Remembrance Day 2025

2025

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them!

Lest We Forget

PAGE A2 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

107th YEAR REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE 1919 - 2025

107th YEAR REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE Tuesday, November 11, 2025 The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 59 Moose Jaw 1919 - 2025 Service Conducted by Padre Doug Shepherd

10:45 NATIONAL ANTHEM 10:47 Invocation: Padre Doug Shepherd Scripture: Padre Doug Shepherd Message: Padre Doug Shepherd Prayers: Padre Doug Shepherd Last Post: Brent Chiglione Moment of Silence - Lament: Piper Michelle Gallagher Rouse: Brent Chiglione Act of Remembrance: Padre Doug Shepherd

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Memorial (Silver) Cross Recipient Government of Canada Government of Saskatchewan City of Moose Jaw Canadian Armed Forces Saskatchewan Dragoons 2 CDN Forces Flying Training School 431 Snowbird Air Demonstration Squad Veterans of Moose Jaw and District U.N. NATO Veterans Royal Canadian Mounted Police Moose Jaw Police Services ANAVETS Sask. Provincial Command New Southern Plains Metis Local 160 CAE Aviation Training Temple Gardens Centre

BENEDICTION Padre Doug Shepherd ROYAL ANTHEM DEPARTURE OF COLOURS & GUESTS

The Service will be conducted by PADRE DOUG SHEPHERD

THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 59 693 FAIRFORD ST W will be open at 11:30 am ARRIVAL OF COLOURS AND GUESTS 10:45

NATIONAL ANTHEM INVOCATION SCRIPTURE MESSAGE PRAYERS LAST POST MOMENT OF SILENCE ROUSE ACT OF REMEMBRANCE laying of wreaths ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION POPPY FUND COLLECTION choir selection BENEDICTION ROYAL ANTHEM DEPARTURE OF COLOURS AND GUESTS

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 59 lounge will be open following the service. Lunch will be available.

Adults only. PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION. We appreciate your support

Final flag-lowering ceremony bittersweet moment for Legion Jason G. Antonio It was a bittersweet day for Moose Jaw’s legion, as it held its final beer sale, meat draw, 50/50 raffle, Chase the Ace fundraiser and flaglowering ceremony at its old location.

Roughly 50 people packed Branch No. 59’s lounge on April 19 for “the final show” at the Royal Canadian Legion’s 268 High Street West building. The organization’s lease at its 98-year-old headquarters The flag comes down for the last time at the 268 High expires May 1, so it is moving Street West location. Photo by to 693 Fairford Street West.

Jason G. Antonio Many walls inside the lounge were bare, with outlines of where pictures, dart boards, neon signs and stained-glass windows once were, while boxes were stacked in corners and against walls.

The afternoon’s highlight was the final flaglowering ceremony, which saw most everyone in the lounge go outside to watch veterans Jim MacNeil and Alex Cameron bring down the Canadian flag — ANAVETS members across the street also came out to watch — while the sound of a bugle performing “Sunset (Retreat)” blared from a speaker.

The tune is traditionally played at the end of the day to withdraw troops from their tasks and move back to their barracks/camp for the night. It can also be played ceremonially when lowering a flag or as a substitute for the Last Post.

Veterans Alex Cameron and Jim MacNeil start folding the flag.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Christine Simpson, legion Branch No. 59 president (left), receives the Canadian flag from veteran Alex Cameron after the final flag-lowering ceremony at the branch’s High Street West location.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Cameron presented the folded flag to legion president

Christine Simpson, and after the ceremony concluded, the group marched back to the lounge to finish socializing.

“It was an awesome, awesome experience, a once-in-a-lifetime (event) and I wouldn’t have missed it,” said MacNeil, who has been a member for more than 50 years.

He admitted that he had had so many positive experiences there and he couldn’t pick just one outstanding moment. However, helping lower the flag and supporting the annual Poppy Campaign were two activities he enjoyed.

It was “a sad day and a happy day” for members, since many had been there for more than four or five decades — in military and civilian roles — and were all united in caring care for veterans, said Simpson. “… this place has been here for (nearly a century) and it’s sad to see us leave here,” she continued,” but we’re looking forward to the new legion because it’s time for a move and bring new memories, new stories, new everything to the new place.”

The legion president said she was emotional watching the flag descend the flagpole, even though she had been a branch member for only 11 years. Still, she noted that many good things had happened there over the century, while it was easy to understand how special the venue was by listening to stories from veterans and civilian members.

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PAGE A4 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Legion highlights a century of memories from its High Street location Jason G. Antonio

With Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 59 moving in May to 693 Fairford Street West, here are some memorable moments from its time at its 268 High Street West location.

The late 1920s The new building’s basement had a library, recreation rooms, storage, washrooms, and a checkroom. Heating was by coal, followed by oil and then gas.

“We have been in this building for almost 98 years.

It holds thousands of memories of great times and there have been challenges,” said Norma Richardson, the legion’s public relations officer. “We now have the opportunity to carry on to a much newer, but smaller, building and keep our branch active.”

The main floor had a spacious auditorium, a small kitchen, a checkroom and a secretary’s office. The second floor had rooms for permanent and transient residents and a caretaker’s suite.

Quoting the late Art Waters, secretary-manager from 1972 to 1976, Richardson added, “In all these ways, Moose Jaw Branch No. 59 of the Royal Canadian Legion has kept the ‘old torch’ burning and lit ‘new fires’ each year. May we long continue to do both.”

The Great War After the First World War concluded, many veterans joined the Great War Veterans Association of Canada, which was located at the fire hall on Saskatchewan Street.

In 1919, the organization purchased 406 Main Street West, where the Grant Hall Hotel is now. The building had bedrooms, while club rooms were where “the chief interest was the BEER,” according to legion records.

The Canadian Legion was formed in late 1925, and the branch received its charter on Oct. 16, 1926, while the Ladies Auxiliary received its charter a month later.

The new organization needed a bigger home to accommodate the growing membership, but an offer from the Community Hotel Association to buy the property brought mixed feelings. The offer nearly destroyed the organization, but the sellers finally won.

The association paid the branch $25,000 for the house and property, while the branch temporarily moved to the second floor of the old Market Building. This money, plus $5,000 in donations, helped construct the building at 268 High Street West.

After three days of celebrations, the legion’s new home officially opened on Nov. 11, 1927, at 2 p.m.

The organization had trouble with its basement hardwood floor because when heavy rain came and the sewer cut-off was not closed, over a foot of water and residue filled the basement, documents show. When the floor dried, it warped and heaved.

The 1940s In the early 1940s, the legion used its rooms for meetings, executive board activities, a ladies’ lounge, the caretaker’s suite and a night watchman’s quarters.

In 1946, the legion added to the building’s north side for extra space for games in the basement, plus a kitchen, a stage on the main floor, a cement basement floor, and new furniture. This cost $22,000, which the organization raised in 10 days after appealing to citizens.

The 1950s In the 1950s, the legion spent roughly $40,000 for washrooms, floor coverings, décor, furnishings and a new electrical system. In 1959, provincial liquor legislation introduced licences for properly managed veterans’ clubs and organizations.

The cost was roughly $80,000, and the organization completed the project in February 1966. Meanwhile, the provincial mixed drinking law came into effect in 1968 and changed the atmosphere of the branch’s life, documents show.

The Flood On April 18, 1974, the legion’s bingo was about to start, but water was seen coming from the west up High Street, so bingo players received back their money and were told to leave.

When they left, the water was over the curb and covered the sidewalk. Members moved all the documents from the basement office to the upstairs auditorium, while others moved the basement carpet, records show. Furthermore, the bar was closed and the power and gas were shut off.

Water was a foot deep when members left, and while High Street was flooded, it was dry two blocks north.

The next day, when members returned, they found water almost to the top of the basement stairs, while chairs and tables were floating, along with cigarettes and empty bottles.

Everyone rallied to the cause, which helped the lounge reopen a month later.

Meanwhile, the organization officially opened its Memorial Lounge on Oct. 21, 1960.

1970s and ’80s In 1975, the legion completed a large maintenance project that included removing and blocking windows in the auditorium, painting the auditorium and lounge, retiling the washroom floors and repairing the original roof. In the ’80s, it installed an elevator and a ramp, which involved extensive expansion of the front entrance.

The 1960s The legion made many improvements in the 1960s, as it disposed of old furniture, renovated the kitchen and installed air conditioning. It also purchased a house on the east side for $8,000.

1990s From the 1990s into the 2000s, the legion continued with maintenance projects, new carpets, replacing the old Formica tabletops with wood and purchasing more houses on the east side to expand the parking lot.

In 1965, the legion added to the building’s east side, which provided more auditorium space for dart boards and an office and lounge downstairs, plus auxiliary heating and air conditioning.

In 2014, the organization renovated the kitchen, and in 2015, made extensive renovations to the building and auditorium, including a new roof, duct work, electrical, painting, and refinishing the wood dance floor.

