Regimental Museum Report Strathcona Mounted Troop Report

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Letters Letters continuedCongrats on another fine issue, keep ’emcoming. It’s always a pleasure to receive mycopy, but some of the names are not familiarnow, but the letters from us old guys dobring back many memories. Of course, theLast Trumpet Call column saddens one,when we read of another old friend SOS.It’s so good to see letters from old familiarnames, like Sean Henry. I rememberwhen I actually out-ranked Sean. I was aSergeant and he was a young Corporal inthe BCD’s. We were attending a wirelesscourse at the School in Borden in the early50s. What a fine young soldier he was and Iwas glad to see him commissioned andwatch him rise through the ranks.I attended a Strathcona gathering in theOkanagan Falls last September and washappy to meet many old friends, includingVic Binnie, the other Vic (the bad one)looking chipper. I snapped a photo of himwith Col Deane-Freeman.I’m still writing books, I call them “freebooks” for I seem to give more away than Isell. I have just finished another volumeand will be starting on a very explicit warnovel, which will not be for the squeamish.I do a lot of world travelling and cruising,and in two days I’m off again to SouthernMexico, to a little town called Aijijic (pronouncedah-hee-hic) on Lake Chapalawhere I have adopted a Mexican family with5 children age 5 to 16. My new beautifulgrandchildren are helping them throughschool and university.Must close now and pack my shorts andT-shirts, off to the land of palm trees andsunburn. All the very best to my old friendsfor a great 2002. Bless you all.PerseveranceVic ChildsWest Bank, BC(Hope you have a wonderful trip andhave fun with the adopted family.Thanks for donation. Ed)I have received my fall copy of theNewsletter. Having attended the Reunion2000 and joined the Association AlbertaBranch as an associate member I now lookforward to the Newsletter with anticipation.I still look back with fondness and asense of awe at the Reunion. The only disappointingpart was that my old buddyTheo Fundas had passed away, but I hadthe pleasure of making the acquaintance ofJohn Randall from Saskatoon and wecontinue to correspond.If you wish to recognize who I am andTheo Fundas look in Col McAvity’s book“A Record of Achievement” at the picturesbetween pages 140 and 141 at theheading “B” Squadron Kitchen at Viserba.The fella standing is I, and the one sitting isTheo Fundas.I am enclosing and a little for theNewsletter. Keep them coming. Yours trulyJim CurtisToronto, ON(Glad you enjoyed the 2000 Reunionand hope you have started planning forPage fourthe 2005 Reunion. Thanks for yourdonation. Ed)Not sure how you only got part of myaddress I will send it again by email. Myhusband Edward (Ted) Grand is nolonger with us he passed away 16 June2001 I miss him terribly. We talked aboutthe war so much and a lot of other memories,for I was in the British Army ATS.We met on the ship Maloga heading forNorth Africa, during those 10 days on thehigh seas I got to know a lot of the hisfriends in the regiment, and again in Italywhere I spent 2 years. I have just finishedreading Wallace’s book “The Dragons ofSteel”, what memoirs. I still like to keep upmy membership in the Strathcona Familyand enjoy getting all the news. The lastevent that we attended was for SamuelSteele Memorial in Orillia, what a wonderfulshow the Straths put on, and thosebeautiful horses, Keep up the good work.keeping us widows in touch. I feel verymuch a part of the Straths.Ellen GrandTottenham, ON(Thanks for the update of youraddress and glad you enjoy the Newsletter.Ed)Upon receiving my Fall Newsletter andimmediately reading every word from pageto page brought back many memories andnames.I arrived at the Regiment in Jan 1955 atthe youthful age of 17 (seventeen). Wewere placed in the old “H” huts at the Northend of Currie Barracks Calgary, where welearned, as recruits, the Strathcona way.Finally in May of 1955 we finished ourdepot and recruit training and were postedto “C” Sqn.I am enclosing pictures of my passing outparade, perhaps for publication or thearchives. The class of recruits were: –‘Russ’ Brinn, ‘Lee’ Garner, JohnKnight, ‘Howie Owens, Jim Powell,Harry Promm, “Boots’ Schuh, ‘Dad’Smith (I believe transferred to RCASC),D.E. Smith.The Recruit Squad instructors were: – Lt–continued on page 5Strathcona’s Newsletter
Letters Letters continuedC.C. Van Straubanzee, Sgt ‘Pat’ Patterson(or was it “Black’ Patterson, SgtGord Beattie (a soldiers, soldier), CplKen Dent and LCpl Ron Fisher.I also attended the Sam Steele memorialand dedication ceremonies at Fair Valley,Orillia and found it very emotionalwhen the Guidon was trooped on parade,particularly when so many of the “OldGuard” in attendance “snapped to” withshouts of “perseverance” and a properpalm out salute.Also in this issue (Newsletter) I see thename of ‘Pat’ Searle, I was his tank driver(Centurion) CS 2B in Wainwright 1956. Ibelieve the other crew members to be:–L/Cpl Jack Wreggit and Tpr ‘Russ’Brinn. I also worked for Sgt ‘Scotty’Miller in D&M Wing and Billy May wasthe “C” Sqn SSM.Enough nostalgia or you will be reading atear-stained letter.Damn Proud to be a Strathcona.John KnightShanty Bay, ON(Thank you for sharing your journeydown memory lane. Ed)In the Fall 2000 Newsletter on page 15 isthe name Colin Anderson a Strathconaand a Viet Nam Peacekeeping veteran. Iwould like to write to this man, as I too ama Viet Nam veteran.As a Corporal in the Strathconas I was“on loan” to the Department of ExternalAffairs, holding a diplomatic passport andstationed in Hanoi as part of the securityteam for the Canadian Embassy.With a locked briefcase, handcuffed tomy wrist, I would get on a very old,extremely rickety and very scary AirFrance aircraft, (I think it was built beforeWW2). My flight took me across Laos intoCambodia where we landed in PhnomPenn. There a Canadian Embassy officialwould take out and or add more papers.The aircraft would then take off and fly toSaigon. A white car (all peacekeepingvehicles were painted white, with noinsignia or flag) would then take me to theEmbassy. After an overnight stay at a hotel,Strathcona’s NewsletterI would make the return trip the next day,same route opposite directions. I wouldmake this trip usually once every twoweeks, but it always scared the hell out ofme, because I expected the aircraft to crashevery time we took off or landed. The planealways bounced, shook, banged and rattledso badly, I was sure it was going to fly apart.Thank God we had a good Canadianaircraft that flew us back home viaCyprus, where we had a five-day stopoverin a very posh hotel. Then on to the Azoreswhere we landed at a huge American airbasefor a five hour stop. Then on toOttawa and then (by train) to Calgaryand home to Currie Barracks.PerseveranceArt KunstmanStettler. AB(Sounds like a script from a 007movie. Thanks for the donation. Ed)Enclosed is a small donation to the Societyto help them keep up their good work.I’ve also enclosed the LFP article from thelocal paper, which is really good press for achange and thought you folks may enjoy it.I also took note of your request for“Whatever” for future Newsletters and as Ithoroughly enjoy getting them thought Ihad better do “Whatever”, so here is a littlereflection!Headlines in the London Free Press 62years ago, in January 1940, “Crack WesternRegiment arrives in London”. What anevent for London and as you know fromDick Cunniffe’s book “The LostSquadron” story, the Strathcona draftbecame “B” Squadron 1st CanadianCavalry Regiment (Mechanized). Asour first evening free “our gang”, Armer,McQuarrie, Glass, Clark and myselffound ourselves at a big dance at theMasonic Hall on Queens Ave and as theysay “the rest is history”I took my wife out to dinner the othernight, to celebrate our first meeting at thisMasonic Hall that night so many years ago.When we returned home I pulled an old“B” Sqn photograph, taken at QueensPark on the 2nd May 1940, and I can stillrecall the names of the entire group. Thenthe events of the past started: the variousand enjoyable training, even route marches,map reading and on and on; like thetime the whole gang were confined to barracksbecause of the “Meningitis” scare. Iwonder too about all the troops in thephoto, 4 Officers’ and 101 other ranks. Iknow Des Deane-Freeman is the onlyofficer still with us and maybe 10 or 12 ofthe OR’s. How many remember having oneor two route marches interrupted by a coffee/teabreak in one of our officer’s home?What is it they say “no names no packdrill”? Wonderland Gardens (open airdancing to the big bands), known to a goodmany of the boys, is still there although it isbigger with a larger covered dance floor.Although Iris and I don’t dance too oftenthese days but have attended the odd “GuyLombardo’s night there. Maybe FrankClifford, Frank Haley, Lou Eyres, JoeLank may still remember, maybe even VicBinnie.I’ve nothing to report on any of the localStrathconas, except for Jack Newtonwho is still in Parkwood Hospital anddoes manage to get home for the odd weekendand special occasions.I note with sadness the passing of manyold friends in the last Newsletter and wouldadd Ken Sample who passed away September2001; Ken was the younger brotherof Morley Sample.Best regards to all and do keep up thegood work.Hugh MackieLondon, ON(Thanks Hugh for your flash backmemories so vividly recalled. Do youhave Lou Eyres address? Thanks for thedonation. Ed)Received the Newsletter yesterday, readit and enjoyed it very much. You are alldoing a wonderful job in putting out a greatLETTER and keeping us informed aboutour old comrades and friends.If you are in touch with Gord McKayyou can tell him that I received my LS&GCmedal in 1955, but was short by one-yearservice to qualify for the Canadian ForcesService Decoration. The enclosed donationis for the Newsletter with thanks;again, for the great work you are all doing.Perseverance.Bill McCullochBurnaby, BC(I’ll let this Newsletter inform Gordabout your decoration and medal qualifications.Thank you for your kind commentsand the donation. Ed)Jock Burton’s interesting “VancouverIsland Report” in your Fall 2001 editioncontains a mistake I should correct. MyDSO was not awarded for the Point 204action but for a later action in the advancefrom Arnhem. Even I did not know thisuntil a long time after the war when I got acopy of the citation. Despite this, I havealways regarded the decoration as a form ofrecognition of the excellent work done byall members of “B” Squadron, especiallyon Point 204 (Page 322 in Colonel McAvity’sbook). In addition to the officers listedby Colonel Burton as being killed or wounded,casualties also included Trooper A. G.Roper, who was killed, and twelve otherranks. Although only one tank was lost, itwas a severely depleted squadron thatLieutenant Wayne Spencer, the ActingSquadron Commander and sole remainingofficer, led off the hill on 1 September1944.It is of interest that Lieutenant Spencerhanded over the squadron to then CaptainBurton, who was in charge of the LOB (left–continued on page 7Page five
Page 8 and 9: Once Upon A Time There Was A Subalt
Page 10 and 11: PERAMBULATIONS OF THE PERIPATETIC P
Page 12 and 13: Greetings from the Strathcona’s o
Page 14 and 15: Message from the Colonel of the Reg
Page 16: NOTES FROMTHE EDITORIn addition to

Regimental Museum Report Strathcona Mounted Troop Report

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