Daily Blog

Two weeks past Remembrance and still remembering!

11/27/2016

Perhaps not such a bad thing after all !

I have often said that remembering our heroes should not be limited to just one day of the year. In fact I go out of my way to constantly bring you updates about the Medal of Honor men this blog is dedicated to, and also bring you stories about our Victoria Cross recipients, a list much longer than anything you will find on the web or in military/government data banks. I am always on the look-out for news about any of these heroes so that I can keep you up to date on the latest news about who and where the men are being remembered... and how.

A few weeks back I wanted to bring you some more news from the west coast about Commander Rowland Bourke, a Victoria Cross recipient and also about Captain of the Hold Joseph Noil, from Nova Scotia. He earned the Medal of Honor just after the US Civil War of 1861-5.

On November 11th the local navy reserve unit in Victoria.. HMS Mallahat... visited the grave of Commander Bourke here in Victoria. This was their 7th... and my 9th year, (spread over 10) to do so on Remembrance Day. Family have also attended for the past several years. The navy provided a short service and both the unit padre and commanding officer addressed those in attendance.

A family member and I also shared a few words about the importance of remembering this hero. A man blind in one, and refused entry into both the Canadian and American services and so he went off to England... at his own cost, joined the naval reserves, and then went off to war and in the process saved almost 50 men from drowning.

Members of HMS Malahat then had to head up the road a few miles to Sidney where they have also attended Remembrance Day services for many more than 7 years. I followed and attended a most impressive service that included not one but two flyovers by war planes and also a chopper flying very low overhead. Of course there were the marching bands and troops and vets and many a presentation including a considerable amount of wreaths being laid at the town cenotaph.

The image above shows the original grave marker for Commander Bourke VC, DSO. Like most on site, it lay flat in the ground and was most difficult to see. Efforts by many groups and individuals, including myself pitched in to arrange for the ordering, mounting and hosting a very formal and dignified unveiling ceremony for the Canadian Commonwealth Graves marker also shown above, in May of 2013.

While the Royal Oak Memorial Grounds service for the Commander took place at 9 a.m. Victoria BC time, four hours earlier DC time, it was 8 O'clock, and at that hour, the very officer that helped to unveil the Bourke Marker in 2013, was now attending a Remembrance Day ceremony for Nova Scotia born Joseph Noil at St Elizabeth's Cemetery just a few miles away from the Canadian Embassy at Washington DC.

I am of course talking about Rear Admiral William Truelove, the Commander of all maritime forces along Canada's west coast back in 2013, but today is the Commanding officer of the Military attache at our embassy in Washington.

Five months after the Bourke marker unveiling I traveled to the US, and to Gettysburg to participate in an unveiling of a marker I donated in honour of Peter Lemon, a Toronto born Medal of Honor recipient. While there I met with about 40 Medal of Honor recipients and told them of stories they never heard about Canadians and of more than 100 MOH's we were also awarded.

I attended some of the public functions during their annual convention, did research there and even met with a relative of the famous General Chamberlain who's defense at Little Round Top, saved the day for the Union at a cost of many a life... including some Canadians. I visited many of the Canadian graves at Gettysburg and then went to Washington to do further research and visit the grave of Joseph Noil.

This sailor died penniless. His wife and two small children were trying to etch out a destitute life at New York and could not even come to see Joseph at his death bed or even attend his funeral. He ended up being buried under the WRONG NAME and with no notice whatsoever that he was a true hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor. He rested that way for OVER 134 YEARS. Above you see me visiting the grave.

Several months ago that marker was replaced, and the story told in this space. (Search for numerous mentions of the event with the search engine at upper right.)

Many people played important roles in the background work leading up to the fruition of their work... the unveiling of this beautiful marker that the American Government produced in honour of a Canadian citizen. Rather than just a grave marker, it is a historic artifact not only for the family, found just weeks before the event, but also for the military history and heritage of the military family, and entire populations both north and south of the Canadian American borderline.