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The legion received $50,000 from the estate of Philip Hartley Heaton, a founding member and Life Member, so it renamed the auditorium the Philip Heaton Hall.

The pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and legion business stopped. The aging

building was expensive to maintain and the organization did not have the funds to carry on, so it sold the building to a Chinese realtor and signed a five-year lease to rent back the basement lounge.

The Royal Canadian Legion auditorium and Memorial Hall in 1966. Photo courtesy RCL Branch No. 59

The Legion’s new home on 268 High Street West as it appeared in 1927. Photo courtesy RCL Branch No. 59

The original home of the Canadian Legion Branch No. 59, at 405 Main Street North in 1926. This is now the site of the Grant Hall Hotel. Photo courtesy RCL Branch No. 59

Hey Noah! Water from the Great Flood of April 1974 surrounds the Legion building. Photo courtesy RCL Branch No. 59

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PAGE A6 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Battle of Vimy Ridge was a pivotal moment for Canada 108 years ago Jason G. Antonio

April 9 marks the 108th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a pivotal First World War battle that contributed to Canada’s growth as a country and its reputation worldwide.

The Vimy Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of this event, which raged from April 9 to 12 in 1917 and killed 3,598 soldiers and wounded 7,004, has highlighted some stories of the 11,285 soldiers whose names appear on the monument in France.

In January 1917, the 26th was stationed in northern France, rotating through the trenches around Lens.

While large-scale combat was rare during the winter months, patrols and raids remained deadly. On Jan. 16, 1917, Rollie took part in a trench raid and was reported missing, later presumed dead. His body was never recovered.

Lt. Francis Clarence (OneNorman remained withEyed) McGee. Photo courtesy the battalion and foughtThe Vimy Foundation in the successful assault on Vimy Ridge on April 9. Weeks later, while under heavy shelling near Neuville-St.-Vaast, he sustained a contusion to his left knee and was hospitalized at SaintCloud. After a month of recovery, he rejoined his unit in time to take part in the attack on Hill 70.

On Aug. 15, 1917, the first day of the battle, the 26th advanced through heavy machine gun and rifle fire.

After reaching their objective — an exposed stretch The Vimy Ridge monument from the front. Photo courtesy of shattered earth dubbed “Norman Trench” — the men dug in by hand while facing repeated German The Vimy Foundation counterattacks. Pte. Norman Ash was killed in the Brothers in blood day’s fighting. Like his brother, his remains were never Privates Rollie and Norman Ash were black brothers recovered. from Antigonish, N.S., who served with the 26th The Ash brothers’ names are engraved side by side on Battalion (New Brunswick). the monument.

Norman, born on June 2, 1897, in Antigonish, was the fourth child of James and Ester Ash. He worked as a A Stanley Cup champion labourer and exaggerated his age by two years when he Lt. Francis Clarence McGee, known as “One-Eyed enlisted on July 6, 1916, at Truro, N.S., joining the 106th Frank McGee,” was born on Nov. 4, 1882, in Ottawa, Battalion (Nova Scotia Rifles). His older brother Rollie, Ont. born on Sept. 6, 1894, and employed as a horseman, Before the First World War, he was a talented enlisted just four days later. hockey player, despite losing his left eye in an amateur The brothers departed Halifax with the 106th aboard game. This injury did not deter him from achieving the SS Empress of Britain on July 15, 1916. Upon remarkable success, as he won the Stanley Cup three arrival in England, the unit was disbanded and its men times with Ottawa and set a record for the most goals reassigned. Norman and Rollie were transferred to the scored in a single Stanley Cup game (14).

26th Battalion and arrived in France on Sept. 28, joining His contributions earned him a place in the Hockey their new unit in the field by mid-October near Lens.

Hall of Fame.

Despite his partial blindness, McGee enlisted in the military and became a lieutenant in the 21st Infantry Battalion. His nephew, Frank Charles McGee, recounted how he managed to pass the eye exam by cleverly covering his blind eye with one hand, then switching hands instead of eyes while reading the chart — tricking the examiner into believing both eyes were functional.

McGee was wounded in the knee in 1915, an injury that should have ended his military service. However, he returned on Aug. 21, 1916, as a motorcycle dispatch rider. On Sept. 16, 1916, he was killed in action at Courcelette during the Battle of the Somme.

His brothers, Charles and Walter, also served, with Charles’ name commemorated alongside McGee’s on the Vimy Memorial.

Frank McGee (Standing Back Right) poses with his teammates of the Ottawa Hockey Club after winning the 1905 Stanley Cup. Photo courtesy The Vimy Foundation

A restless spirit Pte. David Footuransky was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 25, 1895. A curious and adventurous young man, he emigrated from Ukraine to Toronto with his family in his early teens, joining the city’s growing Jewish community.

True to his restless spirit, he once ran away to the United States and was arrested for illegally hopping trains — a story that hinted at his thirst for experience and the wider world.

When the First World War broke out, Footuransky

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and his friends enlisted in search of adventure and he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force on Aug. 9, 1915. But beneath his boldness was a deep concern for his family. Before departing, he purchased a life insurance policy and told his mother to buy a house if he didn’t return.

Tragically, Footuransky was killed on Nov. 18, 1916 and his body was never recovered. When the notice of his death arrived, his sister, overwhelmed by grief, threw away the letter to spare their mother further pain. It was months before the family learned what happened to him.

Thanks to Footuransky’s foresight, his family purchased a home in Toronto. There, they opened their doors to other new immigrants, helping others Pte. David Footuransky. Photo begin their lives in Canada — just as Footuransky hadcourtesy The Vimy Foundation once done.

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PAGE A8 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

New 15 Wing commander trained at airbase nearly 30 years ago Col. Adam Carlson is no stranger to 15 Wing Airbase or the City of Moose Jaw, as he earned his pilot wings at the military training venue in 1997.

Now, nearly 30 years later, he is the new commander in charge, a designation that was made official during a change of command ceremony at the O.B. Philip Complex on June 12. The Kamloops, B.C.-born colonel is taking over from outgoing Brig.-Gen Daniel Coutts, who had been wing commander since 2023.

Incoming base commander Col. Adam Carlson (front left), reviewing officer Brig.-Gen. John Alexander and outgoing base commander Brig.-Gen. Daniel Coutts sign the change of command documents as Division Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Geoff Rusconi and base CWO Rachel Fox look on.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Brig.-Gen John Alexander, commander of 2 Canadian Air Division (CAD) in Winnipeg, presided over the ceremony. He pointed out that the base commander is similar to a mayor of a small town.

Before this new role, Carlson graduated from the Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama, in 2024, with a master’s degree in strategic studies. Before that, he was posted to 2 CAD as director of air force training.

“I’m incredibly proud and honoured to be here.

There is a lot of trust given to me and it is significant,” Carlson said after the ceremony.

“As a military aviator and commander now, the weight of that command is significant because I have to serve and lead this team and I’m responsible,” he continued. “And I want to make sure everyone does

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their best but also look after the team.”

Carlson added that he felt that pressure while signing the certificate that symbolized the official transfer of command to him.

CWO Rachel Fox gives Brig.-Gen. Daniel Coutts a frame with pictures from his time at 15 Wing and his personal flag. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

The incoming base commander said it was “interesting” to return as the new leader after training here from 1996 to 1997. He pointed out that student pilots have one singular focus: to learn to fly, perfect those skills and become the best.

“And then to come back here as the commander, it’s pretty special because you can walk the ramp (where planes take off) … and … it brings back the memories,” Carlson said.

The colonel reflected on past wing commanders he’s known over the years. When he was in Ottawa overseeing the national cadets and junior rangers programs, he interacted with an officer who was wing New base commander Col. commander when he wasAdam Carlson says a few words. Photo by Jason G. a student.

Continuing, he saidAntonio that was “very interesting” since he must now live up to the same expectations that he imagined past wing commanders had. Moreover, he doesn’t want to let down his new team.

The airbase commander said he was “super excited” with Ottawa’s recent investment of billions of new dollars

into the military. He thought 15 Wing’s challenge would be to prepare students to fly the most advanced planes and train them to become knowledgeable leaders.

Besides producing the best pilots, Carlson will also focus on transitioning 15 Wing to the new Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program while attempting to make the base a better place.

Meanwhile, the wing commander said he had a wonderful week walking around the base, meeting everyone and learning about their jobs. He expressed appreciation at how many different people contribute to a singular mission, while he compared 15 Wing to one big family.

Final words During the ceremony, outgoing base commander Coutts gave his final speech, saying it was an honour to serve at 15 Wing. Furthermore, he was satisfied with what the organization had accomplished in those two years.

Continuing, he said he arrived at the end of the coronavirus pandemic, which had shut down most training programs. Moreover, there were few students to train, while the waitlist to attend was long. However, everyone at 15 Wing pulled together, which helped training rebound.

