The Royal Canadian Legion NOVA SCOTIA / NUNAVUT COMMAND VETERANS’ SERVICE RECOGNITION BOOK Volume Thirteen Raising the Maple Leaf, ISAF Headquarters, Afghanistan, 12 March 2014
H Nova Scotians r We are especially proud of the role that two Nova Scotia b On behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia, I would like to thank our Nova Scotia military personnel and their families for the enormous contributions and sacrifices they have made and continue to make for our country. In 2017 Nova Scotians joined other Canadians in commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Nova Scotians reflected and paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada. We are especially proud of the role that two Nova Scotia battalions, the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) and the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles), played in this historic battle. The Province of Nova Scotia is proud of our troops, their valuable service and sacrifice, and our historically strong connection with Canada’s military. Sincerely, Honourable Stephen McNeil, M.L.A. Premier
Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 1 Premier’s Message . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Project Chairman’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 A Note to the Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Open to Everyone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Canada’s Angels of Mercy in WWI . . . . . . . . . .11 Citadel Hill (Fort George) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 HMCS Sackville – The Ship’s Story . . . . . . . . .31 No. 2 Construction Battalion . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Larry Vaincourt’s Classic Poem . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Just a Common Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 The 25th Battaltion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 The 85th Canadian Infantry Battalion . . . . . . . . .63 The Victoria Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Vimy Ridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Wounded at Vimy Ridge – A Nova Scotia Son’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 VETERANS: ACKER, Elthan St. Clair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 ANDERSON, George Arthur . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 ANDERSON, Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 ANDREWS, Fulton Kerr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 ANGEVINE, Ewart Mansfield . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 ARENBURG, Lawson G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 ASHFORD, Jack Floyd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 AYRES, Annie Elizabeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 AYRES, Ernest George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 BAKER, Victor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 BARRETT, John Alfred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 BATEMAN, Cecil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 BEACH, Bernard Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 BEATON, Duncan Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 BENT, Phillip Eric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 BENTLEY, John Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 BENVIE, Irene Mae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 BLAIKIE, George Morrison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 BOUTILIER, Kenneth Rudolph . . . . . . . . . . . .117 BOYLES, Charles Burton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 BREMNER, William Frederick DesBarres . . . .119 BRENTON, Walter Campbell . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 BROWN, Harold C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 BROWN, R. Denis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 BURRIS, Jeannie McBean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 BURRIS, Laurie Bernard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 CAMPBELL, George Burris . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 CAMPBELL, John Hartley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 CAMPBELL, Marion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 CANN, Malcolm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 CARDOZA, George Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 CHAMBERLAIN (MacLELLAN), Catherine . .125 CHAPLIN, Homer Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 CHAPLIN, Lewis Everett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 CHAPMAN, Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 CHASE, Brian David . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 CHUTE, Colin Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 CHUTE, George Edward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 CLARKE, John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 COLBURNE, Richard Alan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 COLEMAN, Glenna Marie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 COLEMAN, Vincent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 CONNOLLY, Frederick Gordon . . . . . . . . . . .133 CONROY, John Lyons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 CONROY, Robert Fitzgerald . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 COOK, Harvey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 COOK, Wilfred Harding Densmore . . . . . . . . .135 COOLEN, Merve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 COPE, James . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 COPE, Leo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137 COTTON, Harry Robbins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 COX, Daniel Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 COX, Harold Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 COX, Kathleen Mabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 COX, Roland Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 COX, Ula Bessie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 CREELMAN, Donald Logan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 CREELMAN, Hedley Gordon . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 CREELMAN, Howard Thompson . . . . . . . . . .143 Table of Contents With the left photo showing the raising of the Maple Leaf in Afghanistan and the right photo the monument at Vimy Ridge, Canadians should be very proud and thankful. We marked the 100th Anniversary of Vimy Ridge and also the 150th Anniversary of Confederation this year. Let us never forget our soldiers who have kept this great nation free and the great sacrifices made for that freedom.
