentage of officer was available. Commanding francophone officers in those years officers also complained that their was lower, however—9.4, 18.99, unit’s efficiency was suffering from and 21.46 per cent, respectively. the number of personnel on lanTranslation of CF manuals proguage courses, 4,389 in all in ceeded apace, though there were 1976-77, for example. predictable difficulties with techniThe Royal Canadian Navy, the cal manuals. Hitherto invariably smallest and the most Anglo of the in English only, memoranda began environments, had special difficulty to be written—and read by all—in with bilingualism. Because NATO

French, and the functional bilingualism in the officer corps especially was such that, in the late 1980s, the policy was laid down that by 1997 functional bilingualism was a requirement for promotion to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and above. The aim, as a ministerial committee on official languages in the CF stated in 1992, was to give anglophones and francophones the opportunity to have a full career in their own language and, most important, to have leaders who could lead in the language of their soldiers, sailors and airmen and women. The effort to turn the CF into a national army in a bilingual country must be counted a success. More francophones than ever joined the CF and, as they could count on serving in French throughout their career, more remained. More anglophones strove to become bilingual too, seeing this as the necessity for progression through the ranks. The hard feelings at the beginning of the process in the early 1970s had been real enough that historian Desmond Morton, himself a bilingual graduate of Le Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean and the Royal Military College in the 1950s, wrote that, “From being a virtual Anglophone monopoly, the Canadian armed forces came, for a time, to resemble the country they served: two mutually resentful solitudes.” But after the process of bilingualization had worked for a few decades, after the program had become accepted as part of the military’s lifeblood, Morton wrote that, “Few any longer claimed that discipline or efficiency had been sacrificed” to serve bilingualism. january/february 2015 LEgion MagazinE

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The effort to turn the CF into a national army in a bilingual country must be counted a success.

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VIEWS

BY CARL CHRISTIE

LET’S START TODAY with the youngest of our people in uniform, the cadets. Geoff Arnold writes that from 1953 to 1968, to help develop potential leaders at an early age, the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) ran an Apprentice Training Program at Barriefield, Ont., for teenage males 16 to 18 years old. These young apprentices were frequently referred to as “boy soldiers,” or “green monsters,” the latter because of the green flashes sewn onto their epaulets. Part of the curriculum for the roughly 120 RCEME apprentices included a Padre’s Hour roughly once a month. The sessions were broken into two groups, Roman Catholics and Protestants. On one occasion, the Protestant chaplain was unavailable so the RC chaplain offered to take both groups. That turned out to be a good thing, since he was a lot less stuff y than his Protestant counterpart, according to those who had attended previously. He began by putting the Protestant lads at ease. They need not fear that he would convert them. Nor would he light any candles or burn strange fragrances.

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Instead, he asked for a common subject from the group. Cars and girls were vetoed and the consumption of alcohol became the chosen topic for discussion. “Who should drink alcohol?” he asked. Well, since boy soldiers were not allowed to use the wet canteen, it couldn’t be them, so then he went on. “Firstly, there are those who get loud and use foul language after they have had a few drinks. They should not drink. Then, there are those who get physically aggressive; they get pushy and want to fight. They shouldn’t drink. There are others, however, who get relaxed and mellow. They become polite with, ‘Yes, Ma’am and No, Sir.’ They should drink all the time!” After that, the Protestant chaplain had an even greater struggle gaining and keeping the interest of his young flock. DURING HIS MILITARY career, Neil Knowlton taught sport scuba diving. One of the tasks required of students was called Ditch and Don. Students had to swim to the bottom of the pool, remove their diving equipment, return to the surface to take two or three breaths of air, and then swim