And to help with the ceremony was Canada's own Rear Admiral Truelove and many of his associates at the Canadian Embassy, sharing... and preserving... history. A history that back in 2005 was so obscure that I was told by the Canadian Ambassador to the US, that... "none of us was aware of." This of course referring to the number of Canadians who earned the MOH.

But now to Remembrance Day a few weeks back.

Here once again doing his part to remember our hero, Rear Admiral Truelove and his wife visited the Noil marker at 8 a.m. on the 11th. This is a very moving picture. To me it is telling the world that visiting graves is one thing, but this visit was truly from their hearts... far and above the call of duty. Both husband and wife placed roses on the Noil marker. Then then remove the poppies they were wearing and affixed these to the roses. They then stepped back and gave a heart felt salute to this great Canadian who gave his life while in the service of the US Navy, and along the way in that service was awarded another nation's highest medal for bravery... the Medal of Honor.

Most would never know this, but the Admiral's shoulders were very heavy that day. He was indeed carrying more weight than even the day before. For this was day one of his wearing around his neck the Order of Military Merit, at the highest of three levels, that of Commander. He had just been promoted from within the Order's ranks from Officer to Commander the day before by our Governor General at Ottawa. At the remembrance ceremony, it would be his first full day wearing it.

Lt. Colonel L Pacarynuk, Chaplain General from the Cdn. Embassy looks on as Rear Admiral Truelove and his wife salute hero Joseph Noil and his new marker.

Lt. Col David Devenney from the public affairs branch at the Cdn. Embassy has also been of great support to me and this blog's work over the last few years. He is with the Royal Canadian Air Force and is shown at far left. I do not have the name of the officer on his right. Mrs. Truelove, the Chaplain General and Rear Admiral Truelove are next. At far right are retired US Navy Rear Admiral C Weaver and his wife.

Note all the American flags in the background. This year about 500 of these flags were placed by hospital/cemetery staff at graves of veterans. Note the lone Canadian flag at the Noil marker as well.

Ar 11, all attended a formal remembrance Ceremony at the Embassy and spent several hours after lunch at Arlington where they payed their respects at the grave of PEI MOH recipient Charles MacGillivary (often mentioned in this space) and 6 other graves of Canadian veterans.

The poster says it all!

See you next week.

Bart

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"Watching the tide come and wash the bodies away was symbolic... it was incredibly moving."

11/19/2016

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Last week I had laid out the groundwork for a blog on remembrance that I wanted to share with you. But 2 days before my deadline, along came yet another major story that I felt needed to be told first. That required some crossing of "t's" and dotting of "i" that took longer than I had hoped. Other duties also saw a few days of delay turn into several more. So here we are again. I thank you for your patience.

The inspiration for this blog came from a close friend and avid supported of the cause from back east. So to you, A.E., I yet again give profound thanks for tipping me off about the story.

When some look at an apple they might see a BC Delicious.. when I look at an apple I see a computer. When they look at tree a tree-house comes to mind, but I see lumber to build things with.

When you see the image on the left, hopefully, the regular visitor to this site will see a US Medal of Honor. I too, but I also see a Civil War version, evidenced by the affixed suspension ribbon used in that period if time. And I also see that the medal was awarded to an army recipient. Sailors and Marines had a different model of medal.

Looking at the right medal, hopefully you have identified it as the Victoria Cross. But I see the blue ribbon, and know that it was a medal awarded to a sailor. The army medals had a crimson (red) suspension ribbon.

But in 1918 the Royal Air Force was created. Now a third colour was needed. HRH King George V then decided that three colours were too many and ordered that from that day forth, all ribbons would be the red ones. Those with the blue had to exchange them for the red. Therefore, I know instantly that, if the ribbon is original, it is one awarded to a hero for actions before early 1918.

Depending on who's eyes are doing the seeing, the image they get... or think about... might be a little different then the next person. Take kids for example. Many thought that a hero was a fellow wearing the cape and tights we all knew as Superman. Perhaps their hero was Batman or the Lone Ranger or Robin Hood who robbed from the rich to give to the poor.

