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It's been a busy month for this blogger...

3/27/2016

Things started off several weeks ago with the invite to attend an almost three day long conference, and then joining a group known as The Western Front Association. Membership consists of some 6,000 men and women, now 6001, who want to perpetuate the memory, the courage and the comradeship of those who fought in the Great War in France and Flanders. Members come from the UK, Australia, France, Germany, the US and of course Canada.

The recent seminar in Victoria BC was well attended by Canadians, and a handful from the US. Speakers gave excellent presentations of a variety of topics and took almost as long to take questions from a very attentive audience. Perhaps more will be mentioned in a future blog, but I cannot leave without saying how thrilled I was to be invited to attend, to take out my membership and to have many great chats with new friends about matters touching on the Medal of Honor and the Victoria Cross.

By fluke, one of the members and I had actually even exchanged emails a few years back. Some had great interest in parts of Belgium and France where VC men from Canada earned their medals and many business cards were exchanged over the three days.

I almost fell off my chair when one fellow told me I was wrong about there being only two Medals of Honor on public display, one in Calgary and one at Saint John. He said there was one about 100 miles away at Nanaimo BC.

Well, it just happens that I was planning to go to Nanaimo about 2 weeks later, to give a talk about the Medal of Honor and also how to do research for relatives who served during the US Civil War.

Last week I gave my talk, probably mentioned about 25 Canadian MOH men in the process, and also told my audience that apparently a MOH and a Victoria Cross are on display in that very city and suggested they visit both medals.

The next morning I arrived at the Vancouver Island Military Museum, and was greeted by this wonderful Wall of Honor dedicated to those from the area who fought for their country. In support of both the cause and the service men and women, plaques were sold, and as shown at right, mounted on the wall. Apparently enough plaques have already been sold for the left side and are awaiting mounting. Traveling up the stairs gets you to the entrance.

I had very limited time which was unfortunate due to the incredible vast array of displays and artifacts in this little museum. It is most worthy of a visit...and lots of time. Bring your camera.

You have hopefully read about Douglas Munro and George Mullins in this space in the past. Munro earned the Medal of Honor. Mullins the Victoria Cross.

It is fitting that they are side by side. One was born in Canada and is buried in the US The other was born in the US and buried in Canada.

The MOH and the VC in above displays are not real. They are simply display items, though none the less, most attractive items as are the displays themselves.

Munro was born in Vancouver BC and was killed in WW11 during the battle at Guadalcanal. He is buried near Seattle Washington. Mullins was born at Portland Oregon but moved to Canada at about 2 years of age and went off to war from Saskatchewan, He earned his VC in the Great War at Passchendaele, an now lies at rest back in Saskachewan.

There are many incredible displays here and should be visited. One, shows probably close to 100 medals in use in the US, and of course is topped by the display of the army, navy and airforce versions of the Medals of Honor. Another display even has an original Congressional Gold Medal from I believe one of the men from the famous Devils Brigade.

Changing the subject now, much has been said here about Halifax born Joseph Noil in the past. For well over 100 years he lay at rest in a grave with a marker bearing a misspelling and no notation of his hero status as a Medal of Honor recipient.

After considerable efforts on many fronts, a new marker has now been erected at his grave just outside of Washington DC. Just days ago I received word that there will be an official ceremony to unveil this marker on 29 April. I expect there will be Canadian participation at the event so stay tuned for further info as it becomes available.

Noil is depicted in the above recruiting poster. His unreadable marker also appears above.

On another note, there is no news on what is happening with Halifax born Colonel Bent's Victoria Cross group of medals. His old public school want to sell them to raise money to build a gym despite the relatives and others from many walks of life not wanting this to happen.

I have contacted the executive of my local MP about raising the issue and I was to hear back three weeks ago. I still wait.

(Bent is shown above as a Lieutenant. A VC is also shown as is the offending school in between both images.)

Still further, back in 2007 the US Congress passed legislation that designated March 25th as National Medal of Honor Day across the US. It was on that day back in 1863 that Jacob Parrott and five others were presented Medals of Honor by the Secretary of War, and then taken over to the White House and introduced to Abraham Lincoln. These were the first ever medals presented. Though in the years following others were awarded medals for actions occurring before the events that Parrott and his "Andrews Raiders" were involved in.

Over the years it has become a custom for the US President to visit Arlington on MOH Day, but for unknown reasons, it seems he was not there this year. Regardless The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers was presented with a wreath in their honour by about 2 dozen actual Medal of Honour recipients on the 25th.