down to their equipment and put it back on. The trick was to lay out the equipment in a specific pattern when removed at the bottom of the pool (i.e., the tank off/on valve pointing in the direction from which the diver would return so the air could be turned on immediately and breathing resumed before carrying on with the rest of the task. The harness and shoulder straps should face upward. The divers could swim down and perform the manoeuvre by kneeling in front of the tank, turning on the air, and then putting the weight belt over their knees. To complete the task, divers grabbed the tank with both hands, slipping their arms through the shoulder straps as they did so. Then, by lifting the tank butt end up and putting it over and behind their head, when they let go of the tank it would fall into place, the straps settling over the shoulders. Only then could the divers carry on donning the remainder of the equipment. Now, our confidant writes, this story gets interesting. One female student was doing everything right, not wearing a mask, doing everything by feel. She got the air on and the regulator into her mouth and was breathing as she lifted the tank over her head, the shoulder straps about to fall into place, her arms stretched upward. Suddenly, the top of her two-piece swimsuit slipped! Aware he was watching but unable see him, she simultaneously tried to adjust the equipment and the suit. When she let go of the tank with one hand, it fell onto her head and one shoulder. “She’s in one hell of a fix,” mused her teacher.

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Meanwhile, our man had his own predicament. What should he do? As a gentleman, should he fix her swimsuit—or hold the tank for her? In the end, he did nothing. She eventually righted everything by herself. Afterward, they all met in the White Spot coffee shop, where discussion turned to that evening’s class. The instructor–our confidant—looked at the girl and suggested something to the effect that she should wear a one-piece swimsuit in the future. He thought at first she was going to kill him— but no, she saw the funny side of how she must have looked. To this day, they remain good friends. This is a true story, we are assured, and the people of the C.S. Aquatic Club know “the who” and “the where.”

ILLUSTRATIONS: MALCOLM JONES

IN THE EARLY 1980s, J.D. Willett, of Essex, Ont., was serving in an infantry platoon (1st platoon, Mike Company) of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment in Baden-Soellingen, West Germany, as part of Canada’s commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In the fall of every year, massive war games called Fall-Ex were held.

One such exercise involved supporting the Leopard tanks of the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Our confidant informs us that, as any “honest” tanker will tell you, the infantry has to go in first, or the tanks are sitting ducks. The infantymen received instructions to wave their arms so the tanks could see them and not run over them.

It was an extremely hot day. As Willet lay by a bush in full combat webbing, with his FNC2 rifle and ammo belt, and sweat dripping off his pot helmet, a Leopard tank pulled up beside him. He waved and made eye contact with the tank commander in the turret, a master corporal, he believes. Suddenly he heard a thump next to him. He saw an ice-cold can of Labatt’s 50 ale and the tank commander smiling down on him. Willett popped the lid. Beer sprayed all over him, but he managed to save most of it for himself. He waved and they both carried on. The next day, he saw the same tank and managed to have a quick talk with the commander. Thanking him for the beer, he wondered how he could keep it so cold. He learned that the tank had a built-in cooler right in its turret. Apparently, the ammo box for the machine gun could hold 12 cans of beer, along with ice. To this day, one old soldier considers that 50 the best beer he ever drank. As he requested, Comrade Willett’s $25 reward for making it into print will go directly into the poppy fund. WHEN FIRST ASSIGNED to the United States Air Force AWACS at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma back in the early ’90s, Frank Jamieson of Campbell River, B.C., queried why the 41 Canadian flyers did not have arctic survival training, with flying in the North so likely on Norad operations. The four Canadian Forces majors and component chief warrant officer (CWO) were full of excuses. To reduce the whining, our correspondent decided to attend the first available serial for the CF arctic survival course, conducted at Resolute on Cornwallis Island, with the CWO attending the next serial. After leaving Edmonton in early February 1993 on a CF C-130 Hercules, the class arrived in Resolute on the first day the sun

