Legion Magazine 2015-09-10

THE OCTOBER CRISIS

DISTRACTING THE WOLF PACK

P.E.I.’S AVIATION PARK

SPECIAL FE ATURE

CRACKS

PART TWO

IN THE SYSTEM BETRAYED VETERANS SPEAK OUT

SUB HUNTER A navy hero’s pride and regret

THE FIGHTER PILOT WHO DESPISED KILLING WAS THE WAR MEASURES ACT JUSTIFIED?

CoverNS.indd 1

$5.95 > DISPLAY UNTIL NOV. 2, 2015 PM40063864 R09389

DWINDLING RANKS ON LIBERATION DAY

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

LEGIONMAGAZINE.COM

2015-07-31 10:00 AM

BATTLE OF THE

Advertisement

ATLANTIC The latest special issue from Legion Magazine is “Battle of the Atlantic,” a newsstand-only collector’s edition packed with compelling stories, stunning photos and detailed maps. ALMOST 76 YEARS AGO, A U-BOAT ATTACKED THE BRITISH PASSENGER SHIP SS ATHENIA—THE FIRST VESSEL SUNK BY GERMANY IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR—AND TRIGGERED AN ALL-OUT SEA WAR. The Royal Canadian Navy played a pivotal role in this critical campaign, which raged on open and treacherous seas from September 1939 to May 1945. “BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC” takes you back to relive those events.

MAKES THE PERFECT GIFT!

Get Your Copy Today! Only

$14.95

+ applicable taxes

AVA I L A B L E AT T H E S E F I N E R E TA I L E R S :

A N D OT H E R F I N E R E TA I L E R S O F M AG A Z I N E S

For more information, call 613-591-0116.

BY T H E P U B L I S H E R O F

ALSO AVAILABLE The first seven issues in the award-winning series from Legion Magazine are still available!

COMPLETE YOUR SET TODAY! SHOP ONLINE AT LEGIONMAGAZINE.COM OR CALL 613-591-0116 Atlantic ADSO15.indd 1

2015-07-30 3:07 PM

Advertisement

YOU, IN CHARGE LOOKING FOR SOME ASSISTANCE AT HOME?

Our specialized team of personal support workers, nurses, massage therapists and homemakers will work with you to develop an individualized plan that will provide the services you want, whenever you need them. CBI Health Group offers home support services to more than 70,000 Canadians under the CBI Home Health and We Care brands. Let us know how we can help. We want your team.

to

be

part

of

PERSONAL CARE • HOMEMAKING • NURSING • REMOTE HEALTH MONITORING ALZHEIMER’S CARE • ACCOMPANIED VISITS • COMPANION SERVICES • PALLIATIVE CARE

HOME HEALTH PART OF CBI HEALTH GROUP

www.cbi.ca/homehealth • 1.800.463.2225

WeCareProof.indd 17

2015-07-30 3:49 PM

Advertisement

SupplyProof.indd 17

2015-08-04 10:28 AM

Bittersweet

SHARON ADAMS

celebration

Second World War veteran Jim Warford is surprised when a Dutch woman at the Liberation Parade in Apeldoorn emerges from the throng to give him a kiss.

T

housands of grateful Dutch citizens turn out to honour returning Canadian veterans who took part in the liberation of their country 70 years ago. Could this be the last of these reunions? See page 50

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg01_Photospread.indd 1

1

2015-07-31 10:30 AM

Features 16 PIPS OFF THE PORT BEAM



Thomas Simpson was instrumental in the sinking of U-1302 Memoir by Ronald Simpson

22 CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM PART TWO



BROKEN FAITH

Canada’s lost veterans and the lawsuit that shook a government By Adam Day and Sharon Adams

50 BITTERSWEET CELEBRATION 70th anniversary of Liberation Day in the Netherlands

RCN/LEGION MAGAZINE ARCHIVES; ULLSTEIN BILD/GETTY IMAGES



By Sharon Adams

THIS PHOTO A seaman watches a convoy in stormy seas. ON THE COVER German crew members scan the horizon from their U-boat’s conning tower in May 1942.

Pg02-03_Contents.indd 2

2015-07-30 5:38 PM

COLUMNS 11 HEALTH FILE

Sleep disorders add stress to injured veterans By Sharon Adams

13 JOURNAL

Veterans Affairs minister praises the Legion By Adam Day

15 EYE ON DEFENCE

Defence policy and the election By David J. Bercuson

35 FACE TO FACE

Was Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau justified in invoking the War Measures Act during the FLQ crisis of October 1970? By D’Arcy Jenish and Reg Whitaker

38 BATTLE HONOURS Italy—The Moro

By John Boileau

40 ARMY: MODEST AND MEANINGLESS GAINS By Terry Copp

43 AIR FORCE: THE FIGHTER PILOT

WHO HATED KILLING By Hugh A. Halliday

46  NAVY: DISTRACTING THE PACK By Marc Milner

92  CANADA AND THE COLD WAR The October Crisis

By J.L. Granatstein

DEPARTMENTS 5 6 8 54 72 90 91 91 91 91 94 96

EDITORIAL ON THIS DATE LETTERS IN THE NEWS SNAPSHOTS LOST TRAILS REQUESTS UNIT REUNIONS MARKETPLACE CLASSIFIED HUMOUR HUNT TRAVELLING ABOUT

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg02-03_Contents.indd 3

3

2015-08-04 2:14 PM

Advertisement

Vol. 90, No. 5 | September/October 2015

The Royal Canadian Legion

MEMBER BENEFITS

PACKAGE PARTNERS

Board of Directors

CHAIRMAN Dave Flannigan VICE-CHAIRMAN Tom Eagles SECRETARY Brad White DIRECTORS Mark Barham, Jack Frost, Tom Irvine, Gordon Moore, André Paquette, Ed Pigeau

Legion Magazine is published by Canvet Publications Ltd.

EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS Arbor Memorial Canada’s leading family of funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoria TOLL FREE: 1-877-301-8066 Visit arboralliances.ca for your nearest location Best Western International Exclusive hotel rates for Legion members TOLL FREE: 1-800-Western (ask for rate code 01497850) www.bestwestern.com/legion

GENERAL MANAGER

Jennifer Morse

ADMINISTRATION

Doris Williams

RESEARCHER/ ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Stephanie Slegtenhorst WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA CO-ORDINATOR

Adam Tindal

ART DIRECTOR, CIRCULATION AND PRODUCTION MANAGER

Jason Duprau

Medipac Protecting Experienced Travellers since 1982 TOLL FREE: 1-888-939-0001 Premier Care In Bathing Walk-in Baths, Powered Baths and Easy Access Showers TOLL FREE: 1-800-519-2049 www.premiercarebathing.ca/legion Shaw Direct Satellite TV TOLL FREE: 1-855-587-0759 www.shawdirect.ca Starkey Hearing Technologies Canada Receive up to 25% off our hearing aids TOLL FREE: 1-800-387-9353 www.StarkeyCanada.ca

NEWS EDITOR

Tom MacGregor

DESIGNERS

Dyann Bernard Sophie Jalbert Jennifer McGill

Carlson Wagonlit Travel Special Vacation Club offers for Legion Members TOLL FREE: 1-800-CARLSON (227-5766) www.cwtvacationclub.ca/legion Lifeline Canada’s Leader in Personal Response and Support Service TOLL FREE: 1-800-LIFELINE (1-800-543-3546)

EDITOR

Eric Harris

STAFF WRITERS

Sharon Adams Adam Day

ROSS MUNRO

ROSS MUNRO

WINNER

WINNER

LEGION MAGAZINE’S

LEGION MAGAZINE’S

MEDIA AWARD

ADAM DAY

MEDIA AWARD

ADAM DAY

Advertising Sales CANIK MARKETING SERVICES TORONTO 416-317-9173 | [email protected] EASTERN CANADA 514-288-8988 | [email protected] DOVETAIL COMMUNICATIONS INC.

905-886-6640 ext. 306 | [email protected] WESTERN CANADA 604-992-0783

| [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. ISSN 1209-4331

Subscription Rates

Legion Magazine is $9.96 per year ($19.93 for two years and $29.89 for three years); prices include GST. 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, NL a subscription is $10.72 for one year ($21.45 for two years and $32.17 for three years). FOR ADDRESSES IN PE a subscription is $10.82 for one year ($21.64 for two years and $32.46 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 or phone 613-591-0116. The single copy price is $5.95 plus applicable taxes, shipping and handling.

Change of Address

We Care Home Health Services Homemaking, Personal Care and Nursing Services TOLL FREE: 1-855-229-3227 www.wecare.ca

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. Or visit www.legionmagazine.com. Allow eight weeks.

EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIPS

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. 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.

Editorial and Advertising Policy

Corby Spirit and Wine Ltd. Partner of the Dominion Command Darts Championship TOLL FREE: 1-866-99CORBY www.corby.ca MBNA Canada Bank MBNA Legion MasterCard TOLL FREE: 1-800-416-6345

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063864

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Legion Magazine Subscription Department 86 Aird Place, Kanata, ON K2L 0A1 | [email protected]

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. Member of CCAB, a division of BPA International. Printed in Canada.

For more information on Member Benefits Package Partners, visit legion.ca.

Pg04_Masthead.indd 4

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 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 e-mail [email protected] or write to Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata ON K2L 0A1 or phone 613-591-0116.

2015-07-31 9:35 AM

EDITORIAL

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2015

Veterans Mark Campbell and Paul Franklin are featured on page 22.

VOTES FOR VETS SINCE PART ONE OF “CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM” appeared in the July/August 2015 issue of Legion Magazine, several readers have written to demonstrate their support for veterans and concern about how they are treated by our government. “I lost my family to PTSD and chronic pain,” Gord  Hockridge (alias Sapperboy) of Chilliwack, B.C., commented on legionmagazine.com. “I suffered 25 years before there was any help. Then when help arrived, it was a battle with VAC bureaucrats. I have been and am being helped by VAC now, but what a humiliating journey. “I wouldn’t suggest how you cast your vote, but history provides a great preview of the future.… All I ask is that when you vote, put Canada ahead of yourself; just like you did when you were in the service.” Hockridge’s sentiments reflect those of many others who remain baffled by the numerous examples of disabled—and entitled—veterans having benefits claims discounted, delayed or denied by Veterans Affairs Canada. Picking up where part one left off, “Broken faith” (see page 22) examines the cases of Mark Campbell and Paul Franklin, two of the country’s most prominent veterans’ advocates. Both suffered egregious wounds while on duty in Afghanistan; both are double amputees, and both returned home to face new fights—against an insensitive bureaucracy and its complex and at times absurd regulations. Those regulations are the direct result of legislation written and enacted by the politicians we elect. Legion Magazine is a non-partisan enterprise that does not endorse or get involved with political parties or political party actions during elections. However, the magazine is

a journalistic enterprise that reports on matters related to our military history, armed forces and veterans’ issues. This includes, of course, examining the impact of government legislation on veterans’ interests. The magazine also unwaveringly supports the democratic process, and with a federal election coming in October, we feel that the state of Canada’s military veterans needs to be a prominent election issue. In any democracy, it is important that people make informed voting decisions. On the issues of Canadian veterans, one important source of information is The Royal Canadian Legion’s position paper Veterans Matter, which outlines the Legion’s stance on issues affecting veterans, their families and their overall well-being.

LOUIE PALU

As you vote, keep in mind the interests and welfare of all those who serve. (To obtain a copy, go to www.legion.ca/article/the-royalcanadian-legion-position-paper-veterans-matter.) The more Canadians raise veterans’ issues with their local candidates, in town hall debates, in letters to editors, in call-in radio shows, the more likely the problems outlined in parts one and two of “Cracks in the system” will be addressed. As Legion Magazine readers, you share in your concern for veterans and may form a coherent voting bloc. So find out how your candidates intend to support veterans. And as you vote, keep in mind the interests and welfare of all those who serve. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg05_Editorial.indd 5

5

2015-07-31 10:02 AM

ON THIS

DATE SEPT EMB ER

1 SEPTEMBER 1944 Dieppe, France, is liberated, predominantly by Canadian troops.

6 SEPTEMBER 1944

7 SEPTEMBER 1955

8 SEPTEMBER 1954

Canadian troops occupy the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France, where V-1 flying bombs were launched against London. Royal Canadian Navy involvement in Korea ends when HMCS Sioux heads home.

11 SEPTEMBER 2001 Islamic terrorists fly jets into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.

14 SEPTEMBER 1942 HMCS Ottawa, one of Canada’s six original destroyers, is torpedoed while defending a convoy; 114 are lost.

18 SEPTEMBER 1867 John A. Macdonald’s Conservative Party wins the first Dominion election.

23 - 28 SEPTEMBER 1944 The 5th Canadian Armoured Division pursues German forces to the Fiumicino River in Italy during the battles for the Gothic and Rimini lines.

15 SEPTEMBER 1884 The Canadian Nile Voyageurs depart on Canada’s first overseas military mission, an attempt to rescue Governor General C.G. Gordon in Khartoum, Sudan.

19 SEPTEMBER 2006 Prime Minister Stephen Harper says that involvement in Afghanistan underscores Canada’s leadership role in world affairs.

27 SEPTEMBER 1806 Isaac Brock is appointed to command British forces in Upper Canada.

THE FACTS: 92,757 CANADIANS SERVED IN THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN; 5,764 CANADIANS WERE KILLED AND 19,486 WOUNDED; 591 CANADIANS WERE WOUNDED DURING THE BATTLE FOR THE GOTHIC LINE.

6

Flight Lieutenant D.E. MacLeod braves a conflagration in efforts to save a Canuck fighter crew that crashed in North Bay, Ont. He is awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct.

12 SEPTEMBER 1918 The Hindenburg Line is first pierced in Havrincourt, France, a turning point in the First World War.

15 - 16 SEPTEMBER 1993 Four Canadians are wounded in 15 hours of fierce fighting with Croatian forces in the Battle of the Medak Pocket.

20 SEPTEMBER 1918 Canadian railway troops sail from Marseilles, France, to Palestine to assist in repairing bridges pending defeat of Turkish forces at Damascus, Syria.

28 SEPTEMBER 1917 The Newfoundland Regiment is granted the term “Royal” by King George V.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg06-07_September2015-OnThisDate.indd 6

2015-08-04 2:15 PM

SEPTEMBER

2 SEPTEMBER 1998

3 SEPTEMBER 1916

Swissair 111 crashes off Nova Scotia, killing 229.

The Canadian Corps takes a three-kilometre section of the front along Pozières Ridge near the Somme River in northern France.

4 SEPTEMBER 2006 Private Mark Anthony Graham is killed, dozens are injured as U.S. aircraft mistakenly fire on a Canadian platoon in Afghanistan.

5 SEPTEMBER 1939 No. 10 Squadron bomber unit is formed and goes on to make 22 attacks on U-boats, a record.

THE FACTS: MORE THAN 24,000 CANADIANS WERE KILLED OR WOUNDED DURING THE THREE MONTHS THE CORPS WAS ON THE SOMME. IN TOTAL, THERE WERE MORE THAN A MILLION ALLIED AND GERMAN CASUALTIES BY MID-NOVEMBER.

9 SEPTEMBER 1916 Corporal Leo Clarke wards off, then chases and dispatches 20 attackers, despite his wounds. He is awarded the Victoria Cross.

10 SEPTEMBER 1813 U.S. Captain Oliver Perry defeats six British warships at the Battle of Lake Erie.

13 SEPTEMBER 1814 Fort McHenry does not fall, despite British naval bombardment; the battle inspires the U.S. national anthem.

17 - 26 SEPTEMBER 1944 Operation Market Garden fails to end the war; Canadian forces wage difficult battles to secure the channel ports.

21 SEPTEMBER

1981

22 SEPTEMBER 1916 The Canadian Corps, aided by the first use of armoured tanks, captures Courcelette, France.

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

3 OCTOBER 1914

23 SEPTEMBER 1948 The RCAF completes an 11-day search for a missing American aircraft in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, saving the lives of four American and one British personnel. LAC; DND; SHARIF TARABAY; UN MULTIMEDIA; PETER RINDLISBACHER

The United Nations establishes the International Day of Peace.

29 SEPTEMBER 1962 Alouette I, Canada’s first orbiting satellite, is launched.

30 SEPTEMBER 1731 The first warship in New France is built in Terrebonne, Que.

The first contingent of 30,000 in the Canadian Expeditionary Force sails from Quebec to join war efforts in Europe. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg06-07_September2015-OnThisDate.indd 7

7

2015-07-31 11:46 AM

letters CARING FOR THOSE LOST IN THE CRACKS

S YS T E M

I N TH E

ns Affairs about Vetera led to complaints A litany of tment of veterans has ip at leadersh Canada’s trea olt.’ Can new or should the rev ns’ era t, a ‘vet up? a culture shif VAC inspire uilt from the ground system be reb ADAM ADAM S AND PALU BY SHAR ON PHY BY LOUIE PHOT OGRA

I

“

fire

I APPRECIATED THE EFFORT that

I SHARE IN YOUR FRUSTRATION

went into compiling the article (“Cracks in the system,” July/ August). Well done to the authors! In my view, it highlights the failings of politicians ready and willing to commit our soldiers to action, but unwilling or unable to ensure adequate care for them when they return home wounded and injured. There are life-cycle costs that need to be considered before decisions are made to commit troops. Our governments do need to be held to account over this shameful performance and behaviour. Thanks so very much for such excellent articles.

30

and am steadfast in this cause of veterans and unfair treatment. I totally support your comments, which are right and true. I help this cause in an indirect way, which is volunteering. I have made it my own effort to help, and I would say we would help at any time. This is my own opinion. I know others were greatly upset as well. You are doing great in writing these editorials, and I do wish all the best for the Legion Magazine and its staff. LORA MacDONALD, CHILLIWACK, B.C.

BARRY ASHTON, CALGARY

DAY

retired brain,” says wind on your to feel the IT’S LIKE a on KNOW WHAT tion Medus Moncur. gent in Opera aii district, corporal Bruce the Canadian contin istan’s Panjw of a buddy, n from Afghan He was part g the Taliba breakfast with mistakenly intent on routin He was eating jets har. 2006, 4, erbolt Kanda Sept. Thund killed. tres west of American A-10 Anthony Graham was about 40 kilome s, when two explosive Private Mark and wiener head by a 30-mm cold beans ian platoon. ed, hit in the on the Canad of 30 wound opened fire ” He 22, was one electrocuted. was being Moncur, then on eling like I ing bullet. d like a fish armour-pierc being tossed in the air...fe was flopping aroun cted still conne his right arm d they were “I remember UR he came to, was relieve I’m catching BRUCE MONC out. When arms and legs, his face. “I panicked. passed his d retired he was in He checke The scar along r’s part it.” He knew pouring down the ground. and I’d drop Moncu he felt blood overflowing, corporal Bruce distinguishbody. Then l, his to and handfu barely . I’d get a turned away line is now wound that it in my hands for help. “He able, but the per cent of d to a buddy d brain?’ I remem e. crawle five troubl r expose an cost deep ‘I love d his caused it his head, Moncu God. How do you treat and change hic messages, Unable to lift his brain— ‘Oh, my like telepat home” . Moncur was whispering, g messages, going to get life forever I heard him I started sendin those messages were medevaced g ‘This is it.’ among thoseof a friendlysome way, ber thinkin somehow, in that ) from the scene 32 PAGE you’…praying incident (SEE Afghanistan

MAY/JUNE 2015

E LEGION MAGAZIN

31

in 2006.

UST E JULY/AUG LEGION MAGAZIN

2015

THE ARTICLE “CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM,” clearly would not give

Veterans Affairs Canada any credit for anything that department had done. Outside of noting more than 70 per cent of VAC’s annual 40,000 first-time claims received “favourable” decisions, the authors apparently did not interview any veterans who received satisfactory service. However, you did include an interview with Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole (“Q & A with Minister O’Toole”) and from him we find out the direction he is taking the department. R.J. BEER, KELOWNA, B.C.

Advertisement

Shaw Direct is proud to support the Legion. Members of The Royal Canadian Legion can enjoy exclusive offers from Shaw Direct satellite TV.

Essential HD Receiver

$0

* $99 purchase price -$100 promotional credit

With FREE installation* First month free* Two free movies*

The Royal Canadian Legion will receive a $25 donation

Call 1-855-587-0759 to switch. Visit shawdirect.ca/rcl for more details. *Conditions apply. See shawdirect.ca/rcl for more details. Receive first month of service free on any programming package valued under $70 or a $70 credit on any programming package valued higher than $70. This promotional offer will be valid for as long as Shaw Direct is the preferred telecommunications provider of The Royal Canadian Legion. For each Legion member who activates with new residential services, Shaw Direct will provide a onetime $25.00 donation to The Royal Canadian Legion in the form of a cheque. Limit of two PPV/VOD coupons per customer. Coupons must be used within 3 months of activation and will credit the value of up to 2 PPV/VOD rental titles, each valued at $7.99, or less. Coupon will not apply to events or adult titles. Basic installation is provided at no cost for first receiver. All Shaw Direct services are subject to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

8

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg08-10_Letters-v2.indd 8

2015-08-04 2:18 PM

ON PARADE ON VE-DAY AS A 14-YEAR-OLD ARMY CADET,

I was on parade in Toronto that day (“VE-Day in Pictures,” May/June). We formed up in the old University Armouries and marched up or down (I can’t remember) University Avenue to either Queen’s Park or city hall. Many girls must have thought we were the real thing because they would run up to the column and kiss us cadets. Looking at the pictures, I couldn’t help but notice that all the men shown, whether in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax or London in the United Kingdom, were clean shaven—not a whisker on them. Today, our young men seem to think that in order to be masculine one is required to have their face covered in whole or part with a turf of hair. When they get older and look back on their younger days, they will no doubt wish they had shaved it off before anyone noticed.

they all were. Eventually my room was covered with these cigarette cards and I knew most of the planes that flew over us. One day, one of the soldiers was moaning that he wanted a bath in the worst way. He said that there was no hot water. I knew that my mother was out, my dad was at work, so I took him to my house for a bath. (Our coal fire heated the

water). He had finished by the time my mother returned. I told her what I had done and why. She felt badly that these guys couldn’t have a bath. She had me tell the fellows that they could use the bath as long as they gave enough notice. It was a sad time when they all left for France. In 1941, I was 10 years old. IAN GRANT, BURLINGTON, ONT. Advertisement

For Canadians who KNOW they are heading south “We’re Going!”

JOHN VASSAIR, SCARBOROUGH, ONT.

REMEMBERING THE CANADIANS IN BRITAIN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR,

around the early days of 1940, my parents lived in Bognor Regis, Sussex. Funny enough, we lived in Canada Grove, immediately opposite the railway station. We lived at number 6, and there were quite a few empty homes on the side of the road we were on. With the threat of war, people left their homes in Bognor and headed north, just in case the Nazis invaded the country. We were right on the coast opposite France. There was an empty house about six or seven homes away from our house. It was used to billet some Canadian soldiers. They were a friendly lot of young men. They gave me and my chum chewing gum and the little cards from their Sweet Caporal cigarette packs. These cards were great for aircraft recognition, because that’s what

1-888-MEDIPAC 1-888-633-4722 • www.medipac.com Underwritten by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada and Reliable Life Insurance Company

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE 2015EB Medipac ad Legion island.indd 1 Pg08-10_Letters-v2.indd 9

9

28/07/2015 1:16:33 PM 2015-07-30 2:34 PM

letters OUR READERS RESPOND IN JULY/AUGUST, WE ASKED OUR READERS FOR MEMORIES OF ORGANIZING OR ATTENDING TRACK EVENTS ORGANIZED BY THE LEGION. OUR B.C./YUKON HOST Local Arrangements Committee initiated the first commemorative aspect of the championships, entitled, “Honour, Spirit, Remembrance.” It was important for us to engage the young athletes in understanding how this life-changing opportunity afforded to them came with their future responsibility to carry the legacy forward. There was a distinction between the opening and closing ceremonies. With traditional colour parties and pipes and drums leading the command youth athletic teams around the field, the opening ceremonies were filled with pomp and circumstance. Each

province and territory was represented, with competing youth athletes proudly displaying their command colours. During the closing ceremonies, all youth athletes entered as “one united nation.” All the athletes waved a long-stemmed poppy over their heads, joining with new-found friends from coast to coast. It became a field of 700 brilliant red poppies, gracefully waving in the wind, in honour of the championships’ legacy. This was followed by a commemorative candlelight ceremony around a replica of Canada’s National War Memorial. Youth athletes accompanied veterans to the memorial. The veterans passed a small lighted red candle to the athlete, who placed it around the memorial. The symbolism represented the passing of the torch of remembrance from one generation to another. Tears of remembrance, tears of joy, tears of

friendship were in the eyes of one and all. SHAREL FRASER, CHAIR, 2006 NATIONAL YOUTH TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS, NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C.

A QUESTION

FOR OUR READERS

Each year, about 100,000 students participate in the Legion’s poster and literary contests. Do you have memories of organizing or participating in these contests? PLEASE SEND COMMENTS TO

[email protected] or Letters, Legion Magazine, 86 Aird Place, Kanata, ON K2L 0A1 Advertisement

Exclusive Rates for Legion Members

Join Best Western Service Rewards® to earn points for every stay. For every Best Western Service Rewards stay, Best Western will donate 10 percent of all accumulated points to military charities including The Royal Canadian Legion.

Visit bestwestern.com/legion or call 1-800-WESTERN and quote ID #01497850 for more information

Best Western and the Best Western marks are service marks or registered service marks of Best Western International, Inc. ©2015 Best Western International, Inc. All rights reserved. Each Best Western® branded hotel is independently owned and operated.

10

CanadaLegion Ad 7-15.indd 1

7/17/15 11:30 AM

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg08-10_Letters-v2.indd 10

2015-07-30 2:34 PM

health file

BY SHARON ADAMS

INJURED VETERANS MAY DEVELOP SLEEP DISORDERS AH, “SLEEP THAT KNITS UP the ravelled sleeve of care”—a commodity that can be as elusive for injured and disabled Canadian Armed Forces personnel and veterans today as when Shakespeare penned the line 400 years ago to describe the insomnia of Macbeth, the soldier who killed his own king. Insomnia and fatigue are common symptoms of physical and psychological injuries, like traumatic brain injury (TBI) from exposure to blast and post-traumatic stress and anxiety disorders. It’s also a symptom of some of the medications prescribed to treat those injuries. Unwanted sleepless nights are as old as the history of war. Recent research in the United States has found that the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea increases with the severity of PTSD. Aside from being the chief cause of stentorian snoring, sleep apnea can rouse a person hundreds of times a night, resulting in nonrestful sleep and daytime fatigue. “Veterans who come to PTSD treatment, even younger veterans, should be screened for obstructive sleep apnea, so they have the opportunity to be diagnosed and treated,” said researcher Sonya Norman, director of the PTSD Consultation Program at the National Center for PTSD in San Diego, California. Young veterans are less likely to be tested, she said. (Apnea is usually associated with age and being overweight.) Diagnosis is important because untreated sleep apnea increases the risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It worsens symptoms of psychological injuries. Poor sleep quality makes serving personnel and veterans less resilient to stress and compromises their abilities to cope, according

to research of the Durham VA (Veterans Administration) Medical Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. A study of 2,597 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan revealed nearly two thirds suffered poor sleep quality. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of sleep quality on returning troops, and to help develop new ways to help veterans get better sleep, said VA research associate Jaime M. Hughes. And research at the Military Suicide Research Consortium at Stanford University has linked poor sleep quality—insomnia, unrestful sleep and nightmares—to suicide.

Cognitive behavioural therapy, a prime treatment for PTSD, reduces suicidal thoughts when used to treat veterans with insomnia—independent of improvement in severity of depression. “Chronic insomnia is especially common among veterans,” said Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, president of the American Academy of Sleep. “Effectively treating insomnia can be life-changing and potentially life-saving for veterans.” The connection between service and sleep apnea is unclear, but disturbed sleep, prolonged sleep deprivation, fragmented sleep and hyperarousal are common in deployment and combat. For some, add to Advertisement

History, in a city to remember History and art exhibitions to entice you. Performances and tours to move you. John McCrae’s hometown welcomes you.

GuelphMuseums.ca | VisitGuelphWellington.ca

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg11-12_Health.indd 11

11

2015-07-30 2:42 PM

health file health

that the chronic stress of PTSD. In 2013, a study found obstructive sleep apnea is common after traumatic brain injury. One study showed about a third of civilians with TBI develop sleepdisordered breathing. A study of soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan revealed a third had obstructive sleep apnea and more than half suffered insomnia. Insomnia plagued nearly twothirds of those with blast injuries. Only five per cent of Canadian personnel deployed to Afghanistan in 2009-10 reported TBI at their post-deployment screening, according to a report on the impact of the mission reported in 2014 by Mark Zamorski and David Boulos of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group in Ottawa. And most of those fell on the mildest end of the injury spectrum. Of those reporting problems, only a quarter had multiple persistent post-concussive

symptoms, said the report. However, the report pointed out that many seek mental health help years after deployment, pointing to the need for further research to shorten the time between development of symptoms and obtaining help. Sometimes lifestyle changes like losing weight, avoiding alcohol and sleeping medications and stopping smoking alleviate sleep apnea. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is the most effective non-surgical treatment. A CPAP machine increases air pressure in the throat during sleep so the airway doesn’t collapse. (There are reports it helps reduce nightmares, too). There are also dental devices that help keep the airway open. Surgery may be advised to correct a deviated nasal septum, remove soft tissue at the back of the throat or remove enlarged tonsils. Some veterans with PTSD have trouble adjusting to CPAP, sleep

medicine specialist Dr. Robert S. Rosenberg, of Prescott Valley, BY SHARON ADAMS Arizona, said in an article in Everyday Health. “Although the airway opens immediately in response to treatment, it may take much longer for the limbic system and its stress response to return to normal.” Veterans report feeling claustrophobic and short of breath. But “if they stick with it, the majority will experience a real improvement in daytime symptoms,” he said. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is on Veterans Affairs Canada’s table of disabilities, but years after leaving the Forces, it may be difficult for a veteran to prove the connection between apnea and military service. That’s one reason to be diagnosed while still in service, aside from the allure of better shut-eye. Another is that it improves the sleep quality of your partner (and depending on loudness of snoring, perhaps other members of the family, too). Advertisement

STARKEY

IS IN THE BUSINESS

OF CONNECTING PEOPLE

AND CHANGING LIVES As a proud member of the Legion Member Benefits Package and the preferred hearing technology supplier, your benefits include receiving up to 25% OFF our hearing aids. To find a Starkey Hearing professional near you,

www.starkeycanada.ca or call 888.577.6363

visit

12

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg11-12_Health.indd 12

2015-07-30 2:42 PM

journal

BY ADAM DAY

VETERANS AFFAIRS MINISTER MAKES CASE FOR JOINING THE LEGION WE START THIS MONTH with some unusual news that happens to be about The Royal Canadian Legion, rather than about Canada’s war in Iraq or the new Cold War with Russia. As some of Canada’s Afghan veterans struggle to fit back into life here, many others are doing very well despite the hardships they faced. Among those achieving a successful transition to civilian life is former Royal Canadian Regiment sniper Jody Mitic, who lost his legs in Afghanistan in 2007 but has since gone on to prominence on the “Amazing Race Canada” television show and, recently, with his election to Ottawa’s city council. Where this story becomes unusual

is where it intersects with the Legion. Earlier this summer, Mitic received a ministerial commendation from Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole. Later the same day, he was inducted into Orleans, Ont., Branch as a new member. At the ceremony, O’Toole delivered remarks notable for how strongly they support the Legion and its goal of increasing membership. “The Royal Canadian Legion has more than 1,400 halls in cities, towns and villages across Canada, and sadly, fewer and fewer armed forces veterans are joining this vital group and sharing their experiences in these community hubs. That needs to change,” said O’Toole. “Younger

military veterans must get together and share experiences at, and get assistance from, the Legion.” In speaking to veterans, O’Toole frequently mentions his long-time membership in the Bowmanville Branch, so while it may be unusual for a Veterans Affairs minister to campaign on behalf of the Legion, it’s perhaps not out of character. “When veterans have a strong voice—such as the Legion’s—working on their behalf, everyone wins,” O’Toole later said in a press release. IN OTHER NEWS, Operation Impact continues in Iraq and Syria. Although little substantial information about the progress of the mission exists, it is clear that Canadian CF-18s are conducting ongoing attacks against ISIS targets, particularly in the contested areas north of Baghdad. Advertisement

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg13-14_Journal.indd 13

13

2015-08-04 2:19 PM

journal Meanwhile, Canada’s other largescale international commitment— known as Operation Reassurance, the effort to deter Russia’s recent expansionism and reassure our NATO allies in Eastern Europe that they will be defended—has seen some recent developments. On the water, HMCS Winnipeg has made the trip across the Atlantic, replacing HMCS Fredericton as a part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, which will conduct maritime security operations in some, or all, of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea. Winnipeg is the first ship to deploy on an operational mission with what the Navy is calling an Enhanced Naval Boarding Party (ENBP). This is a small group of specially trained personnel who can handle increasingly complicated and dangerous missions on the high seas. The members of the ENBP have all graduated from the new Maritime Tactical Operators Course and have been

instructed in such things as “handto-hand combat, improvised explosive device identification, close quarters battle, as well as tactical shooting and tactical questioning.” Eventually, these ENBP operators will form a new unit of the Canadian Armed Forces. “The lessons learned and concepts developed through the ENBPs will help to move the program into its second phase, gradually evolving to the Advanced Naval Boarding Party capability over the next several years,” wrote Katelyn Moores of Maritime Forces Pacific Public Affairs. “In the final phase, the ANBP team will be at full operational capability. The Esquimalt-based unit will be comprised of 70 to 100 members who will be posted to the unit on a three-year assignment to one of four ANBPs.” While this is not exactly the creation of a naval special operations unit like the U.S. Navy Seals or the British Special Boat Service, it is definitely getting closer to the concept.