Veterans’ Service Recognition Book 2 Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion Table of Contents CREELMAN, Jamie Cox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 CREELMAN, Kenneth Munro . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 CREELMAN, Lloyd Duncan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 CREELMAN, Robert Currie . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 CREELMAN, William Aubrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 CROAKE, John Bernard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 CROCKETT, Edward Arnold . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 CROCKETT, John Cecil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 CROUCHER, George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 CROWE, Edward Allan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 CURRIE, Hugh Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 CURWIN, John Michael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 DAKIN, Allison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 DAUPHINEE, Harold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 DAVIDSON, Estwood Harold . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 DAVIS, Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 DAVIS, Roy Walcott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 DAYE, William Stanley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 DEAN, George Gordon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 DECOSTE, Phillip Clifford Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 DENSMORE, Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 DEVILLER, Thomas Albert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 DEWOLFE, Robert Bryson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 DEYARMOND, Lester Burton . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 DICKEY, Ernest Ryan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 DICKEY, John Franklin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 DICKIE, Lloyd George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 DILLMAN, George Garfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 DOBSON, Lloyd Woodman . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 DOMINEY, Willis Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 DOWE (PIERCE), Marjorie Jean . . . . . . . . . . .163 DOWNEY, George A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163 EISAN, George William . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 EMBREE, William Hazen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 EVERETT, Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 FAHIE, Percy Philip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 FEVENS, Lawrence Whitman . . . . . . . . . . . .167 FINDLAY, John Leroy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167 FISHER, Adams Elwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 FISHER, Alexander Kent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 FISHER, Harold Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 FISHER, Howard Dickey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 FISHER, Hugh Garnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 FISHER, John Alvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 FISHER, Leonard Weldon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 FISHER, Norman Marshall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 FISHER, Rupert Seldon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 FLECK, Cyril Dares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 FLECK, Raymond Dickie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 FLECK, Russell Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175 FORBES, John W. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 FOX, Edward L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 FRAIL, Wallace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 FRANCIS, Stephen Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 FRAZEE, John Albert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 FULTON, David Holmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 FULTON, David Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 FULTON, Douglas Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 FULTON, Ervin Blair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 FULTON, Frank Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 FULTON, Herbert Roblyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 FULTON, Joseph Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 FULTON, Louis Emil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183 FULTON, Norman Lester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 FULTON, Parker Alonzo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 FULTON, Parker Leslie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 FULTON, Reta May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187 FULTON, William Stanley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187 GARDEN, Rayburn Vincent . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187 GASS, Clare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189 GAUDET, Ronald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 HALL, William . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 HAMMOND, Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189 HUBLEY, Laura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189 INGRAHAM, Harold Stanley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 JOHNSTON, Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 JONES, Donald Allan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 JONES, Jeremiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 KERR, John Chapman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 MacBURNIE, Ronald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 MACDONALD, Angus L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 MacDONALD, Margaret C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 MacKEIGAN, William . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 MALONEY, Dennis Frank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 MALONEY, Frank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195 MALONEY, Gerald James . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195 MALONEY, John William . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195 MALONEY, Ralph Edward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197 MARCHBANK, George Henery . . . . . . . . . . . .197 McCABE, John Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197 McKINNON, Jerome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 McLELLEN, Boyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 McLELLEN, Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 McLELLEN, Wilfred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 MELANSON, Herman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 MILLER, Duncan Edward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 MINGO, Russell Keith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 MOORE, Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 MORRISON, Sholto Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 MURRAY, John Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 OWEN, Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 PARKER, Lawrence Maxwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 PARRIS, Joseph A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 PAULEY, Clarence Albert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 PAULEY, Eldon Arthur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 PAULEY, Roderick Eugene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 PAULEY, Victor Milledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 PETTIS, Herbert Norman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 PICKUP, Walter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 PORTER, Albert Judson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 PRENTICE, Dr. Willit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 PRICE, George Lawrence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 RITCHIE, Gertrude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 ROBERTSON, James Peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 RUGGLES, Walter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 RUSSELL, William John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 SAULNIER, Remi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 SAWLER, Harding Robert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 SAYIES, Baptiste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 SLOAN, Easterby Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 SLOAN, Easterby Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 SPENCER, Charlie Ernest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 STEWART, Dr. John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 SUTHERLAND, Daniel Hugh . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 WEATHERBEE, Darren Stephen . . . . . . . . . .215 WHITE, Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 WHITE, Thomas G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 WHITE, William A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 WHITMAN, James Lawrence . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 WINTERS, P. E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 YORKE, Laurie C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 Advertisers’ Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 Submit a Veteran’s Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224
Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 3 President’s Message On behalf of the membership of Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion, I am most pleased to offer the 2017 edition, the 13th book, in our Veterans Service Recognition series. The Veterans Service Recognition Books are produced to recognize, remember and honour those brave Canadians among us who serve and have served in Canadas' Armed Forces and The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. To the many NS/NU Command Legion Branches, Legion Members and others who contributed to this volume, I extend great thanks for your dedication to our Veterans and your support of this project. To the advertisers and those who have made private donations to this volume please accept our gratitude for your generous assistance, through much needed funds raised, in the perpetuation of remembrance and support of programs that enhance the lives of our Veterans and our communities. On behalf of all members of Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command I offer heartfelt thanks to Comrade Steve Wessel, Chairman and Editor of the Veterans Service Recognition Book for all of its' 13 years of publication. His diligence, dedication and tremendous effort has made this project a continued success. Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command extends thanks to Fenety Marketing Services for their continued supportive partnership in the production of The Veterans Service Recognition Book. We look forward, with your help, to issuing our 14th edition of the Veterans Service Recognition Book in the Fall of 2018. In Comradeship Melvin Crowe President Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command The Royal Canadian Legion
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Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 5 Project Chairman’s Message As project Chairman, and on behalf of the entire membership of Nova Scotia / Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion, it is an honour and a privilege to present the 2017 edition, the 13th book, in our Veteran Service Recognition Book (VSRB) series. All of these books are produced in an effort to honour, acknowledge and remember the contributions made by so many brave Canadians who have served, not only in times of war, but also during many peacekeeping and peacemaking missions. We also recognize and support those men and women who continue the proud tradition of service to Canada throughout the world in the Canadian Forces and the RCMP. In this edition, we are continuing our efforts to present longer stories and biographies of our Veterans featuring their wartime contributions and experiences, as well as historical recollections of our province and our military establishments. I hope you enjoy them! As always, I offer my sincere thanks to the Legion branches and members of the general public who continue to support these publications by contributing biographies and photos. I would also like to thank the many businesses, groups and individuals who generously support these publications through advertising and through personal financial donations. I would like to take this opportunity to personally, and publicly, thank two dedicated people, Mr. Mark Fenety and Ms. Kathy Gilbert of Fenety Marketing for their patience in dealing with me, as an amateur Editor, over these many years. As I “wrap up” this 13th edition – actually, 14 books in total when counting our 1st, “The History of Nova Scotia / Nunavut Command”edition – I find it somewhat difficult to believe that we started out on this “temporary”project over 14 years ago. It has been a tremendous learning experience for me as Chairman and Editor of this project, as well as a tremendous honour to be able to present the stories of our Nova Scotian heroes in uniform. I have appreciated the opportunity NS/NU Command has given me to work on this series for the past 14 years and I sincerely hope that future Command Councils continue their ongoing responsibility to support its production. In closing, Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command extends it’s sincere thanks to our partners, Fenety Marketing Services, for their continued support of The R.C.L. through the production of these books and together, look forward to issuing the 14th edition of the VSRB series in the fall of 2018. In Comradeship, Stephen Wessel Project Chairman / Editor
Veterans’ Service Recognition Book 6 Thank you from Hyundai. military.hyundaicanada.com AT LANT I C DEALERS Canadian War Museum George Metcalf Archival Collection / 19920085-295. Colorized by the Vimy Foundation and Canadian Colour. TM/®The Hyundai names, logos, product names, feature names, images and slogans are trademarks owned or licensed by Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. We will always look back and remember our Canadian heroes. Canadian soldiers returning from Vimy Ridge
Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 7 A Note to the Reader Dear Reader, This book is the Thirteenth in a series of Veterans’ Service Recognition Books that we have been publishing since 2004. Thank you to the Legion Branches, members and individuals who collected, composed, and submitted stories that contributed to the great success of these publications. The professional expertise of Fenety Marketing has raised funds through the selling of advertising in these books and through a public telephone solicitation. The proceeds raised are being used to improve our services to Veterans and Legion programs in more than 103 communities that we serve throughout Nova Scotia & Nunavut. This unique publication is dedicated to the thousands of Veterans and ex-service personnel who have served their country so well during times of war and peace. This book will help future generations better understand the sacrifices made during these times of great conflict, and to better understand the purpose and objectives of The Royal Canadian Legion. Please copy and use the submission form included in this book to send us additional stories. We encourage everyone to submit stories about their family members and friends with military backgrounds. When a story is received it will be deemed submitted for inclusion and may be edited and used without any further permission required. The maximum length of these submissions should be no longer than 200 words, and a separate sheet of paper can be attached to this form, as well as a photo. We retain the right to edit, but will not make any changes to content; if you misspell your name or give the wrong information, we may not make the necessary changes. All submissions should be sent to the NS/NU Command office by Canada Post or email. Email to info@ns.legion.ca is the preferred method. Please send stories and photos together in the same email. If photographs are emailed, please ensure they have a resolution of 300dpi or higher. If you are mailing in your submission, please send to: Veterans’ Service Recognition Book 61 Gloria McCluskey Ave Dartmouth, NB B3B 2Z3 Photographs will not be returned, so if you mail one, mail a copy. We hope this information and form are of assistance in preparation of your histories and stories and we look forward to receiving your submissions. If you have any questions about the book or your submission, contact the Command Office at 902-429-4090 Recognition of our Veterans is very important to all of us, so let’s get behind this project and make it another successful and memorable publication!
