10 Thursday, November 7, 2013 10 Thursday, November 7, 2013
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The life and times of Ebenezer Crute A WWI veteran, Eb came back to also serve our community here
Len Corben lencorben@yahoo.ca
J
ust how much did it cost to defend our freedom in the Great War of 1914-18? Perhaps we can judge it best by the lives of those who thankfully did return safely, after courageously venturing to take part in the conflicts in lands far away, and then were able to spend the rest of their days contributing to the betterment of our community right here as well. You see, the contributions of these returning heroes – such as one Ebenezer Crute – greatly magnifies the loss we all suffered by the sacrificial and untimely deaths overseas of those who never made it back to fulfill their dreams and help fulfill those of their families and friends. What impact it would have made if all those who died had been able to return. Eb Crute – apparently nobody ever called him Ebenezer – returned to become, among many other things, a long-time and beloved elementary and high school teacher, principal and coach in North Vancouver. And he might never have come back because he was wounded twice, the last time just two days before the armistice of Nov. 11, 1918, now 95 years ago, which marked the truce between the Allies and Germany and the day from which our annual Remembrance Day is derived. Extensive research into the Crute family through ship passenger lists, marriage and deaths certificates, attestation papers, obituaries, B.C. directories, newspaper clippings, archival photos and interviews reveals that Eb was born on Dec. 3, 1883, in Sunderland, a town in northeast England, as the middle child of John George and Edith (Fowles) Crute. His two sisters, Edith and Hilda, were born earlier in 1878 and 1881. Brothers William Arthur “Art” and Percy came along in 1889 and 1892. As Sunderland was known for shipbuilding, it’s not surprising that young Eb trained as a marine engineer and served on the S.S. Surrey as noted in his obituary in The North Shore Citizen following his death on Oct. 31, 1968, almost exactly 50 years to the very day of his being wounded at the conclusion
Presbyterian church in Agassiz of the war. and a year of Normal School to Eb was the first in his famobtain his teaching certification, ily to migrate to Canada, arrivhe joined the staff at Lonsdale ing in 1908, ending up initially in School in 1922, living for eight Vancouver and then becoming a years at 1612 Lonsdale, where pioneer North Vancouverite along the new City Market complex with his brothers. has just been built, and for the He would later explain in a remaining 38 years of his life in 1948 interview with editor Herb a now-demolished house facing H. Morden for the “Old-Timers’ Victoria Park at 112 West Keith Club” feature in The North Shore Road. Press that when the school, where He became principal of he was in charge of the pumping Capilano elementary in 1926 and electrical plant, closed for a and of Queen Mary in 1929. He three-month vacation he decided it moved to North Van High as a would be a good time to fulfill one teacher in 1932 and finished of his cherished ambitions, to see his teaching career at Ridgeway Canada and especially B.C. which Junior High in 1949. He then had been “boosted” among the offispent 15 years as district regcers of one of the ships on which istrar, keeping track of such he had served. things as births, deaths and So, after crossing the Atlantic, marriages. he hopped a “harvest excursion I don’t believe I ever met Eb, train” in the east, eventually but his brother Art – the movie reaching Vancouver. Except for the projectionist at North Van’s war, he never went back. He must original Empire and Lonsdale have praised his newfound land in theatres – lived across the lane letters home because, other than from me when I was growing up; his father who died about 1907 MILITARY MAN - Eb Crute (above in 1923) and Margaret Crute, the daughter in England, each member of the was an advocate for cadet training for many years of his brother Percy, a clerk with Crute family eventually set sail for following his WWI tour of duty in which he was B.C. Telephone, was my journalCanada and headed for the west twice wounded. Ellen (Crute) Coates collection. ism teacher at North Van High. coast. Her niece, Ellen (Crute) Coates, Brother Art followed Eb in 1909, a Carson Graham grad and longlanding in Quebec before continuthose who fought and died there during time Qualicum Beach teacher, has ing to Vancouver where he took up resi- WWI. inherited boxes of family photos and dence in a rooming house with Eb at As the war neared its end, Crute was documents which Margaret possessed 754 Hamilton St., ironically right across wounded a second time on Nov. 9, 1918, until her death. the street from the future main branch during the “Pursuit to Mons,” the conEb played soccer for North Shore of the Vancouver library where some of cluding 32 days of the Allied Forces’ teams and coached numerous teams at this research took place. Hundred Days Offensive in France in school and in the community, mostly Eb was listed in directories of the which Canadian troops paid such an boys’ soccer and girls’ softball, grass day as an engineer before enrolling important role that a plaque was erected hockey and basketball. He was secreat Westminster Hall (Presbyterian in the city hall’s entrance that proclaims: tary of the North Shore men’s baseball College) and McGill University College Mons was recaptured by the Canadian league for 10 years during its heyof British Columbia, more commonly corps on the 11th November 1918 after day, chairman of the Juvenile Soccer called McGill B.C., before it became fifty months of German occupation. Commission, president of the North UBC. It was then situated in Fairview Freedom was restored to the city. Here Shore women’s basketball league and (the present site of Vancouver General was fired the last shot of the Great War. the race starter at community sports Hospital) as this was before the Great What Crute’s wounds were and the Trek protest of 1922 that paved the way extent to which he suffered is unknown. days. He was the Sunday school superinfor a Point Grey campus. Like many who fought overseas, he tendent at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian By 1913, Eb’s mother, his sisters and apparently said little about those days. (later United) Church at 10th and St. brother Percy had arrived. With the Whatever way they met, he did bring Georges for 28 years. He was a scoutwar underway in Europe, Eb signed up back something he didn’t hide: a wife. master. He was an instructor for the for the 38th Battalion of the Canadian Just how he met Caroline Augustine 6th Field Company cadets. He served Expeditionary Force on March 5, 1915, Maze of LeHavre, France, has been with the Canadian Legion War Services and joined the Princess Patricia’s lost to the passages of time. Perhaps Pacific Command during WWII. Canadian Light Infantry on July 16 of she was a nurse who looked after him. Yes, it’s wonderful Eb came back from that year as a machine gunner. It was However they met, they were married the war and so sad that many others a year later on March 15, 1916, that he on July 31, 1919, in Vancouver. didn’t. was wounded at Hooge, a little Flanders Eb returned to UBC where he played This is episode 491 from Len Corben’s village then occupied by the Germans varsity soccer and graduated with a treasure chest of stories – the great just east of Ypres in Belgium. The BA alongside future North Van High events and the quirky – that bring to life Hooge Crater Museum and Cemetery principal Mickey McDougall in 1921. the North Shore’s rich sports history and the In Flanders Field Museum are After a short time as minister of the located in the area to commemorate
THE ‘EB’ AND FLOW OF THINGS - (From left)The 1925-26 band and cadets at the J.P. Fell Armoury; Eb Crute as a UBC grad in 1921; and a copy of Eb Crute’s 1955 attestation papers North Van Archives collection