But as we grew older we used the same eyes and starting seeing things a little bit different. And now even the younger Americans and Canadians hopefully are seeing their heroes a little different. And rightly so!

Here's an example...

Is this veteran the child's father, or a big brother or uncle, or his teacher or next door neighbour? Never mind, he is still the child's hero and instead of the tights and cape you will please note he wears dog tags. The price he paid in those battles, and those of his brothers and sisters, their families and loved ones, was the cost of the freedoms we enjoy and cherish today on home fronts world wide.

While Remembrance Day has passed for this year... ever day should be a day to remember these men and women and their families.

This image shows two soldiers of sorts.

Jamie Wardley, at the left and his friend Andy Moss are 2 very talented men from England.

While the military camp barber would have had some fun with these fellows, they sure do not need any adjusting of attitudes. The only thing I see missing from this picture is a medal that they should have been awarded by the British government for what they did, and for which you are about to read.

As noted above, their story just came to me last week, but it is a story from back in 2013. I think it is as important today as when it happened in the late afternoon of 21 September. A day which was, and is annually... the International Day of Peace, celebrated by literally hundreds of millions around the world.

First celebrated back in 1982, a day was set aside to provide an opportunity, in spirit and action, to forward the ideas and conditions for peace world wide. In 2013, on 21 September the United Nations General Assembly was opened, and on that very day they proclaimed the creation of the annual International Day of Peace to be recognized around the world.

Jamie and Andy have a very special talent and they wanted to use this in Remembrance of the fallen. They chose one of the very beaches to use these talents and remind the world of the terrible costs back on June 6 1944.

That's when the Allies initially landed over 156,000 troops on the several mile stretch of beach front now famous for the D Day landings and start of the Battle of Normandy.

Troop numbers landing on these same beaches would more than double on that battleground within the week. It took millions of military and civilian population to plan and prepare for the invasion. Over 11,500 aircraft, almost 900 gliders, 54,000 vehicles and close to 7,000 vessels were brought into action. Landed supplies weighed in at over 100,000 tons.

The horrible costs can best be conceptualized when you consider that by the time the battle was over in would take about 30 cemeteries to bury the remains of 110,000, from both sides of the slaughter. Battle casualties totaled over 425,000 when you add in the wounded and missing.

The task to honour such massive numbers would obviously be a major challenge for any group let alone Jamie and Andy. But they came up with a plan. And it would happen on the very day set aside as International Peace Day.

They chose to honour those who perished on the first day of the landings. Soldiers and sailors, marines and airmen, and civilians... lots of them, that came from Britain, Canada and the US. And they also came from Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, and the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland. And the dead also came from Germany.

The two men wanted to honour ALL nations for the losses on that first day. And those numbers alone added up to over 9,000 who never left the beeches.

The above illustration shows the famous code named beech landing areas of the Normandy coastline of France. Below is the familiar beech at the commune called Arromanches, population less than 300. It is located in the area between Gold and Omaha Beeches. (By the way, Omaha was where Sgt.Charles MacGillivary from PEI landed on June 6th. This Medal of Honor recipient's story has been told in previous blogs.) The black objects are part of one of the portable landing docks towed across the English Channel in the days after the landing to accommodate massive offloading of equipment and manpower.

It would be here on the very beech shown above that ice and sand sculpturists Jamie Wardley and Andy Moss would put their talents to work. From their British firm... Sand in Your Eye... came the plan to share with the world not only creative talents but an incredible heart felt tribute to the fallen men and women... and children that died on that beech and the immediate community on June 6 1944. They would call it The Fallen 9,000.

And here we see the test run of what was to come...

Somewhere along the British coastline these artists laid out a pattern on the smooth sandy beech and started to use rakes to stir up the sand in such a way to create this very impressive image.

Liking what they saw, they set about to do some serious planning. This included a trip to Normandy to check out the beeches, and find a great work space to carry out the plan. They also had to factor in the time it would take to create what they had in mind and timings between high and low tide and how much time they would have for "boots on the ground."