Meanwhile, another element of CAF ground forces has deployed to Poland as a part of Op Reassurance. This group of approximately 200 soldiers was drawn from 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, based out of Valcartier, Que. They will be operating through Eastern Europe alongside NATO allies until they come home around Christmas this year. In one last bit of news from Op Reassurance, the current stand-off with Russia seems to be transitioning into a longer-term effort as NATO has recently announced it will be creating a regional headquarters in Lithuania. Meanwhile, Canada announced it would be supplying personnel to support NATO’s high-readiness forces based in Lithuania and Estonia. While this particular commitment concerns only a handful of staff officers who will provide logistics and planning support for the NATO force, it could be read as a sign of things to come. Advertisement

Find out more at legion.ca or call 1-877-534-4666 14

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg13-14_Journal.indd 14

2015-07-31 11:47 AM

eye on defence BY DAVID J. BERCUSON

Defence policy and the election

The country will elect a new federal government on Oct.19. As of this writing, the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP are within five or so points of each other in a number of polls. It’s worth considering what may change and what may not depending on who is Canada’s next prime minister. Canadian defence policy is actually pretty simple; the main tenets have remained virtually the same since the end of the Second World War. The Canadian Armed Forces protect Canada, help the United States defend North America and are on call to be sent anywhere the Canadian government deems necessary as part of a coalition of like-minded nations to achieve common goals. Examples of the latter include acting under North Atlantic Treaty Organization command, serving the United Nations, or taking part in ad hoc operations such as the Multinational Force and Observers, which still operates in the Sinai Peninsula. Canada’s current air operations in Syria and Iraq were undertaken as part of a so-called “coalition of the willing.” None of these missions will change no matter who is elected, but the means by which they are undertaken may vary widely. The best example is in the third area. Liberal and Conservative governments have sent the Canadian military to take part in both UNsanctioned and non-UN-sanctioned missions. The first was the Kosovo air war of 1999, when Jean Chretien’s Liberals sent Canadian jets to bomb Serbian forces in Kosovo. The Liberals also sent Canadian ground forces to Afghanistan in late 2001, sent them back to Kabul in 2003 and sent them to Kandahar province in 2005. These missions were sanctioned by the UN, by NATO, or both. The Conservatives continued

the Afghan mission to 2011 and mounted a training operation away from Kandahar province for an additional year. At face value, the only real differences militarily between Liberal and Conservative governments in the past have been rhetorical and symbolic. Tories sound more hawkish, but were no less willing to cut the defence budget in the wake of the 2008 financial crash than the Liberals were to cut it as part of their fight against the mounting federal debt in the early 1990s. Today’s Liberals sound far more dovish than the Liberals of yesteryear, but if Justin Trudeau becomes prime minister, he will find himself under the same strictures, pressures and influences at home and abroad that his father did when he tried to steer Canada toward a more non-aligned defence and foreign policy in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Pierre Trudeau did succeed in reducing Canada’s military footprint in Europe, but Canadian defence policy changed little under his leadership as Canada bought new tanks and fighter aircraft and approved U.S. cruise missile testing in the Mackenzie River valley. Justin Trudeau says he will end Canada’s air campaign in the Middle East and so he might, but he also aims to

improve Canada-U.S. relations generally and bringing the CF-18s home won’t help in achieving that goal. Canada has never had an NDP federal government, but former NDP candidate and Canada Research Chair Michael Byers of the University of British Columbia published a policy paper in June 2015 which may hold clues to the defence policy of an NDP government in Ottawa. The plan claims it will save Canadians $10 billion, but it is far from a scheme to disarm Canada. For example, it calls for 12 new naval surface combatants instead of the 15 now planned and the replacement of the F-35 with the purchase of F-18 Super Hornets. If the Tories are returned, indications are they will speed up current acquisition projects, and pump a few more dollars into defence, but not undertake the full-blown review that Canadian defence policy really needs. Of course, world events could change that stance rapidly, as happened on Sept. 11, 2001. When the election is over and a new government gets back to the business of defending Canada, it will find that decades-old constraints, current geopolitical realities and at least a century of tradition will leave little wiggle room for any major changes to Canada’s current defence posture. Advertisement

Travel Insurance Office Inc. One of Canada’s largest travel insurance brokers Insuring travelling Canadians since 1991

Early Bird offers available until September 30! 1-888-665-8553 www.TravelInsuranceOffice.com Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions ◦ Single Trips ◦ Top-Ups ◦ Annual Plans

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg15_EyeOnDefence.indd 15

15

2015-07-31 1:13 PM

Pips off the Thomas Simpson was instrumental in the sinking of U-1302, a battle he remembers with regret to this day M E M O I R BY RONALD SIMPSON

port beam

M

My only living grandparent is Thomas Joseph Simpson, and he is my inspiration. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Battle of the Atlantic, and his story, like that of thousands of others, is one of service, sacrifice and survival. “The Battle of the Atlantic was the dominating factor all through the war,” said British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. “Never for one moment could we forget that everything happening elsewhere, on land, at sea or in the air, depended ultimately on its outcome.” The battle lasted for 5 years, 8 months and 5 days, making it the longest continuous military campaign of the Second World War. Churchill went on to say that “the only thing that really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril.” It was the longest, largest and most complex battle in naval history, and victory came at a great price; the number of lives lost is staggering: some 72,200 Allied sailors and merchant seamen were killed. It claimed the lives of 2,024 RCN sailors and 1,629 members of the Canadian Merchant Navy. Most of these Canadians have no crosses on their graves. And for the sailors who did survive the unimaginable struggles at sea, their haunting memories, mental anguish and feelings of guilt and pain have not subsided. For them, every day is Remembrance Day. I have spent many an evening in Grandpa’s Windsor home, with him sitting in his recliner and me on the couch. We watched hockey in winter and

16

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg16-20_SubHunter.indd 16

2015-07-30 2:56 PM

HMCS Shawinigan patrols the edge of a large convoy off New York City. (below, standing at right) Able Seaman Tom Simpson takes a smoke break with mate Casey King (at left).

HAROLD BEAMENT/CWM/19710261-1040; COURTESY OF RONALD SIMPSON

“I was never afraid of the enemy,” says Grandpa, “but I was always terrified of the sea.”

Detroit Tigers games in summer and before too long a conversation would start up, with me asking about the war. What emerged were remarkable stories of a young sailor at sea far from home, back in the days of daily rum tots, torpedoed merchant ships, depth charge attacks, surviving on a dollar a day, fisticuffs, and an attempt to bring a captured Barbary macaque from Gibraltar to Canada, which sent the Admiralty into a fury. Grandpa’s stories are spectacular, humorous and poignant. They offer lessons about choices, responsibility and overcoming hardship. I listen in rapt fascination. In 1942, at the age of 20, Able Seaman Tom Simpson enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve at HMCS Hunter in Windsor, Ont. He was initially trained at HMCS Naden in Esquimalt, B.C.—and was rushed through radar training just as fast as the corvettes were built and put to sea—before further training at HMCS Cornwallis in Nova Scotia. He was then drafted to HMCS Shawinigan (K136). He also served in HMCS Toronto (K538) and HMCS La Hulloise.

Grandpa was one of the first radar operators trained in the RCN, and over time he developed enough experience at sea to command a high level of pride in his duties, confidence in his skills, and expertise with the radar set to be the radar operator of choice for the captain when entering harbour. “I was able to pick up a car on a mountain,” he says. He sailed from Halifax to Newfoundland and New York, taking part in escort and coastal defence operations. He was in escort groups that took North Atlantic convoys SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg16-20_SubHunter.indd 17

17

2015-08-04 2:21 PM

“I’m no hero,” says Grandpa. “All the real heroes call the ocean their grave.”

Simpson and Casey King (top) meet America officers in New York in 1943. Governor General Harold Alexander (above) presents Simpson with his DSM in Windsor, Ont., in 1946.

18

from Halifax and Sydney, N.S., to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and Liverpool, England, and through the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland to the Arctic Circle, where convoys were handed off to the Russian Navy. He was also in convoy escorts transiting from the United Kingdom to Gibraltar and the Mediterranean, carrying British and Canadian troops to military operations in the Italian Campaign. During the British Isles Inshore Campaign of 1944-45, Grandpa was right in the thick of the U-boat hunt. But the unseen submarines were not his greatest fear. “I was never afraid of the enemy, but I was always terrified of the sea,” he says. “When you get 60-foot waves coming over the bow and taking the windows out of the wheelhouse, it’s time to get concerned.” Along with thousands of other sailors, Grandpa braved the bleak, angry waters of the North Atlantic to maintain a lifeline in defence of liberty. However, service to King and country came with a great price. “At times, I wish I was dead, too,” he says. These are difficult words for a grandson to hear as his grandfather describes his thoughts on the sinking of the ill-fated Shawinigan. Grandpa was on two months of sick leave at the naval hospital—recovering from an injured sternum after tripping and falling chest-first onto a naval gun shell—when Shawinigan and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sassafras were assigned to escort the ferry Burgeo from Sydney to Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. Shawinigan was sunk by U-1228 in Cabot Strait on Nov. 24, 1944, one of only three RCN ships lost with all hands; 91 died. “Why me?” he asks. “Why did I survive when so many died?” These questions have no answers. Grandpa’s role, and his burden, more than 70 years later, has been to see that those who did not return are remembered as true heroes. Only he can share that story for future generations to learn. Books and films are great educational tools, but they are no match for the emotional stories of those who stared death in the face and also delivered it to the door of unfortunate foes. Grandpa, along with other veterans, visited public schools in his hometown of Windsor to talk to students about his wartime experiences. “I’m no hero,” he says. “All the real heroes call the ocean their grave.” His medals do not make him a hero, he says. They just prove that he was there. Medals and recognition do not make any veteran a hero. The immeasurable sacrifice in blood, pain, tears, fears, cries and lost youth are much more significant. Placing a wreath on Remembrance Day and Battle of the Atlantic

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg16-20_SubHunter.indd 18

2015-07-30 2:56 PM

Simpson (with mascot) and the crew of HMCS Shawinigan in 1943; HMCS La Hulloise (below) is painted in a maritime camouflage scheme, circa 1944.

COURTESEY OF RONALD SIMPSON; COURTESY OF RONALD SIMPSON; STO. CHARLES JOHN MARSHALL/CWM/20090140-022

anniversaries bring Simpson no pleasure. “I never look forward to Remembrance Day,” he says. “When I’m on parade or at the cenotaph placing a wreath, it all comes back. And I feel bad.” The sinking of Shawinigan was not the first time Grandpa escaped the clutches of the Grim Reaper. He and the crew somehow survived when, during exercises, depth charges were set too shallow and detonated, causing extensive damage to Shawinigan’s stern and requiring a second refit. During North Atlantic convoy runs, he witnessed merchant ships burning at sea after being torpedoed. These could easily have been his ship, he says. The convoy never stopped when a ship was hit. If it stopped, more ships and sailors would be at risk of being torpedoed and sunk. When Grandpa served on La Hulloise, which along with HMCS Strathadam and HMCS Thetford Mines made up Escort Group 25 during the British Isles Inshore Campaign of 1944-45, his work required nearly constant alertness for days on end, because at any moment a German torpedo could, and often did, come racing silently from the depths. In mid-February 1945, convoy SC-167 departed Halifax for England with 31 ships. Lurking in St. George’s Channel between Ireland and the U.K. was U-1302, armed with 14 torpedoes. The U-boat struck first by sinking the British cargo ship MV Norfolk Coast off Strumble Head on Feb. 28. On March 2, she sank the Norwegian vessel SS Novasli and the British ship MV King Edgar. U-1302 had sunk three ships in three days, and she was not done yet. As attacks increased in the southern Irish Sea, and particularly in the narrow St. George’s Channel, heightened Allied patrols swept for German submarines. Several were thought to be in the vicinity, with their sights set on the numerous ships that passed through the channel to bring supplies to England and troops to Italy.

U-1302 waited to draw more blood. She had not reported her three victories, and she remained unknown to the Allies. Another German submarine, U-775, was reported in the area, however, and had torpedoed the British merchant ship SS Empire Geraint on March 6. The damaged ship sent an emergency message and EG-25 was dispatched with specific orders to hunt for U-775. EG-25 took up formation with Strathadam as the command vessel. La Hulloise took up the port side position with Thetford Mines to starboard. On March 7, Grandpa was on watch in the radar cabin. The weather was good and the sea was calm. At approximately 8:23 p.m., he picked up a contact 1,800 yards away in St. George’s Channel north of Fishguard. He checked, rechecked, and then made his initial contact report. One evasive technique used by U-1302 was to get as close to the coast as possible and raise its snorkel extremely close to a buoy. Radar would indicate only a single contact and be presumed to be a navigational marker. At this time, it was unlikely that a RCN radar operator would find a submarine using a snorkel, since the RCN’s radar sets were inferior to the Royal Navy’s. The officer of the watch acknowledged that Grandpa had picked up a radar contact, but called it “a buoy sitting out” at land’s end. There was a navigational buoy marked on the charts in the location of Grandpa’s report, so it was dismissed as a threat and La Hulloise continued northward. Grandpa was ordered to continue his radar sweep. Since most RCN encounters with U-boats were on the open waters of the western and mid-Atlantic, the dismissal can be ascribed to RCN inexperience. The radar operators on Strathadam and Thetford Mines also picked up a contact, but their report only acknowledged the contact as a buoy. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg16-20_SubHunter.indd 19

19

2015-07-31 11:42 AM

Grandpa’s work on La Hulloise required nearly constant alertness, because at any moment a German torpedo could, and often did, come racing silently from the depths. Grandpa obeyed, but again picked up the same contact, which, he says, was “two pips off the port beam.” He made a second radar report to the officer of the watch, who again dismissed his report, stating clearly that it was not possible for a U-boat to be so close to the coast. The charts clearly marked a buoy in that location. He told Grandpa he was “seeing gremlins” and to continue his sweep. At this time, since he believed the threat was imminent, Grandpa decided to take his report directly to the bridge. Strathadam and Thetford Mines did not respond, leaving only Grandpa’s warning that a German submarine was positioned for an attack. The captain of La Hulloise, Lieutenant-Commander John Brock, hearing the verbal confrontation from his cabin below the bridge, came up top to find out what the problem was. Grandpa told the captain of his first and second contact reports and how the officer had ignored them. By this time, the ship’s ASDIC (sonar) operator had also gained contact on the same bearing as Grandpa’s radar contact. Brock ordered the ship brought around to head in the direction of the buoy. Some 100 yards from it, the captain ordered the 20-inch searchlight to pinpoint it in the darkness. A periscope and snorkel came into view and the vessel was expelling carbon dioxide—it was confirmed to be a U-boat. At that moment, La Hulloise fired off star shells to illuminate the night sky and the ship went to combat stations. The submarine crew realized they were being attacked and started a dive. La Hulloise and the U-boat were so close that there was slight contact between them. This sent the submarine to the bottom, where she stayed. Strathadam and Thetford Mines joined the attack and, at 9:12, Strathadam launched forward-throwing Hedgehogs (anti-submarine weapons), “producing a tremendous explosion and a blue-green flash, immediately followed by air bubbles,” according to the official Admiralty report. “The position was illuminated, and from the quarterdeck, a black hulk was seen to emerge momentarily.” More Hedgehog and depth-charge attacks were made at 9:28, 9:52, 10:06, 10:25 and 11:36. By daylight on March 8, debris from the U-boat, including woodwork, emergency food packs, clothing and

20

human tissue, could be seen floating on the surface of the Irish Sea. A buoy was positioned to mark the contact location, and boats were launched to recover certain items from the flotsam, including personal letters and engine room journals. La Hulloise crew later handed them over to the Royal Navy. It was determined that it was not U-775, but the unknown U-1302. All 48 hands were lost. Grandpa has been haunted by his actions for years. “Forty-eight men,” he says. “I think of what agonies each one must have gone through as the air ran out.” On the other hand, hundreds of lives were saved that night. Returning to Liverpool, Grandpa was called before the Admiralty Board and questioned about the events and, specifically, his actions during his watch that night. What came out of that dark, cold night was remarkable. In trying to conduct anti-submarine warfare in difficult conditions around the British coast, the RCN had inferior equipment, a lack of proper training and leadership that contested evidence. Against all odds, Grandpa’s action challenged beliefs held by RCN command and set in motion a new standard of quality at sea never before seen. His diligence on the radar set and determination not to be bullied resulted in EG-25’s significant contribution to the war. The Royal Canadian Navy recommended Grandpa for a Mention in Dispatches, but the Royal Navy recommended more than that. George Simpson, Commodore, Western Approaches and a highly decorated submariner, described Grandpa’s role as “An outstanding piece of work. The detection of the periscope and the schnorkel was invaluable in the successful prosecution of the attack.” Admiral Max Kennedy Horton, Commander-In-Chief, Western Approaches, added, “Fully concur. But I consider he merits a decoration.” Grandpa was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for “courage, skill and devotion to duty,” as his citation letter of Aug. 22, 1945, states. He is one of only 114 Canadians to receive the DSM in the Second World War. Grandpa indeed displayed great bravery and resource under fire, setting an example for RCN sailors to follow. He also holds the Italy Star, the France and Germany Star, the Atlantic Star bar, the 1939-1945 Star, the 1939-1945 War Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with CVSM Clasp, the General Service Badge and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. The DSM is among the rarest of all orders and decorations in Canadian history. Grandpa turns 94 on Nov. 6, and he still lives in his Windsor home, cared for by his youngest son, my Uncle Tommy. We still talk about his experiences in the navy and the discoveries from my research. His views haven’t changed much, but he accepts that it is in the past while still remembering those who never returned home. “I wasn’t the only one,” he says. I tell him that his survival honours his shipmates, friends and others who were lost and that his stories allow us to learn about a difficult yet proud time in Canada’s history. “We did what we had to do,” he says, “and we hoped it was the right thing.”

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg16-20_SubHunter.indd 20

2015-07-31 11:47 AM

Advertisement

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

$1,925 OFF*

Be able to bathe safely and worry-free with a Premier Care in Bathing Walk-In Bath.

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. •

Enjoy a relaxing bath again, without the fear of slipping or falling

•

The walk-in door feature allows easy access and exiting

•

air jets soothe away your aches and pains

•

Our fully licensed installers can do most any install, and in most cases in just one to two days

•

Easy installation with white glove treatment *Discount available on a fully installed Walk-In Bath or Easy Access Shower and may be taken off the retail price at time of purchase or as cash back after installation. Offer subject to change.

✔ Yes! Please send me a FREE COLOR BROCHURE about Premier Care Walk-In Baths. ❏

21263

Name Telephone (

)

(Required for Processing)

Email Address City Province Postal Code Send To Premier Care in Bathing, 14716 104th Avenue, Surrey, BC V3R 1M3 By submitting this request, I agree that Premier Care in Bathing may contact me by telephone using automated technology at the telephone number provided above. I consent to the privacy policyand understand this consent is not a condition of purchase.

CALL NOW • TOLL FREE

1-800-224-0437 PROMO CODE 21263

www.PremierCareBathing.ca/Legion

PremierCare.indd 17

2015-07-30 3:06 PM

CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM, PART T WO

FAITH Canada’s lost veterans and the lawsuit that shook a government BY ADAM DAY AND SHARON ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY LOUIE PALU

MARK CAMPBELL Retired Major Mark Campbell has spent years fighting the government in court to establish better treatment for veterans. With the appointment of Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole, Campbell says he is “cautiously optimistic” they can work together to resolve shortcomings in the system. page 25: Campbell in Afghanistan in 2008, a short time before being wounded.

22

T

HIS IS A SIMPLE, AGE-OLD STORY. Across Canada there are soldiers and veterans who were injured in Afghanistan and who haven’t yet healed. They exist in the no man’s land between war and peace, living with the consequences of a conflict that now seems so long gone. Whether they saw combat or not, whether their minds were injured or their legs were blown off, whether they served four years or 34, it’s a story as old as war itself: soldiers are asked to give everything, but are too often forgotten once the shooting stops. The system for compensating and caring for these veterans is imperfect; it has gaps, it may even be broken. And while everyone knows there is a problem— military leaders, politicians, bureaucrats, the public—the problem remains. Here’s the upshot, so it’s easier to understand what’s at stake: in many cases injured veterans receive a lump-sum payment for their injury and then little else. Sometimes, this system works perfectly. Other times, soldiers suffer grievous injuries and then receive a small percentage of what other disability systems, such as workers’ compensation or private employer benefits packages, would award. In other cases, permanently disabled soldiers receive ongoing compensation, but even that is calibrated so that a middle-class lifestyle is next to impossible. Imagine

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 22

2015-07-30 3:01 PM

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 23

2015-07-30 3:01 PM

living life as a disabled combat veteran, unable to afford a house, vacations or tuition for offspring. Imagine decades of what is essentially a life of near-poverty. In terms of numbers of individuals, this is not a huge problem. Some 2,000 soldiers were wounded or injured in Afghanistan, and while many more may have unseen mental injuries, the overall number needing help is not insurmountable. In terms of money, the amount it would take to fix veterans’ compensation is a tiny fraction of the total federal budget. If the will existed, this would be easily fixed.

EVERYONE FOUGHT THEIR OWN WAR One of the untold horrors of war is that it turns out that the old expressions are true:

There are no true war stories. (Every war story is based on lies.)

If you weren’t there, you’ll never know what it was like.

(Even if you were there, you still might not be able to describe it.)

In the end, only the places and dates have any dignity. (9/11, Kandahar, Masum Ghar, Panjwaii.) Here’s a new one:

The heroes and the dead get remembered, but the wounded are forsaken. Soldiers accept the risk of death or injury, particularly when they’re in a combat zone. What is hard to accept though, and what they barely consider when in a combat zone, is what their life will be like if they return home wounded. They’d expect, at least, to be treated with care and respect. Now think of Afghanistan, of the whole 12-year conflict: the mission didn’t really have much impact on the daily lives of most Canadians. It’s not so much that Canadians must never forget the sacrifices of these soldiers; it’s that they never really grasped them in the first place. You can’t forget something you never knew. The isolation isn’t just a matter between the soldiers and the population they fought for, but between the soldiers themselves. Every tour was different, every unit had its own experience; apart from the guys right beside you, no one else had a solid grasp of what you did. Everyone fought their own war. The outcome is a community of veterans unto themselves, often critical of the government and of other veterans’ groups, and with too many not getting the attention they are due unless they go off the rails, unless they become lost. And by then it’s too late.

24

ONE BOMB TO CHANGE A LIFE Retired Major Mark Campbell is kind of a hardass. Even now, he still smiles when he thinks back to how unrelenting he was then. In 2008, a Legion Magazine writer was embedded on an Afghan operation led by Campbell. He was then serving as one of the leaders of Canada’s effort to mentor the Afghan army and the operation, named Ateesh Bazi, was about as hardcore as anything could possibly be. The entire task force—comprised of relatively few Canadians and a great number of reluctant Afghans—spent a night sleeping in enemy territory on the fringes of the Registan Desert, lying on sand infested with scorpions, snakes and spiders, then woke up to walk nearly 30 kilometres through the outskirts of what was then the capital of the insurgency—Nakhonay. Campbell could be seen throughout the operation exhorting his troops with the utmost profanity, leading the charge, eating lollipops for breakfast (literally) and generally acting like he was untouchable. This is a man whose aggression was unmistakable and sometimes startling. His final exhortation to his junior leaders before everyone stepped off into the outskirts of Nakhonay was simple and brutal: “This is for real,” he growled. “Don’t. Fuck. It. Up.” That operation went well, but just a few months after Ateesh Bazi, everything got supremely fucked up for Campbell. It was either the Taliban, or traitorous Afghan soldiers tired of Campbell’s hard-charging ways, or a combination of both, which is most likely. Campbell stood above the bomb and somebody detonated it. He went up and back, remembers landing, remembers seeing bright red arcs of blood shooting out of his femoral arteries. One leg was gone, the other hanging by threads. His lower body was shredded. At this point, please stop to imagine how Campbell felt. A warrior his whole life, aggressive to the point of distraction, the kind of guy who wore a Team Canada patch into battle, right beside one showing his blood type. Now he’s lying there, legs gone, genitals mutilated, yellow fluid running out his ears, blood spraying into the dirt. It’s enough to mess anyone up. Make no mistake, that Campbell survived at all is incredible. In any of Canada’s previous wars, the technology to save him would not have existed and he would have died. Today, Veterans Affairs Canada rates him at more than 150 per cent disabled. While not exactly eager to tell his story, Campbell will talk under the right circumstances. And so, after a long flight to Alberta and a long drive into the suburbs north of Edmonton, it was a process of elimination to discover which of the homes was his.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 24

2015-07-31 11:43 AM

The front door opened and seconds later, Campbell’s unmistakable voice boomed out instructions on how to deal with the dog charging toward the door. (Don’t let it out.) Then Campbell rolled into view. Now nearly 50, formerly a senior officer in one of Canada’s toughest battalions, a genuine warrior, Campbell was slumped in his wheelchair. He looked up and smiled. “Welcome,” he said.

ADAM DAY

CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM There is a struggle underway. The veterans’ revolt, we call it. It’s an upsurge of discontent and outrage aimed at the federal government and the legislation that determines how today’s veterans are treated. Up close, the VAC system is extremely complex: rates of compensation vary based on percentages of disability; stacked benefits so individualized that hardly any two veterans receive the same compensation and/or services; veterans receiving wildly divergent benefits packages who differ only in their willingness to battle VAC or be heard in the media. On the other hand, the system is so vague that even

those who understand it speak about it in almost mystical terms. But forget that, because the vagueness is actually really simple, and the complexity is a smokescreen. The only thing that matters here is that veterans should be well cared for, given that they earned it. Still, some basics may be in order. Members of the Canadian Forces are federal employees, although they are unique due to the contracts they sign, which give the government and its military leaders the ability to order them into danger, possibly to their death, and the ability to terminate their employment if they are injured doing any of the things they are contractually obligated to do. The first clause, the to-the-death part, is called unlimited liability. If a platoon of soldiers has to be ordered to do something potentially fatal, such as conduct a frontal assault on a machine gun or cross a known minefield, then that’s just what they have to do, contractually. Other federal employees don’t sign a contract like this. If soldiers are then disabled in the course of their duties, they may be released from the military under a legal contractual clause called Universality of Service, which means that if an employee of the Department of National Defence is not fit to fight, can’t be deployed,

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 25

25

2015-07-30 3:01 PM

then he or she can be released. The upshot of this is that when soldiers become disabled, their military career likely ends. While the system is relentless, it is also slow. It can take years for injured soldiers to be released from the military. Once they are out, responsibility for them shifts fully from DND to VAC, where the regulations for how they are treated and compensated come from two pieces of federal legislation, the Pension Act—for those injured before April 2006—or the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-Establishment and Compensation Act, better known as the New Veterans Charter (NVC)—for those injured after April 2006. This is where the problems start.

CAMPBELL’S TAKE ON THE SITUATION During an exclusive interview with Legion Magazine in April, Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole took great pains to stress that VAC was evolving to become better at serving its clients— ‘veteran-centric,’ as he calls it—while he offered up several explanations for the dissatisfaction among some veterans in Canada. “In terms of claims reviews, we also have to deal with some myths out there: you will hear about someone being extremely frustrated with a denial,” said O’Toole. “But more than 70 per cent of claims to VAC are accepted on the first instance. You wouldn’t know that from some of the dialogue on Facebook. But we have a duty to the veteran and to society to make sure that we have a fair, quick, less stressful system, but one that is evidence-based. Because, for example, people in the Canadian Armed Forces, and ultimately veterans, represent a cross-section of Canadians, so there will be people who join the forces with pre-existing mental health issues.” Confined to his wheelchair in the kitchen of his house north of Edmonton, Campbell’s reaction to hearing this quote was physical, visceral. First of all, Campbell stated tersely, “That’s not true, it’s a selective slice of Canadian society.” And he’s right: entry into Canada’s military is selective, based on mental and physical health as basic attributes. Campbell leaned back and thought about what to say next. “That’s a nice attempt to defend the goingson at Veterans Affairs,” he said. “But the fact of the matter is that I don’t believe those statistics at all, as a client of Veterans Affairs who’s had legitimate claims denied.” And the issue isn’t only about claims approved or denied, he added, but about a constant struggle against the bureaucracy. For example, VAC recently changed the way it calculated Campbell’s compensation under what is known as the Veteran’s Independence Program

26

“AT BEST, INADEQUATE DISABILITY COMPENSATION FOR SOLDIERS IS SEEN AS AN IMPRUDENT AUSTERITY MEASURE; AT WORST, IT IS A RECKLESS ABANDONMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT’S OBLIGATION.” — EQUITAS LAWSUIT

(VIP), which pays for services such as housekeeping and home maintenance. “I’ve had arbitrary things happen to me,” he said, “like when they adopted the new grant process for VIP, they announced that I was going to get a grant of $5,800 next year. Wait a minute, you were giving me $12,000 a year, $1,000 a month for housekeeping, prior to the new grant process, so why are you reducing me by more than 50 per cent?” On this issue, Campbell was able to complain loudly and forcefully enough that VAC restored his benefit to the previous level. “They sorted out my case by going back and working some sort of voodoo magic on the administrative side,” he said. “But how many other veterans got their VIP slashed and either didn’t realize it or didn’t have the wherewithal to do anything about it?” (Legion Magazine contacted Veterans Affairs Canada for a response to assertions made by those interviewed for this story, but none was forthcoming at press time.) Where Campbell really takes exception to O’Toole’s statistic is that even if a claim is accepted, “You don’t necessarily win,” he said.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 26

2015-07-30 3:01 PM

Campbell’s case in point here concerns what is known as the clothing allowance. “First and foremost, I wasn’t told about the benefit,” he said. “I was two years into my time with Veterans Affairs before my wife realized that I was entitled to a clothing allowance. It’s only $170 a month,… it’s a pittance, but the fact of the matter is I wasn’t getting it and I was entitled to it. It turns out there are three levels of clothing allowance. So VAC said, ‘Yes, Mr. Campbell, you are entitled to a clothing allowance, but unfortunately it’s only retroactive for a year and you’re at the lowest rate.’ “Why am I at the lowest rate? I’m missing both legs, which means I have transfer issues. I’m tearing out the seat of my pants all the time. I’ve got to get everything tailored or otherwise I’m tucking pant legs in underneath me all the time. So I can’t believe I’m at the lowest level. What would constitute more? So we fight this battle, back and forth it goes until they increase my clothing allowance to level two. I still don’t understand who’s getting the highest level or how you would go about it—maybe you have a claw for one hand that tears the ass out of your pants every time you scratch your butt? I don’t know. But even when you win, you don’t win.” Indeed, it is hard to square the positions O’Toole put forward: To be veteran-centric and at the same time be evidence-based does present some problems. Perhaps that’s an understatement. Going back in history to the origins of the Pension Act, the intent was always to give veterans the benefit of the doubt when it came to claims for compensation. As Afghan vet and former Veterans Ombudsman Pat Stogran points out: the intention of benefit of the doubt doesn’t mean that in 50-50 cases the award goes to the veteran. It means that “if there is any way the veterans claim could plausibly be true, then the claim is awarded,” said Stogran. Seen this way, VAC was always intended to be veterancentric, but not necessarily evidence-based. Instead, Campbell and others veterans find that when they make a claim for an injury such as hearing loss or back pain, they are required to prove the injuries were definitely a result of service in the military. “Years ago, we were told that VAC had changed its policy and was now recognizing wear and tear for combat arms trades. But it doesn’t seem to be happening,” said Campbell. “The government didn’t necessarily get the best deal in the world when they bought my legs from me, because my knees and ankles were pretty shot as it was. My hip clicks and my lower back is just a mess. It gives me no end of trouble. It’s fucked from carrying rucksacks and from bad parachute landings. I’ve got x-rays to show all the old compression fractures, but I’m not getting any sort of award for that because I have to prove I have a bad back as direct result of what? Of wear and tear, of being in the infantry.”