Meanwhile, he commended the Snowbirds for being a “deeply impressive” group. He noticed how hard the group worked to connect with Canadians, which included having a social media presence that was larger and more popular than the entire Canadian Forces.

“The professionals of this team … has forged, and continues to forge, a critical link with Canadians,” Coutts continued. “They exemplify the skill and discipline of not only what we do in pilot training, but also the wider body of warfighters across the (Royal Canadian Air Force).”

Coutts added that he was privileged to serve with 15 Wing personnel and would forever remain their biggest fan.

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PAGE A10 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

‘A happy home’: Moose Jaw’s Legion members pleased with new building

A new chapter has begun for Moose Jaw’s Royal Canadian Legion, as the veterans’ organization has moved into a bright new building that is easily accessible for its “more mature” members.

Branch No. 59 officially opened its new venue at 693 Fairford Street West on May 9, with the first official activity being veterans’ coffee hour at 9:30 a.m.

Veteran Alex Cameron was one of the first members for coffee — the seventh person, to be precise, he pointed out — and thought the new venue was great since the organization wasn’t “in the bunker anymore,” compared to the dark basement lounge at its former home on 268 High Street West.

Cameron thought moving to a new space would be great, considering the branch occupied its previous location for 99 years and faced “expenses, expenses, expenses” since 2020. At the Fairford location, though, he expected costs to be much lower.

Nick Murray a fellow veteran, said

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it was a “new experience” to be one of the first to visit the Legion’s new home.

Glancing around, he thought the room looked nice and appreciated how much natural light the skylights and windows provided.

Christine Simpson, Legion president, stands outside the new branch building, at 693 Fairford Street West. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Murray, who served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1965 to 1977, also appreciated how the new lounge’s tables and chairs were set up, but thought that arrangement would likely change in a few months as the organization determined how best to use the space.

Christine Simpson, the branch president, was also thrilled with the new

building, especially the skylights and the fans to keep the room cool. She said the venue presented “a new face to the Legion” and thought it would be great for members and the community.

Veterans enjoy coffee hour, which was the first official activity at the new Legion building. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Continuing, she said that residents were encouraged to visit and suggest possible improvements, which is what some members had already done 30 minutes after opening. Yet, she was thankful for the help that contractors, sub-contractors and members gave to transform the building.

Meanwhile, there were still plenty of things to do, including unpacking

dozens of boxes and hanging pictures, murals and plaques, the branch president pointed out. They had already hung the dartboards and installed a D-Day diorama/painting and a bell from the Second World War-era ship HMCS Moose Jaw. The new venue is 315 square metres (3,500 square feet) in size, which is “a little smaller” than the previous basement lounge, said Simpson. So, she figured the organization would continue moving around furniture for a while until it found the right combination.

It’s “awesome” that there are no steep stairs required to enter the building — or an elevator to wait for — since there are many members “who are more mature” and may have mobility issues, she continued.

Simpson added that this is a new chapter in Branch No. 59’s life in Moose Jaw, while she was eager to celebrate the organization’s centennial next year with the community.

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‘Joy … unconfined’: Reflecting on the 80th anniversary of VE-Day in WWII After six years of occupation, war and bloodshed in Europe, the front page of the Times-Herald newspaper’s May 8, 1945, edition used only one word to celebrate the war’s end: Victory.

Other headlines in that edition included “Joy … unconfined” and Canadians “react giddily, tearfully, prayerfully” to news of the war’s end.

Eighty years ago, on Victory in Europe (VE) Day, Nazi Germany officially quit the Second World War after the Allied powers — including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and other countries — defeated the fascist regime on the water, in the air and on the ground.

“When the records of the Second World War, a conflagration that has swept over the two hemispheres, come to be compiled, it will be found that Moose Jaw’s sons and daughters have played a prominent part in the downfall of the European enemy, and will play a similar definite part in the smashing of Hirohito’s

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Japan,” an editorial said.

Moose Jaw’s population in 1945 was just over 20,000, with 3,465 men and women “playing their part in defending civilization from being trampled underfoot,” by serving in the army, navy and air force, and in the women’s divisions of those forces, the article continued.

The number of residents who served was just over 17 per cent, so with one out of every six people leaving home “to fight a common foe,” that left a hole in many homes.

Of those “sons and daughters” who enlisted, 1,986 remained on duty in the Dominion, while 1,479 went overseas to fight, with nearly 200 of those men paying “the supreme sacrifice.”

Meanwhile, for more than five years, relatives and friends of those serving suffered anxiety and suspense, but that suspense was over with the conclusion of the European war, the editorial said.

“In the sea, on the land and in the air, Moose Jaw men and women have fought

and brought glory to themselves and to their hometown. They have seen the faroff places of the world and carried the battle of the enemy from the Arctic to the Equator,” it continued.

“They have taken part in convoy duty on the broad Atlantic, in northern waters and the Mediterranean. They have sailed landing craft and the multitudinous craft that go to make up the Canadian Navy.

Some have (even) served in the Royal Navy.”

Local soldiers fought in Hong Kong, Italy and Western Europe, and during the six years of war, someone could have asked, “Anyone here from Moose Jaw?” and there would have been an affirmative response, the article said.

Men also fought with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Air Force and flew over tropical and Arctic lands and dust-laden deserts and jungles.

Meanwhile, Moose Jaw’s women played “an equally heroic part,” and while their duties mainly occurred in Canada

since they filled men’s jobs so the latter could fight, many tended to the wounded and sick on the battlefields of Europe.

The article also highlighted many men who received military honours for their efforts during the war.

Of note, Major David V. Currie received the Victoria Cross — the highest military accolade — for “an act of valour that aroused the admiration of the whole of Canada.” His defensive stand at Falaise, France, in August 1944 prevented many German troops from escaping even though Currie had few soldiers at his disposal. His actions also helped end the three-month-long Battle of Normandy.

Other medals that Moose Jaw men received ranged from the Military Cross to the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Mentioned in Dispatches. One seaman, R.J. Bergin, received the Purple Heart after serving in the United States Navy.

The front page of a special supplement that the Times-Herald put out on May 8, 1945, to celebrate the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Public Library archives A headline proclaiming victory in Europe, on May 7, 1945, the day before VE-Day occurred. Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Public Library archives

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A headline from May 8, 1945. Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Public Library archives

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PAGE A12 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

VE-Day at 80: Canada’s manpower and natural resources powered the Allies to victory The Times-Herald newspaper’s special supplement on May 8, 1945, celebrating the end of the Second World War in Europe provided an in-depth look at Canada’s efforts at home and abroad.

“Our army shares in great victory,” read one headline, noting that “Canadians played (a) leading part in (the) toughest battles of (the) European war.” These battles occurred in the hot, blistering sun of Sicily and Italy and the rain, cold and mud of France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

Some major battles included Dieppe in August 1942, Sicily in July 1943, the Italian campaign from September 1943 to January 1945, Ortona, Italy in December 1943, the D-Day invasion in June 1944, the Battle of Normandy from June to August 1944, campaigns in the Netherlands from late 1944 to early 1945, and northern Germany in spring 1945.

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article featuring comments that were “informal, homey and, at times, ‘straight from the shoulder’” from Maj. Ed Hudson, 1st Battalion, Black Watch, who spoke to the Rotary Club at the Grant Hall Hotel a day before V-E Day.

A page from the special edition of the TimesHerald newspaper from May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe Day (VE-Day). Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Public Library archives

The supplement also had a full page describing how pilots “found their wings over the rolling Prairie” while training with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan from December 1939 to early 1945.

Hudson — wounded twice in Italy and once in Belgium — discussed a letter he sent to the next-of-kin of his company, and while reading extracts from the letter, he interspersed many stories of incidents from the front that, “alternately, gave place to a solemn hush or nearly ‘raised the rafters’ because of their delightful humour.”

This program turned out more than 131,000 airmen from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Poland and elsewhere, while it led U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to dub Canada the “aerodrome of democracy.”

The letter discussed the soldiers’ celebrations of Christmas Day 1944, although they only had Christmas supper on Jan. 7, 1945, since “such is life at the front within gun range of your friend, the enemy,” as Hudson put it.

There were hundreds of training sites across Western Canada, with Moose Jaw hosting No. 32 Elementary Flying Training School, a Royal Air Force school, from 1940 to 1944.

Yet, the Canucks wouldn’t let “Jerry” stop them from celebrating in the traditional Canadian way, he said. They created a banquet room in a battered house that used to be three storeys but had been “so well ventilated” by shells and bullets that it was now one storey.

The front lines The newspaper supplement had an

The cook sent word at 2:30 p.m. that dinner was ready, while the padre was present to say grace after he “sneaked up the back way to see us” since it took him more than an hour to reach the building.

Then, despite being in a war zone, for over three hours, the men grabbed their food in groups and ate turkey, pork chops, potatoes, peas, stuffing, brown gravy, Christmas pudding, rum sauce,

Major David Currie on the left with pistol in his right hand capturing Nazis in August 1944.