The Fallen 9,000 plan called for the creation of a silhouette that would represent a life size figure of one of the fallen heroes. Actually there were several different images created. And several complete sets of each were needed. Actually probably many many many sets. For you see Jamie and Andy planned on carving out in the sands of the beach not one or two or a dozen images... BUT 9,000 OF THEM.

And here we see Jamie with just a few of his new friends!

When word spread about what was being planned, soon 60 volunteers came forward who wanted very much to be part of the event.

In mid afternoon on September 21st the crews stared their work. Here we see two images of soldiers arriving at the beech on the last day of their lives. Others arriving earlier lay already on the beech at their feet and beyond. The crew had only about 4 hours to do their bit after the tide rolled out to sea and before her mighty forces would return yet again.

The operation began with Andy Moss actually showing the volunteers how to use the rakes to stir up the sand to create the images. After making the first one he would later say that his creation was actually... "a person who once lived, they had parents, families and friends. The person had died prematurely due to a conflict and we are marking his passing."

Here we see two more soldiers being brought back to life very briefly for us to remember.

And many more volunteers and silhouettes. Many of the volunteers came from around the world to be a part of this most exciting project. And as the day grew on volunteers also came forth from the community and beyond. Over 500 would eventual be able to take home the memory of their participation in this very thought provoking and lasting experience. There was even a woman there who lost a son in Afghanistan and a veteran who actually landed with those being remembered back in 1944.

After about 4 1/2 hours hours the tides started to move in, as the above images show.

At about 7 pm, the high tide quite close to shore and folks were trying to finish off the last of the images.

Almost done!

And done!

Jamie Wardley would later be quoted saying that..."it showed that people from all over totally understood the message behind it and I felt very overwhelming." He continued with... "this was a quiet day with a very loud statement. Those people that lost their lives are no longer with us but on Peace Day 21 September 2013 they spoke."

When all was said and done and the loud horn told all to stop as the tide was coming in and they had just finished their 9,000th image, in a mosaic that stretched about a Km along the beech, all went to high ground.

And there they waited for the tides to come in and wipe away all of their work in minutes.

The final soldier left his mark at about 10 pm and ..."it was incredibly moving." You could see the horrific casualty of war when you stood on that cliff looking down on the beech. Watching the tide come in and wash the bodies away was symbolic of all the lives lost in all wars, not just the Normandy Landing."

I will end with pleading with you to show this blog to others and to view the video about this event. It is at www.fallen9000.com.

And again a huge thanks to AE for bringing me this story.

See you next week,
Bart

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Other Duties prevented a blog yesterday

11/14/2016

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Life keeps happening. Sunday's blog will not appear till Tues. or Wed.. can't be helped..sorry folks. Bart

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A poster, banners, grave markers, paving stones, all in remembrance of Canadian heroes!

11/7/2016

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Whatever you do over the next week you will be exposed to thousands of red poppies.

We are often told that peace is earned by the power of the pen, but travel to most graveyards and you will see that peace was won from the end of a gun, after the pen ran out of ink. A recent quote I love is that heroes don't wear spandex or capes... they were dog tags. And the fields of poppies remind us of this. The only problem is that they are not in bloom all year round!

Next year, In April we will be commemorating the the historic Canadian Battle to take Vimy Ridge in France, after earlier Allied attempts failed.

Shown here is this year's Remembrance poster which featured the massive pylons that represent both Canada and France. At their base are the inscribed names of over 11,200 Canadians who died in France, and to whom there are no known graves. (Over 3,500 Canadians were killed and another 7,000 wounded at Vimy, while over 4,000 Germans were taken as POW's.)

To the rear and towering over the massive pillars is the symbol of Canada Bereft, a mother deeply pained and troubled at seeing the many graves below.

The image has the memorial base siting on the very battlefield where Canadians from a Vancouver regiment are shown, in an actual photograph of the battle, as they charged through the barbed wire entanglements across heavily defended no man's land.