Unless the claim can be proved to an indisputable level, Campbell said, VAC’s method “seems to be to deny at the outset to avoid having to give out resources...and assure that only legitimate claims get through. Well, all they do is ensure that only the really dedicated get through.”

IF YE BREAK FAITH WITH US The criticisms being directed at VAC by veterans amount to significantly more than just a few malcontents on Facebook griping about the department’s day-to-day performance, as O’Toole characterized it. Campbell, for example, is one of the lead plaintiffs in what has become known as the Equitas lawsuit. Intermittently in the news for the past few years, this class-action suit against the federal government by a group of six veterans is major, major news in the insular world of veterans in Canada. Its core allegation is that compensation for injuries in Canada is unequal (hence, Equitas) and that in general, Canada’s newest veterans are getting a raw deal. To show this, the current level of compensation for injured veterans can be compared to either the standard set by the old Pension Act or the standards for workplace injury compensation in the private sector, set largely by the courts. Government lawyers have claimed that the suit has no merit, have fought to have it thrown out of court, and have spent hundreds of thousands in doing so. But the legal establishment disagrees. The suit has wound its way through the court system until, as of press time, it looks to be headed for a showdown in the Supreme Court of Canada. The cold language of the civil claim filed to the B.C. Supreme Court in 2012 summarizes what the six lead plaintiffs have been through:

Mr. [Daniel Christopher] Scott was hit with numerous of the mine’s metal balls, one of which went through his body armour and through his chest. Mr. Scott’s left rib was fractured, his left lung was collapsed, and his kidney, spleen and pancreas were damaged. Surgeons removed his kidney, his spleen and the tail of his pancreas. Mr. Scott lost 1.5 litres of blood. Mr. [Gavin] Flett sustained injuries in the form of a broken left femur and a smashed right talus (ankle). His right talus bone was fractured into several pieces; too many to count on the X-rays. Mr. Flett was airlifted out of Ashakay (Afghanistan) as a priority Alpha (life threatening injuries). The explosion blew off both of Mr. [Mark] Campbell’s legs above the knee and caused extensive injury. He lost a testicle and received numerous lacerations to his

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 27

27

2015-07-31 11:43 AM

remaining genitalia. He also suffered abdominal scarring and a ruptured right eardrum. Mr. Campbell...had to be resuscitated on the operating table. As a result of Mr. [Kevin] Berry’s duties, there was long-term damage done to his knees including, but not limited to, patella-femoral pain syndrome and osteo-arthritis. Mr. [Bradley] Quast...forced off his right boot to make way for the swelling and could see bones sticking out of his skin. Mr. [Aaron] Bedard sustained a traumatic brain injury and whiplash when an anti-tank mine was triggered... One complicating factor in understanding the plight of modern veterans in Canada is that due to privacy laws, hard numbers on compensation are difficult to come by. However, as an example of why the Equitas lawsuit has merit in the eyes of the courts, consider the following numbers from the suit’s official material:

Veterans Affairs Canada awarded Mr. Scott $41,500 based on: 1) Loss of spleen = 0% 2) Left pneumothorax = 0% 3) Fractured left 12th rib = 0% 4) Gastric ulcer = 0% 5) Damaged pancreas = 0% 6) Loss of left kidney = 13% 7) Pain & suffering = 0% 8) Post traumatic stress = 0% 9) Reduced quality of life = 2% What Mr. Scott received as a lump-sum payment was 15 per cent of $275,000. Based on information from a Canadian bank during 2011, when converted to a 25-year annuity, this settlement amount would equal a payment of approximately $140 per month indexed at three per cent per year, but taxable. The Equitas Society contacted WorkSafe BC in 2011 and determined that the B.C. provincial workers’ compensation program would pay for the same disability approximately $1,400 per month, which would be both tax-free and indexed for long-term inflation. Based on this preliminary worker compensation assessment, the settlement awarded under the NVC, as amended by Bill C-55, is less than 10 per cent of what a provincial worker compensation program would award. Converted to cash [Mr. Scott] would have received $630,000 less under the NVC. The lawsuit’s authors sum up the situation with what may be the most apt sentence possible:

At best, inadequate disability compensation for soldiers is seen as an imprudent austerity measure; at worst, it is a reckless abandonment of the Government’s obligation.

28

The government is fully aware of this and other gaps in the NVC. There have been multiple studies in the past few years recommending that changes be made to the NVC. In some cases, such as the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs report entitled A Timely Tune-up for the Living New Veterans Charter (June 2010), the recommended changes are largely the same as those sought by the Equitas lawsuit. Overall, the NVC represents a method of saving money compared to the Pension Act it replaced. As Campbell said, “I think it is bad policy derived from number crunching. I think, first and foremost, that it was a desire at Veterans Affairs or the government, at whatever level it originated, to fundamentally reduce costs through the guise of doing more with less.” Meanwhile, injured Afghanistan veterans living under the NVC are hoping the Equitas suit will succeed, and will result in some tangible change. However, the suit was officially put on hold in June. The government, led by O’Toole, has worked hard to convince the plaintiffs and their legal team that the best resolution will not be through the courts. In legal terms, the suit is in abeyance until May 15, 2016. “The minister told us that what has been done thus far, pre-election in the current budget, is just the beginning,” said Campbell. “The question is, once the election bubble has passed, will there still be the political will to do more? And that’s what we’re not convinced of. That’s what we’re waiting to see. “We’re not shutting up unless we get what we want and, quite honestly, what we want is to work with the government knowing that the resources are in place to fix these problems sooner rather than later. We don’t want to go to court for the next seven years any more than anyone else does, because when we come out the other end victorious, we still have to solve all these problems and that’s the key, to get the problems solved.”

PAUL FRANKLIN Almost a decade ago, Paul Franklin was among the first Canadians wounded during the combat mission in Kandahar Province. His vehicle (page 30) was hit by a suicide bomber in Kandahar City. After a long recovery, Franklin has become an active advocate for veterans in Canada.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 28

2015-07-30 3:01 PM

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 29

29

2015-07-30 3:01 PM

DND

MR. FRANKLIN IS NOT AMUSED

30

Paul Franklin is one of the first of Canada’s seriously wounded Afghan veterans to become nationally prominent, and remains one of the most recognizable and outspoken. In the very early days of the war in southern Afghanistan, Franklin was a medic riding through Kandahar City in a lightly armoured SUV when a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle and exploded. The blast was massive in every way. The jeep was torn apart, Franklin was torn apart, and Canada’s whole-of-government reconstruction-centric war effort in southern Afghanistan was blown apart with the death of Canadian diplomat Glyn Berry, who was in the vehicle with Franklin. With Berry’s death, most Department of Foreign Affairs staffers in the war zone were thereafter restricted to base—that federal department doesn’t have the same kind of Unlimited Liability contracts. The war zone was now too dangerous, and so plans for these civilians to be a prominent part of Canada’s strategy were also frozen. Much like Campbell, Franklin deposited a significant

amount of blood from his femoral arteries into Afghan soil. Now, as he likes to joke, he has no knees, although he still feels pain in them. Franklin was most in the news last spring as the subject of a Rick Mercer rant on CBC, the topic of which was that VAC was still asking him to periodically prove that his legs were still missing. His legs have been missing since Jan. 15, 2006. They will not be coming back. Apart from his injuries and his longstanding support of veterans’ causes in Canada, what makes Franklin unique is that he is one of the few Canadians injured in Afghanistan who is being compensated under the old Pension Act instead of the NVC. As a result, he maintains a standard of living that is relatively free of monetary pressure, though not free of frustration at the way VAC treats veterans. For example, in 2014, after an accident in Banff, Alta., where he was hit by a car, Franklin went to a retailer and picked up a new wheelchair and took it home. VAC refused to pay for it and the retailer asked Franklin to return it, which he did. The retailer told him VAC did not approve the purchase because Franklin didn’t have the appropriate paperwork.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 30

2015-07-30 3:01 PM

treated with respect. “This is not It wasn’t that he didn’t need the new stuff,” he said. “It’s an easy wheelchair, or that he had violated [budget] cut because there are so some law and committed fraud, few of us. But what they don’t unhe just didn’t do the paperwork derstand is that we still have power. right. And instead of working it What they have misplaced is that out with him, VAC demanded that the sacred obligation is real.” the wheelchair be returned. After returning the chair, Franklin, incensed, made a few phone calls to people in very high places and A FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP got the chair back. This is troubling for Franklin beTo those interviewed for this cause “a lot of dudes don’t have the story, the root cause is clear: this is power that I have.… What are they a failure of leadership. Whether it’s doing to these guys who aren’t in the at the level of the prime minister, media, who don’t have connections? the Veterans Affairs minister, the “Veterans aren’t confrontationchief of the defence staff, it’s clear al. Most of us signed up because to the veterans on the ground—the we believe in the government of ones suffering—that no leader is Canada. When the government stepping up to fix the situation. — PAUL FRANKLIN says you’re a liar and a faker, it “How does a true leader knowhurts. And I don’t want to fight it ingly and willingly allow soldiers really, but I have to.” to be released into positions of Franklin’s solution is simple, financial distress?” said Campbell. and is echoed by Campbell: “Whatever happened to leadership the way the system works is tenet number two: Know your men backwards. The onus should be on VAC to prove that and promote their welfare. When was the last time veterans are faking or filing fraudulent claims. It you heard any senior leader in the Canadian Armed should be a reverse onus, based on trust, just as Forces speak out against the New Veterans Charter income taxes largely work. and what it does to our veterans? Never. There is an “There is no reason that a person who was in the abject leadership failure at the senior levels of the infantry, in combat, has to prove anything,” said Canadian Armed Forces regarding treatment of Franklin. “It is up to Veterans Affairs to prove him casualties. An absolute failure.” wrong. When he says ‘I jumped out of airplanes for There has been an influx of military veterans into 20 years and now I have a bad back,’ that should be staff positions at VAC in recent months, likely inenough. Of course he’s got a bad back. But he doesn’t tended to counter this perception. At the top bureauhave medical proof, because at the time it was minor.” cratic post, former Chief of the Defence Staff General The problem, Franklin said, lies with the statistics (Ret’d) Walter Natynczyk was appointed deputy minthat O’Toole presented above, concerning the 30 per ister. (He declined a request to be interviewed for cent of claims that are not approved. “Are you literally this article.) His appointment to VAC is widely seen calling 30 per cent of all veterans claimants fakers? as yet another move by the government to help quash For 30 per cent of people to be lying? The problem isn’t the veterans’ revolt before it can become an election with us. It’s with them. If you want to prove that I’m a issue in the fall. faker, then bring it on. If you think we’re fakers, charge In any case, the difficulties faced by veterans on us. We all believe in the law. I’ll take the charge any their return to Canada—and the systemic failures to day of the week, any good soldier would.” care for them—have not only given rise to a feeling of Franklin also believes the old system of awarding betrayal, but have provoked some positive responses disability pensions to the injured makes far more as well. Across Canada, veterans are stepping forward sense than the NVC’s lump-sum payment method, to take care of themselves. and in this regard, he views the Equitas lawsuit as one During the height of the conflict in Afghanistan, of the most important veteran’s initiatives in years. the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry set “I keep telling VAC that the lump-sum payment is the up a little known but highly effective Regimental hill you guys are going to die on. It makes no sense.” Veterans Care Cell in Edmonton. It worked so well Franklin believes the government’s temptation to that The Royal Canadian Regiment sent out a team save money on the backs of veterans will ultimately to investigate and then started a similar initiative. lose out to Canadians’ desire that their veterans be The Edmonton cell has since been stood down, but

“I KEEP TELLING VAC THAT THE LUMP-SUM PAYMENT IS THE HILL YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DIE ON.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 31

31

2015-07-31 11:45 AM

“ONCE THE ELECTION BUBBLE HAS PASSED, WILL THERE STILL BE THE POLITICAL WILL TO DO MORE?”

across the digital domain—and with even less official sanctioning—multiple peer-support groups have sprung up. Among the most prominent and enduring is Send Up The Count. This group was started by a couple of veterans in Shilo, Man.—notably Master Corporal Dan McInnis—after they experienced the suicide of one of their military friends. “It turned out,” said McInnis, “that he’d reached out to a bunch of people by phone. But it was late, so no one picked up the call.” And so an idea was born—a 24/7 online Facebook support group for Canadian Forces members, both serving and retired, who now have a place to go for help, no matter what time it is. — MARK Nearly 10,000 members strong, the site has become a remarkable success story. It is a nationwide network of people who care for each other and check up on each other. For example, some time ago there was a post on the site much like this: “How do you tell someone you’re feeling suicidal? They tell you to be strong, but I am tired. I just want to die and have some peace. I know I’m weak, but I’m sorry, I just can’t do this anymore.” Within moments after that post went up, the network sprang into action. Hundreds of messages of support poured in, but alongside those were calls to action, to locate the poster and get help to them before the worst happened. The poster ended up in hospital, and survived.

THE LOST Whatever happens with the Equitas lawsuit in terms of financial solutions to fill the gaps in the NVC, the plaintiffs are also seeking something else: the recognition that the government of Canada, whichever government, has an absolute obligation to take care of its veterans, an obligation so powerful that it could be called sacred, something so important that to violate it is unthinkable, unconscionable. There are soldiers out there who fought for their country and now feel abandoned. There is a clear line of causality, a chain reaction from their point of injury in Afghanistan to their release from the military to their current situation. They are hurt, if not disabled. They lost their careers, became isolated from their

32

peers, and have a long future of living with their injuries and with the legacy of their service. They gave all they had. What is sacred now is Canada’s collective debt to them. In the days leading up to the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917, Prime Minister Robert Borden spoke to the troops and assured them their sacrifices would be not be forgotten. “The government and the country will consider it their first duty to prove to the returned men its just and due appreciation of the inestimable value of the services rendered to the country and Empire; and that no man, whether he goes back or whether he remains in Flanders, will have just cause to reproach the government for having broken faith with the men who won and the men who died.” CAMPBELL They fought, and died, and won. At Vimy Ridge, these soldiers helped create Canada’s national identity. They fought to the top at all costs. None of that victory, inspired by that speech, should ever be lost. And although the current situation is dire— lawsuits, suicides, anger—one thing is clear; nobody wants what’s happening now. No public servant would ever say: “I want to embody the worst of a faceless bureaucratic system. I want to be the red tape that binds and delays. I want to make every veteran fight for every cent they get.” No civilian would ever say: “Our system for dealing with veterans’ compensation should be as stringent and difficult as a team of lawyers can make it. Don’t trust them to tell the truth, and give them as little compensation as possible.” No politician would ever think: “My best chance of re-election is to nickel-and-dime our veterans.” And absolutely no Canadian would ever say: “Our disabled combat veterans should live in poverty.” And yet, here we are.

TO READ PART ONE OF CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM, PLEASE VISIT:

LEGIONMAGAZINE.COM

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 32

2015-07-31 11:45 AM

MARK CAMPBELL SPEAKS…

WE ASKED WHICH WAS HARDER, FIGHTING THE TALIBAN OR FIGHTING THE GOVERNMENT?

T

“

here’s no question. Fighting the government of Canada has been far more emotionally and psychologically taxing than being injured and going through that whole rehabilitation and recovery process. I can’t say that my experience is the same as anybody else’s; I think they’re all unique. I was trained to deal with adversity throughout my entire career. All they did was keep throwing bigger and bigger challenges at me to see what I can manage, to see if I’m worthy to rise to the next rank. My life in the Forces has been full of genuine and manufactured adversity, you could say, so I’m trained to deal with adversity. “Quite frankly, getting my legs blown off was just the ultimate adversarial situation, so in a way, I was trained to deal with that. Psychologically, at least. “Oh shit, this sucks, but I’ll manage”— was kind of the idea. So recovery was never a question in my mind. It was: how far am I going to be able to recover? That was the only question. “What I really hadn’t counted on was the fact that I would come home and fight my biggest battle against the government I had served.

That just blew me away psychologically, mentally, emotionally, even physically. It was taxing and difficult to get over. It threw me into a clinical depression, which I’m pleased to be out of because it was a horrible, horrible, horrible time of my life. But I would directly attribute that depression to the fact that I was embroiled and fighting the government, and at the time was frustrated by the fact that I didn’t seem to be making any headway, by the scope of the problem, by the scope of the fight. Before I hooked up with Equitas, it was a long and disheartening slog. At least with Equitas, we know we’ve achieved some things.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg22-33_Cracks2.indd 33

33

2015-07-30 3:01 PM

B Advertisement

B

[email protected]

Call Beechwood for the Peace of Mind that Advance Planning Provides... Many members of the Canadian Forces and their families have already made plans to be laid to rest in The National Military Cemetery of the Canadian Forces at Beechwood, a beautiful park-like setting in our nation’s capital. Advance planning is a caring gift that will give comfort to your loved ones. And for you, locking in today’s prices in a way that fits your budget provides peace of mind.

Due to a recent change in provincial legislation, Beechwood is now able to provide a broad choice of commemorative options including catered receptions, life celebrations, memorials and traditional funerals, in addition to cremation services and a wide range of burial options. As well, Beechwood offers special services to honour the memory of our Canadian service personnel. This includes placement of an urn or casket on the large black granite plinth in the Hall of Colours, an area for the exclusive use of military members and veterans. Through the Hall’s beautiful memorial stained-glass window, donated by the Canadian Military

Chaplains’ Association, sunlight shines on the plinth and the laid-up Colours of Canada’s Military Regiments. Application for these special services can be obtained from Beechwood’s website at www.beechwoodottawa.ca

Although Beechwood is a National Historic Site, many people are surprised to learn that it is not publicly funded and operates as a not-for-profit organization. Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors under the able leadership of Chair, Mrs. Grete Hale, and Vice Chair, General (retired) Maurice Baril, it is the only organization of its kind in Ottawa. Many people take comfort in knowing that the money they spend for their remembrances will be used for the perpetual maintenance, preservation and enhancement of the beauty of Beechwood. Members of the Canadian Forces and their families can receive planning assistance from Beechwood’s Certified Pre-Planning Specialists. You can choose all of Beechwood’s services or only those that you want. Beechwood’s customized, flexible plans can be tailored to your wishes and budget.

For no-obligation inquiries, or to arrange a no-cost transfer to Beechwood of pre-existing funeral or cremation arrangements that you have made somewhere else, contact: 24-HOUR ASSISTANCE Toll Free 866-990-9530 or 613-741-9530

www.beechwoodottawa.ca

BeechwoodAd_v1.indd 1

2015-07-30 3:47 PM

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau makes a statement to the press following the release of James Cross in December 1970.

FACETOFACE ON

WAS PRIME MINISTER PIERRE TRUDEAU JUSTIFIED IN INVOKING THE WAR MEASURES ACT during the FLQ CRISIS OF OCTOBER 1970? Author D’Arcy Jenish says YES. Author Reg Whitaker says NO.

DUNCAN CAMERON/LAC/PA-110806

D’Arcy Jenish is a freelance writer and author of nine books. He is currently at work on a history of FLQ terrorism that culminated in the October Crisis. Reg Whitaker is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at York University. He is the co-author of Secret Service: Political Policing in Canada from the Fenians to Fortress America. To voice your opinion on this question, go to www.legionmagazine.com or e-mail [email protected] PORTRAIT ILLUSTRATIONS BY TERRY SHOFFNER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg35-37_FaceToFace.indd 35

35

2015-07-30 3:18 PM

FEATURES

D’ARCY JENISH

P

IERRE TRUDEAU is remembered today for many things—the introduction of official bilingualism, the repatriation of the constitution and creation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the National Energy Program and, of course, the proclamation of the War Measures Act on Oct. 16, 1970, after the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) separatist paramilitary group kidnapped British Trade Commissioner to Canada James Cross, and, a few days later, Pierre Laporte, Quebec’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour. Trudeau and his cabinet acted at the request of Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa and Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau. All three administrations believed that a state of “apprehended insurrection”—as the Act’s proclamation declared in 1970—existed in the province. Regulations accompanying the Act made it illegal to belong to the FLQ or similar organizations and severely curtailed the rights of freedom of expression and association for anyone who belonged to, or was associated with, these groups. The regulations also granted emergency powers to the police, who promptly arrested more than 450 people, without warrants and without laying charges, detaining them for as little as a few hours and for as long as several months. Public opinion showed that 85 to

36

YES.

well as numerous demonstrations and disturbances that sometimes attracted crowds of 25,000 or more. Then there was the proFLQ rally at Paul Sauvé Arena the night before the War Measures Act was implemented, which ended with several thousand students chanting: “FLQ, FLQ, FLQ.” The Act put a stop to these actions and allowed the police to get on with their work. The arrests had the same effect. Some people—supporters of Quebec independence, but not the FLQ—were wrongly detained. But the police dragnet took a lot of FLQ sympathizers off the street and deterred others who were inclined to support the kidnappers directly or indirectly. Finally, those who criticize the War Measures Act make the fundamental mistake of ignoring the FLQ’s politically inspired terrorism that began in THOSE WHO CRITICIZE THE the spring of 1963. The terrorism occurred in waves WAR MEASURES ACT MAKE THE and included bank robFUNDAMENTAL MISTAKE OF beries, armoury heists, IGNORING THE FLQ’S POLITICALLY burglaries, thefts and bombings—more than 200 INSPIRED TERRORISM. bombings in the Montreal area between 1963 and 1970. Five people died in exploductors, while the provincial Sûreté sions or shootouts and property du Québec were conducting an worth millions was damaged or equally frantic search for Laporte, destroyed. Nothing even remotely who was being held in a suburb on comparable had ever occurred in the city’s South Shore. At the same Canada or the United States. time, separatist agitators, militant By October 1970, extraordilabour leaders and student activists nary measures were required. were organizing strikes and demAs a Vancouver Sun editorial put onstrations in support of the FLQ. it after Trudeau proclaimed the These groups possessed an enorWar Measures Act: “At last, the mous capacity to create chaos in government has armed itself to the streets. They were behind three fight fire with fire and match ruthmajor riots in Montreal between lessness with ruthlessness.” June 1968 and October 1969, as

90 per cent of Canadians supported these extraordinary measures. Newspaper editorials across the country backed the government, but civil libertarians, federal New Democratic Party leader Tommy Douglas and a few Conservative members of Parliament did not. A funny thing has happened in the nearly half century that has elapsed since then. Almost everyone who has written about the October Crisis, as it became known, has criticized the use of the War Measures Act. Some have ridiculed the notion that an “apprehended insurrection” existed and almost all have condemned the arbitrary arrests and detentions. They’re wrong, and here’s why. Montreal police were desperately trying to locate Cross and his ab-

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg35-37_FaceToFace.indd 36

2015-07-30 3:19 PM

NO. O

N OCT. 5, 1970, gunmen kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross from his Montreal home. In exchange for his life, the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) made a series of political demands. The Canadian government refused to negotiate with the terrorists, instead launching a major police operation to recover Cross. Within days, another FLQ cell kidnapped Pierre Laporte, Quebec’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour. The dimensions of this crisis were larger than the lives of the two hostages, as important as these were. Quebec separatism, both the violent FLQ version and the lawful variety represented by the Parti Québécois, had been rising throughout the 1960s. The federal Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau, with its strong base in Quebec, was determined to hold the country together. The Trudeau government responded with an iron fist. In the early hours of Oct. 16, citing an alleged “apprehended insurrection,” it invoked the War Measures Act, a statute previously employed during two world wars that suspended peacetime civil liberties, permitted detention without habeas corpus or legal representation and directed censorship of the media. More than 450 people were swept up in police raids and detained, most ultimately released without charges. None led to the cells holding Cross and Laporte. The FLQ responded to the War Measures Act by murdering Laporte. Finally in December, through careful police work rather than emergency powers, Cross was

REG WHITAKER

located and released. The War Measures Act was irrelevant to the actual resolution of the crisis, and failed to save the life of Laporte. The Act was, in effect, the ‘nuclear opPublic opinion was, initially, tion’: a war measure applied in strongly favourable to the War peacetime. Unsubstantiated alarms Measures Act. But over the years about the magnitude of the threat doubts grew. The federal use of war posed by the FLQ were rife, many powers in Quebec fed a growing emanating from Trudeau’s own alienation of Quebecers from federministers—one even asserted that alism. Six years after the crisis, the the FLQ had enough dynamite to Parti Québécois came to power in blow up the centre of Montreal. No Quebec. The Conservative governevidence was ever brought forward ment of Brian Mulroney repealed to back the claim that the FLQ, a small group of fanatics, posed any real threat of civil insurrection. The RCMP seTHE FEDERAL USE OF WAR POWERS IN curity service was QUEBEC FED A GROWING ALIENATION unimpressed by the OF QUEBECERS FROM FEDERALISM. FLQ’s revolutionary potential. If the RCMP had been asked, they would not have adthe War Measures Act, replacing it vised the use of the War Measures in 1988 with the Emergencies Act, Act. The RCMP considered that a more measured statute that prothe mass detentions—including vides graduated emergency powers singer Pauline Julien and other proportionate to the level of threat. celebrity separatists—had only In retrospect, the use of the War wasted police time and extended Measures Act was an overreaction the length of the crisis. One senior to a threat that, while real enough RCMP official testifying before a to cost the life of Pierre Laporte, federal inquiry put it bluntly: “You did not constitute grounds for don’t need an atomic bomb for a suspending civil liberties in peaceriot on St. Catherine Street.” time. It would not be the last time Liberals, including Trudeau himthat a government has seized on self, later asserted that they had terrorist threats to shift the balneeded emergency powers because ance sharply away from liberty to they had been left unprepared by security. Thanks to the experience inadequate intelligence on the FLQ. of the October Crisis, Canadians Declassified documents call this are perhaps now more reluctant into question: the Mounties were to be panicked into giving away reasonably informed about the identheir hard-won liberties. tities and activities of FLQ activists. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg35-37_FaceToFace.indd 37

37

2015-07-30 3:19 PM

FEATURES

Part 46: Second World War ITALY—THE MORO By John Boileau Battle Honours: 1 Italy, 1943 2 The Moro 3 San Leonardo Dates: 1 July-Dec. 31 2 Dec. 5-7 3 Dec. 8-9 Location: 1 over Italy 2 and 3 central east coast of Italy Units awarded: 1 No. 424 Squadron, No. 425 Squadron, No. 420 Squadron 2 Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, Seaforth Highlanders of Canada 3 King’s Own Calgary Regiment, Royal Canadian Regiment, Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, 48th Highlanders of Canada, Seaforth Highlanders of Canada

W

While senior personnel changes occurred in 1st Canadian Division during the fall of 1943, more substantial changes were happening to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s No. 331 Wing, comprised of No. 424 (Tiger), No. 425 (Alouette) and No. 420 (Snowy Owl) squadrons. After supporting Allied ground forces and bombing strategic targets in Italy, the approaching winter rains at the wing’s dirt airfields in Tunisia did not bode well for future operations and the decision was made to return the wing to Britain. Its last mission was on Oct. 5, when 21 ‘Wimpys’ (as the Vickers Wellington bombers were popularly known) of 424 and 425 squadrons bombed an airfield between Rome and Pisa. By now, 331 Wing had carried out more than 2,000 bombing missions and dropped nearly 4,000 tons of bombs. After handing over its aircraft to the Royal Air Force in late October, the wing sailed to Britain and docked at Liverpool on Nov. 6. In Britain, the wing headquarters was disbanded and squadron personnel redeployed within No. 6 (RCAF) Group. For their contribution to the Italian campaign, the three Wellington bomber squadrons received the battle honour Italy, 1943.

38

Meanwhile on the ground, the Allies had hoped for a quick dash to capture Rome, but the German decision to defend Italy south of the nation’s capital resulted in an arduous winter campaign in difficult, mountainous terrain— made more complicated by additional enemy divisions pouring into Italy. The immediate Allied goal was now to pin down German forces in Italy to keep them away from northwest Europe, where the main invasion of the continent would occur. The Allies’ first objective was to break through the Winter Line—made up of the Gustav, Bernhard and Hitler lines—which stretched across the country. While U.S. Lieutenant-General Mark Clark’s Fifth Army was to advance on the left, breach the Gustav Line and drive toward Rome, General Bernard Montgomery’s Eighth Army would cross the Sangro River and drive up the Adriatic coast. But heavy rains meant it took a week for Eighth Army to establish a bridgehead across the swollen Sangro, helped by Spitfires of No. 417 (City of Windsor) Squadron, which patrolled overhead. Once across, Montgomery followed up with a powerful attack, and by Dec. 1, had broken through the Gustav Line and pushed the Germans back to the Moro River. Then the rain worsened, the Moro rose higher, and Montgomery needed fresh forces, so 1st Canadian Division was ordered to get across the river as soon as possible. To cross the imposing obstacle of the Moro Valley, Major-General Chris Vokes had a choice of two roads: the relatively modern Route 16 along the coast or the winding older inland road from Sant’Apollinaire to San Leonardo. In the end, Vokes decided to cross in battalion strength at three points. In addition to Route 16 and the inland road, he also chose a location three kilometres upstream from San Leonardo, at the hilltop village of Villa Rogatti. From here, he would launch an attack toward a crossroads codenamed ‘Cider,’ at the junction of the inland road and a lateral road leading to Ortona. From 1st Brigade, the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment (Hasty Ps) was to cross on the right on the new road, while from 2nd Brigade, the Seaforth Highlanders would cross in the centre on the old one. The Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) would cross on the left at Villa Rogatti. All three operations were to be silent attacks on the night of Dec. 5-6.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg00-00_BattleHonours.indd 38

2015-07-30 3:21 PM

FEATURES

The Hasty Ps and the Seaforths gained the far bank in their sectors, but fierce counterattacks soon drove them back to the flooded Moro’s south bank. The Patricias had more success and managed to slip across at an unguarded ford; by dawn they had captured Villa Rogatti in a short, sharp battle. The three companies braced for the inevitable counterattacks. They were not long in coming. Throughout the morning of Dec. 6, the PPCLI repelled several counterattacks by panzer grenadiers, hampered by the fact that British tanks that were to support them could not cross the Moro. Finally, eight Shermans arrived in time to help beat back an early afternoon attack by infantry accompanied by nine Panzer Mark IVs. Downstream, the Hasty Ps succeeded in getting across the Moro near its mouth by early evening and established a small bridgehead. That night was a confusing melee as both sides fired wildly into the darkness with their full range of weapons, although British Shermans were still unable to cross the river in that sector. The Seaforths were also unable to get across the Moro at San Leonardo, but the river had been crossed in two places. Vokes now decided to reinforce the Patricias’ success by passing the Loyal Edmonton Regiment through them and moving the Seaforths upriver in support. The engineers then informed Vokes that crossings could not be built at either bridgehead; San Leonardo was the only suitable location. Vokes dutifully drew up another plan and handed over the Villa Rogatti bridgehead to 8th Indian Division to enable the Canadians to concentrate on a smaller sector. The attack to capture the Cider crossroads went in at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 8, after a 60-minute artillery barrage. Its first objective was the establishment of a firm base in the San Leonardo area from which to launch the final assault against Cider. On the right, the Royal Canadian Regiment moved through the Hasty Ps and swung left

against San Leonardo. They ran into trouble almost immediately and were stopped halfway to their objective by German artillery and mortar fire, coupled with a panzer counterattack. The RCR’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Spry, was forced to call in artillery fire almost on his own men to break contact. He then pulled back to a small hill, where all four companies dug in for the night. Upriver, the 48th Highlanders had more success and crossed the Moro midway between San Leonardo and Villa Rogatti with little difficulty. Once across, they attacked the hamlet of La Torre and captured it by nightfall. Meanwhile, engineers of 3rd Field Company were trying to create a passage to get the tanks forward to and across the Moro. The sappers laboured through the night in the face of continuous enemy fire and by dawn had succeeded. With the way clear, Calgary Regiment Shermans surged forward. At about the same time, Brigadier Howard Graham, commanding 1st Brigade, became incapacitated due to illness. His replacement was Spry. Meanwhile, Vokes had changed his plan to get across the Moro. As San Leonardo was not yet the firm base he had hoped to jump off from, its capture was assigned to 2nd Brigade, supported by tanks of the Calgary Regiment. As the Calgaries’ A Squadron moved down the winding road to the Moro, carrying D Company of the Seaforths, it came under heavy shelling. Three of the squadron’s 12 tanks were lost before they got to the river. Once across, the Seaforths charged into San Leonardo and drove out the enemy in a door-to-door battle. A strong German counterattack followed: 12 panzers and a considerable number of infantrymen against the Calgary Regiment’s four remaining Shermans and a severely depleted company. The Germans were driven back, and although additional counterattacks followed throughout Dec. 9, the Canadians held firm in San Leonardo and elsewhere across the Moro. The three infantry battalions that first fought to get across the river were awarded the battle honour The Moro, while the Calgary Regiment, all three battalions of 1st Brigade, and the Seaforths from 2nd Brigade received the honour San Leonardo for their part in the hard-won battle to capture the village. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg00-00_BattleHonours.indd 39

LIEUT. F.G. WHITCOMBE/DND/LAC/PA-205251 XXX

Private G.C. Butcher of the 48th Highlanders of Canada examines the wreckage of a German vehicle destroyed by the Calgary Regiment in Italy on Dec. 10, 1943.