Veterans’ Service Recognition Book 8 Nova Scotia / Nunavut Command Royal Canadian Legion Visit us online or at one of our two retail locations 757 Bedford Highway | 902-443-0333 Halifax International Airport | 902-873-4509 www.clearwater.ca Lest We Forget proud sponsors of the
Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 9 Open to Everyone Legion membership is open to anyone over 18 years of age. Becoming a member of The Royal Canadian Legion is a meaningful way to serve the community in a social setting with a respected non-profit organization. Steeped in history, the Legion has a long and distinguished presence in the community. Be part of this exciting organization and enjoy being involved with: community charitable work; social activities; sports tournaments; and leadership opportunities. “…The Royal Canadian Legion is mandated to serve Veterans and their dependents, promote Remembrance and to act in the service of Canada and its communities…” NS/NU Command has a membership of 21,000, serving 103 Branches. The annual Poppy Campaign raised $2 million in NS & Nunavut alone, with proceeds going to support Veterans, Canadian Forces, ex-service personnel and their families. Legions do fantastic things for the communities they serve. Here are some great things our members do: Do you have a passion for helping Veterans and ex-service personnel while making a meaningful difference in our communities? If so, join us! Visit ns.legion.caor call NS/NU Command at 902-429-4090. Service to Veterans past and present - Education and mental wellness programs - Assistance with the Service Bureau - Assistance through our Benevolent Fund Educational Outreach to Youth - History and heritage learning materials - Youth multimedia contests - Bursaries and scholarships - Competitive youth athletics - Leadership Training Camp Recreational Activities - Competitive sporting tournaments - Sponsorship of community youth clubs Community Partnerships - Sponsorship of local community programs Leadership Opportunities - Opportunities to lead at the community, regional, provincial, and national levels Member Benefits - Special rates from a diverse range of corporate partners
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www.ns.legion.ca 11 Canada’s Angels of Mercy in WWI To the Canadian soldiers who fought in the First World War, they were known as Angels of Mercy. These “angels” were the scores of Canadian nurses who served overseas in military hospitals and dressing stations, often dangerously close to the front lines. In all, 3000 women – 200 of them from Nova Scotia – served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps during the four year conflict. Most of them were single with an average age of 24 and, sadly, not all of those who went overseas returned home. By the time the war was over, 46 Canadian nurses had made the ultimate sacrifice for their King and country. During the conflict, the Angels of Mercy were to be found at Canada’s 30 military hospitals and clearing stations at the major battlefields in Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Their official titles were nursing sisters – a nod to the fact many of the earliest volunteers were from religious orders – and they held the rank of lieutenant. Each woman wore a nun-like white head covering and a white apron over a distinctive blue dress.
Veterans’ Service Recognition Book 12 Building Canada’s infrastructure for over sixty years. Royal Hamilton Light Infantry boys photographed in Europe prior to the Dieppe Raid. Joseph P. Page, father-in-law of PLCAC director, Neil Lane, is pictured back row, centre. Proud Sponsor of Our Veterans ^ ¥ ã ùറ റ റ ^ » ® ½ ½ Ýറ റ ^ Ê ® ½ > ® Ä Ý ^ ã Ä Ù Ýറ റ ^ Ù ò ® Oakville, ON www.pipeline.ca
www.ns.legion.ca 13 Needless to say, it wasn’t long before the troops honoured them with another affectionate nickname – “bluebirds”. The women were ill-prepared for the special hell awaiting them at the battlefields, compared to their nursing experiences in Canada. They had to adapt quickly to the horrors of modern warfare, not just in terms of the kinds of ghastly wounds suffered by the troops but also the sheer numbers of casualties. Nor were they spared discomfort because of their gender; they shared the same dangerous, unsanitary field conditions as their male colleagues and often went hungry and thirsty. Wherever they nursed, the Angels of Mercy were never far from danger. Sometimes, death found them when they were aboard hospital ships transporting the sick and wounded home to Canada. One such incident occurred during the night of 27 June 1917 when a Canadian hospital ship, the Llandovery Castle, was torpedoed in the Atlantic by a German U-boat. Of the 258 crew and medical staff aboard, only 24 lived to tell the story, an amazing escape considering the U-boat’s crew machinegunned the lifeboats. All 14 nursing sisters aboard perished that terrible night, among them Matron Marjory Fraser, daughter of Lt. Col. Duncan Cameron Fraser, the lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia.