Currie received the Victoria Cross, the highest Commonwealth war medal, for this effort, which helped end the Battle of Normandy in August 1944. Photo contributed

tea, cake, cigarettes, chocolate bars, chewing gum and “a real orange.

The officers and senior NCOs washed dishes and served the men, while the padre served the potatoes and peas since the soldiers felt they “couldn’t trust him with the rum sauce.”

“If you could only have seen the eyes of those men, it would have repaid you a million times over for the parcels, as it paid us for our efforts,” said Hudson.

Despite the “thunder of guns and death walking almost within hand’s reach,” Santa Claus did not overlook “the jolly little party” because every man received a bag with an apple, 115 Canadian cigarettes, chocolate bars, nuts, chewing gum and candy.

The event concluded with a Highland

dance, beer, a movie and a group picture.

The home front Meanwhile, on the home front, the war showed how Canada’s “vast natural wealth” was vital to the world’s peace since the Dominion’s supply of food, minerals and laboratory production “greatly expanded” during the conflict.

The article indicated that Canada had the world’s third-largest forest land, which provided the raw materials for products such as Mosquito bombers and fuel wood. This yield of pulpwood increased by over 200 million cubic feet during the war.

Furthermore, Canadian mining reached new highs as the Dominion led the world in producing asbestos, nickel, radium and platinum and was second in aluminum, gold, mercury and molybdenum.

Moreover, Great Britain’s wartime demands for food kept Canadian cattlemen busy providing that market with beef, bacon and other meats, while new agreements assured the producers that they would have access to that market for a long time.

Britain’s biggest needs were for meat, dairy products, eggs and poultry. These requirements increased Canadian cattle production by 32 per cent and hog production by 123 per cent.

Meanwhile, data from 1944 showed Canadian city-dwellers produced 60,500 tons of vegetables from their 226,000 Victory Gardens, farms produced 458,240,000 bushels of wheat, an increase of 60 per cent from the previous year, and Canada produced 40 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, with one-twentieth of that going to the United States.

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VE-Day at 80: Moose Jaw’s celebrations in 1945 were less ‘boisterous’ than in 1918 Moose Jaw held ceremonies on May 8, 1945, to mark the end of the Second World War in Europe, but these observances were not the “boisterous type” that marked the end of the First War. Instead, as the Times-Herald reported, residents observed VE-Day as the end of a chapter — with a further horrible war still in progress against the Japanese that wouldn’t conclude until Sept. 2.

Scenes from the massive military parade that Moose Jaw held downtown on May 8, 1945 to celebrate the end of the Second World War in Europe. Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Public Library archives

“Many residents remembered those who had gone away to fight and will never return,” the article said. “To others, it was a day of rejoicing that sons, daughters, fathers and brothers had come safely through the ordeal of battle and been spared to return to their homes.”

The day before VE-Day, residents decorated homes, downtown businesses and vehicles with flags and bunting, while many dogs wore red, white and blue colours on their collars.

One business, Cooling’s on South Hill, decorated its window with pictures of many young residents from that area who served their country.

Meanwhile, on the morning of VE-Day, many churches held services to commemorate the conflict’s conclusion. Many events included hymns, prayers, poems, Holy Communion, and even a sermon featuring a victory speech that a British general gave earlier that morning.

A solemn and religious undercurrent marked VEDay in the afternoon, as thousands of residents gathered on Main Street to witness a parade and a public service of thanksgiving held later in the arena rink.

The parade included the Legion Air Cadet Band and long lines of marching men, including red-coated

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Mounties, veterans of the South African (Boer) War, the First Great War, and the Second Great War, a unit from Canada’s First Canadian Division that fought in Italy, other army divisions, and several army bands.

The procession included decorated floats, trucks and cars, and other paraphernalia that make up a celebratory parade. The march was led by “the indispensable Const.

‘Mickey’ Mackey and his motorcycle,” followed by cars carrying the mayor and members of city council.

A parade entry that attracted much attention were three Russian Cossacks in uniform, mounted on fiery steeds that, at times, called for expert horsemanship to control, the article said.

This “colourful pageant” moved up Main Street, turned onto Ross Street and into the arena, with citizens pouring into the building until it was packed “in a manner reminiscent of the old Miller hockey games,” the report continued.

Legion president H.R. Nickelson led the ceremony, which was quiet and religious and, compared to the “rampant war-end hysteria” that swept through Canada and the rest of the world, was “singularly absent” from city streets that day.

Mayor J. Fraser McClellan gave a brief address and honoured all in uniform and thanked God for the “unflinching men in battle” and the great war leaders.

Every time he mentioned names, the crowd cheered and whistled in support.

“Now left,” the mayor added, “is the joy of looking forward to reunion with loved ones who will be

Scenes from the massive military parade that Moose Jaw held downtown on May 8, 1945 to celebrate the end of the Second World War in Europe. Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Public Library archives

returning home from battle.”

There were prayers, hymns, a minute of silence for the fallen, a prayer for remembrance, and more hymns.

Afterward, many people marched to the memorial cross

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in Crescent Park, where two servicemen placed a wreath to remember the fallen. The crowd stood “hushed in silence” as the bugle sounded The Last Post and Reveille.

Scenes from the massive military parade that Moose Jaw held downtown on May 8, 1945 to celebrate the end of the Second World War in Europe. Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Public Library archives

A highlight of the parade was that 27 original members of the 77th Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, who were from Moose Jaw and had just returned from overseas service, were permitted to attend the VE Day observance.

A celebration was held that night at the armoury, with residents packing every inch of the building following the arrival of military personnel from the mile-long parade “that probably surpassed anything of its kind attempted in the city before,” the article said.

Organizers were forced to change the program because the “tremendous crowd” hampered maintaining a proper schedule. Yet, the program continued, and people were gripped by the Sea Cadets raising the Canadian flag, while the singing of O Canada “was a striking reflection of the sentiments and feelings of those present.”

A pageant and dedication service followed the main ceremony, with numerous community groups, students, schools and military personnel supporting these efforts.

“The fireworks display that followed on the racecourse enclosure was a great treat for the younger generation, to many of whom it was something entirely new, for fireworks in Canada during the five years and more of war have been few and far between,” the article said.

The evening then closed with a dance at the armoury that went “until a late hour.”

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VE-Day at 80: Allies freed people from ‘shackles of Nazi slavery’ Editorials celebrating the end of the war in Europe and an article with comments from the King were some stories the Times-Herald featured in its May 8, 1945, special edition.

This is part four in a four-part series commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, commonly known as Victory in Europe Day (VE-Day).

King George VI, the Queen Mother and Princess Elizabeth leave a memorial service on April 17, 1945 that honoured U.S. President Franklyn D. Roosevelt, who died five days earlier. The King later gave a speech on May 8 reflecting on the end of the war in Europe.

Photo courtesy Facebook

Victory Day in Europe “Victory Day! Victory in Europe over the Nazism of (Adolf) Hitler and his foul breed. Victory after five years and eight months of fighting against the most evil force

Jason G. Antonio

ever unleashed against the human race,” an editorial said.

In giving thanks for the “deliverance from our enemies,” the editorialist encouraged residents to approach God’s heavenly throne “in (a) humble and contrite manner,” praying that the victors would be worthy of the victory and of bringing the justice of right “into a wasted and chaotic Europe.”

Moreover, that day was a solemn national thanksgiving to God, who guided the Allied nations through the storm and led them into the calm of peace.

“We have been delivered from the shackles of Nazi slavery, from the horrors of Hades of which we have read … . Thanks be to God for such deliverance,” the editorial noted.

Continuing, the editorial said that Germany’s leader had put his trust in might and waged a war that was “more merciless, more hideous and more cruel than that unleashed by any barbarian despot in history.” Yet, the world mounted its strength to remove Hitlerism and Nazism from the earth.

VE-Day was a time of retribution for Germany since all Germans knew they would pay for supporting or condoning what their government did, the editorial said. After all, compared to the sympathy people showed the Germans on Nov. 11, 1918, Nazism merited no sympathy since it was incompatible with permanent peace and the ideal where individual freedom was assured and fear of the oppressor had ceased to harass humankind.

“Self-determination is assured to all nations, great or small, but Germany must establish her right to enter

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that family of nations … ,” the editorialist said. “It is the task of the United Nations to restore order out of chaos and it can only be done with a firm hand.”

The editorial added that citizens should also thank God for all Allied workers who, during the monotony of factory life, worked day and night to produce war material to make VE-Day possible.

His Majesty’s Empire message An article featured comments from King George VI, which he uttered during a worldwide broadcast on VEDay. With the “dreadful shadow of war” passing far from citizens’ hearths and homes, they could now pause for thanksgiving before turning their thoughts to the task of bringing peace to Europe and the world, he said.