39

2015-07-30 3:21 PM

PART

ARMY

CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE / BY TERRY COPP

120

MODEST and MEANINGLESS GAINS In the fight for Festubert, combat for the “Canadian Orchard” cost 2,468 casualties

40

T

he Canadians emerged from the battle for Ypres, Belgium, in 1915 with horrendous casualties: more than 6,000 men, including 1,410 who became prisoners of war. This casualty rate, 37 per cent of the troops engaged, would never be exceeded, not even at the Somme in 1916. The British and Canadian press lauded the Canadian achievement and the enemy acknowledged their “tenacious determination,” but behind the scenes there were serious conflicts over the conduct of the battle, including sharp criticism of brigadiers Arthur Currie and Richard Turner. Many Canadian officers were equally unhappy with the performance of senior British officers. After April

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg40-41_Copp.indd 40

2015-07-30 3:29 PM

Brigadiers Arthur Currie (above left) and Richard Turner were criticized behind the scenes for losses at Ypres. The 48th Highlanders (opposite) leave Toronto for overseas in September 1914.

The losses suffered by Second British Army at Ypres did not lead to any change in plans to support a new French offensive intended to secure Vimy Ridge. The British contribution was an attack on Aubers Ridge, designed to draw reserves away from Vimy. Despite evidence that the Germans had greatly strengthened their defences, the attack began on May 9 and quickly turned into a costly disaster. “Defeat was swift, bloody and complete,” as J.P. Harris writes in Douglas Haig and the First World War. A second attempt later the same day was an “unmitigated disaster,” with losses of 10,000 men, of whom one in four died. The failure at Aubers Ridge did not end demands for continued action on the British front. General Douglas Haig decided to leave the ridge to the enemy and try his luck farther south at Festubert, France. His new plan called for a pincer movement to be preceded by a lengthy bombardment rather than the 40-minute “Hurricane” barrage used at Aubers Ridge. For the first time, a prepared attack was to begin at night. The cost of the action, which gained modest and meaningless ground, was more than 12,000 British casualties. Haig was running out of men, and he ordered the Canadians to join the battle. Reinforcements from reserve battalions in England brought the Canadians back up to strength but there had been no time to integrate the replacements. Within hours of their arrival, the 14th Battalion (Royal Montreal Regiment) and 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) began a daylight attack across flat, wet fields intersected by deep ditches. Forced to the ground by enemy fire, both battalions dug in and waited for darkness. The rest of the division arrived the next day and, despite Lieutenant-General Edwin Alderson’s plea for SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg40-41_Copp.indd 41

DND/LAC/PA-001370; LEGION MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

1915, this tension helped to ensure that the 1st Canadian Division became the core of Canada’s national army, rather than an imperial formation drawn from a Dominion. News of the gas attack and the valour of the country’s soldiers reached Canada on April 24, before the battle was over. The newspapers reported that Canadian “gallantry and determination” had saved the situation but hinted at heavy losses. The Toronto News described the mood: “Sunday was one of the most anxious days ever experienced in Toronto, and the arrival of the officers' casualty list only served to increase the feeling that a long list including all ranks was inevitable. Crowds scanned the newspaper bulletin boards from the time of arrival of the first lists shortly before noon, until midnight, while hundreds sought information by telephone.” At first it was impossible to believe that battalions such as the 15th, made up of men from Toronto’s 48th Highlanders, had been wiped out. The press assumed that many were prisoners of war, as historian Ian Miller describes in Our Glory and Our Grief. But awareness soon dawned that whole battalions had been devastated. When full lists became available in early May, the truth was apparent: “Half the infantry at the front have been put out of action.” The events of the spring of 1915 transformed the war from a great adventure to a great crusade. A week after the enemy introduced the horrors of gas warfare, the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland with the loss of 1,369 civilians, including 150 children. Newspapers across Canada published heartrending stories about the victims and survivors of the sinking alongside further accounts of the fighting in the Ypres Salient. Revisionist accounts of the Great War have sought to minimize German war crimes in 1914-15, but at the time, Canada’s people recognized policies designed to inspire terror for what they were. This was particularly true after the first gas attack when, to cite just one example, a letter from the front printed in the Toronto World informed readers that, “…the dead are piled in heaps and groans of the wounded and dying never leave me. Every night we have to clear the roads of dead in order to get our wagons through. On our way back to base we pick up loads of wounded soldiers and bring them back to the dressing stations.” The censors could do little to prevent the publication of such letters and they proved equally unable to control the content of articles on the war. One attempt to stop the publication of Robert W. Service’s gritty descriptions of his experiences as an ambulance driver was ignored by editors determined to print front-line reports from the popular author and poet. Service’s description of the trenches, with its images of “poor hopeless cripples” and a man who seemed to be “just one big wound,” left no room for doubt about the ugliness of war. Despite such realistic accounts of combat, the events of May 1915 inspired Canadians to volunteer in record numbers, doubling the army’s strength to 200,000 men in just six months.

41

2015-07-30 3:29 PM

42

DND/LAC/PA-004913

that battles could not be won with the weapons and tactics used in 1915. The British and French field commanders were convinced that with more and better shells for the artillery, including ones filled with gas, they would break the German defences. Lord Kitchener, who was striving to create a “New Army,” which would place 50 divisions in the field, was less sure. He was preparing for a long war, but admitted he had no idea how it might be won. It is evident that the British Governor General the Duke of Connaught inspects an generals, like their French and automobile machine-gun battery in Ottawa in September 1914. German counterparts, were totally surprised by the harsh realities of trench warfare. They simply had no idea of how to get men across the zones of machine-gun, mortar and artillery fire to close time to study the situation before committing his with the enemy. They were equally unprepared to exploit troops, Haig insisted on immediate action. Two days any breaches in their opponents’ defensive positions. of intense close combat for what would be called the With a few outstanding exceptions, senior British ofCanadian Orchard ensued. The price: 2,468 casualties. ficers demonstrated a profound lack of imagination and Coming so soon after the struggle in the salient, initiative in the early years of the war. The first suggesFestubert was a shock to many Canadians. Brigadier tions for a tracked armoured vehicle that could overcome Arthur Currie complained bitterly about the lack of barbed wire and cross trenches were made in Britain preparation and inadequate support while Canadian during the fall of 1914, but the army was not interested. Minister of Militia Sir Sam Hughes wrote a scathing Instead, experiments were carried out by the Royal attack on Alderson, which he sent to Prime Minister Navy’s Landships Committee, formed by Winston Robert Borden and British Secretary of State for War Churchill through his control of naval expenditures when Lord Kitchener. As always, Hughes went off the deep he was First Lord of the Admiralty. The first such vehicles, end, but his criticisms should not be entirely ignored. called ‘tanks’ for security reasons, were ready for use The fruitless attacks at Festubert, which Hughes dein July 1916, although another year passed before large scribed as “attempting to gain a few yards…with no numbers were available. In early 1915, the French army preconceived plan of an effective drive to smash the issued steel helmets, which saved many lives, but British enemy,” are an accurate picture of the engagements and Canadian troops had to wait another year before that cost First British Army 16,000 casualties. helmets became standard issue. Germany made early use of trench mortars, but it took 11 months to authorize the Haig took a very different view of Festubert, insistmass production of the British-invented Stokes mortar. ing that a new attempt to break through the German The public was not aware of these problems, but was defences and exploit into open country would succeed informed of the shortage of Allied machine guns, which if a longer preliminary bombardment were employed. was said to account for German success in trench warfare. Thus the battle for Givenchy began with 211 guns firThe machine-gun movement became a popular cruing for 48 hours before two British divisions attacked in sade in Britain and was launched in Canada by John C. the early evening of June 15. Haig and General Henry Eaton, of the department store family, who donated Rawlinson, the Corps commander responsible for the $100,000 to purchase armoured cars with Colt machine action, were in sharp disagreement over the purpose guns. The concept of motorized armoured machine-gun and scope of the operation. Rawlinson continued to carriers was an initiative of Raymond Brutinel, a former argue for a measured “bite and hold” approach, while French officer and immigrant to Canada, who organized Haig insisted on yet another attempt to break through “the first motorized armoured unit formed by any counand exploit. Givenchy quickly turned into another costly try during the war,” according to Cameron Pulsifer of disaster for British troops. Under Brigadier Malcolm the Canadian War Museum. Brutinel’s 1st Canadian Mercer, 1st Canadian Brigade played a supporting role, Motor Machine Gun Brigade was reinforced by batteries protecting 7th British Division’s flank. Neither the British formed in Canada, although the static conditions on the division nor the Canadian brigade made any significant Western Front provided little opportunity for mobile progress and the operation was called off on June 18. warfare and before 1918, the brigade was used primarily Allied losses in May and June 1915 totalled more than in a fire-support role. 200,000 men, a number that ought to have demonstrated LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg40-41_Copp.indd 42

2015-07-30 3:29 PM

PART

AIR FORCE

71

CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE / BY HUGH A. HALLIDAY

THE FIGHTER PILOT WHO HATED KILLING

Stearne Tighe Edwards was a faithful friend to his fellow pilots and a respectful adversary to his enemy combatants

First World War pilot Stearne Tighe Edwards (above) initially flew the Sopwith 11/2 Strutter bomber (top) over Germany. He then trained as a fighter pilot.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg43-45_Halliday.indd 43

LAC/E011157781

T

he air war of 1914-1918 is widely seen as one of fighter pilots duelling in pristine skies high above the industrial-scale slaughter below. It is a romantic myth of knights of the air and high-scoring heroes. The air war was, in fact, grim and ruthless. Pilots strove to achieve surprise through advantages of sun, altitude and attacks from behind. Chivalry was easy only when an opponent was dead or captured. A man parachuting from an observation balloon might be strafed or spared. The British flying services of the First World War never gave official status to the term ‘ace’ and one will never find an authorized list itemizing their scores. This practice recognized the injustice of singling out one category of combatant over another. A French

43

2015-07-30 3:34 PM

Edwards had a real horror of killing, even of enemies. He wrote a prayer asking forgiveness for having taken the life of a foe. In 1915, Edwards trained at the Wright Flying School in Dayton, Ohio, in order to qualify for the Royal Naval Air Service.

wartime cartoon demonstrated this situation, showing a weary poilu climbing out of a trench, his foot on a dead German and staring at the sky. “I, too, have brought down my fifth Boche,” he muses, “but it will not be mentioned in today’s communiqués.” Yet we must respect the fighter and scout pilots, and in many cases, their back-seat gunners, for their courage, skill and sacrifice. The story of Stearne Tighe Edwards is particularly striking. His logbook is in the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, but his character is best seen in letters he wrote to his sister. In these, more than in his combat reports or citations, the man shone through. He was born on Feb. 13, 1893, south of Carleton Place, Ont., and was educated and played hockey there. When Brian Costello, author of A Nursery of the Air Force, was asked why the town produced an inordinate number of First World War fliers, including at least three aces, he explained, “The hockey team joined up together.” Before the war, Edwards was a railway construction worker who learned to play poker the hard way and became a formidable opponent. He never drank or smoked, whether by choice or conviction is uncertain. When the war broke out, he walked 200 miles to the nearest railway station at The Pas, Man. Once back in Carleton Place, he resolved with three friends to join the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). A flying certificate was required at that time, so they travelled to the Wright Flying School in Dayton, Ohio, and took rudimentary flight training for the certificate. Then it was back to Ottawa where they were accepted as Temporary Probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenants and their expenses were repaid. On Nov. 15, 1915, Edwards sailed to England for proper pilot and combat training. His comrades followed on the 22nd.

44

He tried to avoid getting too far ahead of his friends, including Arthur Roy Brown, but he was a natural flier who progressed quickly through RNAS flight training, gunnery and bomb-dropping exercises. Early in July 1916, he flew to France to join No. 3 (Naval) Wing, which operated Sopwith 1½ Strutters from Luxeuil-les-Bains in eastern France. Although nominally a naval unit, No. 3 Wing was miles from the sea, about to embark on pioneering strategic bombing. The Sopwiths were in two versions: two-seat fighters (to serve as escorts) and single-seat bombers that carried up to four 60-pound bombs. Many Canadian members of the RNAS had arrived from North America in the winter of 1915-16 and No. 3 Wing counted more than a dozen on strength. Edwards was a bomber pilot. His first raid was on Oct. 12, 1916, as 30 French and British aircraft attacked the Mauser works at Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany; he was airborne in formation for almost four hours. He would take part in five further attacks before March 1917, when he was posted to No. 11 (Naval) Squadron to train as a fighter pilot, then to No. 6 (Naval) Squadron to put his teachings into practice. He hated it, considering the commanding officer to be a tyrant. The solution came via another posting, to No. 9 (Naval) Squadron, in August 1917. One perk here was to be flying Sopwith Camels, one of the most effective fighters in British service. Another was to be reunited with Brown, his friend from Carleton Place and the Wright Flying School. Edwards’ letters home say little about the war but much about the man. They exude vitality and humour. He was modest about his exploits, and he regarded combat as his job. He had a real horror of killing, even of enemies. He wrote a prayer asking forgiveness for having taken the life of a foe, and for the safe return of himself

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg43-45_Halliday.indd 44

2015-07-31 11:48 AM

The German spring offensive made life very dangerous and complicated. Between March 21 and April 21, the squadron had to change aerodromes six times as the enemy advanced. On two occasions, they were under shellfire as they evacuated their base. The air fighting was brutal and relentless. Between Feb. 3 and May 19, 1918, Edwards was credited with three more enemy aircraft destroyed, four out of control and two captured (i.e. forced down behind British lines). The man who hated killing had to be ruthless. A portion of one report from April 2, 1918, described a hostile machine that stalled and dove after his attack. “I followed for 3,000 feet, and as the enemy aircraft seemed to be regaining control, I opened fire again,” Edwards ​reported. “The enemy aircraft turned on its back Edwards is buried at Tadcaster in North Yorkshire, England, with a tombstone describing him as “a brave and gallant gentleman.”

and went into a vertical dive and immediately broke up, the pieces narrowly missing my machine.” Edwards was not flying on April 21, the day Brown pursued and fired on a Fokker Triplane, which in turn was pursuing another Camel of No. 209 Squadron. The Triplane pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, was killed, and the action is debated to this day. Was the fatal bullet fired by Brown or by an Australian machine gunner on the ground? If Brown did not kill the Red Baron, then he drove him onto the guns of those who did. Soon afterward, Brown collapsed with ulcers and was posted away. Edwards’ turn came on May 23, when he suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized. On June 21, 1918, The London Gazette announced that he had been awarded a Bar to his DSC. Leave in Britain followed, then postings in Yorkshire as an instructor to training units with No. 2 School of Aerial Fighting and Gunnery in Redcar, and with No. 38 Training Depot Station in Tadcaster. Edwards began to consider his postwar prospects, including a career in the Royal Air Force. Meanwhile, his logbook recorded dozens of sham battles and instructional flights. His specialty was helping low-achieving students. At Tadcaster, he was given charge of some American trainees, whom he ruled with an iron hand and complete fairness. They were devoted to him. Superior officers congratulated him on three occasions. Off-duty, he often piloted a Sopwith Pup, cruising the sky for the sheer joy of flight. Suddenly, Austria and Turkey capitulated, the German Navy mutinied, the Kaiser fled into exile, and on Nov. 11 the war was over. The next day, Edwards took off in the Pup, breathing the cool air of peace for the first time in four years. He flicked into a spin, like a hundred times before. This time he pulled up too late, dragging a wingtip on the ground. Suddenly the airfield was alive with running figures. He was unconscious when they lifted him from the wreckage and rushed him to York Hospital. Each day brought some improvement, but the doctors looked at one leg, despaired and finally amputated below the knee. The shock was too much. His life ended in the early hours of Nov. 22. His personal effects included his poker chips, a dog-eared prayer book and a photograph of a girl, but who she was and what she had meant to him remained a mystery. His tombstone in Tadcaster erroneously states that he “died of injuries received on Armistice Day.” The mistake has been repeated elsewhere. In 1920, a memorial plaque was unveiled in the Carleton Place Presbyterian Church. It reads: “In proud and loving memory of Captain Stearne Tighe Edwards, DSC, Royal Air Force, who died of injuries received on Armistice Day, while in the service of his country. Faithful even unto death.” In a fitting token of friendship, the man who drew the veil was Arthur Roy Brown. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg43-45_Halliday.indd 45

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HUGH A. HALLIDAY

and his comrades. He was by all accounts a Muscular Christian, reminiscent of the principled Eric Liddell, the Scottish athlete and missionary portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire. Yet he also lived fully, attending London theatres while on leave and making many friends. Edwards and Brown were inextricably bound to one another. Both became successful fighter pilots. They returned together to Carleton Place for Christmas in 1917. Both would be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Bar. Both would serve in combat until they broke. Not all of Edwards’ actions were decisive. His first combat in No. 9 (Naval) Squadron was on Aug. 18, 1917, when he set a German aircraft on fire. The enemy extinguished the flames and escaped. On Sept. 3, he attacked a two-seater Aviatik. The enemy aircraft was seen to go down in a nose-dive with the observer collapsed in the rear cockpit. Then, on Sept. 23, 1917, he destroyed two Albatross fighters in a single sortie. The first crashed into the sea. The second was attacking another Camel when he pounced. It turned on its back, went into a dive and shed its wings at 8,000 feet. Edwards was recommended for his first DSC on Sept. 30; it was gazetted on Nov. 2, 1917. By then, he had been credited with three enemy aircraft destroyed and four more ‘out of control,’ a poorly defined phrase that bedevils those who try to calculate scores. He returned from Canadian leave on Jan. 30, 1918. Brown had been named B Flight Commander, Edwards as C Flight Commander. Other changes were coming: on April 1, 1918, as the Royal Naval Air Service merged with the Royal Flying Corps to become the new Royal Air Force, RFC ranks replaced naval ranks. ‘Naval Nine’ was re-designated No. 209 Squadron, and Flight Lieutenant Edwards became Captain Edwards.

45

2015-07-31 1:38 PM

CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE / BY MARC MILNER

PART

NAVY

71

DISTRACTING the PACK

HMCS St. Francis prepares to take on fuel from a tanker while on escort duty on Nov. 7, 1942.

By the late summer of 1942, the Canadian navy was stretched thin. But the corvettes were still able to disrupt several U-boat attacks

46

R

unning the North Atlantic war was all about risk management, and things were better in the early fall of 1942. The rampage along the United States coast and in the Caribbean was over. In September, U-517 and U-165 ran amok in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and up the St. Lawrence River, but that was an anomaly. Operating convoys in a river—even one as wide as the St. Lawrence where it opens into the Gulf—left no scope for evasive routing. And with the technology of the day, the Royal Canadian Navy could not find the attackers. Stopping the convoys seemed prudent. Wolf packs were back in force in the mid-ocean air gap again by September, but in the late summer and early

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg46-48_Milner.indd 46

2015-07-31 8:26 AM

fall there was no cause for alarm. The weaknesses of Canadian mid-ocean escort groups were apparent, at least to Canadian and British operational commands: too few destroyers and poor equipment. But these C groups had Pursued by aircraft, U-165 begins to dive in killed more than their share of U-boats September 1942. over the summer. So far, so good. Certainly, the Canadians were doing well enough in the late summer of 1942 for the Allies—the British especially—to (short-legged Town-class and British V- and W-class keep making demands on RCN resources. In August, destroyers and RCN Bangor-class minesweepers). WLEF the Admiralty asked the RCN to provide escorts for the was now fully responsible for nearly 2,000 kilometres forthcoming landings in North Africa. By stripping the of the passage of the main transatlantic convoy route. West Coast, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Western Local These new commitments stretched the RCN to its final Escort Groups, the RCN found 16 corvettes. Among them limits. Certainly, Rear Admiral Leonard Murray, Flag were most of the RCN’s nine adapted corvettes. These Officer in Newfoundland, noticed. On Sept. 18, just behad been ordered in the 1940-41 building program and fore he left St. John’s to become Commanding Officer, reflected the adaptation of the original design to oceanic Atlantic Coast in Halifax, Murray complained to Ottawa escort work, with higher bows, increased sheer and flare, that he was unable to keep refit schedules for mid-ocean and improved bridges. Ideally, they ought to have been escorts because his C groups were chronically under assigned to the C Groups in the mid-ocean. By August strength. The officers and men of Murray’s C groups 1942, two were serving alongside the U.S. Navy in the were increasingly unhappy about their plight, too. They Caribbean, and six of the remaining seven were assigned coveted the latest RCN corvettes—the ones built for oceto Operation Torch, the British-American invasion of anic escort—and those equipped with powerful secondFrench North Africa being planned for November. ary armament and the latest radar as they augmented The RCN also took care to refit its Torch corvettes for mid-ocean groups en route to the United Kingdom. the job. The German air threat from France remained So the RCN was stretched exceptionally thin by the late serious, and Italian aircraft still dominated the western summer of 1942, and by September, portends of future basin of the Mediterranean. All of the Torch corvettes retrouble in the mid-Atlantic were evident, as the wolf packs ceived heavier secondary armament—a lot of it. In 1942, started to focus on Canadian-escorted convoys. After the Canadian corvettes carried little more than machine battle for ON-127 early in September, the Germans tried guns on the bridge wings and in the after gun tub, which to attack four transatlantic convoys, all of them primarily were virtually useless in a surface battle with a U-boat. Canadian escorted. SC-99 was intercepted on Sept. 13 and Torch corvettes received new 20-mm Oerlikon cannon; briefly pursued by five U-boats. The escort of that convoy, in some cases—such as HMCS Kitchener—at least four C-1, had only one destroyer, the four-stacker HMCS of them. The RCN also had a few recently arrived Type St. Francis, but seven RCN corvettes—none of them had 271 radar sets (intended for the Mid-Ocean Escort Force modern radar. So it was fortuitous that the U-boats groups) in Halifax: these too went to the Torch corvettes. probing for SC-99 were distracted by ON-129, which Those corvettes unable to fit the new equipment in was caught trying to skip around the edge of their line. Canada got it when they arrived in the U.K. ON-129 was escorted by C-2, which was built around two old Royal Navy destroyers, HMS Burnham and HMS Operation Torch was not the only new commitment the Winchelsea, and a gaggle of RCN corvettes. C-2 disrupted RCN took on in late summer. In September, the western successive attempts by some U-boats to assemble for an terminus of transatlantic convoys shifted from Halifax to attack, while the other U-boats scrambled to intercept New York, and the RCN assumed responsibility for the adconvoys headed in opposite directions. The result of all ditional work. This required breaking the Western Local this was that both SC-99 and ON-129 escaped without Escort Force (WLEF) into two sections, north and south loss. So too did HX-206, escorted by a British group. of Halifax, because of the limited range of local escorts SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg46-48_Milner.indd 47

LIEUT. GERALD M. MOSES/DND/LAC/PA-116335; DND/PL12814

Early in September 1942, the Germans tried to attack four transatlantic convoys, all of them primarily Canadian escorted.

47

2015-07-30 3:39 PM

HMCS Bittersweet is towed by HMCS Skeena in May 1943.

48

effort. Roughly 17 transatlantic convoys passed through the air gap that month. The Germans made solid contact with five convoys in the mid-ocean that month, all of them Canadian escorted. It is not clear if the RCN was aware of the alarming frequency with which their convoys were being intercepted. The British later ascribed this high interception rate to careless Canadian use of radios, which could be detected by shore stations. More recently, Canadian historians have discovered that the Germans were homing in on Canadian 1.5-metre radar. In August 1942, U-boats began fitting a radar-warning device to help them avoid air attack while crossing the Bay of Biscay. A simple antenna lashed to a wooden cross, the Metox—named after its French inventor Metox Grandin and also known as the Biscay Cross—could detect the ground wave of the RCN’s Type SW1/2C search radars. So the lack of Type 271 radar in C groups was a double source of weakness. In early October, the Germans were still struggling to locate and attack convoys in the mid-ocean. HX-209 (B-4) was found close to the eastern edge of the air gap in the first week. The U-boats were rash enough to push their efforts into air cover and lost two subs to British aircraft. The next week ON-138 (B-2) passed right through the middle of a pack named Puma, and eight U-boats were assigned to attack. None got through. It was believed at the time that radar and good use of HF/DF fixes saved ON-138 from attack, but we know now that the pack was distracted by contact with ON-139 coming up from behind. That convoy, escorted by C-2, lost two ships in a surprise attack. The U-boats then fumbled efforts to concentrate on either convoy and both escaped. Meanwhile, the Germans finally got their teeth firmly into the eastbound convoy SC-104. U-221 sighted the convoy on Oct. 12 just east of Newfoundland, and a battle developed over the next four days. The escort B-6 (British destroyers HMS Fame and HMS Viscount and four Norwegian corvettes) was very well equipped; all had Type 271 radar and the destroyers had HF/DF sets. Poor weather in the opening phase of the battle allowed U-221 to penetrate the convoy and sink three ships during the first night. On Oct. 13, attempts by the escort to drive off the assembling pack with HF/ DF directed sweeps were unsuccessful and that night four U-boats attacked: U-221 sank two ships, and three other U-boats each sank one. On Oct. 14, in improving weather, HF/DF directed sweeps drove off most of the shadowers, and that night all attempts to penetrate the convoy were stopped by radar. That night and the next day, Fame and Viscount each rammed and sank a U-boat: the Norwegians damaged another. The battle for SC-104 ended as something of a draw; eight ships in exchange for two U-boats. The British were pleased, and B-6’s defence of SC-104 became the standard against which the RCN would be judged. As the navy was about to discover, it helped if the escort group had the latest equipment and a couple of destroyers. Otherwise, the results could be disastrous.

LAC/PA-164043

The Germans reformed their wolf packs and, late in the month, snagged SC-100, a convoy of only 24 ships escorted by A-3. The group was notionally American and led by U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Campbell and Spencer. But the bulk of A-3 was RCN corvettes. Trillium, Mayflower and Bittersweet, although HMC ships, were still British property and had been modernized with extended foc’sles, improved sonars and modern Type 271 radar in the U.S. in early 1942. The other RCN corvette in A-3 was HMCS Rosthern, still poorly equipped and not yet modernized. A-3 was joined for SC-100 by the Torch corvettes HMCS Lunenburg, HMCS Weyburn and HMS Nasturtium. So A-3 was a large and very capable group. The senior officer, Capt. Paul Heinneman, USCG, kept a tight screen and, in the absence of high-frequency direction-finders (HF/DF), sent out distant sweeps to disrupt the pack of 20 U-boats swarming around SC-100. These efforts were largely successful. One ship was lost to a surprise daylight submerged attack, and another when it straggled during the gale which struck the convoy late in its passage. The Germans also got distracted again, this time by convoy RB-1, a one-off convoy of Hudson River steamers headed to Britain, which the Germans mistook for a troop convoy. The gale and the scramble to redirect U-boats to RB-1 also prevented the subs from getting a firm grip on ON-131 at the end of the month. The convoy’s escort, C-3, was busy nonetheless. The senior officer, Commander D.C. Wallace, RCN in HMCS Saguenay, used HF/DF fixes from the convoy commodore’s ship to push U-boats away as they made contact. Only one of the 15 U-boats chasing ON-131 got near enough to fire torpedoes, and they detonated prematurely. By the time the Germans called off operations against ON-131 on Sept. 30, they had little to show for a month of

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg46-48_Milner.indd 48

2015-07-30 3:39 PM

Advertisement

Transitioning to civilian life In the spirit of this edition featuring stories of veterans transitioning to civilian life, we’d like to share the stories of a few of our employees within the Arbor Memorial family. David Cole enrolled as a medical assistant in the Canadian Forces Medical Services in 1975, rising to Chief Warrant Officer before retiring in 2014 after 39 years of service. The skills Cole gained while serving made him a natural fit for the funeral services industry. He now applies his love for ceremony, combined with his strong work ethic, patience and deep empathy to his role as a para-funeral director and crematorium operator with Capital Funeral Home & Cemetery. “I couldn’t think of a better second career,” says Cole. “After two-and-a-half years, it’s proven to be a great fit.” Iain Smith always had a desire to serve. He joined the Cadets at a young age, served in the Royal Canadian Navy and retired as an airforce officer from the Cadet Instructor Cadre. Now the General Manager of Sands Funeral Chapels, Smith is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. He has been working in the funeral services industry

Legion and Arbor Alliances Remembering our veterans with respect and dignity

for the past 15 years and oversees four chapels on Vancouver Island. “There are many attributes that come from having a military background that are useful in this industry,” says Smith. “There’s a lot of discipline, repetition, attention to detail and personal presentation – those are second nature to a military person.” Smith explains, “It was a hard decision to leave the navy. I had always envisioned myself as a career soldier. Funeral service wasn’t something I thought I’d be doing, but someone in the field introduced me to the industry and that sparked my interest.” Smith encourages people leaving the military to use the services offered to transition into civilian life and identify transferable skills they can use in civilian jobs. For Smith, the funeral industry is a great fit, and he confirms, “I wouldn’t think twice about interviewing a person coming out of the military.”

As a Legion member, making funeral and cemetery plans can now be a little easier and economical. Arbor Memorial, Canada’s leading family of trusted funeral homes, cemeteries and cremation centres offers the following special privileges and discounts: A 10% discount for Legion members and their immediate family when making arrangements in advance A 5% discount for Legion members and their immediate family when making arrangements at time of death

10%* savings

5%

savings

*Excluding crypts, which are offered at a 5% discount if purchased in advance.

Plus! Access to Arbor Memorial’s Free Family Registry and Estate Planner. To Pre-plan your funeral and cemetery arrangements call 1-877-301-8066 or visit ArborAlliances.ca today Arbor Memorial Inc.

ArborProof.indd 1

2015-07-30 3:46 PM

Bittersweet

celebration

BY S H A R O N A DA M S

50

he celebration is joyful and slightly chaotic as the antique vehicles are slowed, then stopped, by the crowd attending the National Liberation Parade in Apeldoorn on May 9, at the end of a week of commemorations and festivities marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. Burlington veteran Jim Warford is surprised, and then delighted, as a woman separates from the throng and takes advantage of the lull to give him a kiss. Ottawa’s Bud Hannam is unmindful of traces of lipstick on his cheek and by day’s end many veterans are carrying flowers—and sporting bruises from shaking hands with hundreds of people along the route. “They…came over to our jeep to shake our hands, say thank you, give us flowers, chocolates, candies, souvenirs,” said George Chow of Vancouver. “They hugged and even kissed us.” Dutch families took advantage of every opportunity to show their appreciation—perhaps for the last time—to the generation of Canadian soldiers that helped liberate northern and western Netherlands from German occupation near the end of the Second World War.