The first image above shows most of these men all wearing the familiar blue suspension ribbon around their necks that suspending their Medals of Honor.

The wreath was presented by two of the heroes. Please note the ribbon identifying their Medal of Honor Society affixed.

And finally... who is this guy. He is a Medal of Honor man and may be Canadian. Hopefully I can get some answers by next blog.

See you then,

Bart

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Yet another golden opportunity to let the world know about our "forgotten" past has been blown!

3/13/2016

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It's now at least three weeks since the story first hit the international news about Philip Bent's five medal group including the Victoria Cross and Distinguished Service Order and that they are about to go on sale to the highest bidder.

There appears to be no further news since that noted here a week ago. The Canadian press however still seems to have completely missed the story over the past week.

But they didn't miss our Prime Minister's trip to Washington DC. Probably most newspaper, radio and TV stations in the country and most in the US brought forth a series of blow by blow activities over the several day trip ending a few days ago.

Yet when Bent from Halifax Nova Scotia, who became the youngest Lt. Colonel in the British Army lost his life in action, and later posthumously received his medals, no one in the Canadian press apparently deemed the potential sale of his precious keepsakes worthy of news coverage.

While no doubt our Prime Minister and the US President came to an agreement on many important matters, and assured the world that they will continue to work on those yet causing some grief between the two nations, my interest was focused on the official trip to Arlington National Cemetery.

But first a comment on protocol when both faced the camera's on the White House lawn shortly after arrival in DC. The video clip I saw sent shivers up my spine, as I suspect it did to many with military backgrounds. While the Canadian National emblem was played PM Justin Trudeau did NOT salute. Nor did President Obama. When the American national emblem was played the president saluting but Trudeau did not, as shown above. At the same time hundreds of service men and women from both countries were at attention, and many saluting by Presenting Arms.

This seems to me to be an insult to both nations. I believe both leaders should have saluted during both performances.

At the right our PM has just approached the wreath he would be given to lay in honour of the Unknown Soldiers at their monument at Arlington. While others again were at Present Arms, rather than saluting, PM Trudeau crossed himself in asking God for a blessing. Why did he not salute the warriors laying at his feet?

Justin Trudeau has had no military training, like half our past PM's. With some irony the last PM with military training that included when to salute... and how when in civilian clothing, was another fellow by the name of Trudeau who saw 2 years service in Montreal as an officer cadet during WW11.

Shown here, PM Trudeau has laid the wreath in front of the Tomb. Please note that while he is not saluting the Commanding General of the Army of the District of Washington is saluting. Note also the Honour Guard are seen here at "Present Arms."

From here the official delegation traveled west a short distance to place similar honours at the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice.

The cross was the idea of Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King back in 1925. President Calvin Coolidge approved the idea and it was erected and unveiled on Armistice Day 1927.

On that day over 400 Canadian troops marched through the streets of Washington DC with their weapons, an event not happening since the War of 1812. President Coolidge himself inspected our troops that day at the White House.

The Canadian Cross of Sacrifice was presented from the people of Canada to the People of the US in honour of their soldiers who wore our uniforms and gave their lives during WW1. Many of these men and women joined Canadian units years before the US entered the war.

Trudeau's visit to the Cross was not the first for a Cdn diplomat. While not PM at the Time, WLM King visited the Arlington Tomb for the Unknown Soldier and, or, the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice. The Canadian Mister to the US followed suite in 1933, as did PM Laurent in 1953, Governor General Vincent Massey in 1954, PM Chretien in 1997, Veterans Affairs Minister O'Toole in 2015 and Governor General Johnson last Month. Other dignitaries may have also visited these two important memorials to the US service men and women of the past.

Regular readers of these blogs know also that former Ambassador McKenna and Former Admiral Mack and several of the Canadian contingent at the Canadian embassy to the US also visited Arlington back in 2005 at my request. I understand that they and probably others from the embassy have visited both the Cross and the Tomb in the past. But in 2005 they made a special trip..on a very special day.

It was on July 1st, our birthday. And it was not to visit these two sites but to visit about a dozen actual graves... not of Americans..but of Canadians who had been awarded the US Medal of Honor for bravery and later were buried at Arlington.

There are at least 23, and probably more Canadians buried at Arlington. At least 10 are Cdn born MOH recipients, and another 7 MOH men there are recipients with connections to Canada. The 2005 visit was to place a wreath and do a brief service and fly our flag over the remains of these great INTERNATIONAL heroes.

Here we see Prime Minister Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and Mr. Herjit Saigan, our Minister of Defense. They are presenting the wreath at the left and shown leaving after the brief visit to the monument.