The King remembered those who died during the war, saluted those who fought for the victory and thanked those who served at home while “shouldering their many burdens.”

“In the darkest hours, we knew that the enslaved and isolated people of Europe looked to us: their hopes were our hopes; their confidence confirmed our faith,” he said. “… we did not falter and we did not fail. We kept faith with ourselves and with one another … .”

The King said he was comforted that those six years of darkness and danger in which the children of Britain and the Empire grew up were over forever. He added that the Allies’ efforts would be considered a failure and the blood of those killed would be in vain if the victory did not produce a lasting peace.

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Moose Jaw-area women reflect on emotional pilgrimage of remembrance to Europe Jason G. Antonio

Three Moose Jaw-area women who travelled to the Netherlands to honour their veteran fathers are reflecting on how emotional the pilgrimage was and what it meant to walk that “sacred” ground.

Carole Nelson, from Moose Jaw, Lana Hebert, from Moose Jaw, and Joanne Haig, from Rouleau, visited the Western European country with the group “In Our Fathers’ Footsteps” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dutch liberation and the end of the Second World War.

The Rouleau resident said emotionally that it “definitely was” worth it to walk where her father, Joseph A. Braconnier, fought. The tour shed more light on his activities, which was helpful since Braconnier didn’t say much about his experiences.

Before the tour began, Haig and Hebert visited the community of Hilversum.

There, they searched for the home of Joanne and Gerry Aalders, who housed their fathers — they helped celebrate Braconnier’s 21st birthday — during the war.

The Aalders later sold their home and moved to New Zealand in 1974.

Two Dutch women had to point the two Saskatchewan women toward the house because the latter’s GPS device malfunctioned. Haig said it “was awesome” to find the home, but the owners weren’t around because it was a holiday. So, she and Hebert peeked through the windows and took a picture of themselves outside.

Saskatchewan’s Joanne Haig and Lana Hebert pose outside the former home of Joanne and Gerry Aalders, who sheltered the women’s soldier-fathers in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Photo submitted

Pilgrimage of remembrance “I don’t call it a trip, I call it a pilgrimage, because in reality, that’s what it really was,” said Hebert.

A torch of remembrance burns in a war cemetery in the Netherlands, as tour participants walk among the headstones.

Photo courtesy IOFF

All three gave glowing reviews of the tour.

On the march Haig said the tour was well-organized and exceeded her expectations. They attended 22 ceremonies — Canada’s Governor General was at one — and parades, walked 20 kilometres to emulate the soldiers, visited the four main Canadian war cemeteries and appreciated how the Dutch people welcomed them with open arms.

the Scheldt, a location of intense fighting between the Germans and Canadians, she recalled.

The group spent much time speaking with seniors everywhere, while there were “constant tears” during the conversations, said Hebert. There were many sacred moments, while every day was emotional.

The Germans levelled the area and flooded the fields to hamper the Allies’ efforts. These actions prevented Dutch farmers from growing crops for 15 years, while residents were forced to replant trees and rebuild communities; the oldest tree and community in that area is only 65 years old.

Canadians have a poor grasp of the war’s carnage because they weren’t conscripted — or worked to death — to build bunkers for the Germans, nor do they dig up bombs in their backyards, Hebert continued. Conversely, the Dutch have those connections, which is why they remember.

The friends then joined up with the 132 other tour participants the next day.

It was incredible to walk in the footsteps of one’s father and understand the sacrifice that many young men made, and to experience the reverence that the Dutch people have for every soldier, she continued.

Lana Hebert and Joanne Haig meet an actor posing as a Canadian soldier at a remembrance ceremony in the Netherlands, during the In Our Fathers’ Footsteps pilgrimage to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dutch liberation and the end of the Second World War. Photo courtesy IOFF

Armoured Division. She said she felt his presence on the trip “over and over and over.”

“We almost felt guilty — we did feel guilty — because they kept thanking us … ,” Hebert remarked. “Eighty years later and these people have just not forgotten.”

Hebert’s father was John Kenneth (JK) Budge, who served with Braconnier in the 10th Infantry Brigade in the 4th

Participants of the In Our Fathers’ Footsteps pilgrimage of remembrance march through a battlefield in the Netherlands. Photo courtesy IOFF

The Moose Javian described the battlefields as “sacred” because of the Allied soldiers’ sacrifices and how “there is blood in that ground.” They had to “hang tough” in the face of difficulty, which is not something Canadians face today.

During the final day in Holland, a senior bought Hebert and Haig ice cream and then emotionally told them how much he and the Dutch people owed them for their freedom. This act, she noted, was deeply moving.

The trip was ‘so worth it’ “It was fantastic,” said Nelson, who honoured her father, WTE Finan, who served in the 12th Army Tank Battalion (The Three Rivers (Trois Rivieres) Regiment).

Nelson described the trip as emotional, educational and enlightening.

She was particularly impressed with the group’s historians and the knowledge they imparted along the journey.

The tour started in southwest Holland in

“… the devastation was astounding,” said Nelson.

Nelson recalled a story of soldiers — forward observation officers (FOOs) — using church steeples to call down artillery fire on the Germans. During one visit, she learned that a Canadian FOO had written his name and his unit’s name on a beam in a steeple. Decades later, parishioners came across those names when replacing the steeple’s beams and kept that one piece.

Nelson also recalled that her sister’s friend’s father was a FOO who was caught behind enemy lines. He survived thanks to a little boy bringing him food and water at night. Her sister’s friend met the boy — now an old man — and his children.

“It was phenomenal,” she remarked.

Another highlight for Nelson was how well the Dutch — especially the children — celebrated their liberation and the respect they paid to the veterans and the veterans’ descendants. She noted that these efforts made Canada’s Remembrance Day ceremonies “look pitiful” since the day has become a “quasi-holiday.”

Meanwhile, Nelson’s sister took along pages from their father’s scrapbook, including a map that showed his unit’s movements in Italy and Northwest Europe. She recalled that the group’s military personnel had never seen such a map before and stayed up all night reviewing it and excitedly emailing colleagues in Canada.

“And with it, there were pictures my dad had taken during the war. God knows how he got a camera and film while he was doing battle, but he did … ,” said Nelson, noting the Royal Canadian Dragoons Museum in Oshawa, Ont., has agreed to take her father’s military things. “(Attending the tour) was so worth it, so worth it.”

PAGE A16 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Military vet helps Tunnels of Moose Jaw shine light on the Cold War Jason G. Antonio

Beneath Moose Jaw’s streets lies a multi-room military bunker that offers a Canadian perspective on the Cold War, with the 1950s-era venue illuminated like a spy base — occasionally with a single light bulb or a computer screen.

The Tunnels of Moose Jaw recently celebrated its 25th anniversary by offering four special “Founder’s Tours.” Included in this celebration were several tours of “Bunker 24: Digging Deeper.”

To communicate the tour’s stories authentically, the Tunnels brought in British veteran Kevin Hicks, who lives in Saskatoon and runs the YouTube channel “The History Squad.”

Hicks, 70, served with the Royal Military Police from 1976 to 1985 and was stationed in Germany, Ireland and Cyprus. During that time, he experienced several fascinating situations, which he communicated on the tour compellingly through his storytelling.

“I had an incredible career,” Hicks said on July 22, noting that he wanted to “put some flesh on the bones” about life during that time.

Being a military police (MP) officer did not mean just keeping the peace, he said.

Skulking in Germany The veteran was sent to Berlin, Germany, where he thought he would police a former Nazi barracks, patrol the Berlin Wall and man checkpoints. Instead, he connected with an intelligence unit and patrolled through East Germany, which was “a totally different experience.”

Hicks recalled going on patrol with the intel unit and having to urinate. So, he found some bushes and was about to do his business when a battle tank roared past

Kevin Hicks speaks to the tour group in a classroom. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

and nearly crushed him. He submitted a report to his superiors, who then “interrogated” him for seven hours over what he said.

Afterward, the Brit learned that he was the first Westerner to see the Soviet’s newest tank, the T-72. He also learned that the British Special Air Service (SAS) had undercover agents in the area who later found the machine.

On another occasion, Hicks saw Soviet T-62 tanks that were painted in colours different from usual, so he submitted another report. He later learned that the Soviets were rearming the East German army, which would be the “spearpoint” of the Warsaw Pact’s military alliance if it attacked the West.

Undercover work in Ireland Hicks next went to Northern Ireland for two years, with the first year spent helping the Royal Ulster Constabulary. In his second year there, after he’d “learnt all of the ropes,” he was attached to a specialist unit dealing with anti-terrorism.

“I’ve never seen so much hatred in my life,” he said.

Hicks recalled attending a dinner event as part of undercover work and wearing a formal dinner jacket, which included a gun and enough ammunition “to sink a ship.” During that event, he blended in by drinking and dancing with a young woman, who unexpectedly found the gun.

