This school was dedicated to John Bernard Croak V.C. by the Royal Canadian Legion and the Town of Glace Bay on September 1, 1976. A bust of John Bernard Croak is located inside the school.
John Croak was born in Little Bay, Newfoundland, on May 18, 1892 to James and Cecelia Croak. When he was four years old, they moved to New Aberdeen, now part of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. He left school at 14 to work in the coal mine at the Dominion No. 2 Colliery.
In early 1914, Croak did some trapping in Western Canada. On his way back to Cape Breton for a visit, he enrolled in the 55th (New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force at Camp Sussex, New Brunswick. A few days later, Croak joined the battalion at Camp Valcartier, Quebec, where he completed basic training.
John Croak departed from Montreal with his unit on the SS Corsican on October 30, 1915 ,and arrived in Britain on November 9. He arrived at the Canadian Base Depot in France on April 16, where he trained for the rigours of trench warfare. On June 12, he joined the Black Watch at the front. He fought at the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele.
The Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously to John Croak for his heroism at Hangard Wood.
There is also a park and a Royal Canadian Legion branch (since closed) named in his honor.