T

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg50-53_Netherlands.indd 50

2015-07-30 4:30 PM

SHARON ADAMS

Liberation Day in the Netherlands was as poignant as ever this year, despite the dwindling ranks of Canadian liberators

SHARON ADAMS

clockwise from opposite page: Second World War veterans Jim Warford and Harry Quarton ride a vintage vehicle during the Apeldoorn parade; Posterenk’s 1736 windmill is a backdrop for the RCMP Pipes, Drums and Dancers; Stan Mazur shakes hands; veterans Weldon Moffatt (at left) and Norman Gogo hand out Canadian flags. “Now we’re at 2015. I should wisely not make such stateThey crowded official events attended by the Dutch ments, [but] we’ll be here in five years.” royal family—remembrance ceremonies at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and Holten Canadian War Each community celebrates its own remembrance Cemetery—as well as the Thank You Canadian Veterans day, for it took nine months of hard fighting, town to town, parades at Wageningen and Apeldoorn. But they also parfarm to farm, to break the Nazis’ grip on the country they ticipated in smaller events, including the burial at Bergen had occupied for five brutal years. Nearly a quarter million op Zoom of Private Albert Laubenstein, whose remains Dutch died in concentration camps, by execution and were only recently identified. And they partied with acts of war, in forced labour and from Canadians at more intimate festivities in starvation. The fight for liberation took small communities such as Posterenk, 7,600 Canadian lives. where two plaques are embedded in walls The celebrations The national Remembrance Day is of the windmill in the town centre—one were bittersweet: marked on May 4, while Liberation Day marking the year it was built, 1736, anDutch hosts were is celebrated on May 5, the date in 1945 other marking the Canadian liberation unwilling to say a on which Canadian General Charles of the town on April 13, 1945. Foulkes accepted the German surrender final goodbye. Although Dutch families enthusiastiin the Netherlands at the Hotel de cally proclaim they will continue to host Wereld in Wageningen. Every five years since 1985, a largSecond World War liberators for as long as they come, the er week-long country-wide celebration, involving the royal number of veterans able to make the trip had dwindled family, heads of state and returning veterans, has been markedly from celebrations five years ago, while ranks of held to coincide with the national ceremonies. the frail swelled. This year, the celebrations, personal and public, were “In 2005, we spoke of the last visit to Netherlands, and bittersweet: Dutch hosts were unwilling to say a final goodonce more in 2010,” said Apeldoorn Mayor John Berends bye. Most veterans who attended are in their mid-90s. at a medal ceremony for a dozen veterans visiting the city. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg50-53_Netherlands.indd 51

51

2015-07-30 4:30 PM

SHARON ADAMS

Dutch children (left) unfurl Canadian flags for the parade at Apeldoorn; the Burlington Teen Tour Band (above) was a hit in Wageningen and Apeldoorn. Mayors of the cities that have hosted the five-year anniversaries are meeting to decide what future celebrations will entail, but the nature of the celebration has already begun to change. As Canadian liberators have died, Dutch families have segued to hosting veterans’ families. In increasing numbers, veterans’ children and grandchildren are signing up for liberation tours, such as that offered by Verstraete Travel and Cruises (which hosted this writer) and others. And they often bring along memorabilia. Mary Hamilton and her brother John Welch of Minden, Ont., brought a remembrance album about their uncle Lyle Laverne Boice, a sergeant with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. Boice had many close calls during his four years in Europe. His ship was blown up on D-Day and he spent eight hours in the water before rescue. In France, a bullet shot off his beret. He was killed at the age of 22 in Nijmegen, along with two Dutch children, victims of a bomb. Hamilton and Welch were billeted with a Dutch family by Welcome Again Veterans, which has arranged accommodations and commemoration programs for returning veterans and their families every five years since 1990. When their Apeldoorn host family, Trude and Ted Molenaar, told a friend they were hosting Boice’s relatives, “the friend said ‘That’s someone I do remember.’ And he put this whole scrapbook together for us,” said Hamilton. “This was a great opportunity for us to put some closure to all those years we heard about him,” said Welch. The pair visited Boice’s grave in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. Edwin Knox of Pincher Creek, Alta., also shared his father’s wartime story with the family with whom he was billeted. “My father, Tommy Knox, was a gunner on the big anti-aircraft guns on the coast of England, then followed on over to the continent. My little album details every bit of work they did through the whole duration.” Knox’s host family was able to enrich his understanding of his father’s experiences, and he was able to add to their knowledge of Canada and the Canadian war effort. Everyone, guest and host alike, absorbed and shared stories of those who lived the experience, helping to solidify memories into history.

52

“I remember a lot of people going hungry,” said Norman Gogo, who was serving with the Canadian Signal Corps near Apeldoorn at war’s end. The Hunger Winter began with Germany’s six-week ban on food shipments in response to a Dutch railway strike; but shipments continued to dwindle even after the ban due to damage to rail lines during the Allied advance and German requisitioning of supplies. “It was terrible. Children were begging for food. We were handing out our rations to the children. We were warned not to because we couldn’t get replacements, but we did it anyway.” “In the early part of April 1945, we took food in,” remembered Charles Smith, an artillery driver seconded to the service corps, where he spent most of the war delivering ammunition to the front. “Our commander came down and said, ‘Put these white flags on the mirror. We’re going through the German lines with food.’ Just below Apeldoorn, we dumped it. The first load we dumped on the shoulder of the road—100 pounds of flour and 100 pounds of rice and sugar and cases of M&V [meat and vegetables] in cans. Then we went back for another load and another load and another. It went on for weeks.” “At the end of the war, we had no food, we had no shoes and it was very cold,” said Valeska Goedkoop, 90, now of Apeldoorn. People lined up at the community kitchen for one ladle of watery soup each day, and “had to decide when to eat” their two slices of bread. She ate one for breakfast, “but the other one I saved until I was in bed,” where she savoured it crumb by crumb. The official daily ration per person was 320 calories at the time. “It is just enough to die slowly,” neighbour Loes Sparrius read from a letter her great-uncle wrote to her grandparents Jan and Berta, asking for help. She is preserving their wartime letters, translating them from antiquated Dutch to share the stories with her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Sparrius’s grandfather had been in the radio business, and continued his trade surreptitiously after the occupation, when the Dutch were forbidden contact with the outside world. He would hide radios inside books or cigar boxes, trading them for food to distribute among neighbours. He

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg50-53_Netherlands.indd 52

2015-07-31 11:49 AM

tradition to their grandchildren, three of whom helped risked getting shot if caught, but the radios allowed people with the Welcome Again arrangements this year, even to listen to Queen Wilhelmina’s broadcasts from London. driving hours to pick veterans up at the airport. “She gave them courage to survive,” said Sparrius. Jolanda Butytenhuis hosted Tom Gatenby in 2000 and And they needed it. Danger was everywhere, and free2005, and their families travelled together to Belgium and dom nowhere. Toward the end of the war, all healthy Normandy for the 60th anniversary of D-Day in 2004. Dutch men were pressed to work in German factories. After Gatenby died in 2005, Butytenhuis spread some of “My father was taken away and not heard from for six his ashes in Holten Canadian War Cemetery. She has conor seven months. Mother was at home with a new baby tinued to welcome his family. “After the veteran has gone, [Sparrius’s older sister]. That was a very awful situation,” many host families continue to have Canadian families she said. Everyone had a little suitcase packed, in case over,” she said. “You keep in touch as long as possible. they had to flee at short notice. In five years, I hope to host another Canadian.” “There was fear everywhere,” said Goedkoop, who still “I know I’ll be back, because I have a Dutch family gets goosebumps whenever she hears the German lannow,” said Judy Le Craw. Her father, John Le Craw, 92, guage on a television program. “The feelings come back to of Norland, Ont., has attended many of the five-year me, the fear of it. It’s just as if I were there again. Seventy celebrations. The Le Craws have returned the favour years later, it’s still there.” for members of their host family, who have visited Her family survived the war, though two friends were Canada several times, including attending the wedding shot. After advising a Jewish man, her lawyer father was of Judy’s sister. interned and forced to stand naked outside in the snow Wartime stories are being perpetuated in Canada and while those around him succumbed to the cold. Her eldest Holland, generation to generation, through memories brother and his friends were in the local resistance. The of veterans to siblings and offspring, family hid them at night in a hole holgrandchildren and great-grandchillowed out behind the central-heating dren. Generations of boys in unit. After the war, they discovered just “The children and Hamilton’s and Welch’s families and how much they had risked: the young grandchildren will community have been named Lyle in men had hidden their guns and ammunition in a cavity under the floorboards become. There must be memory of Boice. neath the dining room table. “We would found a way, a will, to The friendship between the and Canada is also perall have been shot if it had been discovkeep remembrance Netherlands petuated through public and personal ered,” said Goedkoop. for always.” friendships. Apeldoorn has been She remembers vividly the relief floodtwinned with Burlington, Ont. The ing her body as she watched Canadian 180-member Burlington Teen Tour Band enthusiastically tanks arrive. “We heard by underground radio that the performed at parades in May, and eagerly talked to veterCanadians were in The Hague. We were at the side of the ans and Dutch wartime survivors and made friends with road for two days and two nights. You never forget that Dutch students—friendships now easier than ever to moment. Never, never, never. At last they came, and girls maintain, thanks to social media. with them on the tanks. We were all so glad. It was the end But Sparrius worries. “I’m afraid the younger generation of the war.” doesn’t have the same feeling,” she said. “Being told stories “It’s not hard to realize why they’re so appreciative of about relatives who were in the war doesn’t compare with Canadians,” said Gogo. “We saved lives. They are constories from history you weren’t part of. But I think [the vinced more lives would have been lost if we hadn’t come commemoration] will continue every five years. The chilin when we did.” Canada also provided refuge for the fudren and grandchildren will come. There must be found ture queen, Juliana, and her daughters, one of whom, a way, a will, to keep remembrance for always.” Margriet, was born in Ottawa. Knox says the Dutch have done a good job passing Apeldoorn was liberated on April 17. “It was very shortthe torch. “The sincerity of the Dutch is strong today, lived,” said Gogo, “because the Germans got out as fast perhaps even stronger than it was 30 or 40 years ago in as we got in.” By noon, the town was secure; the Royal some ways,” he said. Dutch schoolchildren are steeped Canadian Regiment was in the town square and the in war and liberation history. Many are assigned graves Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment was on the grounds of Canadian war dead to tend. Children place wreaths of Het Loo Palace, the royal residence. Canadian soldiers at the ceremonies at Holten and Groesbeek, and every were welcomed with open arms then—and veterans and Christmas Eve, children are at the centre of a candlelight their relatives are still being welcomed 70 years later. ceremony at Holten Canadian War Cemetery. Sadly though, says Gerard Hendriks, president of The Chris and Thea Van De Kamp first hosted veteran Royal Canadian Legion Branch in the Netherlands, the Earl Stiles a decade ago, and this year they welcomed Dutch recognize that this year “will be the last time that Earl’s son, Jim Stiles, and his wife, Jeanette Frigault. They the liberation of the Netherlands with our liberators will hope to do the same five years from now, plus make visits be celebrated in this format.” back and forth. The Van De Kamps are passing along the SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg50-53_Netherlands.indd 53

53

2015-07-31 11:50 AM

In the

news SECOND WORLD WAR SOLDIER LAID TO REST 54 LEGION DONATES TO VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH 55 SERVING YOU 55 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND CONVENTION 56 LEGION POSTER AND LITERARY CONTESTS REMEMBERING THE SACRIFICES, CELEBRATING THE PEACE 58 BRTITSH COLUMBIA/YUKON CONVENTION 62 ALBERTA CLINCHES EIGHT-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 64 ALBERTA-NORTHWEST TERRITORIES CONVENTION 66 PRESERVING P.E.I.’S AVIATION HISTORY 68 LEGIONCONNECT BRINGS TOGETHER VETERANS ONLINE 69 TRIVIA WITH A TWIST HELPS THE BRANCH 69 MANITOBA-NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO CONVENTION 70

54

SECOND WORLD WAR

SOLDIER LAID TO REST BY SHARON ADAMS HIS WAS ONE CANADIAN DEATH among dozens on the day 70 years ago, and among 7,600 of the nine-month campaign to liberate the Netherlands near the end of the Second World War. Yet Dutch families who never knew Private Albert Laubenstein came in tribute to his sacrifice when he was finally laid to rest in May. “This is a special opportunity,” said Anni Hamer, who, with her husband Ruud, brought grandchildren Ilse, 12, and Jaap, 9, to Laubenstein’s military funeral at Bergen op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery during commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. The family attends the annual ceremony held at the cemetery at the end of October commemorating the liberation of the area, but this funeral helps bring it down to the personal level for the children. “It’s touching for me and for all Canadians to realize how strongly the people of the Netherlands remember what Canada did for them 70 years ago,” said the soldier’s nephew, Glen Laubenstein of Victoria, who attended the funeral with his daughter, Sarah Penton of Winnipeg. Laubenstein, of Saskatoon, Sask., joined up in 1940 and was a member of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, which bore the brunt of the Battle of Kapelsche Veer on Jan. 26-31, 1945. German paratroopers had established a bridgehead on an island north of the Maas River in the Netherlands and the 4th Canadian Armoured Division was tasked with clearing them out after three earlier failed attempts. Casualties were heavy in the snow and icy water during five days of fighting. Tracked flamethrowers were mired and unable to climb the high, wide and steeply angled

dikes protecting part of the island. Canoes carrying troops came under heavy fire and some were sunk. Weapons froze solid, rendering them useless. Laubenstein, 30, died on the first day of the battle. There were hundreds of Canadian casualties from wounds and frostbite—and 65 deaths. Of 50 soldiers of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment who were killed, six, including Laubenstein, had no known grave. He had been given a battlefield burial, but location of his grave was lost in the fog of war. In the summer of 2014, remains and artifacts, including a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, were discovered on the bank of the Maas and reported to the Recovery and Identification Unit of the Royal Netherlands Army. The Canadian Armed Forces’ Directorate of History and Heritage used dental records, historical context and artifacts to confirm the remains are those of Laubenstein, the fourth of the regiment’s missing men from Kapelsche Veer to be recently identified. Engraved on the Groesbeek Memorial, in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, are the names of Canadian personnel who died between the crossing of the Seine in 1944 and the end of the war and have no known grave. Lubenstein’s name will now appear on a gravestone in Bergen op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, next to regimental comrades. The Hamer family will again pay their respects there in October. Glen Laubenstein had heard stories about Albert from time to time while he was growing up, but attending the funeral and learning as an adult about the conditions under which his uncle had died “really made it hit home.”

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg54_BurialREVISED.indd 54

2015-08-04 2:22 PM

LEGION DONATES

ADAM DAY

TO VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH

IT WAS CERTAINLY one of the largest Legion donations of recent times. One million dollars. That’s the amount Dominion President Tom Eagles presented to the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre at a ceremony in June to help fund their purchase of a state-of-the-art brainimaging machine. The equipment, known as a Positron Emission Tomography – Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET – MRI) machine, will help researchers understand the brain’s inner workings with unprecedented clarity, which will hopefully improve both the diagnosis and treatment of injuries such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “The Royal has handpicked researchers from all over the world to be part of the revolution in mental illness diagnosis, prevention and treatment. And the Legion wants to play an active role in this effort,”

Eagles told the crowd. Indeed, the overall cost for the Royal’s Campaign for Mental health is $25 million. When that target is reached, the facility will open Canada’s first brain-imaging centre dedicated to mental health research. “It is through this collaborative effort that the Legion hopes to enable our ill and injured veterans to go out and face life with renewed hope and courage,” said Eagles. “It is an honour for all Legionnaires to continue to support our veterans in this way. On behalf of 300,000 members, it is my pleasure to present a cheque today for $1 million.” Eagles’ announcement was greeted by heavy applause. “We are now within sight of our very ambitious campaign for mental health,” said acting president and CEO of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, Nancy Stanton. “Our

At the presentation are (from left) Dominion Secretary Brad White, the Royal’s President and CEO George Weber, Dominion President Tom Eagles, Ontario Command Executive Director Dave Gordon, foundation Acting President Nancy Stanton and the Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research President and CEO Dr. Zul Merali.

vision is to get more people suffering from mental illness better, faster.” The funds for the donation came not only from Dominion Command, but several other provincial commands as well, including Ontario, Manitoba-Northwestern Ontario and British Columbia/Yukon. “It is heartening to know that Legion members from coast to coast to coast have contributed so generously to this program,” Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole said in a statement.

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

FAMILIES FREQUENTLY WONDER what to do with a veteran’s medals once he or she has passed on. Sometimes the easy answer is to put the medals away in a drawer and, basically, forget about them. As time passes, and generations change, there is a danger that the medals can become disconnected from the memory of the veteran. This disconnection can happen quite easily for, as an example, most Second World War medals were issued without names inscribed on them. So, once the connection is lost, they become a set of unattributed medals that have lost their family significance. When this happens, the family often disposes

of them, by sale or other means. But, this does not need to happen. There are many ways to preserve the veteran’s memory by making a display of his or her medals. Typically, they are presented in a frame or shadow-box with other memorabilia relating to the veteran. In order to maintain the connection, the veteran’s name should appear in the display along with other information such as his or her service number and unit(s) served in. If there is room, a photograph could be included as well as other items such as identity disks, pay book, cap badge or shoulder flash. The goal is to create a tribute to

the veteran by displaying as much (or as little) information relating to his or her military service as the family thinks is appropriate. If this is not what a family wishes to do, many branches of The Royal Canadian Legion have a Wall of Honour where the medals of passed veterans are displayed. A family may wish to consider donating the medals in this way. Other options include donating the medals to a local museum, regimental museum or a school that the veteran attended. These are only a few of the possibilities. The important thing is to perpetuate the memory of the veteran and his or her service. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg55_Million-ServYou.indd 55

55

2015-07-31 11:50 AM

63

rd PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND CONVENTION

FINANCES AND MEMBERSHIP DOMINATE BUSINESS

BY TOM MacGREGOR

Getting the financial books in order was on the minds of most delegates meeting for the 63rd Prince Edward Island Command Convention held May 30-31 in Cornwall, 10 kilometres west of Charlottetown. “During the past five years, $29,000 of command investments have been liquidated,” said Financial Chair Lynda Curtis. “Deficit financing cannot continue.” Curtis then introduced a motion to increase the per capita tax by $2. Despite a fair amount of procedural wrangling, the motion was easily carried by the 46 delegates attending. The convention, which was co-hosted by Kingston Branch in New Haven and Charlottetown Branch, was held in the Cornwall Curling Club, where opening ceremonies took place Friday morning. After receiving greetings by local officials, Dominion Vice-President Tom Irvine officially declared the convention opened. Moving on to business, Gilles Painchaud presented his President’s Report, highlighting activities in his two-year term. “Last year, a portion of Highway 1 from Borden to Wood Island was dedicated as the Highway of Heroes to honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan.” Discussing the poppy campaign, he noted. “Nov. 11 is always the high point of the year, with this year being at an all-time high. Public participation and donations to the poppy campaign were excellent. Students’ participation in the poster and literary contests remains constant from year to year.” However, it was not without its negative side. “[The 2014] campaign was marred by someone stealing donation cans in local businesses. I would urge every branch to be vigilant and ensure their volunteers are well identified when distributing poppy supplies and participating in the poppy campaign.” He also commented on the command’s decision to relocate its office. “The finances remain about the same but the visibility has increased,” he said. “We now have about 10

56

times the number of people coming through the door.” Curtis, presenting her financial report, said, “Once again the Veterans’ Service Recognition Book has been a great success and accounted for about 50 per cent of command’s revenue. There have now been 11 volumes and the continued success of this venture depends on branches providing photos and biographies of the veterans in their area. [Publisher] Mark Fenety’s enthusiasm and dedication to this project is greatly appreciated by command.” A video was presented of Dominion President Tom Eagles outlining changes at Legion House and at Dominion Command. He also reviewed the work that Dominion Command does on behalf of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League in assisting impoverished veterans in the Caribbean. Branches brought cheques and delegates dug into their pockets for a total donation of $4,259 for the RCEL. Delegates also heard from Donna Earl, executive director of the P.E.I. Military Family Resource Centre, which opened in 2014. “A lot of issues we deal with have to do with deployments and the separation of families. As you know, it’s when the military member is away on deployment that everything seems to go wrong and we’re there to help the families,” she said. “We also keep the deployed members informed of what is going on at home and we create packages and other items we call morale mail.” On Friday evening, a banquet was held at Kingston Branch with Prince Edward Island Lieutenant-Governor Frank Lewis as special guest. “We are about two decades away from a time when there won’t be anyone with a living memory of the Second World War. That’s why remembrance is so important,” he said. “We will still be wearing a poppy and thinking of those who gave us the liberty that we enjoy.” The next morning, Membership Chair Duane MacEwen presented a membership workshop as part of the convention business. He noted that the renewal

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg56-57_PEIConv.indd 56

2015-08-04 2:24 PM

TOM MacGREGOR

clockwise from top left: Delegates march to the cenotaph; P.E.I. Command President Gilles Painchaud (left) accepts a past officer’s medal from Dominion Vice-President Tom Irvine; installed as first vice and vicepresidents are (from left) Stephen Gallant, Dianne Kennedy, David Perry and Duane MacEwen; Painchaud addresses delegates. opposite page: John Yeo is installed as president.

rate as of March 3, 2015, was 62.8 per cent, which is a drop of 758 members from December 2014. “To remain as an independent command, it is felt by provincial command that we need to maintain over 2,000 members or face the possibility of becoming a sub-command of Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. Our membership numbers need to stabilize, or better yet, increase. “It has been stated over and over that too many people are not welcomed at our branches,” MacEwen said. “Some veteran members look down on still-serving Canadian Armed Forces members or reservists as non-veterans. It is the main problem that drives younger people away from the Legion today. The new Legion mantra is ‘a veteran is a veteran is a veteran’ and I would extend that to say, “a member is a member is member,” regardless of their membership type.” Irvine, who is co-chair of the Dominion Command Membership and Outreach Committee, also spoke about membership. “When a modern-day veteran walks in the door, don’t ignore him or her,” he said, adding there were 29,000 non-renewals in 2014. “We had them in the door and we couldn’t keep them.” When asked from the floor if members should cancel extra subscriptions to Legion Magazine when they have more than one coming into the same house, Irvine said each subscription helps the bottom line of Canvet Publications Ltd. “If you have five subscriptions coming into your home, take them all. Give them to your doctor’s office, or a seniors’ residence.” Delegates dealt quickly with three resolutions

concerning command sports programs, voting to discontinue bowling as a provincial sport, due to a lack of participation, and to remove provincial curling until after the dominion convention in 2016 where it is to be reviewed as a dominion sport. Another resolution lowered the minimum age for seniors’ darts from 50 to 45 years of age and up. Former P.E.I. Command president and former dominion president Allan Parks acted as elections chair for the convention. First Vice John Yeo of Charlottetown Branch was acclaimed president after Painchaud declined his nomination. Vice-Chair Duane MacEwen of Kingston Branch and Stephen Gallant of Tignish Branch ran for the position of first vice with Gallant being elected. Five candidates ran for the three positions of vicepresident: MacEwen, incumbents David Perry of O’Leary Branch and Eldon Doucette of Miscouche Branch, Immediate Past President Dianne Kennedy of BordenCarleton Branch in Borden, and David Howatt of Wellington Branch. After two ballots, MacEwen, Perry and Kennedy were elected. Financial Chair Curtis of Saint Anthony Branch in Bloomfield and Chair Claus Brodersen of Kingston Branch were acclaimed for another term respectively. Theresa Gallant of Wellington Branch was elected vice-chair in a race with Shirley Doucette of Miscouche Branch. In his acceptance speech, Yeo said, “We have to work on retention of members. The Legion should be a place where all members feel at home.” SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg56-57_PEIConv.indd 57

57

2015-07-31 3:38 PM

Remembering the sacrifices, celebrating the peace by Sharon Adams

“I grieve for those who came before me and gave everything…I also feel joy and gratefulness…. I only hope that if my time comes to take a stand that I can do it too, for those like the boys in the sand.” “We are taught remembrance in moments of silence,” but she has learned silence is not necessary to celebrate peace, said Fisher, an air cadet spending the summer at a survival instructors’ course in Cold Lake, Alta., the home of 4 Wing. Aside from the new-found insight into emotions, Fisher comes away with a new-found confidence in her voice as a writer. “I never thought before I entered the contest that I could make other people feel the same way I did.” And then “a teacher thanked me” after reading the piece, which began life as an essay in a school English exam. Life experiences have also forged Sideqa Haqani’s perspective on remembrance. The winner of the senior black and white poster competition is the daughter of immigrants who came to Canada from Afghanistan 22 years ago and now live in Gloucester, Ont. Two of the family’s seven children were born in Afghanistan, the remainder in Canada. “I am so lucky to be living in a country where there is peace,” she said. “And proud to live in a country which helps provide peace elsewhere.” Her poster features an elderly veteran backed by images of two soldiers in historic uniforms, across whose faces trails a band of ghostly images. Although the poster harkens to times past, “sacrifices continue to be made,” she said. “It’s a huge accomplishment for someone to find the

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, two children of the Brink family, recently relocated to Grimsby, Ont., from Brampton, are among winners of the Legion’s annual poster and literary contests. Ten-year-old Joseph Brink and his brother William, seven, placed first in the junior and primary black and white poster competitions respectively. In 2014, their sister Anneke Joy’s junior colour poster placed first and brother James Theodore placed second in the primary black and white poster competition. Approximately 100,000 students participate in the Legion’s annual literary and poster contests, and competition is stiff. Entries progress from the local through the provincial to the national level, where they are judged by a panel which considers originality, expression, presentation and grammar and spelling. The contests have two divisions: poetry and essay in the literary contests, colour and black and white in the poster contests. Awards are made in the senior (Grades 10-12), intermediate (Grades 7-9), junior I grieve for those who came before me (Grades 4-6) and primary (kindergarten through Grade 3) categories. and gave everything…I also feel joy and Joseph Brink’s poster features a soldier, hands covering his face, backed by a tank gratefulness…. I only hope that if my time firing in the darkness. Lacking a family comes to take a stand that I can do it too, member with military experience, his inspiration was a Bible verse from John 15:13: for those like the boys in the sand. “Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Honouring those who died is important, courage…to go overseas and fight in a country they’re he said, because “they gave their lives for us.” not even affiliated with.” On a 2014 pilgrimage to Juno Beach, where more than The Legion sponsors the winners of the four senior 350 Canadian soldiers gave their lives on D-Day in 1944, categories to come to Ottawa to attend the national Victoria Fisher, of Minnedosa, Man., was momentarily Remembrance Day ceremony, where they place a wreath angered by the sound of children playing on the “hallowed on behalf of the youth of Canada and meet the governor ground.” Her first-place senior essay, “Boys in the Sand,” general. They also tour the Parliament Buildings, includexplores conflicting emotions roused by remembrance. ing the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower, and the “At first I feel a prick of anger,” she writes, then “I’m hit Canadian War Museum. with a wave of thankfulness.” She reflects on her reaction; Although senior colour poster winner Natasha Jones, she and the French children were growing up in peace, not of North Vancouver, B.C., has visited Ottawa once before experiencing death and oppression. The essay concludes:

“ ”

58

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg58-61_Posters.indd 58

2015-07-31 3:40 PM

The winning seniors posters are by Natasha Jones of North Vancouver, B.C., (colour) and Sideqa Haqani of Gloucester, Ont.

Senior

POSTERS

FP iL ArC Est

with family, “I’m looking forward to having a more indepth look this time. It’s a chance to look at the whole history” of Canada’s military. Remembrance is a duty, she said, but it shouldn’t stop at one day a year. She fulfills her duty by appreciating the personal stories behind that history. This is reflected in her award-winning senior colour poster, where a letter from a soldier to a loved one at home is anchored by a helmet and backed by a field in which poppies make up the red of the Canadian flag. “A lot of people think it all happened before,” she said, “but it still goes on.” It’s important for young people to know the stories of those who served and perhaps died in the past, but also of those serving today. Chance Michael Fiessel of Sturgeon County, Alta., tells in his second-place senior essay of his argument with teachers, who said “we shouldn’t worry about our current soldiers because they are still alive…. Of course, no one has ever seen it the way I did.” His father is an Afghanistan veteran who had many close calls and is marked forever by his service. He narrowly missed injury when a rocket struck the vehicle he had just been beside. Another time a close friend, who had taken a position on tour “so my father wouldn’t have to go again so soon,” stepped on an improvised explosive device and was killed. “I know my father still carries guilt for this. “What I’m trying to say is that there is more than just what

one sees in old photos and reads in books. Remember ‘why?’ We remember the ‘why’ so we never forget the ‘who.’ I will personally never forget the bravery, honour or the sacrifice of those who have served and are serving.” In her first-place junior poem, Adrian Van Gorkom, of Powell River, B.C., honoured her four great-grandfathers who served in the Second World War. The poem ends: I live in Canada free, Enjoying democracy. I have Great Gandpas four. All who served in the war. I am ten. I remember them… Some writers let their imaginations roam. Inès Caroline Fiedler of Windsor, Ont., imagined the soil at Vimy Ridge in her first-place senior poem. I’ve felt the boots of twenty thousand March towards their slaughter, Sacrificing everything for Wives and sons and daughters…. Now I hold twelve thousand markers, Of men who fought and fell

Intermediate POSTERS

FP iL ArC Est

The winning intermediate posters are by Madison Luney of Burnaby, B.C., (colour) and Caitlyn Mei of Richmond Hill, Ont. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg54-57_Posters.indd 59

59

2015-07-30 4:42 PM

Morgan Svenkeson of Kinistino, Sask, imagined himself in his first place intermediate essay as both the deliverer and recipient of news of a death in combat. “I must be strong, not only for the family I am about to destroy, but also for myself.” The essay ends as the letter changes hands. “I utter the same six words I heard those many months before. ‘I am sorry for your loss.’” Sorrow on the loss of Nathan Cirillo, killed on ceremonial guard duty at the Canadian War Memorial in the fall of 2014, is the subject of the second place junior essay by Natalie Chisholm of Enfield, N.S. “The world would be a better place without war, but there’s a time when everybody needs to serve his or her country, by either teaching or fighting.” To the people called upon to do the latter, she writes: “I want to thank you for your service, because of you, we in Canada keep our freedom.” First-place entries from all categories are on display at the Canadian War Museum until May 2016. Second-place entries and honourable mentions will be displayed in the foyer of the Parliament Buildings during the remembrance period in November.

2015 results SENIOR

COLOUR POSTER—First: Natasha Jones, North Vancouver, B.C.; Second: Anna Kumpan, North Wiltshire, P.E.I.; Honourable Mention: Strong Duan, Calgary. BLACK AND WHITE POSTER—First: Sideqa Haqani, Gloucester, Ont.; Second: Adam Werkman, Winnipeg; Honourable Mention: Keisha Collins, Hare Bay, N.L. POEM—First: Inés Carolina Fiedler, Windsor, Ont.; Second: Andrea Bell, Chaplin Island Road, N.B.; Honourable Mention: Samantha Ryan, Bonavista, N.L. ESSAY—First: Victoria Fisher, Minnedosa, Man.; Second: Chance Michael Fiessel, Sturgeon County, Alta.; Honourable Mention: Sutherland Greer, Indian Brook, N.S.

INTERMEDIATE

Junior

POSTERS

First PLACE

Primary The winning primary posters are by Patrick Piao of Orillia, Ont., (colour) and William Brink of Brampton, Ont.

60

POSTERS

First PLACE

The winning junior posters are by Selena Quang of Nepean, Ont., (colour) and Joseph Brink of Brampton, Ont.

COLOUR POSTER—First: Madison Luney, Burnaby, B.C.; Second: Dane Fichter, Strasbourg, Sask.; Honourable Mention: Rehanna Othman, Wyevale, Ont. BLACK AND WHITE POSTER—First: Caitlyn Mei, Richmond Hill, Ont.; Second Anna Fullerton, Truro, N.S.; Honourable Mention: Radhika Verma, Stephenville, N.L. POEM—First: Caleb Marcella, Stokes Bay, Ont.; Second: Kianah Howk, Cochrane, Alta.; Honourable Mention: Mackenzie Alyssa Silliker, Lyttleton, N.B. ESSAY—First: Morgan Svenkeson, Kinistino, Sask.; Second: Katia Hughes, Charlottetown; Honourable Mention: Urooj Salar, Winnipeg.

JUNIOR

COLOUR POSTER—First: Selena Quang, Nepean, Ont.; Second: Anna Salamone, Rothesay, N.B.; Honourable Mention: Rebecca Duncan, Estevan, Sask. BLACK AND WHITE POSTER—First: Joseph Brink, Brampton, Ont.; Second: MeiLin Li, Calgary; Honourable Mention: Emily Zbaraschuk, Paddockwood, Sask. POEM—First: Adrian Van Gorkom, Powell River, B.C.; Second: Matthew Wang, Charlottetown; Honourable Mention: Lee Kelly, Parrsboro, N.S. ESSAY—First: Emma Lunau-Smith, Guelph, Ont.; Second: Natalie Chisholm, Enfield, N.S.; Honourable Mention: Maia Zinselmeyer, Nakusp, B.C.

PRIMARY

COLOUR POSTER—First: Patrick Piao, Orillia, Ont.; Second: Amber Bartley, Ponoka, Alta.; Honourable Mention: Harry Burke, Souris, P.E.I. BLACK AND WHITE POSTER—First: William Brink, Brampton, Ont.; Second: Addyson Boylak, Wynyard, Sask.; Honourable Mention Titus Stahl, Camrose, Alta.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg58-61_Posters.indd 60

2015-07-31 1:23 PM

Senior

ESSAY

First PLACE

Boys in the sand by Victoria Fisher

A CURTAIN SHIFTS as the bus makes a turn,

allowing a shaft of bright sun to attack my face and render me blind. Tears build in my eyes as I squint into the glare but I make no move to wipe them away. It’s useless, I think, to bother when I know that these tears will be only some of the many shed today. It’s June 5, 2014. I am travelling to Juno Beach, location of the infamous D-Day landings. Seventy years ago today, thousands of Canadian men, some barely older than myself, journeyed to the same place. However, the difference between those soldiers and me is that I know I will return home. On June 6, 1944, some 14,000 men (and boys) from our country stormed the beaches of France in an attempt to end Hitler’s reign of terror. Under such circumstances, who would have thought that today I would shed tears of joy. The bus makes a final turn, and I’m roused from my thoughts by the rumbling of tires on gravel. My feet meet dusty ground and my feelings are mixed as I walk the path leading to the museum. Soft puffs of cloud dapple the azure sky, allowing light to sparkle off the ocean and highlight the soft hues of wildflowers peeking from the tall grass. Full of France’s lush beauty, it’s hard to imagine this place as a deadly battlefield. The Juno Beach Centre appears in front of us, a contrasting collage of modern and historic times. Beside the museum sits, a proudly waving Canadian flag. An equally grand French flag flies by its side. Hundreds of plaques adorn giant concrete pillars, thanking those who sponsored the centre. It is heartwarming to see such teamwork, but I bitterly wish that there were no reason to build this place, no Canadian deaths to mourn. It is when we approach the grassy outcrop overlooking the beach that hints of war begin to show. The entrances to German bunkers gape, like open mouths, in the sand. Around them sit huge cement pyramids that used to hold back tanks. The sand is pale and soft beneath my feet, but I grimly wonder how much blood left it clumped and stained in the past.

Why must we fight such brutal wars? As my eyes comb the strange marks inside the bunker, I suddenly feel sick. I avert my eyes and hurry back to the surface. I continue to the beach. The sand becomes thicker under my feet as the grass thins, and attracts my gaze as I stop to think. I try to imagine what this place must have looked like in the midst of war. I picture boat after boat closing in on the shore, then soldier after soldier sprinting for cover on the wet sand. I think of the rattle of gunfire and the scars left by tanks in the earth, the smell of smoke and the sounds of screams carried on the wind. It is hard to imagine though, for I have never known war. I’m finishing this thought as a sharp cry sounds behind me. Its high pitch is that of a young child. I turn in time to see them tumble onto the beach, two French boys, no more than four years old. Their father trails behind, watching affectionately as they laugh and roll in the sand. At first I feel a prick of anger. Who lets their child yell and wrestle on such hallowed ground? As I watch, however, I remember that they’re still young. Four-year-olds aren’t expected to understand war. Suddenly I’m hit with a wave of thankfulness. There was a time not so long ago that a four-year-old boy would be expected to understand war; a time when worldwide fighting wasn’t a chapter in a history book but a way of life. Those boys and I have a lot in common. We both grew up in such a peaceful environment that we don’t know the horrors of battle. I can read about it in books, but I didn’t experience the death and oppression firsthand. Those thousands of men died for the future, the idea that their children could grow up the way I am now. A bittersweet tear builds in my eye when I think of this. I grieve for those who came before me and gave everything, 70 years ago, on the hope that they could make things better. I also feel joy and gratefulness. They dedicated themselves fully to the battle against oppression and they succeeded. They succeeded for the future, and for me. I only hope that if my time comes to take a stand that I can do it too, for those like the boys in the sand. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg54-57_Posters.indd 61

61

2015-07-30 4:42 PM

52

nd BRTITSH COLUMBIA/ YUKON CONVENTION

DELEGATES SEE EXOSKELETON WORK BY ADAM DAY

It was an eventful few days in Abbotsford, B.C., as British Columbia/Yukon Command held its 52nd convention, June 5-7. Several key resolutions were passed and a keen new executive was elected. Glenn Hodge of Trail, B.C., Branch was installed as first vice and new President Marc Tremblay of Armstrong Branch laid out his perspective on what’s troubling the Legion and told delegates about his bold vision for the future. The weekend kicked off with a parade and wreath-placing ceremony held at Abbotsford’s cenotaph, behind the town hall. Dominion President Tom Eagles joined B.C./Yukon Command President Angus Stanfield and a group of local VIPs in placing wreaths. At the opening ceremony, B.C./Yukon Executive Director Inga Kruse took the microphone to share a surprise with the crowd. On a big screen set up at the front of the room, a video appeared showing former Canadian infantry officer Trevor Greene. The command has long been assisting Greene, who suffered serious brain injury from an axe attack in Afghanistan in 2006 and hasn’t walked since. In the video, a seated Greene thanked the command for their extensive efforts in securing a high-tech exoskeleton, which he was currently wearing and that has the potential to significantly restore his mobility. The audience gasped as, on screen, there was a whir of electronic motors and Greene stood up for the first time since his injury. Once the business sessions began, it didn’t take long for the elections chair, former dominion treasurer Mike Cook, to make the first call for nominations to the 279 voting delegates present. Both Tremblay and Hodge were acclaimed into their positions. After accepting his new job as president, Tremblay told the convention a little more about his plan for the upcoming two years. “The Legion is a unique organization, and I think we would all agree it’s a great place to be,” he said. “I worry though. Some of us seem to have lost our way. As officers we see the best and the worst of our organization.

62

We have all chosen to give our time energy and expertise to keep the Legion strong, but some are not loyal to our mandate. “The Legion has long been a social club,” Tremblay continued, “but only secondarily is it a lounge that serves alcohol. A significant amount of our trouble comes from trying to run a lounge, which is a tough task for anyone. If we had to start a veterans organization today, would we even consider starting 1,400 beer lounges across the country? No, we wouldn’t. It would be a recipe for disaster. Our business model struggles to remain relevant and time is running out. In our organization, the people who resist change are the most vocal, but they are not the majority. Time will not stand still, and we can’t stay behind the curve forever. Drastic changes are needed and we can’t wait. Let me be clear, the executive knows our house is on fire. And we will make changes. We must exist in the world as it is now, not as it was 40 years ago.” The subsequent elections went smoothly and rapidly. There were three nominees for the two positions of vicepresident: incumbents Kathy Ensor of Grandview Branch in Vancouver and Valerie MacGregor of West Vancouver Branch faced John Scott of Prince George Branch. All three agreed to stand and so the convention went into voting mode for the first time. There were 617 votes cast and MacGregor and Scott were elected. For the position of treasurer, Laurie Meadows of Windermere Branch in Invermere and Jim Diack of Qualicum Beach Branch were nominated. They both accepted and Diack won the election. In the final election, for chairman, Doug Hadley of

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg62-63_BCConv.indd 62

2015-08-04 2:25 PM

ADAM DAY

/

Aldergrove Branch faced off against Dwight Grieve of Malahat Branch in Shawnigan Lake. Grieve was elected. The first resolution debated concerned the command funding for past presidents to attend convention. Traditionally the command pays their expenses, but this resolution would have ended that. However, the delegates were having none of it, as a steady stream of objections were made and the resolution was soundly defeated. Next up was a resolution urging the restructuring of guidelines for the Legion’s poster and literary contests to ensure that the poppy is seen as a symbol of remembrance and is not associated with weapons and war. However, a series of speakers voiced their objections so articulately that not a single delegate voted for the resolution. Under Honours and Awards, a resolution was passed to urge the creation of a new past officer’s medal for the position of branch maintenance officer. It was passed and will be brought to the 2016 dominion convention. Treasurer Glenn Hodge got a round of applause as he noted the command would only ask for a $1 per capita increase, instead of the $2 increase originally planned. In less happy news, the delegates also heard that membership is down by about 8,000 from 2014. Since the convention was being held on June 6, the anniversary of D-Day, it was optimistically asked if any D-Day veterans were present, but sadly none were. There was, however, a single Second World War veteran, three from the Korean War, two from Vietnam, more than a dozen peacekeepers, many NATO veterans and two from Afghanistan. Dominion President Eagles gave delegates an update on the state of the Legion as seen from the national level. While focusing largely on membership recruiting and member involvement in the branches, Eagles also urged that if a branch is in trouble, all they need do is “reach out for help.”

clockwise from top left: The parade comes to attention; President Angus Stanfield is escorted to the podium; delegates vote on a motion; Dominion President Tom Eagles delivers a speech. opposite page: Eagles installs Marc Tremblay as the new president.

Eagles also gave an update on the successful effort to cut costs at the Dominion command. Finally, Eagles made a call for donations to the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and the convention came forward with a generous total of $27,455. On Sunday, several non-concurred resolutions were brought back to the floor. First up was a resolution that if a ladies auxiliary is forced to relinquish its charter, that any member of the L.A. can keep their years of service, and their honours and awards. The resolution was carried. The convention was then occupied by debate concerning a proposed resolution to change the way poppy funds are assessed by provincial command. Under the old system, command took 15 per cent of poppy funds every year at the end of September. The new system would be based on a mill rate and would be variable depending on the branch’s overall situation, with the upshot being that some branches would pay more, and some would pay less. The resolution passed. In one final bit of good news, the delegates and observers also got a chance to celebrate their success in recruiting and retaining members, as the B.C./Yukon Command received the Bert Garrett Award from Dominion Command for having the highest rate of increase in reinstated members nationally in 2014. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg62-63_BCConv.indd 63

63

2015-07-30 4:46 PM

ALBERTA CLINCHES EIGHT-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS BY SHARON ADAMS

64

The Alberta-N.W.T. team of (from left) Ron Meier and Kim Bohnet of Robertson Memorial Branch in Medicine Hat and Cy Boersma and Ken Hicks of Bowness Branch in Calgary show off their trophy. sessions on the Friday. Many players requested tours of the historic building, which has eight snooker tables in its lower hall. The building, dwarfed by skyscrapers, has welcomed many dignitaries in its nine-decade history. Four members of the royal family have visited, including Queen Elizabeth and her uncle Edward, who turned sod for the building as the Prince of Wales in 1919 and revisited as the Duke of Windsor in 1950. It has hosted many prime ministers and governors general, war heroes and mayors since the building opened in 1922. It was declared a provincial heritage site in 1983. The tournament began Saturday with an opening parade, each team ushered in by Local Arrangements Committee Chair Cory Lomheim. President Phil MacAulay read the Act of Remembrance. After the silence, Dominion Command Sports Committee representative Dick Wells brought greetings from Eagles and Saskatchewan Command, of which he is president. “May your eyes be keen, your stroke steady and all your balls fall,” he said to general laughter.

“Remember you’re here to have a good time, renew old acquaintances and make new friends. Winning is just a bonus.” It was also a lengthy process. The eight teams were divided into divisions and conferences. A marathon round-robin session for the team championships began at about 11 a.m. Saturday on three tables in the spacious second floor games room. Each win was awarded one point, with players’ individual scores added together to determine team totals. These totals were also used to determine which players would compete in the singles and doubles tournaments. Kevin Houle from Burlington, Ont., and Kim Bohnet of Medicine Hat, Alta., set the bar high early on, scoring six points in the first two rounds. Many games were drawn-out affairs as stymied players of equal skill deftly buried the cue ball inside clusters of other balls, leaving opponents little option but to do the same. Devilishly placed shots often called for a lot of body English to position the cue. So it went, turn on turn, until someone missed or miscalculated, opening an opportunity

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg64-65_8Ball-V1.indd 64

2015-07-30 4:55 PM

SHARON ADAMS

THE FOURTH—AND POSSIBLY FINAL— Dominion Command Eight-Ball Championships began this spring with a vow to fight for continuation of the sport at the national level. Alberta-Northwest Territories District 9 Commander Deanna French exhorted players to drum up support at the 2016 dominion convention. “Sporting events are not only a time of competition, but comradeship. It is events such as these that strengthen the bonds between members, which in turn strengthens our great organization. “Whoever you have representing you…make sure they fight for you so that we can continue to have eightball at the dominion level,” she said. In February, Dominion Executive Council unanimously supported Dominion President Tom Eagles’ use of special powers under the General By-laws to suspend the 2016 national eight-ball and curling championships, pending a decision on their fate at the dominion convention. These sports account for $63,900 of the projected $105,600 member-participation sports budget for 2015. Eagles said these sports are not national in scope, nor cost-effective. Neither Quebec nor British Columbia/Yukon commands entered teams for the 2015 eight-ball championships. Whatever the future holds, it was battles at hand that occupied the 32 players who congregated in friendly rivalry at historic Calgary Branch in Stampede City May 29-31. From Calgary International Airport, players were whisked by volunteer drivers downtown, then made their way to the branch by C-train, which conveniently connects branch to hotel. Old friendships were revived and new ones made over practice

TEAM STANDINGS

SHARON ADAMS

clockwise from top left: Singles runner-up Kingyens is congratulated by Dominion Command Sports Committee representative Dick Wells; doubles champions Carl Pike (left) and Robert Hall of Labrador City, N.L., Branch receive their plaque; singles champion Bohnet and Wells; attending the banquet are (from left) LAC chair Cory Lomheim, Calgary Branch President Phil MacAulay. District 9 Commander Deanna French and Wells. for an opponent to clear the table. The pace of play picked up at about 5:30 with the addition of a fourth table located in the main floor Memorial Lounge. By 8:30 p.m., four rounds had been completed and the top three teams—Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta-N.W.T. and Nova Scotia/ Nunavut—were separated by a point. Consistent playing on Sunday by the Newfoundland team—Carl Pike, Robert Hall, Darcy Lowe and Kevin Duke of Labrador City Branch—kept them in the lead until the final round of the day. Nipping at their heels was the Alberta team of Cy Boersma and Kenneth Hicks of Bowness Branch in Calgary and Ron Meier and Bohnet of Robertson Memorial Branch in Medicine Hat. The Albertans each won their final rounds, to come in first with a total score of 51, while Newfoundland placed second with 49. “At the end of the day, did you have fun and make friends doing it? That’s what’s important,” said Boersma. “You’re always winners when you’re having fun at a tournament like this,” agreed Pike. “I got a taste of playing some of

the best players from each province,” said Christopher Marsh of A.H. Foster MM Memorial Branch in Kingston, N.S. His toughest opponent? “Myself. It’s hot in here and there’s a lot going on in that room. There are distractions. It comes down to the individual, (even though) it’s a team effort.” Ties resulted in playoffs for positions in the singles championship round robin, including Houle, Meier, Marsh, Joe Ducharme and Stephan Kingyens of ManitobaNorthwestern Ontario and Robert Hall of Newfoundland. Alberta’s Bohnet was the clear winner in his division so he had a bye to the round robin, where he was joined by playoff winners Houle, Hall and Kingyens. Houle and Hall were eliminated, leaving Kingyens and Bohnet to vie for the singles title. Bohnet cleared the table in eight shots on his second turn to win the championship. “I made a few errors, but I didn’t let it get to me,” said Bohnet. “They all shoot good. I think I had a little bit of an edge… I was really focused.” Competing in the 2014 championships “really helped me this year because

Alta.-N.W.T. (Cy Boersma and Kenneth Hicks, Bowness Br., Calgary, Ronald Meier and Kim Bohnet, Robertson Memorial Br., Medicine Hat) 51; N.L. (Carl Pike, Robert Hall, Darcy Lowe, Kevin Duke, Labrador City Br.) 49; Man.-N.W.O. (Curt Beaudoin, Joe Ducharme, Stephen Kingyens, Rick Hutcheon, Norwood-St. Boniface Br., Winnipeg) 48; N.S./Nunavut (Christopher Marsh, Howard McKinnon, Robert Moore, Zane Morse, A.H. Foster MM Memorial Branch in Kingston, N.S.) 48; Ont. (Kevin Houle and Jeff Maxwell, Burlington Br., Harry Bissonnette and Gary Marshall, Metropolitan Br., Windsor) 45; N.B. (Jerry Carroll, Danny Carroll, Rocky Blackmore, Ricky Harris, Miramichi Br.) 42; Sask. (Leonard Grube, Doug Jensen, Doug Casler, Willie Forest, Estevan Br.) 27; P.E.I. (Curtis Gaudet and Mark Gallant of Tignish Br., Wilbert DesRoches of Miscouche Br. and substitute Jim Forrest of Estevan, Sask.) 26. I understood what was going on.” Winding up play was Scotch doubles, in which partners alternate play during their team’s turn. Alberta’s Bohnet and Meier faced Pike and Hall from Newfoundland. Tied going into the third game, it was not an easy win for Hall and Pike. Finally Pike used the table to support himself as he got into position to authoritatively sink the final shot. Then there was nothing left but the windup festivities. Trophies and prizes were distributed after the banquet. French thanked all the people who worked to make the event a success: volunteers, drivers, referees, staff—and players. “You are all winners, or you wouldn’t be here,” Wells said in farewell. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg64-65_8Ball-V1.indd 65

65

2015-07-31 4:06 PM

49

th ALBERTA-

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

CONVENTION

DELEGATES STICK WITH

ESTABLISHED STRUCTURE BY TOM MacGREGOR

Change wasn’t in the works when delegates met in Lethbridge for the 49th Alberta-Northwest Territories Command Convention June 12-14, as several attempts to restructure the executive were defeated. The votes, by 257 delegates, put an end to an ambitious restructuring of command which was presented at the 2013 convention and then tabled until this year’s convention. It all happened quickly on the first morning of business. Past President Darrel Jones started by formally asking to withdraw the proposal that had been tabled in 2013. Much of the plan, which called for the elimination of one vice-president position and replacement of the treasurer with a financial committee, was already in place. One vice-president had resigned mid-term for personal reasons. Mark Barham, who had been elected treasurer in 2013, resigned after being elected dominion treasurer at the dominion convention in Edmonton in 2014. Separate resolutions were then presented to eliminate the two positions. First Vice Chris Strong presented the resolution to drop the vice-president position, explaining that each of the three vice-presidents had looked after three of the command’s nine districts. With the resignation of one vice-president, he had assumed responsibility for the vice-president’s three districts while a district commander had taken over as chair of the committee assigned to the vice-president. Some delegates wanted to know how much money would be saved by eliminating the position. Strong explained that the savings was in the per diem and travel expenses. Former command president Bob Hannah quoted the command’s bylaws, saying that the command had an obligation to elect another vice-president from the members of the Provincial Executive Council. When the question was finally called, the resolution was clearly defeated. Next up was a resolution to replace the treasurer with a financial committee. Delegates said there always was a finan-

66

cial committee in the past and that it was chaired by the treasurer. Again they voted down the concurred resolution. The convention was not all without change. A new format had been adopted, running the convention from Friday to Sunday with Friday devoted to workshops and opening ceremonies. The formal part of the convention began Friday evening with a parade of Legionnaires and the provincial ladies auxiliary, which was holding its convention at the same time. As the parade to Gen. Stewart Branch got started, clouds turned black with a storm brewing. A sigh of relief was felt as the dignified parade ended and all went inside just as the storm started. Inside, a short remembrance service and wreathplacing service was held. Dominion Vice-President Ed Pigeau, Alberta-Northwest Territories Command President Wayne Donner and Gen. Stewart Branch President Kent Perry placed a wreath on behalf of the Legion, while Alberta-N.W.T. Ladies Auxiliary President Ellen Mastel placed one on behalf of the L.A. After officials presented greetings, Second World War veteran Stan Dean declared the convention officially open. Business began the next morning at the Lethbridge Lodge Hotel and Convention Centre. In his president’s report, Donner said, “The Royal Canadian Legion functions smoothly mainly because of the dedication of so many valuable volunteers.” He noted highlights of his term, which included the opening of a new branch in Okotoks, now with 178 members. Debate started with the first resolution presented at the convention. It called for an end to the practice of the command paying the expenses of past presidents to attend convention, exempting past presidents prior to 2015. Instead, command would pay the expenses for one convention after the person completed his or her term as immediate past president. Former president John Poynter challenged the resolution, saying, “Command presidents work very hard.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg66-67_ABConv.indd 66

2015-07-30 5:01 PM

S

N

Everyone who has been in that position knows of which I speak. The cost is not that much. Why pick on immediate and future past presidents?” Donner replied that Legion members have been asked to reduce costs in their branches and at Dominion Command, so the provincial command had to make some cuts as well. In the end, the resolution carried. Another concurred resolution would have created three categories of life membership: ordinary, associate and affiliate. After one delegate said, “A life member is a life member is a life member,” the resolution was defeated. A non-concurred resolution was brought back to the floor, asking that computer-generated entries be accepted in the poster contest at the senior level only. Poppy Committee Chair Bobbi McCoy said command would like to try a pilot project before accepting the resolution. Chairman Wayne Freestone then tried to withdraw the resolution, but was challenged from the floor by a delegate pointing out that only the branch that brought the resolution back could withdraw it. Freestone agreed. The resolution was put to a vote but was defeated. Pigeau said Dominion Command had received a message at the dominion convention in Edmonton and had made several changes. “We are within $100,000 of a balanced budget this year and will have a balanced budget by the next dominion convention,” he said. “Further, we have passed a resolution never to bring forward a deficit budget again.” He highlighted the new membership system that Dominion Command had invested in, which would simplify the paperwork of the current system. Convention heard from Liz Taylor, associate dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta. She described some of the programs that the faculty is working on to help soldiers, including a new leadership program and work with prosthetics. Taylor was followed by the University of Alberta Military Rehabilitation Chair Dr. Ibolja Cernak, whose position is sponsored by the command. She explained that she is

working on science for soldiers’ sake. Much of her research is into establishing evidence of the injuries caused by blasts. “The exposure causes the brain to age faster than someone who has not experienced a blast,” she said. Cernak has been studying a group of 160 soldiers from Edmonton and Shilo, Man., since 2013. Saliva and urine samples have been studied to see how they change during the course of the military career. She said about 50 per cent of the group was exposed to blasts during their service. “They performed well but 30 per cent of them were close to the breaking point,” she said. Once the resolutions concerning the number of vicepresidents and the treasurer had been settled, Poynter acted as elections chair. First Vice Chris Strong of Innisfail Branch and VicePresident Barry Lazorak of Rycroft Branch ran for president with Strong being elected. Lazorak then dropped down and ran against Vice-President Bobbi McCoy of Red Deer Branch for first vice with McCoy being elected. Eight candidates ran for the three positions of vicepresident, including Lazorak, Charles Ryan of Athabasca Branch, Audrey Ferguson of Kingsway Branch in Edmonton, Wayne Freestone of Field Marshall Alexander Branch in Vermilion, Rosalind Larose of Stettler Branch, Malcolm Hughes of Okotoks Branch, Jim Stewart of Sylvan Lake Branch and Karen Shaw of Redcliff Branch. Elected were Lazorak, Ryan and Hughes. Three candidates ran for the position of treasurer, including Stewart, Ken Farrer of Robertson Memorial Branch in Medicine Hat and Lee Holman of Stettler Branch with Holman elected. Freestone was challenged for re-election by Dave Horrocks of Centennial Branch in Calgary and Larry Keddie of Drumheller Branch with Horrocks winning. Throughout the convention, the Local Arrangements Committee, chaired by Gary Maclean, provided transportation and entertainment, including a barbecue on the Saturday night, at Gen. Stewart Branch. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg66-67_ABConv.indd 67

XXX

TOM MacGREGOR

clockwise from above: Dominion Vice-President Ed Pigeau (left) and Alberta-Northwest Territories Command President Wayne Donner salute; Legionnaires and ladies auxiliary members march together; Bobbi McCoy is elected first vice. opposite page: Chris Strong is installed as president.

67

2015-07-30 5:01 PM

PRESERVING P.E.I.’S AVIATION HISTORY

TOM MacGREGOR

BY TOM MacGREGOR THE AIR BASE may no longer be there in Summerside, P.E.I., but a group of retired airmen and base employees are helping to keep that history alive with the Air Force Heritage Park. The airport was established in 1940 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). While it was closed shortly after the Second World War, it reopened in 1947 as home to No. 1 Air Navigation School and was used for training pilots in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Officially named Canadian Forces Base Summerside in 1968, its role changed several times, from anti-submarine reconnaissance to search-and-rescue (SAR) operations. When it was closed in 1991, the airport, air fields, housing and maintenance shops were taken over by the Slemon Park Corporation, a commercial and residential property management and development company. Today, it is home to a number of companies and organizations offering training in aviation and aerospace technology. It is also the site of the Atlantic Police Academy. Among the acquisitions are three Cold War-era aircraft that had been stripped of their technology and left as displays at the gates of the old base. There was an Argus maritime patrol aircraft, a Voodoo fighter and a Tracker anti-submarine aircraft. “The markings were all faded and they needed some cleaning up,” said Pat Bendell, one of the small group of members who form the Aviation Heritage Society, P.E.I. While there have been various groups involved in preserving the aircraft over the years, the Aviation Heritage Society started about 10 years ago and was incorporated in 2009. The Slemon Park Corporation turned over the

68

three aircraft and the surrounding land to the society. The group oversaw the repainting of the aircraft and restoration of the original markings. They studied each of the three planes to create historical plaques to inform visitors of the history of the aircraft. The Argus, for instance, served at both Summerside and CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia and took part in NATO exercises in Italy. It was retired in 1980. Finally, the area was officially opened as Air Force Heritage Park, P.E.I., in 2014. The group has seen to the landscaping of the park and added the Walk of Honour which weaves around the aircraft and ends at a large memorial wall. “It is important to remember those who died on or from the base,” said society member Stan Surette. Three signs in the park pay tribute to the eight military personnel who lost their lives in separate aircraft crashes while on active duty in 1951, 1952 and 1953. The Walk of Honour is lined with commemorative stones, which can be purchased for $100 by families or friends to remember those who served on the base. Each stone is engraved with the person’s name, hometown and province, unit or affiliation and dates of service at CFB Summerside. The commemorative stones are the society’s main source of financing. The group has received some financial backing for its project from the municipal, provincial and federal governments. The Air Force Association of Canada’s Summerside Wing and other local groups have also donated to the society. The Slemon Park Corporation maintains the grounds and helps in other ways. One of the group’s

top: A Voodoo fighter is on display at P.E.I.’s Air Force Heritage Park. Phil Woodford (above, at left) and Pat Bendell are members of the Aviation Heritage Society, P.E.I. objectives is to make the entrance to Slemon Park clean and vibrant to help attract international business and develop as a tourist site. There is still much the group would like to do, such as acquiring other aircraft that served on the base, like the Buffalo, Lancaster and Neptune. “We would really like to establish a memorial for those served in search and rescue,” said society member Phil Woodford. “There is no one spot in Canada that serves as a SAR memorial.” However, the group is aging. “It is hard to find young people who are willing to take on the project,” said Woodford. Fewer and fewer people have any memory of the base when it was active. “The other thing is that most of us are what they call CFAs, meaning we ‘come from away,’” Woodford added. For information on the park or to purchase a commemorative stone, contact Vernon Pineau at [email protected] or visit www.aviationheritagepei.ca.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg68_AirPark.indd 68

2015-08-04 2:26 PM

LEGIONCONNECT BRINGS TOGETHER

VETERANS ONLINE LEGION BRANCHES have always been places where military veterans could gather and find like-minded comrades to talk to, but in this day and age, that isn’t so easy. Keeping that mind, The Royal Canadian Legion, in concert with the Ottawa-based web design and development company Atomic Motion, has created LegionConnect, a social platform designed strictly for retired and serving Canadian military veterans. Using the Internet, LegionConnect provides the basis for social interaction. “We’re trying to bring the Legion into the 21st century,” said Dominion Command Defence and Security Committee Secretary Danny Martin. “There are 700,000 to 800,000 serving and retired Canadian Armed Forces members who live at all ends of the country and are not connected to each other.”

LegionConnect will provide a forum for these veterans to share experiences and discuss problems. To join, all a veteran has to do is go to the website, www.LegionConnect.ca, and sign in. There are no fees and no commitment other than joining the nominal roll. Members can identify themselves with whatever units they served in, whether it was a ship, squadron, regiment or mission. Membership is exclusively for those who have served. Members can use the site to make contact with others they knew while they were serving together. It will be up to the recipient to accept or not. It will also provide the Legion with an opportunity to see what the veterans’ concerns are. “It will be an excellent source of opinion

and you have it immediately. It can be used when talking with the government or others,” said Martin. Eventually the Legion will also use the site to conduct surveys on particular issues or benefits offered to veterans. It will allow the Legion to get informed feedback in a very short time. “There are a lot of websites out there, but they are all focused on their particular unit. This brings the veterans together collectively,” said Martin.

TRIVIA WITH A TWIST HELPS THE BRANCH TO WHOM WAS Winston Churchill referring when he said, “Never was so much owed by so many to so few”? That was one of the 100 generalknowledge questions posed by quizmaster Paul Paquet of the Ottawa Trivia League at a recent Trivia Challenge for Charity tournament organized by Ottawa’s Westboro Branch. Like many other branches, Westboro Branch has seen a decline in membership and a decrease in revenues from its traditional sources. At one point, Westboro Branch was placed under a board of management. The branch emerged from that experience leaner and in search of new ideas to generate funds. One event that seems to be working is trivia, but with a twist. The

twist is that instead of awarding cash prizes to the top teams, participants play for their favourite charities and the branch makes donations on behalf of the top three teams. This means that revenue generated from the event goes to the branch’s general funds, and all the donation money comes from the branch’s lottery account. More participants mean bigger donations and greater revenues. Since the three-times-a-year event was first held in February 2013, the branch has donated $3,700 to more than 10 worthy causes. Teams have included local politicians from various levels and at least two players who have appeared on the TV game show

“Jeopardy!” The event also attracts younger people and generates higher-than-normal bar revenues. Competitors must register a week in advance to be eligible for the contest and that helps with event management, from room set-up to prizes procurement. The competition is promoted in local media, on the branch and other websites and on Facebook and Twitter. Ottawa-based companies and institutions donate door prizes. Thank-you e-mails are sent to the team captains and letters go to the prize donors verifying that all the benefits promised were delivered. The answer to the trivia question at the top? The Royal Air Force after the Battle of Britain. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg69_Westboro-Connect.indd 69

69

2015-07-30 5:07 PM

47

th MANITOBANORTHWESTERN ONTARIO CONVENTION

MILITARY WELCOMES TIES WITH LEGION BY SHARON ADAMS

Two Royal Canadian Air Force officers speaking at the 47th Manitoba-Northwestern Ontario Command Convention June 20-23 shared some ideas for strengthening ties with the military. Inviting serving personnel to branch activities establishes a relationship, said Colonel Joël Roy, commander of 17 Wing in Winnipeg. But that relationship is solidified when Legion members get involved in activities on wings and bases such as honours and awards ceremonies, mess dinners and activities at the Military Family Resource Centres. “Meeting personnel and families and slowly establishing a rapport,” strengthens the ties, he said. Over the past couple of years, 17 Wing has pushed for each of its units to become affiliated with a Legion branch. “The Royal Canadian Legion’s role in ensuring our youth remember the sacrifice made by those who gave their lives for our freedom is key for the future of our society and our country,” Lieutenant-Colonel Danielle Clouter, wing administration officer, said at the opening ceremonies. The Legion is “an integral part of our Canadian society,” she said. The Legion is known for advocacy and remembrance, but less so for community service. “I think you could improve your visibility in the community. This would go a long way to ensuring everyone knows about all those great things you do, and may serve to attract new members.” The convention kicked off Sunday with a parade of more than 150 Legionnaires and guests to Memorial Park Circle Cenotaph where wreaths were placed by Manitoba-N.W.O. Command President Dan Kidd and Ladies Auxiliary provincial council Acting President Annadee Erickson, Transcona Branch President Celeste West and Transcona L.A. President Shelby Hanuschuk as well as representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces and the municipal, provincial and federal governments. Opening ceremonies followed at the Club Regent Casino event centre. “We are in this organization together for the same purposes,” said Dominion Chairman Jack Frost when the 171 delegates got down to business Monday morning. He reported national expenditures have been reduced by close to $1 million, and there will be no more deficit budgeting.