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www.ns.legion.ca 15 Other times, bombs and shells would rain down on the nurses as they went about their duties behind the front lines. In his book, “Nova Scotia’s Part in the Great War”, Captain M. Stuart Hunt describes the scene during one bombing attack on the St. Francis Hospital Unit in France. “The nursing sisters and hospital staff displayed great courage all through these trying times, remaining at their posts in the operating room and hospital wards. No pen can describe the nerve-testing and nerve-wracking experience of hearing the swish through the air of those terrible and deadly bombs, then the terrific explosions and rocking and trembling of the earth which meant destruction and death to many. The way those splendid young women carried themselves was magnificent. Without a quiver or the slightest hesitation, they kept right along with their work and soothed and encouraged and ministered to their patients. They were the same living contradiction here as elsewhere to all logical relations, and the harmony of things. They would jump up on the operating table and scream at the suggestion of a mouse or trench rat; but would go out into the storm and darkness and fire to give a drink of water to a wounded soldier”. The contribution made by the Angels of Mercy to Canada’s war effort was not forgotten, once hostilities ceased. A monument to them, and to the nursing profession itself, was erected in Ottawa in 1926. It can be found in the Hall of Honour in the Center Block of Parliament. The Angels of Mercy will be remembered for one other historic distinction as well. Their courageous wartime service helped convince the Canadian government that the time was long overdue to grant women the right to vote!
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www.ns.legion.ca 17 Citadel Hill (Fort George) Although all four fortifications constructed on Citadel Hill since 1749 are variously referred to as Fort George, only the third fort (built between 1794 and 1800) was officially named Fort George, by General Orders of October 20, 1798, after Prince Edward's father, King George III. The first two and the fourth and current fort, were simply called the Halifax Citadel. The Citadel is the fortified summit of Citadel Hill, a National Historic Site of Canada in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The hill was first fortified in 1749, the year the town of Halifax was founded. Those fortifications on the hill were successively rebuilt to defend the town from various enemies. A series of four different defensive fortifications have occupied the summit of Citadel Hill. Construction and levelling resulted in the summit of the hill being dropped by ten to twelve metres. Whilst never attacked, the Citadel was long the keystone to the defence of the strategically important Halifax Harbour and its Royal Navy Dockyard. Today the fort is operated by Parks Canada as the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada and is restored to the Victorian period. The First Citadel First established in 1749, as a counterbalance to the French stronghold of Louisbourg, which the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) returned to France, Halifax played a pivotal role over the next decade in the Anglo-French rivalry in the region. The various fortifications at Halifax were to protect the Protestant settlers against raids by the French, Acadians, and Wabanaki Confederacy (primarily the Mi'kmaq) in a conflict known to some historians as Father Le Loutre's War. The war began shortly after Edward Cornwallis arrived on June 21, 1749 to establish Halifax with 13 transports and a sloop of war carrying 1,176 settlers and their families. The Mi'kmaq felt that the British settlement at Halifax violated earlier treaties which were signed after Father Rale's War in 1726. On 11 September 1749, Cornwallis wrote to the Board of Trade: “The Square at the top of the Hill is finished. These squares are done with double picquets, each picquet ten foot long and six inches thick. They likewise clear a Space of 30 feet without the Line and throw up the Trees by way of Barricade. When this work is completed I shall think the Town as secure against Indians as if it was regularly fortify'd” The first fort was simply a small redoubt which stood near the summit (at a spot just east of the south ravelin of the present citadel) with a flagstaff and guardhouse. It was part of the western perimeter wall for the old city which was protected by five stockaded forts. The others were Horsemans Fort, Cornwallis Fort, Fort Lutrell and Grenadier Fort. (The British built Fort Charlotte - named after King George's wife Charlotte - on Georges Island the following year in 1750.) Citadel Hill (Fort George) continued.... Building the first Citadel. Soldier of the 29th Regiment of Foot (right) guarding against Acadian and Mi'kmaw raids by Charles William Jefferys
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www.ns.legion.ca 19 The fortified city walls guarded by five stockaded forts to protect against Mi'kmaq, Acadian, and French attacks was the centre of a network of forts Cornwallis built to protect settlements including Bedford (Fort Sackville) (1749), Dartmouth (1750), Lunenburg (1753) and Lawrencetown (1754). During Father Le Loutre's War, the soldiers guarding Halifax were in a constant state of alert. The Mi'kmaq and Acadians raided the capital region (Halifax and Dartmouth) 12 times. The worst of these raids was the Dartmouth Massacre (1751). Four of these raids were against Halifax. The first raid was in July 1750: in the woods on peninsular Halifax, the Mi'kmaq scalped Cornwallis' gardener, his son, and four others. They buried the son, left the gardener's body exposed, and carried off the other four bodies. In 1751, there were two attacks on blockhouses surrounding Halifax. Mi'kmaq attacked the North Blockhouse (located at the north end of Joseph Howe Drive) and killed the men on guard. They also attacked near the South Blockhouse (located at the south end of Joseph Howe Drive), at a saw-mill on a stream flowing out of Chocolate Lake into the Northwest Arm. They killed two men. In 1753, when Lawrence became governor, the Mi'kmaq attacked again upon the sawmills near the South Blockhouse on the Northwest Arm, where they killed three British. The Mi'kmaq made three attempts to retrieve the bodies for their scalps. Prominent Halifax business person Michael Francklin was captured by a Mi'kmaw raiding party in 1754 and held captive for three months. The Seven Years War The stockaded forts were also instrumental to the British during the French and Indian War (the North American theatre of the Seven Years War). The Fort was used to help faciltate the Expulsion of the Acadians, many Acadians being imprisoned on Georges Island in Halifax Harbour. During the war, the Mi'kmaq and Acadians resisted the British throughout the province. On 2 April 1756, Mi'kmaq received payment from the Governor of Quebec for 12 British scalps taken at Halifax. Acadian Pierre Gautier, son of Joseph-Nicolas Gautier, led Mi’kmaq warriors from Louisbourg on three raids against Halifax in 1757. In each raid, Gautier took prisoners or scalps or both. The last raid happened in September and Gautier went with four Mi’kmaq and killed and scalped two British men at the foot of Citadel Hill. In July 1759, Mi'kmaq and Acadians killed five British in Dartmouth, opposite McNabb's Island. There were also numerous raids against the British in the province such as the Raid on Lunenburg (1756). Citadel Hill (Fort George) Citadel Hill, The British Squadron going off to Louisbourg Expedition (1757) Citadel Hill during Father Le Loutre's War (1750)
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www.ns.legion.ca 21 Citadel Hill (Fort George) continued.... The Second Citadel American Revolution The first major permanent fortification appeared on Citadel Hill in the American Revolution. The possibility of attack during the Revolution required a larger fortification to protect the city from an American or French attack. Built in 1776, the new fort on Citadel Hill was composed of multiple lines of overlapping earthen redans backing a large outer palisade wall. At the center was a three-story octagonal blockhouse mounting a fourteen-gun battery and accommodating 100 troops. These works required that the hill be cut down by 40 feet. The entire fortress mounted 72 guns. Citadel Hill and the associated harbour defence fortifications afforded the Royal Navy the most secure and strategic base in eastern North America from its Halifax Dockyard commanding the Great Circle Route to western Europe and gave Halifax the nickname "Warden of The North". The massive British military presence in Halifax focused through Citadel Hill and the Royal Navy's dockyard is thought to be one of the main reasons that Nova Scotia—the fourteenth British colony—remained loyal to the Crown throughout and after the American Revolutionary War. Neither French nor American forces attacked Citadel Hill during the American Revolution. However, the garrison remained on guard because there were numerous American privateer raids on villages around the province (e.g., Raid on Lunenburg (1782)), as well as naval battles just off shore, such as the Naval battle off Halifax. By 1784 the works were reported in ruins except for the blockhouse. The Third Citadel Although all four fortifications constructed on Citadel Hill since 1749 are variously referred to as Fort George, this third Citadel is the only one officially named Fort George, by General Orders of October 20, 1798, after King George III. French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars that began in 1793 raised a new threat to Halifax. A new citadel was designed in 1794 and was completed by 1800. Much of the work was inspired by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria, who was posted to Halifax as Commander-in-chief from 1794 to 1800. The top of the hill was leveled and lowered a further 15 feet to accommodate a larger fortress on the summit. It resembled the outline of the final Citadel, comprising four bastions surrounding a central barracks and magazine, but used mainly earthwork walls. One bastion was constructed with labour from Jamaican Maroons. Citadel Hill from Fort Needham during the American Revolution (1780) Citadel Hill from Point Pleasant Park during the American Revolution (1780)
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www.ns.legion.ca 23 Citadel Hill (Fort George) continued.... Town clock Prince Edward, Duke of Kent commissioned a clock tower in 1800 prior to his return to England. The Town Clock opened on October 20, 1803, at a location on the east slope of Citadel Hill on Barrack (now Brunswick) Street and has kept time for the community ever since. The War of 1812 The Third citadel received hasty repairs and a new magazine during the War of 1812 in case of an American raid but a new fortification was not constructed as naval superiority provided by the British Royal Navy precluded any chance of an American siege. By 1825 all the works except the powder magazine, were in ruins. The Fourth Citadel The current star-shaped fortress, or citadel, was completed in 1856, during the Victorian Era, following twenty-eight years of construction. This massive masonry-construction fort was designed to repel a land-based attack by United States forces and was inspired by the designs of Louis XIV's commissary of fortifications Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban –a starshaped hillock citadel with internal courtyard and clear harbour view from armoured ramparts.. Citadel Hill, circa 1870. Cannons facing the harbour.