Back in Canada this week if you live in one of the provincial or territorial capital cities, you will see another reminder of of heroes past. Living elsewhere, it is hoped that the press will bring you the following story as well.

Last year the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage gave a grant of about $500,000 to the University of New Brunswick's Gregg Center for the Study of War and Society.
The grant was to bring further pubic awareness to the stories of Canadian Victoria Cross recipients from the two Great Wars..

How appropriate the funds went to the Gregg Center..named after WWl VC recipient Milton Gregg, a hero that served in both wars, earned a VC in France in 1918, also was awarded the MC and became an officer of the Order of Canada. Among his many careers, his soldiering started out as a private and ended as a Brig, General.

The Gregg program consists of an educational side, available on the net, and a 13 banner program. In the later, consultation with the military, the War Museum, universities across Canada and others, took place to select from almost 100 names, (I have more) a select group of 10 VC men to be featured, one per province.

Since no recipients came from the territories, each was consulted and agreed to use two generic Remembrance banners and a third containing the slogan... WE Will Remember." Each province would get 3 or 4 sets of all 13 banners to display in their capitals, all at once, or as they see fit through-out the year.

Of the 10 recipients depicted on these banners all but 2 were actually born in Canada. Michael O'Rourke, a WWl recipient in France, was born in Ireland. His banner represents BC. Fellow countryman Fred Harvey, VC, WWl, also born in Ireland, appears on the Alberta banner.

The remaining recipients are David Currie, WWll, Saskatchewan, Billy Barker, WWll, Manitoba, Ellis Sifton, WWl, Ontario, Paul Triquet, WWll, Quebec, Herman Good, WWl, New Brunswick, John Kerr, WWl, Nova Scotia, Frederick Peters, WWll, Prince Edward Island, and Thomas Ricketts, WWl, Newfoundland.

I encourage you to have a look at the wonderful site produced for this program at... www.canadavc.ca

Moving on, regular readers of this blog will recall that last year I asked all to remember the old farmer named John. He had a very large holding of land and a contract with the British government to sell his tall trees to them for ship's masts.

And he also had large wheat fields in what was once called Upper Canada. And on 11 November back in 1813 the Yanks decided they would plow through there enroute from Cornwall to a place named Montreal. But John and friends decided the Yanks should be sent back home. And so they were..from his very property.

His last name was Crysler, and it would become famous as Crysler's Farm. (Shown above with the Americans attempting to push forward to the west, across the farm and onwards to Montreal.)

Moving along and still in remembrance, a brief story a month ago out of Chilliwack BC told of the celebrations there in honour of WWl hero James Richardson. He was the famed bagpipe player from Scotland who moved to Vancouver BC as a youth, then located at Chilliwack, and signed up with the Seaforth Highlanders and when the war started ended up with the 16th Battalion, (Canadian Scottish) and off to war.

It was at the Battle of the Somme in WWl that Richardson found himself and comrades under heavy fire and held into trenches with many casualties including his own unit company commander. While he had rescued many a wounded soldier by hauling them into the trenches, he would drop his pipes to bring in yet another, was successful but then had to go back and get his pipes. While trying to retrieve them he was shot dead.

The pipes, shown above, were lost for years but finally found and brought back to Canada and became part of a permanent collection of archives at the provincial legislature. Last month, they were placed on display during a celebration in Chilliwack.

What local stories did not tell you was that, at the same time this posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross was also being honoured back in his home town in Scotland.

A few years ago the British Government came up with a plan to honour VC recipients. Much had been said about that plan in previous blogs. Paving stones were to be unveiled for WWl VC recipients on the very anniversary 100 years after the deed performed that earned the hero's VC.

So above you see The Royal Canadian Regiment's Lt Colonel Simon Rushen unveiling a stone in honour of Richardson on 7 October 2016. He is the Canadian Defense Chief of Staff either there or back in London. The ceremony took place outside the town hall at Bellshill, North Lanarkshire Scotland. The picture at the right includes an image of Dan Richardson a great grand nephew of the hero.