70

Although eliminating dominion representation at provincial conventions had been considered, it was decided a representative should attend, not only to bring news from the national level, but “to listen and take back…issues that you have.” Frost introduced a short video in which Dominion President Tom Eagles described cost-cutting measures, efforts to build membership and an appeal for donations to the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League. A total of $21,004 was raised in donations from branches and from the floor. The money will support veterans and widows in the Caribbean. Delegates made it clear their concerns over expenses at the national level have not dissipated. Receiving unanimous support with no debate was a resolution from Transcona Branch in Winnipeg calling for financial transparency regarding salaries and expenses of Dominion Command staff and external consultants. It calls for Dominion Convention financial reports to include the number of Dominion Command positions with salaries and bonuses over $100,000. It also calls for reporting of Dominion Executive Council officers’ expenses, including personal and spousal travel and convention expenses. After the resolution was carried, Transcona’s Lorne Tyson was granted time to explain the resolution. “We are not worried if somebody is making more than $100,000 per year,” he said, but since membership revenue supports Dominion Command operations “members of the organization have a right to know how much our executives are making.” However, a confidentiality clause stipulates “we can’t know how much they make unless they agree to have their salaries disclosed.… It’s a situation that should be changed.” There was also no discussion before passing of a resolution proposed by Charleswood Branch in Winnipeg requesting Dominion Command develop a financial management manual, since most branches do not have members well versed in financial management and accounting principles. Honorary Treasurer Patrick Moore reported the fiscal years 2013 and 2014 ended with surpluses of $35,327 and $29,851 respectively. In the president’s report, Kidd said command has signed with Fenety Marketing to publish

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg70-71_MBConv.indd 70

2015-07-31 1:38 PM

another Military Service Recognition Book. “Without these funds we would have to raise our per capita tax…we are the lowest in the country at $8.” Publisher Mark Fenety later reported book sales have contributed a little more than $420,000 to command revenue between 2009-14. “Membership continues to be a major concern,” said Kidd. He encouraged branches to get involved in the One by One membership campaign.” Membership for 2014 was 24,323, down 14,660 since 2000. Jennifer Ross McMullan, Veterans Affairs Canada client services team manager, said the department appreciates the Legion’s support and services to veterans. “We truly value our ability to work closely together,” she said, adding the Legion has helped the department better ways for veterans and their families to make contact. A resolution from Oak Lake Branch requesting Dominion Command supply manuals and books requested by rural branches passed with little debate. Although all Dominion Command manuals are available online, many rural branches share space with organizations that don’t have computers or have executive members who do not wish to become computer literate. Several non-concurred resolutions were brought back for discussion and voting, but only one—calling for all elected Provincial Council Members to have Internet and e-mail access by 2017—was passed. Opponents of the motion argued not every member has a computer or smart phone, and this requirement would be a bar to some members who might like to run for office. Supporters argued elected officers need not have their own equipment, but could use that of the branch. As well, members who might seek office in future have two full years’ notice to learn the necessary skills. Linda Kohut, the command representative on the 2013 Pilgrimage of Remembrance, presented slides and an overview of the trip to Canadian war cemeteries and battlefields in Northwestern Europe, and how she has used the experience in teaching children about remembrance.

In elections, First Vice Mel Willis of Charleswood Branch in Winnipeg was acclaimed president after Kidd of West Kildonan Branch in Winnipeg declined nomination for a second term. Ronn Anderson of St. James Branch in Winnipeg and Tony Safronetz of Grandview Branch were nominated for First Vice. Anderson was acclaimed as Safronetz declined nomination for that position, and his name was automatically added to the list of contestants for vice-president. He also declined that nomination. It took four ballots to elect the three vice-presidents. Ken Milenko of Kakabeka Falls, Ont., Branch was elected on the first ballot. Joseph Payjack of Elmwood Branch was dropped after the second ballot. Ernie Tester of Gladstone Branch was elected on the third ballot and Gerry Lava of Kenora, Ont., Branch defeated Darwin Armstrong of Transcona Branch on the fourth. Four were nominated for the position of chairman: incumbent Roger Oakley, John Villers of Wheat City Branch in Brandon, Ed Murray of Dryden, Ont., Branch and Bette Vance of Norwood-St. Boniface Branch. Villers and Oakley declined nomination and Vance was elected. Former command president Rick Bennett of Fort Garry Branch was acclaimed honorary treasurer after incumbent Patrick Moore of St. James Branch declined nomination. Incumbent Sergeant-at-Arms Dennis Harvie of St. James Branch was also acclaimed. Willis thanked delegates for their vote of confidence. In a later interview, he said he was looking forward to enhancing the Legion’s reputation, informing people about help and support of veterans, along with contributions to the community. “When people realize what we do and what we’re capable of doing, they will want to join. It will be an automatic thing: ‘Well, why not?’” The Local Arrangements Committee from Transcona Branch, chaired by Lorne Tyson, looked after entertainment and transport of delegates and guests from hotels to the branch. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg70-71_MBConv.indd 71

XXX

SHARON ADAMS

left: Manitoba-Northwestern Ontario President Dan Kidd (at left), accompanied by Sergeant-at-Arms Dennis Harvie, prepares to place a wreath; Legionnaires and guests (above) assume positions for the ceremony at Memorial Park Circle Cenotaph. opposite page: Mel Willis becomes president.

71

2015-07-31 1:39 PM

British Columbia/Yukon: Graham Fox, 4199 Steede Ave., Port Alberni, BC V9Y 8B6, [email protected] Alberta–Northwest Territories: Bobbi Foulds, 5016–5 Ave., Edson, AB T7E IT4, [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]

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

72 72 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 77 84 88 89

ag nm

azine.co

m

s t o h s p Sna online! are

Correspondents’ addresses

m

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:

io

le g

co

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

l eg

snapshots

io n m a g azin

e.

Prince Edward Island United States Newfoundland and Labrador New Brunswick Alberta-Northwest Territories Saskatchewan Manitoba-Northwestern Ontario Nova Scotia/Nunavut

In this issue, Legion branches

donate more than

$211,000 to their communities.

Ontario British Columbia/Yukon Quebec 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] 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]. 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].

Borden-Carleton Branch in Borden, P.E.I., supports a local school’s breakfast program. Attending are (front, from left) Ella Rogers, Cohen Warren, Mason Muttart, Lexi Bridges, Thatcher MacKay, (rear) organizer Robyn Walsh-MacKay, Donna Bernard, service officer Arthur Ranahan, Sgt.-at-Arms Marion Henry and principal Randy Gallant.

Technical specs for photo submissions (1) Digital 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. (2) Photo prints—Glossy prints from a photofinishing lab are best because they do not contain the dot pattern that some printers produce. If possible, please submit digital photos electronically.

Commander Gordon Bennett (centre) of Pinellas Country Post in St. Petersburg, Fla., presents a donation to American Legion Post 7 Commander John Wilson (left) for their Needy Veterans Fund. Looking on is Post 7 adjutant Russ Pro.

72

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 72

2015-07-31 9:03 AM

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

om

s e!

snapshots

Brooklyn Watkins accepts a certificate in the poster and literary contests from Botwood, N.L., Branch President Jerry Thompson (left) and Randy Hancock.

Bonne Bay Branch in Woody Cove, N.L., presents $5,000 to the Janeway Foundation Telethon. With the cheque are (from left) Fred Maclean, Janeway Foundation representative Dave Elms and First Vice Freeman Burden.

Margaret Power (left) and Christine Farrell of Bay D’Espoir Branch in St. Alban’s, N.L., present poster and literary contest awards to local students.

Botwood, N.L., Branch President Jerry Thompson presents a literary contest award to Candace Budgell.

At the presentation of awards in the poster and literary contests at Oromocto, N.B., Branch are (from left) Helen Ladouceur, Emma Jean Smith, Alexandra Corrier, Marie Lune Dube, Kristina Yeo and President Geraldine Lefebvre.

FOOD BANK RECEIVES DONATION • Lancaster Branch in Saint John, N.B., donated $1,075 and several bags of non-perishable food items to the Saint John West Side Food Bank.

New Brunswick Command Second Vice Brian Roberts presents Anna Salamone with a certicate in the poster contest at Kennebecasis Branch in Rothesay, N.B.

Sackville Citizens Band representative Menjo Norden accepts $200 from Sackville, N.B., Branch President Doreen Richards.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 73

73

2015-07-31 9:03 AM

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

PATRICK MILLER

snapshots

Megan Burke accepts her certificate in the poster and literary contests from District Commander Terry Campbell (left) and former president Harold Defazio of Kennebecasis Branch in Rothsay, N.B.

Lower Southampton Branch poppy chair Joyce Hape presents a poster award to Kasey Annis in Nackawic, N.B.

74

Ma-Me-O Beach, Alta., Branch has provided funds to Wetaskiwin Health Foundation for a specialized mattress for the palliative room in the city’s hospital. At the presentation are (from left) foundation executive director Lillian Dykes, membership chair Stu Raven, foundation chair Branin Thompson, First Vice Ken Adair and service officer Patrick Miller.

DIANNE LANCE

Poppy chair Joyce Hape of Lower Southampton Branch in Nackawic, N.B., presents poster and literary contest awards to (from left) Colton Fox, Emma Graham, Miles Horrelt and Cherisme Farrell.

Hanna Seniors Lodge manager Mary Nanninga accepts $3,100 in poppy funds from Hanna, Alta., Branch President Dianne Lance (rear) and Second World War veteran and lodge resident Charlie Fielding.

Veteran Ed Laird of Prince Albert, Sask., Branch presents poster and literary contest awards to Zeel Patel (left) and Damion Korecki from Arthur Pechey School.

President Ted Peterson of North StarSt. Walburg Branch in St. Walburg, Sask., presents $1,814 to Lynn Camgoz, facility manager of the St. Walburg Health Complex. The funds will be used to buy an air mattress to prevent and treat pressure ulcers.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 74

2015-07-31 3:42 PM

snapshots

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

SERVICE OFFICER RECOGNIZED • Bill Pearcy, service officer of Portage la Prairie, Man., received a Certificate of Merit from former Manitoba-Northwestern Ontario Command presidents Roland Fisette and Gord Walker.

Prince Albert, Sask., Branch congratulates winners of the poster and literary contests from Rivier Academy (from left) Erica June Faye Boyer, Nimra Tahir, Morgan Balan, Courtney Rachelle Hrynuik and Hannah Nelson Weider. Transcona Branch in Winnipeg congratulates winners of the poster and literary contests from Immanuel Christian School.

Lieut. (N) Linda McLean (left) and CPO1 Connor Kraft accept $250 from Port Arthur Branch poppy chair Sharon Scott in Thunder Bay, Ont.

President Mabel McCarthy (left) and bingo chair Joan Hayden of Uniacke Branch in Mount Uniacke, N.S., present $1,275 to Delores Broussard for the school breakfast program.

JOHN MEEHAN

PAULETTE FOLEY

Bill Meek (left) and Don Cumming of Unity, Sask., Branch congratulate poster and literary contest winners (from left) Nikita Lantz, Alana Neil, Caitlyn Ireland, Taylor Pilat, Caprice Sherwood, Kezia Tyagi, and Jillian Gampe of Unity Composite High School.

First Vice John Meehan of Eastern Marine Branch in Gaetz Brook, N.S., presents $1,500 to Capt. Christopher Marshall for local cadets.

At Uniacke Branch in Mount Uniacke, N.S., Linda MacDonnell (left) presents Paulette Foley (centre) with the Legionnaire of the Year award as Nina MacDonnell looks on.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 75

75

2015-07-31 9:03 AM

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Membership chair Maureen Carswell (left) of Calais Branch in Lower Sackville, N.S., initiates a group of new members into the branch.

HARLEY WHITE

DONNA REDMOND

snapshots

President Marilyn Heighton (centre, right) of River John, N.S., Branch receives a special Canadian flag that once flew over Parliament from MP Peter MacKay. Also attending are (from left) Wallace Sutherland, John Murray, Earl Holt and Harley White.

BRUCE MACDONALD

CYRIL HATCHER

Members and friends of Calais Branch in Lower Sackville, N.S., raise $2,300 for the Canadian Cancer Society during the Relay for Life.

Breton Branch in Sydney Mines, N.S., presents $1,000 to HMCS Halifax’s Run for the Wish campaign. With the cheque are (front, from left) First Vice Eileen MacDonald, Marjorie King, L.A. President Wendy Fraser, (second row) Second Vice President Judy Parsons, Miriam Ferguson, treasurer Karen Marsh, (rear) Mary Louise Thomson, Kathy Nelson and Debbie Milley.

Four Harbours Branch in Tangier, N.S., member Don Hutt receives his 50 Years Long Service Medal from MP Peter Stoffer.

76

River John, N.S., Branch members Lola Swantee and Harley White accept a donation from North Shore Area Community Health Board representative Susan Sellers (centre) for the purchase of a defibrillator.

ED ZANINSKY

HARLEY WHITE

Louisbourg, N.S., Branch members Bruce MacDonald (left) and Wayne Cunliffe present a $650 donation to the breakfast and hot lunch program at the George D. Lewis School, represented by (from left) Madison Kennedy, Lorna Minihan and Chris Burke.

Amherst, N.S., Branch Sgt.-at-Arms Jack Perry presents a $1,000 bursary to local graduate Justin Ott.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 76

2015-07-31 3:43 PM

snapshots

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

LONG SERVICE RECOGNIZED • Brig.-Gen. G.H. Ralston Branch in Port Hope, Ont., presented the 50 Years Long Service Medal to Grant Wakely, 55-year pins to Roy Devine and Bill Balfour and 65-year pins to Mel Talbot and George Watson. • H.T. Church L.A. in St. Catharines presented $2,000 to the branch.

The branch presented Certificates of Merit to Harry Fox, Charles Staples and Mila Townsley.

• Kanata Branch presented Certificates of Merit to Brenda Grant, Ivan Hawley, Sue McLean and Gene Szabo.

Burlington, Ont., Branch celebrates the 70th anniversary of VE-Day. Addressing the audience is Deputy Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.

Friendship awards went to Chris Monsour of Harvey’s Restaurant and Allan Foget of Sobeys Kanata. • Elliot Lake Branch presented a 55-year award to Tony Andrews and the Cadet Medal of Excellence to PO Ashton Hanna.

The branch also initiated 7 new members.

• Port Perry L.A. presented $5,000 to the branch. • Lieut. Charles Rutherford VC L.A. in Colborne presented the branch community services fund with $500 and donated another $1,000 to the branch.

Ontario Command District D presents awards to students in the public speaking competition. With the students are (from left) District D Deputy Commander Karen Moore, District D youth education co-chair Helen Pearce and District D youth education chair Sheila Harris.

• A.C. McCallum Branch in Niagara Falls presented Al McKelvey with a 60-year award. • Coe Hill presented a 55-year pin to Ivan Gunter and the Legionnaire of the Year award to Robert Woodley.

Fergus, Ont., Branch membership chairman Doreen Flockhart (left), chaplin Fran Darlington, Sgt.-at- Arms Conrad Sawyer and President Tom Semanyk (right) welcome new members.

Jimmie Clarke Branch in Northbrook, Ont., presents $5,596 on behalf of the Ontario Command, Branches and L.A. Charitable Foundation to Pine Meadow Nursing Home. At the presentation are (from left) Third Vice Wayne Marsh, poppy chair Mike Powley, Pine Meadows administrator Margaret Palimaka, President Cecil Hawley and Sgt.-at-Arms Ernie Ballar.

Burlington, Ont., Branch President Matt MacPherson (left), youth education chair Judy Ramsay, Zone B-6 youth education chair Jackie Ralston and Bill Reid (back, right) present public speaking awards to a group of students.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 77

77

2015-07-31 9:04 AM

snapshots

Hanover, Ont., Branch President Wanda Goodyear presents $1,000 to local hospice event co-ordinator Sandra Scheinert (left) and volunteer Kathi Maskell.

Second Vice Rick Valois (left) and charities chair Stan Hicks (right) of Valley City Branch in Dundas, Ont., present $2,000 to Capt. Ken Brady for the Hamilton Wentworth Artillery army cadets.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

In Hamilton, Ont., at Mount Hamilton Branch, Ontario Command Vice-President Sharon McKeown congratulates President Murray Brown on receiving the Legionnaire of the Year award.

In Dundas, Ont., Valley City Branch poppy chair Jim Byron (left) presents $15,000 to St. Joseph’s Villa’s representative Bill Stewart.

President Judy Piche (left), First Vice Gerry Dobbin, Second Vice Susan Dobbin and executive committee member Janice Edwards of Sir William Stephenson Branch in Oshawa, Ont., present $6,300 to Hillsdale Terrace long-term care facility vice-president Bonnie Mildon (seated) and President Maisie Jeffery.

78

Trenton, Ont., Branch secretary Gloria Johnson (left), President Manny Raspberry and Zone F-2 Commander Don Ramsey (right) congratulate Gord Stewart (second from right) on receiving the Legionnaire of the Year award.

Lottery chair Keith Gilbertson (centre) and President Doug Dolby (right) of Col. John McCrae Memorial Branch in Guelph, Ont., present $5,000 to Tyler Bridge for the Guelph Pipe Band.

Richmond Hill, Ont., Branch President Sheelagh MacDonald accepts a $500 donation from Avila veterans support group chairman Erinma Abara. Also in the photo are (from left) members Bev Ducharme, Paul Ducharme, Ron Law and treasurer Ross Toms.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 78

2015-07-31 9:04 AM

snapshots

President Ray Ansell (left), poppy chair Joanne Dudka and Ruth Garrett of Kemptville, Ont., Branch present $5,000 to North Grenville accessible transportation representative Pat Schafer.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

At Kemptville, Ont., Branch, (from left) President Ray Ansell, poppy chair Joanne Dudka and public relations chair Ruth Garrett present $3,000 to Kemptville Meals on Wheels representative Susan Smith (right).

South Carleton Branch in Manotick, Ont., congratulates Sideqa Haqani for winning the Dominion Command senior black & white poster contest. With her are (from left) poppy chair Jean Lanouette, youth education chair Peter Delany and President Barry Young.

At John McMartin Memorial Branch in Cornwall, Ont., service officer Ken Heagle (left) and President Linda Fisher present $2,200 to Cornwall Community Hospital representative Erin Killoran.

In Cobourg, Ont., District F Commander Robert Buckanan (centre) congratulates Don Mouncey (left) and Don Garland on receiving the 50 Years Long Service Medal.

President Patricia Thompson-Perry (right) of Pte. Joe Waters Branch in Milton, Ont., presents $500 to Milton Ladies Drive 4 Cancer representative Dotty Brophy.

In Flesherton, Ont., Grey Highlands Fire Chief Rod Leeson (left) accepts $6,500 from Flesherton-Markdale Branch President Daryl Minifie.

Ontario Command Sports Chair Vic Newey (left) presents the trophy for the provincial shuffleboard champions to the team from Fred Gies Branch in Kitchener, Ont., (from left) Chris Lesperence and Larry Leiskau. Looking on are District C sports chair Anne McCallum and Zone C-2 sports chair Paul Baker.

At H.T. Church Branch in St. Catharines, Ont., membership chair Mila Townsley (left) and Sgt.-at-Arms Fred Randall (right) welcome a group of new members. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 79

79

2015-07-31 9:04 AM

snapshots

Eganville, Ont., Branch honours and awards chair Beverly Pickrell (left) presents the Legionnaire of the Year award to Elizabeth Hobden.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Winning the Ontario Command euchre tournament are the team from Hespeler L.A., (from left) Dianne Culler, Ruth Nuhn, Gloria McWatters and Sue Maltby.

Galt Branch in Cambridge Ont., wins the provincial regular five-pin bowling championship. At the presentation are (from left) John Cunningham, Will Daniels, District C sports officer Anne McCallum, Rob Gignac, Sean Fleet, Brandon Beeson, Ontario Command Sports Chair Vic Newey and Roger Blackmore.

In Ontario Command’s District F Treasurer Larry Lamble (left) and Cobourg Branch members (from left) Jospehine Upton, Val Davies and John Aitken present $6,000 on behalf of the Ontario Command, Branches and L.A. Charitable Foundation to Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation representative Blake Jones.

80

President Patty Middleton (left) of Hollowood Branch in Sharbot Lake, Ont., presents the Legionnaire of the Year award to Lillian and Wayne Sheppard.

Newbury, Ont., Branch seniors chair Glenn Magee (left), President Jeremy Alexander and house chair Joe Rilett present $590 to Newbury parks and recreation department representatives Amy Watson and Tammy Smith.

At Lt.-Col. G.B. Cousens Branch in Georgetown, Ont., Charles Valentine receives congratulations on his 100th birthday from Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong (left), President Sue Thomas and wife Ruth Valentine (right).

Lyndhurst, Ont., Branch poppy chair Bruce Corbett presents a $750 bursary to Sara Baker.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 80

2015-07-31 9:04 AM

snapshots

At Rockland, Ont., Branch President Bob Cleroux presents $250 to local scout representatives Diane Sanmure and Michele Legault.

At the presentation of $2,600 from Lt.-Col. Harry Babcock Branch in Napanee, Ont., to the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital Foundation are (from left) foundation vice-chair Bob Vrooman, poppy chair Larry Meisner, First Vice Kathy Gardner and President Chris Ingersoll.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Petrolia, Ont., Branch President Kerry Horan (centre) presents $1,000 to local girl guides representatives (from left) Brianne Faubert, Janet Cameron and Tara Broad.

In Milton, Ont., Pte. Joe Waters Branch President Pat Thompson-Perry (right) presents $200 to Multiple Sclerosis Society representative Barney Henderson.

Varnavair Branch in Tillsonburg, Ont., presents $3,000 to the Parkwood Hospital veterans care and comfort fund. At the presentation are (from left) Parkwood representative Heather Derbecker, poppy chair Don Burton, occupational therapist Leah Taplay, George Browning, President Dianne Hodges, Ross Murney and Parkwood Foundation representative Vicky Doria.

Fort York Branch in Toronto celebrates its 85th anniversary. Presenting the commemorative certificate to President Donna Murakami-Fijimoto (left) and Past President Ed Sparling is District D Commander Jay Burford (centre).

Barrhaven Branch President Ernie Hughes (second from left) presents $10,000 to Barrhaven Food Cupboard President David Serada in Ottawa. Also present are (from left) poppy chair Kathy Blomquist, Sharon Wilson and food bank associate Kevin Miller.

Brig.-Gen. G.H. Ralston Branch in Port Hope, Ont., presents $10,000 to Northumberland Hills hospital foundation board representative Blake Jones (centre). Also present are (from left) David Craig, Arlene Pettipas, poppy chair Lynda Casey, Melodie Hodge, (rear) Larry Lamble and President Al Wilson.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 81

81

2015-07-31 9:04 AM

snapshots

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

At the presentation in Toronto of $6,000 from the Ontario Command, Branches and L.A. Charitable Foundation to Sick Kids Foundation are (from left) District D Past Commander Jay Burford, foundation manager Katie Graham, District D charitable foundation chair Pat Burford and Zone D-3 Deputy Commander Walter Vaughan.

Kanata, Ont., Branch President John Cher (centre) assisted by honours and awards chair Dan Knighton (right) presents the Legionnaire of the Year award to Pat Cher.

At Massey, Ont., Branch, Zone H-4 Commander John Lewis (left) and Sgt.-at-Arms Victor Stresman present the 50 Years Long Service Medal to Gerry Ferguson.

At Dr. Fred Starr Branch in Sudbury, Ont., Charley Skelly (left) receives the Legionnaire of the Year award from Zone H-3 Commander Fred Medynski (centre) and former president Ron Robitaille.

Providence Health Care Foundation CEO Josie Walsh (front left) and cultivation and strategy director Emily Dawson (back left) accept $6,500 from District D Deputy Command Joyce Geddes (front right) and Dambusters Branch President Sharon Butler in Scarborough, Ont. The presentation is on behalf of the Ontario Command, Branches and L.A. Charitable Foundation.

In Teeterville, Ont., Wagner Memorial Branch honours and awards chair Jim Dillon presents Archiel Crombez with his 50 Years Long Service Medal.

At the presentation of $2,000 from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Branch to the Navy League for the cadet program are (from left) Sgt.-at-Arms Ernie Bremner, Samantha Armstrong, Lindsay Weeks, Stephanie Roussel and President Wayne Paulencu.

82

Lakefield, Ont., Branch poppy chair Loretta Marsden (second from right) and President Jim Marsden (in back) present $3,000 to local Community Care representatives (from left) Denise Gould, Lynda McKerr and Lorri Rork.

At the presentation of $1,500 from Rockland, Ont., Branch to the Twillick air cadets squadron are (from left) Gord Loney, Emma McLaughin, Capt. Maria Schonert, former president Doug Dinsmore and President Bob Cleroux.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 82

2015-07-31 9:04 AM

snapshots

Poppy chair Lloyd Berkeley of Dunsdon Branch in Brantford, Ont., presents $3,000 to Capt. Jesse Free for the Brant air cadet squadron.

Presenting $5,000 from H.T. Church Branch in St. Catharines, Ont., to the Niagara Health System, St. Catharines, are (from left) poppy chair Cliff Waterhouse, Second Vice Lloyd Cull, President Tom Townsley and public relations chair Barbara Earle.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

At Flesherton-Markdale Branch in Flesherton, Ont., vice-president Gord Webb (left) presents the Legionnaire of the Year award to President Daryl Minifie (centre) as Lorne Whyte looks on.

Ross Munn (centre) accepts his 50 Years Long Service Medal from Wagner Memorial Branch honours and awards chair Jim Dillon (left) and committee member Mike Wist in Teeterville, Ont.

At the presentation of $24,265 from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Branch to the Sault Area hospital foundation, are (from left) poppy chair Rob Gardner, hospital foundation representative Cheryl Pavoni and poppy committee members Hillie Valiquette, Gwen Dinsdale, Elaine Turner and Anne Robichaud.

Chatsworth, Ont., Branch celebrates renovations of the branch following receipt of a Trillium Grant. Cutting the ribbon at the wheelchair entrance is Ken Reimer (centre). Assisting are (from left) Terry McKay, Mayor Bob Pringle and Alan Burgess.

In Kincardine, Ont., at the District C track and field meet, (from left) Ontario Command VicePresident Derek Moore congratulates winners Serena Barry, Alissa Melvin and Aaliyah Rodgers as Bill Smith looks on.

In Cambridge, Ont., Galt Branch poppy chair Marjorie Kanis (back row, right) presents $6,627 to St. Andrew’s Terrace Nursing Home volunteer co-ordinator Debbie Forget. Also at the presentation are (front, from left) residents Margaret Flemming, Roger Jones and John Quin.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 83

83

2015-07-31 3:43 PM

snapshots

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

In Clarksburg, Ont., Beaver Valley Branch President Andy Weldrick (left) and members Lindsay Herbert and Jeanne Stavely (right) present $500 to a Grade 8 class to assist with their trip to Ottawa.

CADET MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE AWARDED Lakefield, Ont., Branch members and friends take part in the Heart and Stroke big bike ride raising $2,295.

• PO1 Rebecca Masson of Esquimalt sea cadet corps in Parksville, B.C., received the Cadet Medal of Excellence from B.C./Yukon Command. • Courtenay Branch has presented the Cadet Medal of Excellence to Sgt. Connor Benson of the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s) army cadet corps. • Mount Arrowsmith Branch in Parksville presented the Cadet Medal of Excellence to WO Alexander Close of Beaufort air cadet squadron. • Kamloops Branch awarded the Cadet Medal of Excellence to PO1 Adrianne Agnew of Kamloops sea cadet corps, M. Cpl. Eric Wichman of the Rocky Mountain Rangers army cadet corps and WO2 Josh Jervis of Black Maria air cadets squadron.

Port Elgin, Ont., Branch and L.A. present $5,000 to Owen Sound regional hospital foundation representative Willard Vander Ploeg (left) and $6,500 to Saugeen Memorial hospital foundation chair Erin Zorzi (second from left) and executive director Sally Kidson. Making the presentation are (from left) L.A. President Joyce Chapman, Brenda Collins and poppy chair Blair Eby.

• Alberni Valley Branch in Port Alberni presented a Memorial Scholarship to Justin Sieben and a bursary to Rachel Van Viegen. • Ed Robertson and Nelson Winterburn brought congratulations from Diamond Head Branch in Squamish to winners of the literary and poster contests from Squamish Elementary School. • Vancouver TVS Branch presented the Greater Vancouver Branch of the Navy League of Canada with $3,000. The branch also presented a 70-year pin to Peter Hind. • Cloverdale Branch in Surrey presented $1,500 to the Seaforth Highlanders army cadet corps and $1,500 to the navy league.

Sutton West, Ont., Branch wins the provincial mixed darts championship. At the trophy presentation are (from left) Ontario Command Sports Chair Vic Newey, President Rob Madore, players Justin May, Laura Sears, Christine Artibello and Dan Mills, and District G sports officer Ken Johnson.

84

• Comox Branch presented the 50 Years Long Service Medal to members Ivan Cumminger and Gerald Terris and L.A. members Laurie Grierson, Sine Wilk and Lucy Samuels. The branch also presented a 60-year pin to Francis Campbell and a 65-year pin to Richard Hilton.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 84

2015-08-04 2:27 PM

snapshots

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Congratulating Adrian Van Gorkom (centre), whose junior poem placed first in the literary and poster contests at the command and dominion level, are (from left) Powell River, B.C., Branch poppy chair Bill Demkiw, Powell River Christian School representatives Matt Duggan and Nola Morgan and Zone Commander Bev Mansell Graham.

Slocan Valley, B.C., Branch President Pat Ashton (left) presents $1,500 to the W. E. Graham Community Services Society manager Sandy Hetherington (centre) and director Theresa Thicket. The funds will be used for monthly seniors’ luncheons.

Marking Legion Week in Abbotsford, B.C., with a tree dedication in honour of Afghanistan veterans are (from left) M. Cpl. Dennis Steel, B.C./Yukon Zone Commander Sharon Brady, ASM Branch President Robert Rohrer, former B.C./Yukon Command president Bob Brady, Councillor Les Barkman and Jim Happer, honorary colonel of 39th Combat Engineer Regiment.

At the presentation of $500 from Rossland, B.C., Branch to the library are (from left) vice-president Joanne Drystek, Rossland Library director Beverely Rintoul, library board member Lorrie Walmsley and President Douglas Halladay.

The Slocan Valley Food Bank will benefit from $1,000 presented by Slocan Valley, B.C., Branch President Pat Ashton to W. E. Graham Community Services Society representatives, manager Sandy Hetherington, director Theresa Thickett and executive director Holly Jack.

Jill Parsons (left), music director of the Mixedabilites Choir, accepts $750 from President Rhonda Thomas of North Vancouver, B.C., Branch.

At the presentation of $1,446 to the Surrey, B.C., Memorial Hospital Foundation are (from left) Walmart representatives Randy Goor and Gail Dobranski, foundation representative Don Hickling and Freidis (Esther) Frick of Whalley L.A. Walmart matched the money raised from an L.A. Easter egg decorating project. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 85

85

2015-07-31 9:05 AM

snapshots

In Surrey, B.C., Cloverdale Branch poppy chair Pat Keeping presents certificates to Katherine Inglis who won first place at zone level in the intermediate black and white poster contest.