On another occasion, Hicks and his unit pretended to be a TV crew so they could film a large crowd, which included several well-known Irish terrorists. He noted that the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants was really a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

An office where spies and military personnel prepare for missions. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

“That’s the thing with history. When you talk to people about the Cold War, they have no idea that it was quite hot and desperate,” Hicks said. “And it may have just simmered a little bit, but I believe it’s on the (rise again).”

Hicks was later posted to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, to a small “protectorate village” called Pergamos, where he had “the most incredible time.”

This area has Turkish roots, so he ate goats and birds and drank German beer because of Turkey’s connection to Germany in the First World War. A new line of work The veteran returned to the U.K. and served with 5 Airborne Brigade, which was supporting the deployment of nuclear missiles. However, he quit the military after his best friend, Dennis, was killed, and became a regular police officer.

He served for seven years in that role before he quit after a vehicle ran over him and left him for dead. He spent five years recovering before switching his focus to educating students about history.

Hicks and his wife moved to Saskatoon 12 years ago because his son married a Saskatchewan girl after serving in Afghanistan with the British military. Hicks later filmed several videos about the Tunnels for his YouTube channel. This caught the attention of the organization’s manager, who invited him to speak during the anniversary tours.

Continuing, he said Bunker 24 is an “absolutely brilliant” concept that gives people the illusion that they’re underground. He added that there are many real bunkers worldwide that are now in mothballs but were necessary decades ago if “the balloon had gone up.”

Visit tunnelsofmoosejaw.com for information about Bunker 24 and other tours.

Kevin Hicks in his military police officer Kevin Hicks stands in front of Checkpoint Charuniform, along with his canine partner, on the lie, one of the most famous locations in Berlin island of Cyprus. Photo by Jason G. Antonio near the Berlin Wall. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

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Dutch couple wrote book about sheltering Canadians during WWII Two Moose Jaw-area women who travelled to the Netherlands recently to honour their veteran fathers also visited a home whose former owners sheltered the men during the Second World War. Lana Hebert, from Moose Jaw, and Joanne Haig, from Rouleau, visited the Western European country with the group “In Our Fathers’ Footsteps” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Dutch liberation and the end of the war.

Jason G. Antonio

11 Canadian soldiers who stayed with them. They found nine of the men while they wrote a book about that experience, called “… and we found NINE!” This is the story of that search. Thanks go to Haig for providing the information.

The search begins The Aalders immigrated to New Zealand in 1956 to start a new life. In 1972, Gerry contacted the Canadian High Commission for help to find the Canadians who stayed with them.

A write-up in The Sentinel newspaper in January 1973 featured a picture of the 11 boys at the couple’s dinner table in 1945, celebrating the 21st birthday of Joseph A. Braconnier, Haig’s father. The article generated many letters, with one coming from the family of soldier Bud Warnell.

The family knew that Gerry and Joanna wanted to travel to Canada, so they gave them information about the country. The Aalders then left Auckland on May 26, 1974, to start their adventure.

They flew back to Amsterdam, then to London, England, and Halifax, N.S., arriving on July 5, 1974. A reporter with the Canadian Press interviewed them, while their story was published in many national newspapers.

The cover of the book that Dutch couple Joanna and Gerry Aalders wrote five decades ago after re-connecting with nine of 11 Canadian soldiers who stayed with them during the Second World War. Photo courtesy Joanne Haig

Before the tour began, Haig and Hebert visited the community of Hilversum. There, they found the home of Joanna and Gerry Aalders, who housed their fathers during the war. They took a picture of themselves outside the building, as the current owners were absent; the Aalders sold the home in 1956 and moved to New Zealand.

The Aalders returned to Canada in 1974 to find the

The couple started looking for their 11 boys using materials they had researched and that the Warnell family provided. The Aalders eventually met with two of the soldiers, one from Montreal, and the other — Braconnier — from Regina.

On Aug. 8, the couple gave a live interview with radio station CKEN in Kentville, N.S. They also gave another interview in Regina with the French CBC, while they spoke on CFAC in Calgary on Oct. 28.

In Ottawa on Sept. 27, the Aalders attended a reception at the National Defence headquarters, where they were well received.

Oct. 24, the Victoria Colonist newspaper on Nov. 5 and the Vancouver Sun on Nov. 8.

In Vancouver, Gerry and Joanna spoke about how the soldiers, while staying with them, pretended to lose a key in their attic. The men had the couple travel to Amsterdam for the day while they filled the attic with onions, carrots, potatoes and wood luxuries — during a time of strict food rationing.

The Aalders returned to New Zealand but came back to Canada in 1979 to visit “their boys” again. They stayed for six months and travelled from coast to coast, visiting the soldiers and their families, relatives and friends, and continued looking for more of the men.

Gerry and Joanna met most of the boys over the years. The nine they met in person included Harry Savage, Frank Drew, Braconnier, Kenneth Budget (Hebert’s father), Cliff Sather, Larry Britton, Irving Redmond, Lawson Moser and Johnny Tougas. They also stayed in touch with Larney Barkley, who died before they could meet in person.

Joseph and Bea Braconnier visited Gerry and Joanna in New Zealand at one point, while Joanna made one last trip to Canada in 1989 after Gerry died.

After Bea’s death, Joe wanted to return to New Zealand to see Joanna. Hebert, her husband Randy, her younger brother Paul and his wife Sonya took Joe to Auckland to see Joanna in November 1997.

“We left dad to visit Joanna while we visited the North Island of New Zealand,” Hebert recalled. “Joanna and dad joined us on the South Island, travelling around in a small motor home. It was a wonderful reunion between Joanna and Joseph.”

It was the last time they saw each other, as Braconnier died on Nov. 9, 1998.

Herbert added that she was unsure whether Bud Warnell was one of the soldiers who fought with her father in Holland.

The couple continued to receive more publicity as they headed west, including with the Regina LeaderPost on Oct. 16, a newspaper in Claresholm, Alta., on

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PAGE A18 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

15 Wing honours ‘daring aviators’ who fought in UK 85 years ago Jason G. Antonio

A trumpet’s mournful wail filled the air at 15 Wing Airbase as military personnel and civilians honoured 23 Canadian pilots killed during a critical battle 85 years ago.

poem “High Flight,” while he read the names of the Canadians killed.

cause, including giving their lives.

Muir said that, contrary to some opinions, younger people — especially pilots — embrace the RCAF’s traditions and heritage. Furthermore, they enjoy celebrating that history through commemorative events, which enhances their connection to the past.

Meanwhile, the captain said he was honoured to read

A large crowd gathers for a ceremony to honour pilots from the Battle of Britain, with a Harvard training plane on the left. Photo

by Jason G. Antonio

During a ceremony on Sept. 21, the airbase commemorated the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which began on July 10, 1940, and was the Second World War’s first major air battle.

Twenty-three Canadians — including four Saskatchewanians and 1,542 other Allied pilots — died during the campaign, which culminated with a massive aerial battle on Sept. 15, 1940. After 114 days, the Battle of Britain concluded on Oct. 31, 1940, after the Germans — who lost roughly 2,500 aircrews — began bombing English cities.

Capt. Iain Muir, a pilot with the Snowbirds, recited the

Trumpeter Capt. Rick Elmer delivers The Last Post and Rouse, while bagpiper Michelle Gallagher played a tune afterward. Photo

by Jason G. Antonio

Muir told reporters afterward that it was meaningful — especially as a junior pilot — to help commemorate the Battle of Britain, because it’s part of the RCAF’s heritage and is the reason it exists. Moreover, that history is on display throughout the base.

“It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day (aspects of the) job, (so) … it’s good to commemorate these events. It’s our history,” he said.

Continuing, Muir said these events motivate him to do his best — “it’s almost a duty” — because the pilots who served decades ago did everything they could for the

Padre Lt. (Navy) Graeme Carruth gives a lively spiritual reflection.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

the names of the Canadian pilots killed. He noted that he researched every man to ensure he pronounced their names correctly and knew their ranks, while he even read about them when he should have been working.

Lt.-Col. Matthew Fullerton, acting wing commander, discussed the battle’s history during the ceremony.

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Afterward, he told reporters that remembering and listening to those past stories are “exceptionally important” since the current generation must understand the sacrifices it took to defend the “great inheritance of peace, freedom and democracy” that veterans earned.

that was when the Germans “threw everything” they had at the United Kingdom since they thought the country had few aircraft left.

think that humanity’s future might lie with “the law of autocratic rule,” where only the strong make decisions and “those with the gold” make the rules.

However, the U.K. had secret manufacturing plants in the countryside that provided the necessary machines.

This shook the German leadership and changed the battle’s outcome.

Continuing, he said that while democracy and a compassionate, justice-based world order appear to be “in apparent retreat,” people shouldn’t succumb to a “dystopic picture of humanity’s future.” Instead, they should look at how democratic countries handled major challenges 85

Fullerton pointed out that today’s pilots receive years of training before they acquire their wings, but airmen in the Second World War were given only 10 to 20 hours before being sent into battle.

Yet, they proved themselves admirably.

Lt.-Col. Matthew Fullerton, acting wing commander, discusses the history of the Battle of Britain during the ceremony. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Fullerton highlighted Rosthern-born pilot Ernest Archibald (PeeWee) McNab, who received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions during the battle.

Compared to the other pilots, McNab had over 2,000 hours in the air because he had been flying since before the war.

This is critical, he noted, since nondemocratic forces are challenging the “liberal international order” every day.

“… if we ever do have to go to war in the future, these are the types of legacies we want to draw from to be able to defend what we have,” Fullerton added.

The acting wing commander said the Battle of Britain is remembered on the third Sunday in September because

During the ceremony, Padre Lt. (Navy) Graeme Carruth gave a lively spiritual reflection, saying some people today

that some British citizens and politicians thought of capitulating.

Yet, during the summer of 1940, Allied airmen “dared to roll the dice once more against the overwhelming forces of autocratic domination” by taking to the skies in a life-and-death struggle, he said.

By the end of October, “the underdogs” had forced the then-unstoppable Axis powers to withdraw.

This proved that one-man autocratic rule could be defeated and that democracy was more resilient.

“How rightly did Prime Minister (Winston) Churchill say of those pilots, ground crews and support teams, ‘Never in the field of armed conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few,’” Carruth said while imitating the politician’s gravelly voice.

With flags snapping in the wind, Ann-Marie Rouault-Chedid (at podium) sings O Canada.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

years ago during the rise of communist and fascist governments.

“The sweep of populist dictatorship, with its total control of news and elimination of all freedom of speech, seemed unstoppable,” Carruth remarked, noting

Carruth added that the future is an “undiscovered country” shaped by society’s choices, including the choice to receive and hold high the torch that “those daring aviators” have tossed in defence of democratic values for future generations.

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PAGE A20 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Moose Jaw airman featured in new book about plane crash in WWII

Two authors who sought information about a Moose Jaw airman have written a book about the navigator’s doomed airplane, using the additional stories they received from the community.

The Lost Dambuster Lancaster book cover.

Flight-Lt. Lorne Thomas Pritchard (right) receives the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), the third-highest military medal that Canada issued, after returning to Canada in 1945. Photo courtesy Dr. Trevor Kerry

Dr. Trevor Kerry, an English professor, and Gaetan Sago, a French historian, have produced “The Lost Dambuster Lancaster: The Story of 617 Squadron’s Attack on Hitler’s V2 Rocket Site.” The book will be available on Nov. 30 from Amazon or local booksellers.

In 2014, Kerry discovered three graves of the crew of DV403 during a visit to Leulinghem, France, but knew nothing of their story, he said by email. He then researched the Lancaster bomber, which flew from Woodhall Spa airfield near his home in Lincolnshire.

The eight men were from 617 Dambusters Squadron and went on a bombing mission on June 24, 1944, to drop a 5,400-kilogram (12,000-pound) Tallboy bomb — one of the first missions to use it — on a V-bomb launch site at Wizernes, France. However, flak hit their aircraft.

“An engine stuttered and the aircraft began to burn.

John Edward, pilot, tried to hold course, to stay aloft for long enough for the crew to answer the ‘Abracadabra’ call to evacuate the craft,” the book’s synopsis says.

“An eyewitness ran for cover to dodge the shrapnel. A (covert) Resistance worker (André Schamp) saw crew members falling ‘like candles’ below their parachutes.”

Jason G. Antonio

Of the eight crewmen, five died, while three survived the landing, and two sustained major injuries. The Germans captured the survivors, including Moose Jaw’s Lorne Thomas Pritchard, who was unhurt.

Continuing, Kerry said he gathered the story over a decade, using records from the United Kingdom and Canada, while he also found relatives of the crewmen.

He later published what he knew in magazines, which sometimes resulted in readers emailing him information.

In 2024, Sagot — who has roots in Leulinghem — contacted Kerry since the former knew the family of Schamp and planned to hold an 80th anniversary memorial event. The two decided to pool their knowledge and combine all the data and photographs into a book, which became “The Lost Dambuster Lancaster.”

Furthermore, after becoming a prisoner of war in 1944, he was repatriated to Canada in 1945 and promoted to flight lieutenant. Taking advantage of a government program, Pritchard attended the University of Saskatchewan to study chemical engineering.

Pritchard later worked for the Palmolive company, but died in Calgary on Aug. 10, 1966, at age 44, leaving behind a wife and three daughters.

The headstone of Lorne Pritchard, in the Queen’s Park Cemetery and Mausoleum in Calgary. Photo courtesy Findagrave.com

Three Lancaster bombers of the Royal Air Force fly over the United Kingdom, on Sept. 29, 1942. Photo courtesy Wikicommons

The authors knew Pritchard lived in Moose Jaw, enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), was a nursing orderly, transferred to aircrew training, and became a navigator. He had a distinguished career with the same crew members in 50 Squadron before joining 617 Squadron in January 1944.

Kerry noted that Pritchard’s recollections, as conveyed through Bonnie, gave him an interesting piece of information about the crew’s preparations on June 24.

Moreover, Pritchard also told his daughter that the crew was concerned about the ethics of strategic bombing, which became a theme in the book.

“My personal approach to history writing is that it should be as accurate as possible, and that means not merely recording events but examining the context in which they happen,” said Kerry.

Pritchard’s navigation skills earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), the third-highest military medal that Canada issued.

“Gaetan enjoys detail. We both believe that the process of recording these events is important so that the following generations do not forget the sacrifices that were made — in the name of duty,” he continued.

Kerry acquired further information about Pritchard from the Bomber Command Museum of Canada, residents Colleen Campbell and Michele Daniels, and Pritchard’s daughter, Bonnie. He corresponded with her intermittently, with “interesting details” emerging.

Kerry added that the book has several valuable features, such as its connection with the crew’s families, its English and French perspectives, its willingness to engage with controversial topics, its readability, and a deep exploration of the men, places, equipment and weapons related to the situation.

The author learned that Lorne was born in Birmingham, England, on Jan. 21, 1922, and later moved to Canada.

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‘Emotional’ day as Legion officially opens new building on Caribou Street West After a year of planning and renovations, Moose Jaw’s Royal Canadian Legion has officially opened its new building, leaving many members and volunteers emotional and overjoyed.

Veterans Alex Cameron and Jim MacNeil prepare to hoist the Canadian flag to officially open the Legion building. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Nearly 100 people attended the grand opening ceremony on Sept. 19 of Branch No. 59’s new venue at 693 Fairford Street West, which saw the raising of the Canadian flag in the parking lot.

Padre Doug Shepherd says a blessing over the new building, while Branch No. 59 president Christine Simpson (left) listens. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Veterans Alex Cameron and Jim MacNeil helped raise the pennant, which mirrored their actions of lowering the flag during a farewell ceremony at the previous venue at 268 High Street West in April.

“Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us to officially open — our new home,” said Christine Simpson, legion president, her voice cracking as she kicked off the ceremony.

“It has taken many months of time, preparation and an unknown quantity of personnel and organizations… to make it work and make it all a reality,” she continued.

“We are truly looking forward to many functions

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and gatherings to make this establishment a place for all to feel welcome when you come through our doors.”

Legion president Christine Simpson (centre) cuts a ribbon to officially open the new Branch No. 59 building, while flanked by businessman Jamey Logan — who owns the building — and Mayor James Murdock. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

After the flag-raising, Padre Doug Shepherd said a blessing, followed by a ribbon-cutting and lunch inside.

Shepherd said that the event had “emotionally drained” him because of how special it was, while he was honoured to give the building-focused prayer.

Jamey Logan, owner of the Legion’s building, said it was exciting for him and his wife, Sherri, to help make the veterans organization’s “dream come true.”

Continuing, Logan said the interior looked great, and while some people may think it’s small and cramped, he thought The Canadian flag flies over it was the perfect size tothe Legion’s new home. Photo accommodate the currentby Jason G. Antonio membership and would allow the branch to stay there forever.

The businessman acknowledged that he was somewhat emotional watching the Canadian flag rise during the ceremony since he had goosebumps and a tear in his eye. Yet, he was more thrilled for the veterans,

since the ceremony had real meaning for them.

A cake with pictures of the old and new Legion branch buildings.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

During a brief ceremony inside, Simpson thanked all the volunteers, members, companies and contractors that supported the project. She singled out the Logans, saying their guidance and mentorship made the new building possible.

“When they say it takes a village to complete a project, a home or a family, it certainly does,” she said.

“These people, and their companies, are now part of Branch 59, the Royal Canadian Legion’s village. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Afterward, Simpson said she was “very emotional” about the grand opening, noting that it was a long year to transform the building into a new home. Yet, the entire process went smoothly, while the organization is now focused on tweaking things.