actually got above the horizon for about 15 minutes. Their first task was to go out in a Bombardier snow-track several kilometres from Resolute, then proceed to use a digging device provided on CF-18s for survival, to create an individual shelter in a suitable snow bank. The shovel was quite effective, and being born and raised in Winnipeg where kids practiced this for about eight months of the year (his words, not mine), a comfortable cavern was created with a suitable plug in the entrance. In fact, it was so comfortable and warm that Jamieson nodded off. Upon awakening he noted it was extremely quiet outside. Pushing out the plug he found himself an army of one. Anyone who has taken a survival course has it drilled in to stay put if you can, so he did. About 30 minutes later a light appeared on the horizon, and he was retrieved by one of the SAR (or search and rescue) course instructors who mumbled that they did not want to lose a lieutenant-colonel the first day of the course. After expressing the hope that the story was not too long, the writer requested that his $25 stipend go to the Winnipeg Grenadier army cadet corps. It will.

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Visit The Canadian War Museum For Special Fighting In Flanders Exhibit

Photo: Canadian War Museum

When the First World War began 100 years ago, the fighting quickly centered on Belgium and the battles at places like Ypres and Passchendaele. The Canadian War Museum is putting on a special exhibition this winter– highlighting the famous poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae–that will allow visitors to experience what life was like on the front lines. Fighting In Flanders – Gas. Mud. Memory. Jan. 1–April 26 The Canadian War Museum, Ottawa www.warmuseum.ca

2

See Toronto Do Its Part

The City of Toronto’s Market Gallery presents an exhibit called Toronto Does Her Bit: The Home Front In The Great War. The focus is on life in the city during the First World War using archival photographs, artworks and artifacts. Toronto Does Her Bit: The Home Front In The Great War Until Jan. 17 Market Gallery, St. Lawrence Market, Toronto www.toronto.ca/marketgallery

Photo: Department Of Canadian Heritage

4

Love To Skate And Skate And Skate? Come To Winterlude!

Canadian history is replete with tales of winter and hockey and skating, so why not embrace the chilliness and go for a skate on the world’s longest naturally frozen rink? Beyond gliding down the Rideau Canal and circling Dow’s Lake, attendees can get involved in the ice sculpture competition and watch for a themed sculpture sponsored by Veterans Affairs Canada. Winterlude Jan. 30–Feb. 16 Ottawa www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1379706275276

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How Big Is The Quebec Winter Carnival? It’s The Biggest!

If you plan one trip this winter, you might as well go big, right? Well, there’s no bigger carnival in the world than the Quebec Winter Carnival. Beyond all the amazing activities, parades and food, there is the added bonus of the carnival being in the old historic part of Quebec City which is surely one of Canada’s most scenic locations. Quebec Winter Carnival Jan. 30–Feb. 15 Quebec City, Quebec www.carnaval.qc.ca

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Canada’s History Comes Alive In Manitoba

Canada’s vibrant fur trading past comes alive in Winnipeg every year at the Festival du Voyageur. It’s a chance to connect with a bit of Canada’s French history, with workshops, traditional food and maybe even some fortified wine. The Festival du Voyageur Feb. 13–22 Winnipeg www.festivalvoyageur.mb.ca

Photo: The Festival Du Voyageur

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Photo: Quebec Winter Carnival

Travelling ABOUT

Five things to do and see in JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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Advertisement

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WIN A TRIP TO

THE NETHERLANDS Legion Magazine thanks you in advance! And nothing says thank you quite like a great vacation or a fistful of cash. Every three years, we ask you to tell us what you think about the magazine. Your answers help guide us as we work to improve your magazine and ensure we are serving your needs. The survey also helps us learn about a typical reader household so we can attract advertising, which is vital to the magazine’s economic success. Please take a few minutes to fill in the survey and send it in with your ballot. When you do, your name will be entered into a random draw for 10 prizes. The Grand Prize is a 10-day pilgrimage to Holland to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, courtesy of Verstraete Travel & Cruises. This marvellous opportunity includes round-trip airfare from Toronto, commemoration activities at Groesbeek and Holten Canadian war cemeteries, national Liberation Day festivities in Wageningen, ceremonies in Apeldoorn and much more. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the incredible gratitude the Dutch people have for their Canadian liberators should not be missed. The winner can choose to stay with a Dutch family or in a hotel. There are also three $150 cash prizes, three $100 cash prizes and three $50 cash prizes.