Cranbrook, B.C., Branch President Clive Brown congratulates Alexis Blu Shuffler, whose senior black and white poster placed first at the zone and provincial command contests.

ERICA WATSON (STIRLING IMAGES)

Poppy chair Pat Keeping of Cloverdale Branch in Surrey, B.C., presents certificates to Anastasia Srgenko who won first place in zone senior colour poster contest.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

At the presentation of $1,000 from Qualicum Beach, B.C., Branch to Boomer’s Legacy Riders are (from left) President Don Taylor, legacy rider Lieut. Darrel Stubbington, treasurer Ken Loven and First Vice Rob Diack.

Don Dorosh (left) and Hilary Fisher of the Howe Sound Curling Club accept $1,000 for the junior rock program from meat draw chair Ralph Seright (centre) of Diamond Head Branch in Squamish, B.C.

86

At the presentation of bursaries from Alberni Valley Branch in Port Alberni, B.C., are (from left) Eric Gill, Chelsey Charlesworth, Karissa Pley, Griffin Dolling, Braiden Cutforth and poppy chair Tim Murphy.

Carl Brownell of Vedder Golden Branch in Vedder Crossing, B.C., congratulates Zoe Kathryn Wieler (left) for her winning intermediate poem and Melissa Joanne Gelderman for her junior poster.

Ashcroft, B.C., Branch President George Cooke presents a donation to Reneta Campbell of Thompson View Manor assisted-living-care home.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 86

2015-07-31 9:05 AM

snapshots

At the presentation of $4,950 from Dawson Creek, B.C., Branch to the Dawson Creek Hospital Foundation are (from left) hospital representative Brette Madden, President Arleene Thorpe and Sgt.-at-Arms Barry Young. The money will buy a breathing apparatus.

Hope Bell (left) of the J. P. Fell Pipe Band accepts $1,000 from North Vancouver, B.C., Branch President Rhonda Thomas.

At Diamond Head Branch in Squamish, B.C., North Shore and Howe Sound Zone Commander Leo Crossland congratulates Graeme Bowers for his first-place intermediate essay at zone level.

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Kylie Brind of the Little Flower Academy is congratulated by Peace Arch Zone Commander Dale Johnson and contest chair Audrey Gordon from Delta, B.C., Branch on placing first in the senior poetry contest.

President Monty Elliston (left) of Alberni Valley Branch in Port Alberni, B.C., presents the 50 Years Long Service Medal to Lloyd Dool (centre) and Bill McCulloch.

Vancouver General Hospital representative Tim Staunton (right) accepts $5,000 from Kandys Merola of Vancouver TVS Branch for the purchase of respiratory equipment.

Peace Arch Zone Commander Dale Johnson and Audrey Gordon of Delta, B.C., Branch congratulate Andrea Heard of Delta Secondary School, who placed first in the intermediate poetry contest.

Capt. Melissa Boatman receives $1,000 for the army cadets from Courtenay, B.C., Branch cadet liaison officer Gary Flath.

Kandys Merola (left) of Vancouver TVS Branch presents $5,000 to Amanda Wootten of St. Paul’s Hospital for the purchase of respiratory equipment.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 87

87

2015-07-31 9:05 AM

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY

Youth committee chair Marvin Thorgeirson of Cowichan Branch in Duncan, B.C., congratulates winners of $1,000 bursaries (from left) Alec Cox, Isabella Goodman, Haeley Lowe, Graham McKinnon, and Braydon Taylor.

CAROLE AUBIN-LALONDE

snapshots

Norris Branch in Gatineau, Que., congratulates winners of the poster and literary contests from Greater Gatineau Elementary School (from left) Gabriela Garate, Riana DeRoy, Brandon Rouleau, Erika Sorensen, Haley Murtagh, Branch First Vice Richard Racicot, Jasmyne Saikely, Abigail Roots, Meagan Belanger, Aniesha Covey and Alyssa Potter.

BARBARA TRAILL

Rossland, B.C., Branch President Douglas Halladay (left) and vice-president Joanne Drystek present $300 to leader Jason Leblance (rear, centre) and the Rossland cub scout pack.

At the presentation of $2,000 from Morin Heights, Que., Branch, to the Argenteuil Hospital Foundation are (from left) Sgt-at-Arms Margaret McMambly, foundation director general Marie-Josée Condrain and service officer Barbara Traill.

BURSARIES PRESENTED • Hudson, Que., Branch presented bursaries to Silas Latchem, Austin Rinkley-Krindle, Quincy Ross and Eric Bergeron from Westwood Senior High School.

88

BARBARA TRAILL

Winners of the literary and poster contests from Garibaldi Highlands Elementary School are presented with certificates by Ed Robertson (left) and Nelson Winterburn of Diamond Head Branch in Squamish, B.C.

At the presentation of $2,000 from Morin Heights, Que., Branch to the Foundation Generale of the Laurentians in Sainte-Agathe are (from left) Geraldine McEnroe, foundation director general Paul Gervais, Andrea Basler, Margaret McCambly and Barbara Traill.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg72-88_SNAPS.indd 88

2015-07-31 9:05 AM

snapshots

HONOURS AND AWARDS

LONG SERVICE AWARDS

Romeo Leblanc, Moncton Br., N.B. 60 years

Angus Horne, Waterloo Br., Ont. 60 years

Jim Brawley, Sault Ste. Marie Br., Ont. 60 years

Robert Caple, Sault Ste. Marie Br., Ont. 65 years

William Martin, Elliot Lake Br., Ont. 70 years

Charles Collins, Elliot Lake Br., Ont. 65 years

Harley Hampel, Elliot Lake Br., Ont. 70 years

Lorne Barton, Cobourg Br., Ont. 65 years

Mark Lockyer, Whitby Br., Ont. 70 years

Emerson Smart, Newbury Br., Ont. 70 years

Wanda Goodwin, Moncton Br., N.B. 65 years

Bruce Anderson, Moncton Br., N.B. 70 years

Jim Coad, Trenton Br., Ont. 65 years

Rosco Long, Niacam Br., Sask. 70 years

Douglas Hamm, Sackville Br., N.B. 70 years

Russ Harvey, Flesherton-Markdale Br., Flesherton, Ont. 65 years

Jack Hobbs, Windsor Br., Danville, Que. 70 years

June Light Florence, Invermere L.A., B.C. 60 years

Bert Jolly, St. James Br., Winnipeg 70 years

Leonard Brisbois, Sir William Stephenson Br., Oshawa, Ont. 70 years

Verna Marshall, Maj. Andrew McKeever L.A., Listowel, Ont. 65 years

Ed Gudbranson, Dr. Fred Starr Br., Sudbury, Ont. 70 years

Norm Hammond, Dunsdon Br., Brantford, Ont. 65 years

Robert Brady, Aldergrove Br., B.C.

Jay Tofflemire, Eastern Marine Br., Gaetz Brook, N.S.

Gerard Imbeault, Quebec North Shore Br., Baie Comeau, Que.

Daniel Keough, Whitney Pier Br., Sydney, N.S.

PALM LEAF

Raymond Fuller, New Germany Br., N.S.

Ricci Hawkins, Calais Br., Lower Sackville, N.S.

Julianna Johnson, L.A., Calais Br., Lower Sackville, N.S. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg89-91_H&As.indd 89

89

2015-07-31 3:06 PM

snapshots

HONOURS AND AWARDS

MSM AND MSA (L.A.)

Carl Mosher, New Germany Br., N.S.

John Ryan, New Germany Br., N.S.

Linwood Feindel, New Germany Br., N.S.

Frances Brown, New Germany Br., N.S.

LIFE MEMBERSHIP B.C./YUKON Mary Genereux, Elmira Br., Ont.

Lorne Tyson, Transcona Br., Winnipeg, Man.

Advertisement

NOTICE OF

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION

The Dominion Executive Council of The Royal Canadian Legion hereby gives notice of an Annual General Meeting of the organization which will take place at 9:00 am on Saturday, 28 November 2015 at Legion House, 86 Aird Place, Ottawa, Ontario. Agenda for the meeting: 1. Presentation of the audited financial statements 2. Approval of the auditors for 2015-2016 This meeting is being held to fulfill the requirements of the Canada Not-For-Profit Corporations Act. Members wishing to make comment or raise questions on these two items may do so by written submission to Dominion Command, 86 Aird Place, Ottawa, ON K2L 0A1 to be received no later than 28 October 2015. Documentation pertaining to this annual meeting shall be made available on the Legion website at www.legion.ca at least 21 days prior to the annual meeting or upon written request by a member, enclosing a self-addressed stamped envelope (9” x 12” envelope with $1.65 in postage) received at Dominion Command at least 14 days prior to the annual meeting.

Ed Robertson, Diamond Head Br., Squamish

ALBERTA/NWT Robert Burt, Camrose Br. Mary Rusnak, Smoky Lake Br.

SASKATCHEWAN Bryant Dupuis, Grenfell Br. Alvin Gallinger, Grenfell Br. Roy Stanley, Grenfell Br. Jim MacNeil, Moose Jaw Br.

MANITOBA/NWO Adel Miller, L.A., Waskada Br.

ONTARIO John Souter, Almonte Br. David Galbraith, Cobourg Br. Yolande McKinnon, Cobourg Br. Joan Stokke, L.A., Elliot Lake Br. Guy Cooke, Hollowood Br., Sharbot Lake Vernon Crawford, Hollowood Br., Sharbot Lake Keith MacInnis, Hollowood Br., Sharbot Lake Robert Thomson, Kanata Br.

NEW BRUNSWICK Larry Lynch, Lancaster Br., Saint John

90

Doug Finney, Oshawa Br., Ont.

Kirk Genereux, Elmira Br., Ont.

Albert Jackson, Petitcodiac Br. Vincent O’Blenis, Petitcodiac Br. James Perry, Petitcodiac Br. Reginald Hanson, Sackville Br. Tom Johnson, Sackville Br. Lorne Small, Sackville Br.

NOVA SCOTIA/NUNAVUT William Cochrane, Hants County Br., Windsor John Harvie, Hants County Br., Windsor Frank Thibeau, Hants County Br., Windsor Sharon Thibeau, Hants County Br., Windsor Ivan Mosher, New Germany Br. Bernie Gillie, Uniacke Br., Mount Uniacke Dave Wagner, Uniacke Br., Mount Uniacke

DEPARTMENTS

LOST TRAILS

FRAMLIN WO G.—Navigator, 103 Sqdn., RCAF, Elsham Wolds, England, August to November 1944, and 550 Sqdn., North Killingholme, November 1944 to January 1945. Lancaster bomber skippered by WRIGHT, FO Ronnie. EASTWOOD, Flt. Sgt. Jack, Wireless Op. Crew formed in March 1944. Volunteered with 582 (Pathfinder) Sqdn., Little Staughton, January 1945. Sought or family re memorial service. Kevin Bending, 18 The Orchards, Orton Waterville, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 5LA, U.K., [email protected]. GARDINER, James—Camp Borden, 1950. Chicoutimi, Que., 1953. Arvida, Que., 1954-55. Married Sofie Rasnowski of

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg89-91_H&As.indd 90

2015-07-31 3:44 PM

snapshots Angus, Ont., 1951. Had four children. Last known Angus, Ont., March 1956. Sought or info by daughter. Dianne (Gardiner) Duncan, 6 Patricia Ct., Smithville ON L0R 2A0, 905-957-4674, dianne.duncan@ burlington.ca. HARRISON, Cpl. D.W.—Army, WW II. Sought or family to return helmet. Terry Legenza, 372 Calderstone Cres., Scarborough, ON M1C 3A2, 416-7248445, [email protected]. PLAYGROUND PEACEKEEPERS PROGRAM—Founder seeks those who contacted him nine years ago re starting programs in their area. Murray Harvey, 434 Taylor Ave., Box 2872, The Pas, MB R9A 1M6, 204-623-5503, [email protected]. PORTLANCE, Bob—MSE Ops 935 driver, RCAF, stationed CFB Rivers, Man., 1968-70. Sought re our Brandon 7-Up ball team that was inducted into the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. Dan Fournier, 125 Sandstone Pl. S.E., Medicine Hat, AB T1B 4R9, 403-529-9574, [email protected]. RCA, 14th Fld. Regt. and 4th LAA Regt.—Those who served sought to identify comrades in wartime photo. Brian Lake, 315 Cumberland Ct., Oshawa, ON L1H 8E7, 906-725-6383, [email protected]. RUTHERFORD, Col. R.L.—Last wartime commander of QOCHC, WW II. First commander, Highland Bn., Hanover, 1951. Staff College, Kingston, Ont., 1950. Involved in National Survival Program, late 1950s to early 1960s. Info and family sought. H.R. Campbell, 428-1865 Gateway Rd., Winnipeg, MB R2G 4J2, 204-669-2114, [email protected].

HONOURS AND AWARDS

UNIT REUNIONS

RCAF (1 Air Division)—Oct. 30-31, Parksville, B.C. Jane Sundby, 19 Ironwood Dr., St. Albert, AB T8N 5J8, 780-460-7294, [email protected], www.proreg.ca/ events/rcaf/reunion. RCASC—Sept. 11-13, Carleton Place, Ont. Ken Pierce, 226 Lacroix Ave., Orleans, ON K1E 1K2, 613-824-2185; Bill Carvill, 613-257-1456, [email protected]. WSNR—Sept. 18-20, Kentville, N.S. WSNRRA, Box 6, Paradise, NS B0S 1R0, 902-584-3434, [email protected].

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING TRAVEL

WORLD WAR II ESCORTED TOUR: CANADIANS & THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN November 2-16, 2016. Join us as we follow the young Canadians in the First Division from their landing in Sicily, through the battles for the Moro River, Ortona, and the Liri Valley, on to the Gothic Line, finishing near Ravenna at the Savio, Lamone and Senio Rivers. Note: tour revolves around participation in the Remembrance Day Ceremony, Moro River Cemetery on November 11. Contact Ellison Travel & Tours 800-265-7022 or [email protected]. Visit www.ettravel.com/escorted for tour details.

MARKETPLACE

HOLLAND LIBERATION 71ST ANNIVERSARY plus VIMY visit April 29 – May 08, 2016

BATTLE OF THE SOMME 100TH ANNIVERSARY Sept.13 – 25, 2016

With John Hetherington www.battlefieldsofeurope.ca

Calling All Newfoundlanders! Beaumont Hamel Centenary On the Trail of the Caribou June 2016 • 10 Days Multiple Departures

VIMY 100TH ANNIVERSARY TOURS 2017 (We will be there on April 9, 2017)

April 6 – 14, 2017

Tour details and brochures are being finalized. Please contact us if you wish to receive a copy when they are ready

For information/free brochure:

Verstraete Travel & Cruises

14845 Yonge St., #300, Aurora, ON L4G 6H8

Tel.: 416-969-8100 or 1-800-565-9267 Or visit www.verstraetetravel.com

REQUESTS

ASW AIRCREW—For study, seeking info re personnel who served on antisubmarine aircraft and either died from cancer or have been treated for it. David Carter, 211-1961 Dunn St., Kelowna, BC V1Y 4C4, [email protected]. GUILLAIN-BARRÉ SYNDROME— Looking for anyone who contracted this disease during their military service and are collecting a disability pension or award as a result. Tom Beaver, 153 Bradshaw Dr., New Maryland, NB E3C 1H4, 506-4721844, [email protected]. PICTURES—Info sought re the location of three pictures (two are salvaged from the newspaper and one is a salmon-coloured silk painting of burning building) donated to Jim Foote, Montgomery Branch, Edmonton, 1986. Sought by granddaughter of donor, Dorward Paton, 1st Cdn. Rifles, WW I. Darlene (Paton) Stone, 4-3827 76 St., Edmonton, AB T6K 2P9, 780-819-0638, [email protected].

www.craigtravel.com • 1-800-387-8890 1092 Mt. Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2M6

Military Medals—plated & mounted Full Size & Miniatures, Replacements, Shadow Boxes, Plastic Medal Holders ($12.95) Buying & Selling military memorabilia

Call today 1-800-263-3896

Ivan Greenham Medal Dept., 354 Richmond St., London, ON, N6A 3C3

TALK TO US

You can join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and our website.

legionmagazine.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg89-91_H&As.indd 91

91

2015-07-31 9:25 AM

Canada cold war

BY J.L. GRANATSTEIN

and the

Youngsters watch soldiers form up at Quebec Provincial Police headquarters in Montreal on Oct. 15, 1970.

THE OCTOBER CRISIS When the FLQ terrorized the people of Quebec, the army stepped in with skill and professionalism

P

rime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau believed he understood Quebec. He was also one of the few observers who viewed the rioting and racial violence in the United States after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in early 1968 and drew the conclusion that there was the potential for serious unrest in Quebec. Separatist sentiment in the province had been growing throughout the 1960s, and in 1968 the indépendantiste Parti Québécois (PQ) came into being under the leadership of René Lévesque, a popular broadcaster who had become a Liberal provincial cabinet minister. The PQ was a party of democratic change, but there were violent separatists, too. Since 1963, the Front de libération

92

du Québec (FLQ), a militant MarxistLeninist separatist group, had been exploding bombs in federal buildings and mailboxes. It had attacked what it thought of as Anglo-Saxon institutions, such as the Montreal Stock Exchange, and had killed several people. A work stoppage by the Montreal police and fire department had produced a night of rioting in 1969, and this had somehow combined with a taxi protest—the Taxi Liberation Front—to trigger widespread looting. In other words, public opinion in Montreal was volatile and the idea of liberation had its supporters in the universities, trade unions and intelligentsia. This was the background to events 45 years ago that came to be known as the October Crisis. A small cell of the

FLQ kidnapped British trade commissioner James Cross in Montreal on Oct. 5, 1970, and issued a series of demands. A few days later, another tiny cell snatched Quebec Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte from his front lawn. The kidnappings appeared well planned and audacious, and the Quebec government, led by Liberal Premier Robert Bourassa and especially shaken by the Laporte kidnapping, seemed unsure what to do. Militants and separatists rallied around the FLQ to the point that the government seemed about to fall and allow anarchy to prevail. Trudeau’s government took this situation very seriously, at least in part because Cross was a diplomat representing a foreign government. The decision was made by the federal cabinet to use the National Defence Act to offer a substantial response to calm public opinion. On Oct. 12, 3,000 soldiers were ordered onto the streets of Ottawa to guard public buildings and the homes of senior political and diplomatic figures.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg92-93_ColdWar-v2.indd 92

2015-07-30 5:35 PM

The October Crisis was highly significant for the Canadian Army. Intelligence officers at a Mobile Command headquarters at SaintHubert, Que., had been collecting information on radical movements in the province for some time. (It was never made clear on whose authority this was done). Some officers thought in terms of “protracted revolutionary warfare” against groups like the FLQ, while others wanted to create an army that could undertake civic action to counter the growth of revolutionary sentiment. This was likely a conflation of the Quebec situation with those in Latin America and Vietnam, but the events of October 1970 lent some legitimacy to these efforts. Whatever the thinking that had preceded the FLQ kidnappings, the crisis faced the army with a high-pressure test, one that came

Some citizens even helped them negotiate unfamiliar streets. The October Crisis did not end until Dec. 3, when police found the house where the FLQ was holding Cross. After brief negotiations, the British diplomat was freed, and five of the FLQ kidnappers were flown to exile in Fidel Castro’s Cuba. The FLQ had been smashed. The army’s successful participation in the October Crisis raised military morale, and the events of October played a major part in shaping Macdonald’s Defence in the 70s: White Paper on Defence, released on Aug. 24, 1971. This policy paper laid out a general path forward, but for the first time internal security was a high priority. Maintaining public order was a civil responsibility, but “timely assistance from the forces” might be required. The Canadian Forces also had a role to play in

“The next noise was boots on the pavement as soldiers in full battle dress, armed with submachine guns and automatic rifles, took up positions.” on the heels of Trudeau’s evident disinterest in the military and his successful efforts to cut commitments overseas and freeze budgets. The army certainly delivered. Ordered to deploy to Montreal at 1:07 p.m. on Oct. 15, a company from the Royal 22nd Régiment flew into the city by helicopter within one hour. Convoys carried more soldiers from CFB Valcartier to Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Drummondville, Trois-Rivières and other cities and towns. The Canadian Airborne Regiment’s 1st Airborne Commando left Edmonton for Montreal within minutes of receiving its orders, and soldiers from CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick began to deploy the next day. There was no doubt that the military presence quieted the situation in Quebec. Some 7,500 armed troops on the streets to protect lives and property could do that, and the soldiers, whether French- or Englishspeaking, were warmly welcomed.

“national development,” including assistance in natural disasters, which was normal, and in research, communications and protection of the environment, which were not. The idea that the CF had a role in national development, whatever that might mean, shook the military. It may also have rattled the prime minister because, as Macdonald noted, he had a tough time getting Trudeau to approve implementation of the document; he postponed discussion again and again and the cabinet did not agree to approve it until July 1972. By then, public opinion on how the government had handled the October Crisis had begun to turn, and the election on Oct. 30, 1972, reduced the Liberals to a minority government. The politicians might have been criticized, but no one has said the Canadian Forces did its difficult job in the October Crisis with anything but skill and professionalism. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg92-93_ColdWar-v2.indd 93

GEORGE BIRD, MONTREAL STAR/ LAC/PA-129838

Minister of National Defence Donald Macdonald, who had been appointed just two weeks before, wrote in his recently published memoir, Thumper, that his family woke at midnight to the sound of heavy trucks. “The next noise was boots on the pavement as soldiers in full battledress, armed with submachine guns and automatic rifles, took up positions.” The Toronto Star soon published a fullpage photograph of Macdonald, as he noted, “wearing my bathrobe and pyjamas, solemnly greeting seven soldiers at my front door before they dispersed in the neighbourhood.” At the next cabinet meeting, Trudeau told ministers that if a spouse or child of theirs were kidnapped, there would be no concessions. “We were not giving in to blackmail in the case of Cross or Laporte,” Macdonald wrote, “so our loved ones would be treated no differently.” Three days later, responding to the strong urging of the federal government, Bourassa asked for the army’s aid to support the civil authorities. As FLQ supporters gathered in the thousands at the Paul Sauvé Arena in Montreal on the evening of Oct. 15, the prime minister and cabinet invoked the War Measures Act, passed in 1914, to deal with what Trudeau called “a state of apprehended insurrection.” Trudeau’s principal secretary Marc Lalonde and Minister of Regional Economic Expansion Jean Marchand, according to Macdonald, “fed information to cabinet that they gleaned from officials and police sources” that the FLQ had two tons of dynamite set to be exploded remotely. The Act came into force at 4 a.m. on Oct. 16. These unprecedented actions drew massive public support in Quebec and across Canada. And attitudes hardened even more on Oct. 17, when Laporte’s body was found in the trunk of a car belonging to FLQ leader Paul Rose. Even when police swept up hundreds of separatist sympathizers and radicals and jailed more than 450 of them, there was very little public opposition.

93

2015-07-30 5:35 PM

AT THE START OF THE YEAR we received a nice old-fashioned letter from an old friend and sometime contributor, Fraser McKee of Toronto, on paper with a photograph of an HMCS Toronto model at the top, (so we know one of his principal loyalties). Moved to write to Humour Hunt by the then recent death of Vice-Admiral Ralph Hennessy, Comrade McKee wished to share a fond memory of his first meeting with the admiral. Just turned 19, McKee had been commissioned from ordinary seaman to probationary sublieutenant (temporary), Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve. To begin his training, he was appointed to the officers’ college at HMCS Kings in Halifax, on the same day Acting Commander Ralph Hennessy, DSC, was appointed the new commanding officer (or CO), pending his reappointment to a destroyer then being built. The first Monday morning, Hennessy walked slowly down the lines of 80 or so new probationary sub-lieutenants drawn up for divisions, pausing to say a word or two to every fourth or fifth sub. Stopping before McKee, the commander looked him up and down. “Who do you think you are, David Beatty?” He was obviously referring to the famous British admiral of the

94

First World War, an iconic figure to Commonwealth sailors of that era. “No, Sir,” responded our man, rather dumbfounded. “Put your cap on straight!” The CO brusquely turned and passed on. The Royal Navy’s Admiral Lord Beatty was known for the very jaunty angle at which he traditionally wore his cap. McKee, in subsequent years, felt he had shown remarkable restraint for his age at the time, not even glancing up at Cmdr. Hennessy’s cap, also worn at a modest, slight angle. He straightened his cap, appreciating that this was allowed for dashing new commanders with a Distinguished Service Cross but assuredly not for probationary sub-lieutenants (temporary). Lesson absorbed and understood. As requested, we will see that the $25 reward for this contribution goes to the Toronto Branch Naval Officers’ Association of Canada Scholarship Fund. ART UTTLEY sent an e-mail saying he is “somewhat inspired by Humour Hunt in Legion Magazine, March/April 2015.” One of the stories, he reminds us, concerned the ability to know just who to salute. It brought to mind a 1942 incident which occurred while he was

serving on a radar station in Ireland. He and another airman were walking back to camp from the nearby village along a lightly travelled road. A big, shiny black car surprised them by stopping just after it had passed by. More surprising was to see a flying officer get out of the car and head back to them. They both saluted this superior being, of course. “Why didn’t you salute the air vice-marshal’s pennant?” The fact that the pennant was on the far side of the car and neither one of the airmen knew what an AVM’s pennant looked like had a lot to do with them not saluting. “You must be more observant,” the flight officer advised. He then told Uttley to get a haircut and put his hat on correctly. Our comrade admits that he did have a tendency to wear his uniform cap on the back of his head, but was not alone in doing this. The airmen both figured the AVM must be headed toward their station and they might receive a not-too-nice reception at the guard room. However, when they arrived there, they saw no AVM, no flight officer driver, and no shiny car with a pennant. They must have driven straight on to Belfast. Uttley didn’t bother getting his haircut right away.

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg94-95_HumourHunt.indd 94

2015-07-31 3:07 PM

MALCOLM JONES

BY CARL CHRISTIE

MALCOLM JONES

IN 1964, while serving at Army Headquarters for the B.C. Area in Vancouver, Don Hensler found himself seconded to the Vernon Army Cadet Corps Camp for the summer. His job was to operate the equipment in the print shop for the camp. One morning the sergeant-major brought in a group of local people to give them an idea of what was going on in the camp. He introduced our correspondent to the group with the following statement: “Lance Corporal Hensler will now show you his reproduction equipment.” Amid much laughter from the group, Hensler politely replied to the sergeant-major: “Not bloody likely, sir!” This produced even more laughter. The sergeant-major told him later he couldn’t think of any other way to describe Hensler’s job.

IN 1975, while on a spring training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, Que., Richard Quintal’s squadron of Lynx armoured personnel carriers had set up in an encamped defensive position, or a laager, with a forward operating post (OP) a few hundred yards away. Suddenly the sound of weapons fire woke up every soldier in the laager. Was it an “enemy” attack? The commanding officer’s, or CO’s, radio came to life: “NO DUFF NO DUFF! A mama bear and her cub are after our food. We tried to scare them away, but it didn’t work, what do we do?” “Did you throw a thunder flash at them?” 

“Yes, sir. No result.” “How about an artie sim?” (We civvies can assume that refers to an artillery simulation.) A pause ensued, followed by the unmistakeable whistle and bang of an artillery round having been fired. “No good, sir. They’re trying to climb onto the Lynx.” The squadron major took the radio and told the trooper at the other end: “Repeat after me: Our Father, Who art in Heaven...”  The laughter must have been heard for miles. FINALLY, let’s return to Art Uttley’s e-mail for a second story, one a little more complicated than the previous one. Uttley and one of his mates had been on duty all night on an eighthour watch at a radar navigation site. They had logged off duty and were waiting for a truck to take them back to base. The truck was late. Suddenly, the transmitter’s cooling motors started surging along with the transmitter output; not a good thing if any aircraft were relying on the station to let them know where they were. The radar techs rushed outside to see one of the two heavy copper-wire radiators on top of the one of the 100-metre towers had broken and was flailing around in the wind, shorting out the signal whenever it contacted the steel tower. They immediately called for the Technical Officer (TO) who was also a Canadian. He arrived at the site about the same time as the very late replacement watch arrived. The watchmen being replaced told their story to the TO. When he turned to their replacements, Uttley and his mate hopped on the truck, anxious to get back for breakfast and their beds. No such luck! The truck had gone only a few hundred metres when they noticed the TO waving his arms and running after them. The driver also saw him, stopped and backed up.

The offending radiator had to be cut off the top of the tower. The replacements, both Royal Air Force types and not as naïve as the colonials, had “chits”—medical instructions exempting them from having to climb towers. Guess what? The men being replaced had to climb the tower. The truck left without them. They grabbed several sets of cutting pliers and started to climb straight up the steel ladder. About eight metres up the TO shouted that they didn’t have their safety belts on and order them back. Down they came and explained that the belts did not fit. “Being a good officer, he wouldn’t listen to his inferiors and order us to wear the belts,” said Uttley. To his credit, the TO watched them climb and saw that by 10 metres up, the belts were around their knees. Another couple of metres and the climbers had stepped out of the belts and continued climbing. The TO said nothing. Reaching the top, Uttley found himself having to ease out on the steel beam, holding the insulator while his friend held his ankles. The beam was about 10 centimetres wide and he maintained a death grip on it with one arm. The first attempt to cut the heavy copper failed. The cutters slipped and spiralled into the black field below. Uttley asked his buddy for another set of cutters and tightened his death grip again, in anticipation of his climbing partner releasing his ankles to get another set out of his pocket. This time the mission succeeded. He cut the wire and watched as it spiralled down into the field. Then it was off the beam and down the tower, picking up their safety belts as they passed. Their reward? A lift back to camp with the TO. Uttley asks that his payment go to a service fund. We trust the poppy fund will meet with his approval. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 LEGION MAGAZINE

Pg94-95_HumourHunt.indd 95

95

2015-07-31 3:08 PM

Travelling ABOUT

1



Five things to do and see in SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

Converge on the Dunvegan Crossroads for the Battle of Glengarry

The Battle of Glengarry returns for its 6th annual re-creation of this pivotal battle in the War of 1812. Re-enactors from Canada and the United States will use muskets, cannons and campfires to tell the story of what happened here more than 200 years ago. There will also be a historic fashion show, encampment tours and merchants selling souvenirs. The Battle of Glengarry Sept. 26-27 Glengarry Pioneer Museum, Dunvegan, Ont. www.glengarrypioneermuseum.ca/ home/events/1812-re-enactment

This special exhibit at the national war museum traces the impact of total war on women through the 20th and early 21st centuries. While the focus is on what women did during conflicts–at home and overseas–the exhibit will also explore what it all meant, not only to women but to Canadian society as well. Canadian War Museum October-March 2016 Ottawa www.warmuseum.ca

4

Fanshawe Pioneer Village

Discover a century of women at war

The War of 1812 comes alive in Ontario

Almost 200 years after it was attacked for real, Upper Canada is once again going to be invaded. However, this time it will be the members of the Upper Canada Military Re-Enactment Society doing the attacking, not the Americans. Experience what life was like for soldiers during this battle and even try an authentic tavern meal at the Pioneer Village Cafe. The Invasion of Upper Canada Oct. 3-4 Fanshawe Pioneer Village, London, Ont. www.fanshawepioneervillage.ca

96

3

Get scared at old Fort Henry in Kingston

As the scary voice says: “The fort has come alive with bone-chilling scares! Do you have what it takes to venture into the park and make it back out?” Fort Henry turns into a labyrinth of fright for the whole month of Halloween. As an added feature, children can get a special safe pass to ensure they won’t get frightened too badly. Fort Fright Oct. 1 – Nov. 1 Fort Henry, Kingston, Ont. www.forthenry.com/events/fort-fright/

5

St. Lawrence Parks Commission

Lieut. Ken Bell/DND/LAC-PA-208583

2

Live the glorious Celtic history on Cape Breton Island

History comes alive with more than a week of concerts, events and amazing food during this unique festival on Canada’s East Coast. With dozens of things to do and see all across the island, this trip is sure to be a hit with anyone interested in Canadian history. Celtic Colours International Festival Oct. 8-18 Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia www.celtic-colours.com

LEGION MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

Pg96_TravellingAbout.indd 96

2015-07-31 3:08 PM