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www.ns.legion.ca 25 Centrepiece of the Halifax Defence Complex The Halifax Citadel and its predecessors were the focal point of the British military's "Halifax Defence Complex" which included (at various years): • Fort Needham • HMC Dockyard • Fort Massey • Fort Ogilvie • Prince of Wales Martello Tower • Connaught Battery • York Redoubt • Practice Battery • Sandwich Point • Camperdown • Fort Chebucto • Fort Charlotte on George's Island • Fort Clarence • Devil's Battery / Hartlen Point • Five forts on McNabs Island: o Fort Ives o Fort Hugonin o Sherbrooke Tower o Strawberry Hill o Fort McNab The Halifax Citadel was constructed to defend against smoothbore weaponry; it became obsolete following the introduction of more powerful rifled guns in the 1860s. British forces upgraded Fort George's armaments to permit it to defend the harbour as well as land approaches, using heavier and more accurate long-range artillery. The Citadel's two large ammunition magazines also served as the central explosive store for Halifax defences, making Citadel Hill, according to the historian and novelist Thomas Head Raddall, "like Vesuvius over Pompeii, a smiling monster with havoc in its belly". By the end of the 19th century, the role of the Citadel in the defence of Halifax Harbour evolved to become a command centre for other, more distant harbour defensive works, as well as providing barrack accommodations. 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot The renowned 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot were stationed at Halifax for almost three years (1869-1871). The regiment arrived in Halifax on the afternoon of May 14 aboard the troopship HMS Crocodile. A total of 765 men disembarked in full dress uniform. The Regiment was divided into two depots and eight service companies, consisting in all of 34 officers, 49 sergeants, 21 drummers, 6 pipers, and 600 rank and file. For two years, the regiment spent its time billeted at the Halifax Citadel and at Wellington Barracks. The latter is now known as Stadacona and is part of Canadian Forces Base Halifax. Each summer, men from the regiment camped at Bedford to practice musketry at the military range. Citadel Hill (Fort George) continued....
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www.ns.legion.ca 27 Citadel Hill (Fort George) continued.... On their departure in 1871, a farewell ball complete with a musical tribute was composed in their honour. It was hosted by the famous brewmaster and then Grandmaster of the Mason Lodge of Nova Scotia and mayor of Halifax, Alexander Keith. On November 25, the regiment set sail for Ireland on board the troopship Orontes. With them went 17 young Nova Scotian women who had married members of the regiment. The Halifax Citadel has a living history program featuring animators portraying life in the fort where soldiers of the 78th Highland Regiment and the 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) Pipe Band who re-enact life in 1869. First and Second World Wars Although never attacked, Citadel Hill's various fortifications continued to be garrisoned by the British Army until 1906 and afterward by the Canadian Army throughout the First World War. When the Great War began in 1914, there was widespread suspicion in Canada that immigrants from enemy countries might be disloyal. In response, the federal government passed regulations allowing it to monitor and intern anyone who had not become naturalized British subjects. These people were labelled “enemy aliens.” In total 8,579 men were prisoners of war in 24 camps across the country. Fort George's final military role was to provide temporary barracks, signaling and the central coordinating point for the city's anti-aircraft defences during the Second World War. Preservation In 1935, the hill and fortifications were designated a National Historic Site and received some stabilization as a works project during the Depression. However, the fort was not restored and began to decay after the end of the Second World War. In the late 1940s, Halifax downtown business interests advocated demolishing the fort and leveling Citadel Hill to provide parking and encourage development. However, recognition of the fort's historical significance and tourism potential led to the fort's preservation and gradual restoration. Research by historian Harry Piers published in his final book The Evolution of the Halifax Fortress, 1749-1928 in 1947 played a key role in making the case and providing resources to restore the Citadel. In 1956, the partially restored fort opened as a historic site and home to the Halifax Army museum and, in the years before they constructed their own museums, as home to the Nova Scotia Museum and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The Citadel was finally fully restored to its 1869 appearance in the 1990s by Parks Canada. 78th Highlanders - Contemporary Re-enactors, at Citadel Hill This re-enactor is showing the tourists how the rifles of the 19th century worked.
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www.ns.legion.ca 29 Citadel Hill (Fort George) Present day Today the site is under the responsibility of Parks Canada. The Citadel has been restored to the mid-Victorian period. The fort is amongst the most visited National Historic Sites in Atlantic Canada. The grounds of the Halifax Citadel are open year round, and from spring to fall has a living history program featuring animators portraying the 78th Highland Regiment, (stationed at Halifax between 1869 and 1871), the 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) Pipe Band, the Third Brigade of the Royal Artillery, soldiers wives, and civilian tradespersons. Parks Canada also hosts several re-enactment events each year by volunteers of the Brigade of the American Revolution and the Atlantic Canadian World War Two Living History Association. There are guided and self-guided tours available as well as audio-visual presentations and exhibits which serve to communicate the Citadel's role in shaping Halifax's and North America's history. One of the most enduring and recognized symbols of the Halifax Citadel's role in shaping Halifax is the year-round daily ceremonial firing of the noon gun. The artillery is also used for formal occasions such as 21-gun salutes. The "Army Museum", located in the Citadel's Cavalier Block, displays a rare collection of weapons, medals, and uniforms exploring Nova Scotia's army history. It is an independent non-profit museum but works in close partnership with the Citadel staff of Parks Canada. In July 2006, Halifax Citadel celebrated the 100th anniversary of the withdrawal of the last British military forces from Canada. The Citadel hosted over 1,000 re-enactors from around the world. Approaching the Christmas season, Citadel Hill annually hosts a "Victorian Christmas". Visitors are treated to crafts, carolers, and games. From the time of it’s becoming a town and then a city, Halifax has been protected for over 258 years from various enemies, foreign and domestic, by the enduring fort in the center of the city – Citadel Hill! The hill in summer. Firing the noon day gun.
Veterans’ Service Recognition Book 30 Gregory Schofield, CAT VICE PRESIDENT 99 Windsor Junction Road Windsor Junction, Nova Scotia B2T 1G7 Phone: (902) 860-1138 Ext. 235 Fax: (902) 860-4500 E-mail: gschofield@marid.ca Follow us on Twitter! Check us out on LinkedIn! Proud to Support our Veterans and Troops PROUDLY SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS
www.ns.legion.ca 31 The Ship’s Story HMCS Sackville was one of more than 120 corvettes built in Canada during the Second World War. Corvettes soon became the workhorses of the North Atlantic, escorting merchant convoys to Europe and attacking U-Boats. Without the supplies carried by these merchant ships, the war effort in Europe would have collapsed. The Canadian Navy escorted 25,343 merchant vessels across the Atlantic: ships which carried an incredible total of 181,643,180 tonnes of cargo during the war. HMCS Sackville was commissioned on December 29, 1941. Serving in well-known escort groups called C1, C2 and C3, Sackville escorted convoys from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Londonderry, Ireland, from January 1942 to August 1944. Sackville was an original member of the famous Barber Pole Group, with red-and-white barber pole stripes painted on the funnel. All ships in the East Coast Canadian Navy fleet now sport the barber pole symbol. During August 1942, on a westbound convoy mission and 250 nautical miles east of Newfoundland, Sackville encountered a U-boat on the surface. At a range of less than a quarter of a mile, Sackville fired a star shell. The U-boat crash-dived, Sackville accelerated, steamed into the swirl of water and fired a pattern of depth charges. The powerful blast forced the U-boat back up to the surface. She then slipped down into the sea and disappeared. Sackville was credited with a probable kill. Just ninety minutes later, Sackville engaged another surfaced U-boat in a dangerous tactical ballet. Sackville steered courses to ram while the U-boat steered to avoid being attacked, but Sackville’s crew succeeded with a good four-inch shell hit, punching a large hole in the base of the submarine’s conning tower. The ship was officially credited with the probable damage caused. This damage would have certainly put the U-boat out of commission and it would have had to return to its home port. In September 1943, Sackville was part of an escort group in the combined westbound convoys called ON. 202 and ONS. 18. (These ill-fated convoys became the victims of the first use of acoustic torpedoes. These advanced torpedoes were a German invention which had sensors to detect engine noise and could home in on the noise a ship made when underway. A lot did not work, but at first there was little Allied defence against them.) In addition to several merchant ships, four of the escort vessels were torpedoed and sunk: the British frigate HMS Lagan; the four-stack (four funnels) destroyer HMCS St. Croix; the British corvette HMS Polyanthus and the British frigate HMS Itchen. Itchen was carrying HMCS Sackville – The Ship’s Story Photo by: Ian Urquhart continued...
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