More on Remembrance.

Carrying on from last week's blog, I mentioned that in the early hours of November 11th I would again this year be attending a brief ceremony for WWI Victoria  Cross recipient Rowland Bourke.

Reserve Naval Commander Bourke was awarded his VC and also the DSO for saving about 40 lives of sailors in the waters off Belgium in failed attempts  to  scuttle two  vessels at different harbours. Facilities inside those harbours housed German Submarines that got repairs and supplies, and from which they operated during the Battle of the Atlantic. Much has been written about these events in earlier blogs in this space.

En-route to the Bourke grave ceremony I passed by these very large trees that are almost 100 years old. Noted in  past blogs, some 900 were supposed to be planted in honour of fallen Victoria area soldiers from the Great War. But only a few hundred were planted and a recent move saw activity that will soon result in more  being planted.

From the picture above you can see the majestic trees that  actual canopy across the road in some places during the summer. Past blogs also brought you the story that the street was to become known as Memorial Avenue but over the years that got forgotten by the officials of the day.

Recent blogs have also told of the new life to the street with the addition of some 30 road signs and interpretive displays  explaining the significance of the trees and signs. 

The above plaque tells us that back in 1926 the Municipality of Saanich and the Victoria Horticultural Society's  Heritage Tree Committee mounted the plaque. It tells that in 1922 French General Joseph Joffie, Lord Byng and General,  Sir Arthur Currie each planted one of these London Plane trees in this very area.

As I drove by en-route to the Bourke ceremony, I saw two young girls about high school age, placing something on the plaque.  Someone also placed a wonderful wreath on the tree itself. Here's a better picture of the plaque taken later in the day.

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For I believe 11 of the last 12 years I have attended the Bourke grave at the Royal Oak Burial Park in Saanich on  Remembrance Day to pay my respects. At my request, members  of the local reserve naval unit... HMCS Malahat, have unofficially adopted the grave of this fellow sailor and local hero... Rowland Bourke. They have now attended I believe the last 10 years. With their incredible help, that of CFB Esquimalt, the family, the Cemetery and many others, joint efforts resulted in the unveiling of this marvelous grave marker beside the original, hard to see, flat marker. 

I am looking up at a low flying airplane, no doubt sent to watch over us... hehe.

This year there were about two dozen members of the Malahat team at the service. Each year the numbers grow slightly. I teased those in  attendance that some day maybe the whole unit could attend the  brief service.

The Commanding Officer gave a brief talk about the Bourke deeds, then placed wreaths, asked the family to make a few comments and then gave me the same opportunity. Then all had to race off to Sydney were, within the hour they had to join up with the rest of their unit in Remembrance ceremonies there.

Several Bourke family members and I stand off to the left in the  image above.  

I then had to race downtown to the location of the Afghanistan Memorial. After this was formally unveiled the committee creating it turned it over to the PPCLI for its upkeep. They in turn have decided to visit it each Remembrance Day and hold a brief service there  before attending the major service at 11 am just a few blocks away.

I am shaking hands with Dougal Salmon, a former Captain in  the PPCLI and a man with some 30 plus years in  the Canadian Forces.

Dougal and I served together for many years in the 1960's with the Toronto Scottish Regiment. Both advancing from  recruit to Sergeant before he headed off to join the CF and about then I was promoted to Warrant Officer but soon work had me moving to Halifax. There I joined a second reserve unit for several years and then relocating to BC, and joined a 3rd unit where I was promoted to Master Warrant Officer. Five years later I retired from the military.

Dougal is now retired but serves as the President of the local Branch of the PPCLI  Association, and thus his appearance at the Afghanistan Memorial on the 11th.

Dougal gave a brief talk about his unit's involvement in the War Against Drugs and the terrible cost paid not only by those who gave their all, and their families and friends, but also those who came home with other wounds, some noticeable and some not.

There were about 50 people attending, some serving, others were veterans, families and friends and members of the public. The Last Post was played,  wreaths laid  and some even placed their poppies on the  monument.

As I have mentioned several times in this space, this is a very important tribute to those who lost their lives, those who came home with visible and other wounds, and their extended families. Each one of us owes them the duty of stopping by this monument and paying our own respects, any time day or night. Yes it is lit at night and does not have any barriers that would prevent you visiting it after normal hours. 

And as a special thanks to Captain Dougal Salmon, here is the cap badge that we both honour to this day with the work we both continue to do.

In closing, I would like to share with you a letter that appeared on the net just a few days ago. It has been sent to me by one of my best friends and supporter of this blog and all it stands for. Here it is...

What more need I say!

See you next Sunday,
cheers...
Bart