2015

Readership Survey To be eligible for the draw, you must be a Canadian resident, 19 years of age or older and your completed survey must be received at Legion Magazine by the close of business on Feb. 13, 2015. Send it by mail or fill in the survey online at www.legionmagazine.com/survey. No purchase is necessary and your individual survey response is confidential. One entry per reader. The number of entries received will determine the odds of winning. Salaried employees and officers of Canvet Publications Ltd. and Dominion Command of the RCL are not eligible, nor are members of their immediate family. The Grand Prize is non-transferable. There is no cash substitute for the Grand Prize. It has a retail value of more than $5,500. The person whose name is drawn for the Grand Prize will be required to correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question. All decisions of the judges are final. Remember to fill in your name and address in the form on page 99 to be entered in the draw. For full contest rules, write: Readership Survey Contest Rules, Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata ON K2L 0A1 And last, but very importantly, please consider allowing Legion Magazine the opportunity to include your comments in an upcoming article on the survey results. Prize winners will also be listed in that issue. Good luck and thank you! Jennifer Morse, General Manager Advertisement

HOLLAND LIBERATION CELEBRATION 2015 70TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES MAY 1–10

Welcome Again Veterans

Ordinary Seaman Tom Alexander Canadian Navy, 1985 – 1986 Home Store Owner since 2008

Tour Hotel Stay Price $2185 – pp (dbl) – from Toronto

The Navy taught Tom what he was capable of accomplishing. Now he helps others learn the same lesson. Joining the Navy as a teenager, Tom Alexander spent his year of service on the now decommissioned HMCS Assiniboine, a St. Laurent-class destroyer. Tom worked in the boiler room, the engine room and as a Hull Tech, doing carpentry and damage control around the ship. Training was intense. “They would blast holes in stuff,” Tom says, “and we had to fix it.” Having enlisted under the Youth Temporary Employment Program, Tom cites his year in the Service as “one of the best experiences of my life. It gave me a real appreciation for what freedom costs.”

Airport taxes/fuel surch. $575.- pp

Post tours offered

On May 5, 2015, Holland celebrates the 70th anniversary of liberation. Welcome Again Veterans, with the support of RC Legion Branch 5 (Netherlands), have organized a pilgrimage for their liberators, families and friends. Come and commemorate, celebrate, and enjoy the special events. It is open to anyone who is interested in participating. Groups, regiments and bands can contact us for special arrangements.

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Journal Eye On Defence Health File Humour Hunt Canada and The Cold War Letters

The province of Friesland offers a special program for her liberators and would like to hear from the veterans who participated there in April 1945. The Friesland Committee asks you to contact: Martin Boomsma Georgetown ON Tel 905 877 5843 Email: mhboomsma@ cogeco.ca

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Official Travel Agent and Booking Office 14845 Yonge St. Suite 300, Aurora, Ontario L4G 6H8 • Tel: 416-969-8100 • Fax: 905-727-8113 • Toll Free: 1-800-565-9267 Ontario Registration 3367728 email: [email protected] Visit us at www.verstraetetravel.com

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File: 48656_Canadian_Legion_Tom Client: Home Hardware Client Code: HOM Product Code: COR

Trim: 7.5" (w) x 10.875" (h) Safety: 0.375” x 0.5” Bleed: 0.125”

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Legion Magazine October 2014 CMYK