But now, with the eyes of the world on them, they all missed the boat. In a matter of minutes they could have walked... or driven to many of the Canadian graves above mentioned, and once and for all gone on record as the head of state recognizing the importance of this small segment of some 100 plus men from, or connected to Canada that were awarded this highest of high awards in the US for their bravery. But instead...they kept walking..and driving to their next stop to be interviewed by students at a University.

After over 15 years of researching these matters I can not think of a single time when the Prime Minister of Canada has gone on record acknowledging any of these Canadian heroes. NOT ONE! And that is heartbreaking, and such a dis-service to the heroes, to the military and to our nation.

This is a sketch of the Arlington Cemetery. The red box near the center is the location of the Tomb for the Unknown Soldiers. Just to the left is a small black square... at #5. This is approximately where the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice is located. Clearly it shows that it is only a few minute walk from Tomb to the Cross.

#1 is the grave for General John Curtis Gilmore. #2 is Lieutenant Doherty, though not a MOH man he led the men to capture Booth after the Lincoln assassination. #3 is the grave of General Martin T MacMahon, a later Minister of State to Uruguay. #4 is for Sgt Charles McGillivary, believed to be the only non American born President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. #5 is the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice. #6 is Private Jerry Cronan, a non recipient with a most interesting story, found in an earlier blog. #7 is army Captain Alexander Scott. #8 is one of the Miller Brothers. The only set of brothers from the Spanish American war to earn the MOH. #9 is Lt. Colonel, GH Morgan whom had a US war camp in Bosnia named in his honor. His father was one of several Canadians to reach the rank of general during the Civil War. #10 is John Harties Brown. # 11 is naval Captain John Grady. And finally # 12 is Henry Russell whom I hope you have read much in this space recently.

The above numbers are approximate locations.

The stories of these men have appeared in past blogs. The search engine at upper right on the home page will take to these stories.

As you can see from the map, The PM's travel to anyone of these or more, would not have taken that much time out of his busy day.

Back in 1927 the US Secretary of War responded to the speech made by Canadian delegates as they unveiled the Cross. His response noted that the Americans being honoured by the memorial... "lie buried wherever the Canadian dead are found upon the battlefields of France; as in a former age, Canadians clothed in the uniform of our army had been mingled with the dead on every great battlefield in our southland."

If the Americans can admit that we fought and died for them and the bigger cause, why is it so hard from the Canadian dignitaries to admit that we too did the same in wearing the American uniforms, fought and also died arm in arm with our American cousins. Some even coming home with a Medal of Honor.

We can start this recognition by pausing for a few moments of thought on March 25th, a few days away. Across the US they will be celebrating Medal of Honor Day on that day, as it was then, back in 1863 that the first ever Medals of Honor were presented. Though on later dates others were awarded for action before these men did their deeds.

On a final note, other duties will have me away from my computer next Sunday and so we all will have a break from my rantings.

till then,

Bart

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More of the same!

3/7/2016

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Another half hour shot today, looking for any recent Canadian print news story in Canada about Philip Bent. Same appears to apply for Canadian internet content, other than one facebook notice, and this site. It is unknown if any recent coverage was on the radio or TV.

This continuity of the Canadian print press to miss stories important to their fellow Canadians, is most upsetting. So, as per usual, I will continue to bring you these stories, and today will finish what I started last week. The story is now about two weeks old and continues.

The late Lt. Colonel Philip Bent, VC. DSO. MID. has been mentioned numerous times in this space. Last week's blog reminded you of some of the past articles and left off covering his Halifax Nova Scotia birth through to his rapid rise from 2nd Lieutenant to Lt. Colonel, two wounds, earning his DSO, having received two MID's (bravery medals known as Mentions in Dispatches) and becoming the youngest Lt. Colonel in the British Army when only 25 years old. (despite internet errors claiming he was 26, the actual age at death). (Since first commissioned in August of 1914, his rapid rise to command his battalion took only 25 months.)

Lt. Colonel Bent would yet again show his leadership and bravery in Belgium at a place near the Polygon Wood, a small woods some 50 Km almost directly south of the Ostend harbour. You may recall this harbour and the Zeebrugge harbour where BC's navy man Rowland Bourke earned both a DSO and a VC in April/May of 1918, and often covered in past blogs here.

But today's story has army man Philip Bent from Nova Scotia also earning both a DSO and a VC.

Zonnebeke Belgium is shown above with the red indicator. It was here along the edges of the Polygon Wood where Bent would earn his Victoria Cross. The London Gazette documented his 1 October 1917 heroism with the announcement that the King had bestowed on him the Victoria Cross. Edinburgh produced their own gazette of the award about 15 weeks after the battle. An award that was made posthumously. Here is that notice covering some of the battle details...

About 4 miles east of Ypres there was a heavy growth of trees known as the Polygon Wood. The heavy shelling and battling in this area resulted in the barren land as shown above.

It would be slightly to the east of this where Lt. Colonel Bent and his men gained much needed ground for later operations. Perhaps his last words on this earth were his words of motivation to the troops with the battle cry... "Come on the Tigers." In so leading, he gave his all, and lost his life for his country.

At Buckingham Palace on 2 March 1918 HRH King George V presented the Victoria Cross and the Distinguished Service Order posthumously to Philip Bent's mother Sophy. The King would then present 8 other Victoria Crosses at the same ceremony.

There is no known grave for Lt. Colonel Bent as his body was not found in the battlefield. His name, like those of about 8,400 other offices and men who have no known graves, have their names engraved at the Common-wealth War Graves Cemetery at Tynne Cot, located near Zonnebeke, shown on above map.

Tyne Cot, or cottage... was the name given to describe barns in the area and pill boxes, some of which the above cemetery stands upon. The above photos show a few of the thousands of graves on site and the memorial wall with the plaques containing the names of the "missing" soldiers. Philip Bent's name is inscribed on panel 50 also shown above. There are three other VC recipients similarly engraved at the cemetery.

In 2007 HRH Queen Elizabeth unveiled the massive National Memorial Arboretum at Staffordshire England, shown at the very end of the walkway above. Within the walls of this memorial are the names of some 15,000 1st WW men who died in action. Not long ago a blog in this space told you of the paving stones unveiled at this site, and seen in the foreground at above left. These commemorated 145 of the British born Victoria Cross recipients from WWI

The image at upper right bears the name of Halifax born, but British serving... Philip Bent. The above mentioned blog told that the stones were unveiled by PM Cameron at the time.

Readers will also hopefully recall previous mention here of the VC memorials listing the names of our VC men including Bent and unveiled in Canada at Barrie Ontario in 2013 and Edmonton Alberta last year. Also mentioned here recently was the proposed VC memorial in Ottawa. Though in most recent days some have suggested in the press that this projected may possibly be scuttled along side the one to honour our brave men and women who served, many wounded and dying, in Afghanistan. The press suggests that the new government might be rethinking that project.

But now for the most upsetting news that started these two blogs.

Last week I noted that at a very early age Philip's mother moved Philip and perhaps some other siblings from Halifax to her hometown of Leicestershire England.

He attended the Ashby boy's School for 2 or 3 years then took further training and the joined the military as covered last week.

In 1923 Philip's mother presented the entire VC medal group, five medals I believe, to the school for safe keeping and as a memorial to his son and of course motivator for the students and community to strive for the higher things in life, including service and honour to your country. The intent, according to family, was to have these items on site, not to have they stored in a lock up for over 4 decades, as they were, nor for the school to use as an instrument to sell to raise money to build a sportsplex of some sort at the school.

Several weeks ago the board at the school, announced that after considerable thought, it was decided that they would sell the items. Family says they were NOT CONSULTED. The same family that claims the school in fact does not even own the items.

The internet has dozens of articles about the concerns expressed from a Member of Parliament, the town council, the regiment, the family, other military and historical groups and the public who are very upset that these keepsakes of the family and the community may well end up not of public display and only be used as a fundraiser.

As upsetting, is the fact that the Canadian print and internet press as far as I can tell have been completely silent on the matter and have failed to bring this story to the people of Canada. Unknown is what... if any coverage... has appeared on the radio or TV.

Please Google the story, read the articles, and participate in the petition on the net to stop this sale. Please also contact your local press and ask them why they have not covered this story. Also contact you MP to ask what role our federal government and High Commissioner's office at London England are doing about this Canadian war hero's medals.

If the sale happens Canada should be at the sale and bring them back to our War Museum at Ottawa.

At the very least, the highest levels of Canadian Government should be in communication with this school to express our grief at the planned actions being considered.

More on Sunday,

Bart

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It's been a busy month for this blogger...

Yet another golden opportunity to let the world know about our "forgotten" past has been blown!

More of the same!

Author;

Bart Armstrong

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It's been a busy month for this blogger...

Yet another golden opportunity to let the world know about our "forgotten" past has been blown!

More of the same!

Author; Bart Armstrong

Archives

Categories

Author;

Bart Armstrong