Just a week later, on the 14th, another Canadian VC man was honoured back at Manchester England.

Graham T. Lyall was once a sailor in England. But an ear infection saw his release and a move to Ontario. But he's soon cross the waters again, this time in an army uniform during WWl. By war's end he would have personally captured 115 prisoners, 1 field gun, and 21 machine guns. He would earn a VC in France and serve in both world wars reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel.

Lyall is shown as a young officer at left. On the 14th the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge unveiled 6 different paving stones in Saint Peters Square in front of the town hall at Manchester. Lyall's is believed to be the last of the 6 and thus probably the furthest away from the Duke in upper right image.

Claude Nunnery from England came from a very large family who lost their mother as young children. He would be caught up with the 100,000 plus children who were rescued from the city streets of London and sent off to Canada to be raised. He'd jump around a lot and end up joining the army for service in the Great War.

From the above you can see that he would be awarded the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Military Medal, British War and Victory Medals.

Just a few weeks back, on 26 October the townsfolk back in England made a call for the government to recognize him with a blue Plaque in his home town of St Leonards. Blue plaques are historic markers dating back to the 1860's and highlight people and placed worthy of historic remembrance. His story has been told on this site in the past.

And finally in remembrance, regular readers will recall theses images in past blogs.

This year marks the 10th year since I first discovered the grave of Victoria's naval VC recipient, Commander Rowland Bourke. Back in 2006 I first visited the site at Royal Oak in Victoria. There was a small marker, rather difficult to read, and even more difficult to find, shown above.

For a few years white crosses placed at veterans graves, were not placed at this grave and questions were asked several times. By 2008 on Remembrance Day a cross was placed, and each year since. In 2010 the local Naval Reserve unit... the HMS Mallahat was invited to attend on 11 November to pay respects to the hero. They have attended each year to do a short service ever since. In 2011 local family were found and have attended each year since.

In May of 2013, after the efforts of many groups and individuals, we helped an unveiling of a new much more visible upstanding Canadian Commonwealth Grave Commission's marker identifying the hero as a VC recipient.

Attending that ceremony were the very ambassador to Canada from Belgium, a representative of the British High Commission, our own Veterans Affairs and Minister of Defense (by letter) and also by letter, our own Lt Governor.

Also attending and participating were very high officials of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Commander of all Canadian naval forces on the west Coast, Rear Admiral William Truelove.

I tell you all of this to also note that this same very senior officer a few months back also assisted in the very highly media covered events in Washington DC to honor Joseph Noil a Canadian from Nova Scotia who earned the American Medal of Honor. He is buried just outside DC.

Joseph Noil was buried under the wrong name, and without recognition as a Medal of Honor recipient for over 130 years. His very weathered original marker is at above left, with a replaced marker at right. Below Rear Admiral Truelove is at the podium and at right is presenting the Canadian flag to relatives of Noil who were just found a few weeks before the ceremony took place.

I share all of this for a reason. I am advised that on the 11th the Admiral is expected to be at the DC marker for Noil for another service in his honour. At the same time but about an hour later a ceremony will be talking place at the Bourke grave site at Royal Oak.

Can it get any better?
I think not.

See you next week,
Bart

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Two weeks past Remembrance and still remembering!

"Watching the tide come and wash the bodies away was symbolic... it was incredibly moving."

Other Duties prevented a blog yesterday

A poster, banners, grave markers, paving stones, all in remembrance of Canadian heroes!

Author;
Bart Armstrong, C.D.,
Recipient, Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers

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Two weeks past Remembrance and still remembering!

"Watching the tide come and wash the bodies away was symbolic... it was incredibly moving."

Other Duties prevented a blog yesterday

A poster, banners, grave markers, paving stones, all in remembrance of Canadian heroes!

Author;Bart Armstrong, C.D., Recipient, Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers

Archives

Categories

Author;
Bart Armstrong, C.D.,
Recipient, Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers