Canada Remembers Times
Veterans’ Week Special Edition

5-11 November 2022 - Page 3

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Diversity at sea

In recent years several Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard vessels have been named after a diverse group of individuals who showed great courage while serving our country. These ships will help keep their memory alive and ensure that their service and sacrifice are not forgotten.

A Canadian trailblazer

William Hall was the first Black person, the first Nova Scotian and the third Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross. He was serving in the Royal Navy when he earned the medal for his great bravery while helping an artillery crew during an attack on an enemy stronghold in India in November 1857. Currently under construction, HMCS William Hall is the first naval vessel to be named after a Black Canadian. Remarkable individuals like Hall deserve our country’s recognition and this honour is a special way to help us remember his contributions.

A courageous Nursing Sister

HMCS Margaret Brooke is named after a Royal Canadian Navy Nursing Sister who was decorated for her bravery during the Second World War. She was aboard the Newfoundland ferry SS Caribou when it was torpedoed in October 1942 and quickly sank. Fighting for her own survival, Sub-Lieutenant Brooke also did everything she could to save her friend, Nursing Sister Agnes Wilkie. Both of them clung to ropes on a capsized lifeboat but, sadly, Wilkie died in the cold water. For her selfless efforts that night, Brooke was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

A brave Indigenous sailor

The CCGS M. Charles M.B. was named after Martin Charles, a Canadian Coast Guard member and Hereditary Chief of the Ditidaht First Nation in British Columbia. He devoted his 32-year career to saving lives. In February 1976, he earned two medals of bravery for his instrumental role in a search and rescue incident that began with a sinking fishing vessel and ended with the crash of a United States Coast Guard helicopter. Through the brave efforts of Charles and his crewmates, many were saved. The patrol vessel named after this Indigenous hero now works in the waters off the West Coast.

A remarkable woman in uniform

A Canadian Coast Guard ship is named in honour of Captain Nichola Goddard, a trailblazing female soldier who led her team into battle and was the first Canadian woman to be killed while serving in a combat role. She was an artillery officer who was serving as a forward observer when she was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan on 17 May 2006. The CCGS Captain Goddard M.S.M. was launched in 2014 and is based in Victoria, British Columbia. The vessel’s primary roles are fisheries and environmental patrols, search and rescue operations, and border control.

Paving the way for equality

All of Canadian society contributed to our country’s impressive efforts during the Second World War, including women— many of whom served in uniform.

This year marks the 80^th anniversary of the creation of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, popularly known as the Wrens, in July 1942. By the end of the conflict, nearly 7,000 volunteers had enlisted and served in many non-combatant roles, here at home and overseas. Regardless of the tasks they performed, from cooks and clerks to recruiters and code breakers, these servicewomen made significant contributions. They also helped pave the way for future generations of Canadian women to gain greater equality in both the military and civilian worlds.

A high-flying prairie boy

William “Billy” Barker, a farm boy from Manitoba, was one of the best flying aces of the First World War. He enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914 and saw action in the trenches of the Western Front before joining the Royal Flying Corps in 1916. He trained as a gunner and fighter pilot, and it turned out that he was a natural. This skilled aviator would shoot down a remarkable 50 enemy aircraft during the conflict.

On 27 October 1918—just weeks before the end of the war—Major Barker was in the skies over France when he was suddenly attacked by a squadron of German warplanes. Although he was wounded multiple times in the fighting, the determined ace managed to shoot down four enemy aircraft. Barker crash landed his plane behind Allied lines and he was rushed to get medical attention. Despite his severe injuries, he survived.

For his heroic actions, Major Barker was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery a Canadian could receive. However, he was no stranger to being recognized for his remarkable efforts. Barker also received three Military Crosses, two Distinguished Service Orders, was mentioned in dispatches three times, and was also awarded prestigious medals by France and Italy. He is one of the most highly decorated service members in Canada’s history and we remember his remarkable courage and sacrifice.

In the service of peace

Canadian Armed Forces members are well known for serving as peacekeepers in many conflict zones around the world over the years. To honour this proud tradition, there is a memorial in our nation’s capital called Reconciliation: The Peacekeeping Monument.

Unveiled in 1992, this memorial has a unique design and tells a story. The three statues standing on the high wall are peacekeepers. Two men are looking into the distance—keeping an eye out for potential trouble—while the woman with the radio is in communication with other soldiers. On the ground, the broken concrete signifies the destruction caused by wars. The walls rise and form a point to symbolize looking toward the future, a time when the fighting is over and there is hope for reconciliation.

Peace is fragile and this powerful monument helps us reflect on the brave Canadians who have done so much to help protect it across the globe. Memorials like these are special symbols of remembrance and important ways to honour those who have served and sacrificed for us all. By going to them and paying our respects, we show that what they did matters and that Canada cares.

Canadian Pride

The Canada Pride Citation was created as part of reconciliation and recognition efforts with members of the LGBTQ2+ community who have served our country, while enduring many hardships due to unjust policies. This citation honours their achievements, sacrifices and resilience.

Its design is deeply symbolic. The maple leaf represents service to Canada. The arrows pointing backward reflect the importance of thinking about the past and the injustices done to LGBTQ2+ Canadians who worked within the federal public service or served in our military and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The forward pointing arrows signify the future and our country’s commitment to building a society in which we are all valued equally.

The eight colours seen in the citation may be familiar to many as they are also displayed on the original Rainbow Pride flag. These colours symbolize LGBTQ2+ values. Pink means sexuality, red is life, orange is healing and yellow is for sunlight. The green means nature, turquoise denotes art, indigo is serenity and violet represents the human spirit.

We remember all those from our diverse society who have served our country and paid a price for who they are.

Did you know?

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae is well known for writing the famous First World War poem In Flanders Fields. He was born in Guelph, Ontario, in 1872, and this year marks the 150^th anniversary of his birth. McCrae was an army doctor who cared for wounded soldiers on the Western Front. He noticed wild red poppies growing on the desolate battlefields and among the burial places of fallen soldiers, which inspired his well-known verses. In Flanders Fields continues to be recited in schools and at remembrance ceremonies around the world, a poignant reminder of all those who served and died.

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