Art Director: Sanna Copywriter: NA Mac Artist: Daniel

97

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

98

11/26/14 11:20 AM 2014-12-02 3:44 PM

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WIN A TRIP TO

THE NETHERLANDS Legion Magazine thanks you in advance! And nothing says thank you quite like a great vacation or a fistful of cash. Every three years, we ask you to tell us what you think about the magazine. Your answers help guide us as we work to improve your magazine and ensure we are serving your needs. The survey also helps us learn about a typical reader household so we can attract advertising, which is vital to the magazine’s economic success. Please take a few minutes to fill in the survey and send it in with your ballot. When you do, your name will be entered into a random draw for 10 prizes. The Grand Prize is a 10-day pilgrimage to Holland to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, courtesy of Verstraete Travel & Cruises. This marvellous opportunity includes round-trip airfare from Toronto, commemoration activities at Groesbeek and Holten Canadian war cemeteries, national Liberation Day festivities in Wageningen, ceremonies in Apeldoorn and much more. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the incredible gratitude the Dutch people have for their Canadian liberators should not be missed. The winner can choose to stay with a Dutch family or in a hotel. There are also three $150 cash prizes, three $100 cash prizes and three $50 cash prizes.

2015

Readership Survey To be eligible for the draw, you must be a Canadian resident, 19 years of age or older and your completed survey must be received at Legion Magazine by the close of business on Feb. 13, 2015. Send it by mail or fill in the survey online at www.legionmagazine.com/survey. No purchase is necessary and your individual survey response is confidential. One entry per reader. The number of entries received will determine the odds of winning. Salaried employees and officers of Canvet Publications Ltd. and Dominion Command of the RCL are not eligible, nor are members of their immediate family. The Grand Prize is non-transferable. There is no cash substitute for the Grand Prize. It has a retail value of more than $5,500. The person whose name is drawn for the Grand Prize will be required to correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question. All decisions of the judges are final. Remember to fill in your name and address in the form on page 99 to be entered in the draw. For full contest rules, write: Readership Survey Contest Rules, Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata ON K2L 0A1 And last, but very importantly, please consider allowing Legion Magazine the opportunity to include your comments in an upcoming article on the survey results. Prize winners will also be listed in that issue. Good luck and thank you! Jennifer Morse, General Manager Advertisement

HOLLAND LIBERATION CELEBRATION 2015 70TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES MAY 1–10

Welcome Again Veterans

Ordinary Seaman Tom Alexander Canadian Navy, 1985 – 1986 Home Store Owner since 2008

Tour Hotel Stay Price $2185 – pp (dbl) – from Toronto

The Navy taught Tom what he was capable of accomplishing. Now he helps others learn the same lesson. Joining the Navy as a teenager, Tom Alexander spent his year of service on the now decommissioned HMCS Assiniboine, a St. Laurent-class destroyer. Tom worked in the boiler room, the engine room and as a Hull Tech, doing carpentry and damage control around the ship. Training was intense. “They would blast holes in stuff,” Tom says, “and we had to fix it.” Having enlisted under the Youth Temporary Employment Program, Tom cites his year in the Service as “one of the best experiences of my life. It gave me a real appreciation for what freedom costs.”

Airport taxes/fuel surch. $575.- pp

Post tours offered

On May 5, 2015, Holland celebrates the 70th anniversary of liberation. Welcome Again Veterans, with the support of RC Legion Branch 5 (Netherlands), have organized a pilgrimage for their liberators, families and friends. Come and commemorate, celebrate, and enjoy the special events. It is open to anyone who is interested in participating. Groups, regiments and bands can contact us for special arrangements.

Readership Survey

ABOUT YOU

1. What is your level of interest in these subjects?

5. Are you?

Health Remembrance Pre-First World War First World War Second World War Modern Conflict

None 1 1 1 1 1 1

Low 2 2 2 2 2 2

Moderate High 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4

Legion member

2. What is your level of interest in these features?

War Art The Home Front Canadian Military History Army Navy Air Force Canadian Battle Honours Face-To-Face Posters/Maps/Inserts

None 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Low 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Moderate High 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4

None 1 1 1 1 1 1

Low 2 2 2 2 2 2

Non-member

7. Which age group are you in? Under 35 1 55–64 35–54 2 65 plus 1

Female

2 2b)

Retired

3 4 2

9. On average, how much time do you spend reading a copy of Legion Magazine? Less than 1 hour 1 3 to 4 hours 3 1 to 2 hours 2 4 hours or more 4 10. How many people besides yourself read your copy of Legion Magazine? 10 plus 1 2 3 4-6 7-9 plus 11. Do you have a computer with Internet access? No 1 Yes 2 12. Do you visit Legion Magazine online? 1 Yes 2 No

Moderate High 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 3

1

6. Have you served in the military? 1 Yes 2 (Serving 2a No

8. Are you? Male

Journal Eye On Defence Health File Humour Hunt Canada and The Cold War Letters

The province of Friesland offers a special program for her liberators and would like to hear from the veterans who participated there in April 1945. The Friesland Committee asks you to contact: Martin Boomsma Georgetown ON Tel 905 877 5843 Email: mhboomsma@ cogeco.ca

OUR 2015 READERSHIP SURVEY IS NOW AVAILABLE TO FILL OUT ONLINE. www.legionmagazine.com/survey

ABOUT US

3. What is your level of interest in these columns?

Friesland Invitation

Tour Host Family Stay Price $1295 – from Toronto

2015

4 4

13. Would you make purchases on the Legion Magazine website? No 1 Yes 2 14. Are you planning to purchase or lease a new vehicle in the next 12 months? Purchase No 1 Yes 2 Lease No 1 Yes 2 15. How often do you read these other publications?

4. What is your level of interest in these sections?

Official Travel Agent and Booking Office 14845 Yonge St. Suite 300, Aurora, Ontario L4G 6H8 • Tel: 416-969-8100 • Fax: 905-727-8113 • Toll Free: 1-800-565-9267 Ontario Registration 3367728 email: [email protected] Visit us at www.verstraetetravel.com

Honours and Awards Lost Trails/Unit Reunions/ Requests On This Date Snapshots News Section Travelling About Serving You

None 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Low 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Moderate High 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4

Reader’s Digest Good Times Zoomer/CARP News Canadian Geographic Canada’s History

Never Seldom Often Always 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Announcement - Battlefields of Europe Tour: Aug 17-28 with John Hetherington. Contact [email protected]

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

48656_Canadian_Legion_Tom.indd 1 CoverSurveyNS.indd 87

File: 48656_Canadian_Legion_Tom Client: Home Hardware Client Code: HOM Product Code: COR

Trim: 7.5" (w) x 10.875" (h) Safety: 0.375” x 0.5” Bleed: 0.125”

Publication: Insertion: Colours:

Legion Magazine October 2014 CMYK

Art Director: Sanna Copywriter: NA Mac Artist: Daniel

97

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

98

11/26/14 11:20 AM 2014-12-02 3:44 PM

19. Please indicate which credit card(s) you use? Visa 1 MasterCard 2 American Express

8 9 10 11 12

26. After reading Legion Magazine, have you ever Bought a product or service you saw advertised? No 1 Yes 2 Requested information about a product or service you saw advertised? No 1 Yes 2

s

22. Do you use the following on a regular basis? Dietary supplements 1 Advil Vitamins 2 Tylenol Homeopathic remedies 3 Aspirin Prescription drugs 4 Orthopedics

pro art

28. Reader comments:

5 6 7 8

4 5 6

24. Which of the following places do you plan to travel to in the next two years? Caribbean/Mexico 1 Florida/Carolinas 7 Europe 2 California/Arizona 8 United Kingdom 3 Atlantic Canada 9 Australia/New Zealand 4 Quebec 10 Asia 5 Ontario 11 South America 6 Western Canada 12

h

Be able to bathe safely and worry-free

with a Premier Care in Bathing Walk-In Bath.

• The walk-in door feature allows easy access and exiting •

Almost done. Just to make sure we can contact you if you win, please fill in the Draw Entry Form below and return to: SURVEYS, LEGION MAGAZINE 86 AIRD PLACE, KANATA ON K2L 0A1 CANADA

WORLD

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• Our fully licensed installers can do most any install, and in most cases in just one to two days • Experience easy installation with white glove treatment

draw entry form (optional) LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER READER

Name: Address:

Telephone: (

CALL NOW • TOLL FREE

)

1-800-220-4549

Please consider my comments (with name) for publication. Yes No

PROMO CODE 20947

Yes, I would like to be kept up-to-date on Legion Magazine. E-mail:

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

CoverSurveyNS.indd 86

$1,925 OFF*

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PLEASE PRINT

23. Are you interested in more information on Alzheimer’s disease 1 Diabetes Arthritis 2 Heart & Stroke Cancer 3 Home Care

Exclusive Offer for Legion Members

friendly

• Enjoy a relaxing bath again, without the fear of slipping or falling 4 5 6

ANOTHER

IS IT POSSIBLE?

Premier Care in Bathing™ Walk-In Baths approved by The Arthritis Society

20. Would you like to see more information on living in a retirement community? No 1 Yes 2 21. What is your total annual household income before taxes? Under $20,000 1 $35,000 to $49,999 $20,000 to $24,999 2 $50,000 to $74,999 $25,000 to $34,999 3 $75,000 or more

EXCLUSIVE

WAR

27. How would you rate Legion Magazine overall in terms of serving your needs? Poor 1 Average 2 Good 3 Excellent 4 3

SEE PAGE 97 FOR DETAILS

www.PremierCareBathing.ca/Legion

99

*Limited time offer. Offer is only valid for a fully installed Walk-In Bath or Easy Access Shower. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer. I agree that Premier Care in Bathing may contact me by telephone using automated technology at the telephone number provided. I understand this consent is not a condition of purchase. **Limited Lifetime Warranty subject to terms and conditions.

ALSO INSIDE

Nowhere To Hide Over The Side Chaos In The Ypres Salient

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 CANADA $5.95 DISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 2, 2015

18. Which of the following investments/savings do you have: RRSP 1 Company pensions RESP 2 TFSA Mutual Funds 3 Term deposits Savings Bonds/Bonds 4 Investment real estate Stocks 5 Other (please specify) T-bills 6 GICs 7 None of the above

WIN A TRIP TO THE NETHERLANDS!

Save Now On A Walk-In Bath Or An Easy Access Shower

te

3

LEGION MEMBERS

ri

Rented

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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i

17. Is your principal residence Owned with mortgage 1 Owned mortgage-free 2

4 5 6

25. What kind of travel are you interested in? RV/Camping Cruises Cultural and historical tours All-inclusive sun vacations Escorted tours in Europe or Asia Escorted tours in North America Winter-long getaways to a vacation home Motor coach and escorted tours Independent travel by car or train

ar thrit

16. What is the approximate total population of the community or urban area where you live? Less than 50,000 people 1 250,000 to 500,000 50,000 to 100,000 2 500,000 to 1 million 100,000 to 250,000 3 More than 1 million

n ee V! S As n T O

The Courageous Boarding Of U-94

LEGIONMAGAZINE.COM

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19. Please indicate which credit card(s) you use? Visa 1 MasterCard 2 American Express

8 9 10 11 12

26. After reading Legion Magazine, have you ever Bought a product or service you saw advertised? No 1 Yes 2 Requested information about a product or service you saw advertised? No 1 Yes 2

s

22. Do you use the following on a regular basis? Dietary supplements 1 Advil Vitamins 2 Tylenol Homeopathic remedies 3 Aspirin Prescription drugs 4 Orthopedics

pro art

28. Reader comments:

5 6 7 8

4 5 6

24. Which of the following places do you plan to travel to in the next two years? Caribbean/Mexico 1 Florida/Carolinas 7 Europe 2 California/Arizona 8 United Kingdom 3 Atlantic Canada 9 Australia/New Zealand 4 Quebec 10 Asia 5 Ontario 11 South America 6 Western Canada 12

h

Be able to bathe safely and worry-free

with a Premier Care in Bathing Walk-In Bath.

• The walk-in door feature allows easy access and exiting •

Almost done. Just to make sure we can contact you if you win, please fill in the Draw Entry Form below and return to: SURVEYS, LEGION MAGAZINE 86 AIRD PLACE, KANATA ON K2L 0A1 CANADA

WORLD

Brointhers Arms

warm air jets soothe away your aches and pains

SEE STORY ON PAGE 38

SPECIAL FEATURE

CANADIAN TWINS FIGHT TO SURVIVE

• Our fully licensed installers can do most any install, and in most cases in just one to two days • Experience easy installation with white glove treatment

draw entry form (optional) LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER READER

Name: Address:

Telephone: (

CALL NOW • TOLL FREE

)

1-800-220-4549

Please consider my comments (with name) for publication. Yes No

PROMO CODE 20947

Yes, I would like to be kept up-to-date on Legion Magazine. E-mail:

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

CoverSurveyNS.indd 86

$1,925 OFF*

Independence and security are only a phone call away. If you or a loved one struggle taking a bath, talk to us at Premier Care in Bathing about our extensive range of Walk-In Baths.

PLEASE PRINT

23. Are you interested in more information on Alzheimer’s disease 1 Diabetes Arthritis 2 Heart & Stroke Cancer 3 Home Care

Exclusive Offer for Legion Members

friendly

• Enjoy a relaxing bath again, without the fear of slipping or falling 4 5 6

ANOTHER

IS IT POSSIBLE?

Premier Care in Bathing™ Walk-In Baths approved by The Arthritis Society

20. Would you like to see more information on living in a retirement community? No 1 Yes 2 21. What is your total annual household income before taxes? Under $20,000 1 $35,000 to $49,999 $20,000 to $24,999 2 $50,000 to $74,999 $25,000 to $34,999 3 $75,000 or more

EXCLUSIVE

WAR

27. How would you rate Legion Magazine overall in terms of serving your needs? Poor 1 Average 2 Good 3 Excellent 4 3

SEE PAGE 97 FOR DETAILS

www.PremierCareBathing.ca/Legion

99

*Limited time offer. Offer is only valid for a fully installed Walk-In Bath or Easy Access Shower. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer. I agree that Premier Care in Bathing may contact me by telephone using automated technology at the telephone number provided. I understand this consent is not a condition of purchase. **Limited Lifetime Warranty subject to terms and conditions.

ALSO INSIDE

Nowhere To Hide Over The Side Chaos In The Ypres Salient

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 CANADA $5.95 DISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 2, 2015

18. Which of the following investments/savings do you have: RRSP 1 Company pensions RESP 2 TFSA Mutual Funds 3 Term deposits Savings Bonds/Bonds 4 Investment real estate Stocks 5 Other (please specify) T-bills 6 GICs 7 None of the above

WIN A TRIP TO THE NETHERLANDS!

Save Now On A Walk-In Bath Or An Easy Access Shower

te

3

LEGION MEMBERS

ri

Rented

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Advertisement

i

17. Is your principal residence Owned with mortgage 1 Owned mortgage-free 2

4 5 6

25. What kind of travel are you interested in? RV/Camping Cruises Cultural and historical tours All-inclusive sun vacations Escorted tours in Europe or Asia Escorted tours in North America Winter-long getaways to a vacation home Motor coach and escorted tours Independent travel by car or train

ar thrit

16. What is the approximate total population of the community or urban area where you live? Less than 50,000 people 1 250,000 to 500,000 50,000 to 100,000 2 500,000 to 1 million 100,000 to 250,000 3 More than 1 million

n ee V! S As n T O

The Courageous Boarding Of U-94

LEGIONMAGAZINE.COM

PM40063864 R09389

2014-12-02 3:44 PM