“We opened in May, but we said we’d wait until September when everybody was back from holidays in the summer (to have a grand opening celebration),” she said.

Simpson noted that the branch operated from its High Street West location for nearly 100 years but required a smaller space that was less expensive. So, it sold the building in 2020 and signed a five-year lease, while it looked for a new building. Also, it continued to support veterans and their families, host the Remembrance Day ceremonies and distribute money from its Poppy Trust Fund.

Ester MacAuley, a long-time volunteer and 29year member, cut the celebratory cake, which featured pictures of both Legion buildings.

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PAGE A22 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Legion luncheon focuses on ‘appreciating veterans over time’

Remembrance Day and Decoration Day give Canadians the opportunity to thank veterans for their service, but it’s smaller events like luncheons that allow communities to show their appreciation more deeply.

Jason G. Antonio

here from other countries. If so, then they were likely veterans in their home countries.

“Conflicts in this world, as we know it, have been going on since the dawn of time. Fighting over personal property, land, countries and even human beings has been a way of life on this Earth forever,” she said.

Skirmishes, battles and wars created veterans out of people, including attendees’ ancestors who likely faced conflict in their homelands, Knox noted. Even if attendees weren’t veterans by the typical definition, they were present because of the sacrifices that past soldiers, sailors and airmen and airwomen made to secure today’s freedoms.

Sue Knox, the event MC and poppy campaign chairwoman, talks about how past wars and conflicts created veterans out of many people. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Moose Jaw’s Royal Canadian Legion recently held its annual veterans’ luncheon, the first such event in its new building at 693 Fairford Street West. Over 100 people packed into Branch No. 59’s venue to socialize, with at least half of those attendees — including some from Regina and Mossbank — veterans.

The luncheon’s theme was “Appreciating veterans over time,” and Sue Knox, the poppy committee chairwoman and event MC, asked the special guests to raise their hands. She then had others raise their hands if they were connected to a veteran.

Paul Valiquette, the provincial homelessness representative and provincial service officer for the Royal Canadian Legion’s Saskatchewan Command, discusses the organization’s programs. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Continuing, Knox encouraged everyone else to consider their heritage and whether their grandparents, great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents came

Sue Knox, event MC and poppy campaign chairwoman (left), and Christine Simpson, Branch No. 59 president (right), present René LaChance with a quilt after he won the door prize during the luncheon. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Generations of people have fought to acquire their rights, with many having to shed blood to “banish perpetrators” who expanded their material comforts at the expense of others, she said.

“Not all would consider themselves veterans, but if they have fought for their countries, their families and the protection of others, I would think they should be considered a veteran,” Knox added. “… our history is full of veterans.”

Knox reflected on her family’s military history, saying she had a step-uncle who fought in the Second World War, three great-uncles — all brothers — who fought in the First World War, and relatives who fought in the Fenian Raids in Ontario in the 1860s, the American

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Indian Wars, the U.S. Civil War and the Scottish Battle of Culloden in the 1700s.

While she didn’t have much information about her great-great-grandfathers, she knew their activities resulted in her being alive. Pausing to contain her emotions, she noted that they were veterans who fought and returned home to raise families, of which she became a part.

Knox pointed out that attendees likely have similar stories of ancestors who fought in battles centuries ago and returned home to start families.

The freedoms Canadians have gained over time are due to veterans — past, present and future — who willingly gave up everything to keep Canadian heritage alive and oppose oppressors, she said.

“For this, I thank every one of you. Your commitment, integrity, selflessness and love for our country have brought us together as a nation,” Knox continued.

The navy veteran commended younger veterans for their service and for attending the luncheon and urged them to be proud of what they do, to mark their achievements and make them count, and to look after their families.

Knox acknowledged families are part of veterans’ lives and are the reason military personnel can go to far-off lands and follow orders.

Knox added that the “Missing Man Table” was a silent way to honour soldiers, sailors, aviators and RCMP officers who were unable to join the luncheon — or their families’ tables — because they had died in the line of duty.

The crowd then stood and silently toasted veterans with their drinks.

Meanwhile, Paul Valiquette, the provincial homelessness representative and provincial service officer for the Royal Canadian Legion’s Saskatchewan Command, discussed the organization’s programs.

In particular, he highlighted the poppy campaign, which raised $1.3 million in Saskatchewan last year; the service dog program, which costs $15,000 to buy such animals; the Leave the Streets Behind homeless initiative; and employment initiatives.

“So you can see we have many programs offered by the Legion. Moose Jaw branch has (also) been phenomenal (with its support) … ,” Valiquette added. “Because without the branches, we can’t function.”

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Moose Jaw soldier freed from PoW camp after Japan’s surrender 80 years ago Imperial Japan’s formal surrender to the Allies on Sept. 2, 1945, officially ended the Second World War after six long years, while it also kick-started the process to repatriate thousands of prisoners of war — including Canadian soldier Adam Schnell.

A photo of Lance-Cpl. Adam Schnell, who served with the Winnipeg Grenadiers in the Second World War. Photo courtesy Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association

Japan had announced on Aug. 15, 1945, that it would quit the war, a decision likely influenced by the United States dropping two atomic bombs earlier that month and the Soviet Union invading the Imperial power’s puppet state of Manchukuo, in Japanese-occupied Manchuria in northeast China.

The surrender ceremony occurred in Tokyo Bay on the battleship USS Missouri, with hundreds of dignitaries and military personnel from the Allied powers in attendance, along with senior Japanese officials.

A photo of Adam Schnell, many years after the war. Photo courtesy Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association

Representing

Canada

was

Col.

Jason G. Antonio

Lawrence Moore Cosgrave, who was the military attaché to Australia.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong and Japan, roughly 1,400 Canadian soldiers were still awaiting their release, including Adam Schnell.

Schnell had originally enlisted with the South Saskatchewan Regiment in 1940, but because he wanted to see some overseas action, he transferred to the Winnipeg Grenadiers.

Lance-Cpl. Schnell was one of 1,975 soldiers who were later sent to defend Hong Kong in November 1941, but the garrison surrendered to the Japanese on Christmas Day, and the remaining 1,689 Canadians were sent into captivity at the Sham Shui Po POW Camp.

The garrison could have held out longer against the invaders, but equipment that was destined for Hong Kong was rerouted to Manila, Philippines, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.

then worked in the coal mines at Sandai before his liberation in September 1945.

He noted that prisoners of war worked seven days a week.

“There was no such thing as Sunday,” he said, adding that men could wash their clothes every three weeks, while cleaning the latrines was their only break. Even though they worked hard, the Japanese fed them poorly.

“We ate rice, dried fish and grasshoppers,” the veteran continued.

“We used a lot of animals in the shipyard, and if one of them died, it would be in the stew for a few days.”

During his 44 months of captivity, Schnell, who stood 5-9, went from 145 pounds to 85 pounds, although he noted that he “was in good shape compared to others.”

Schnell and just over 1,400 other surviving Canadian POWs returned to Canada in late 1945 and were released in

A Times-Herald article from the library archives features comments from Adam Schnell in 1991.

Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Schnell, who was born in Rhein, Sask., in 1923, died in Moose Jaw on Sept.

29, 2000, and was buried in the Rosedale Cemetery.

Veteran Adam Schnell’s headstone at the Rosedale Cemetery. Photo courtesy Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association

“We lost 557 men (in total). Two hundred and sixty-eight of those died in captivity,” Schnell told the Times-Herald in 1991, according to an archival article.

Many men spent “the best years of their lives” dying from malnutrition, dysentery and other diseases, he recalled.

What was worse was that Japan hadn’t signed the Geneva Convention, which meant prisoners didn’t have much protection.

“It was wicked. In battle, you have a chance. In the prison camp, you didn’t know what to expect,” Schnell said. “Any of the guards could call you and slap or beat you.”

Adding insult to injury, one of the guards, a Japanese-Canadian named Kanao Inouye, was the worst of them all. The article noted that after the war, while the Allies gave some camp guards life sentences, they executed Inouye for treason since he killed three prisoners and injured many others.

Schnell recalled living in the POW camp for 18 months before being shipped to Japan for slave labour. He spent a year working in a shipyard in Yokohama and

Lt.-Cmdr. Fred Day of HMCS Prince Robert meets with Canadian prisoners of war at the Sham Shui Po Camp in Hong Kong in August 1945. Photo courtesy Legion Magazine

1946.

According to the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association website, in March 1946, Schnell married Joan Allen and worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway for a few years before rejoining the military in 1953. He then served with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps until 1970.

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PAGE A24 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Attending ‘historic ceremony’ that officially ended WWII a thrill for Canadian officer

Col. Lawrence Moore Cosgrave suffered an eye injury while fighting in the First World War, which may have contributed to a writing blunder when he represented Canada during Japan’s formal surrender 80 years ago.

Canadian Col. Lawrence Moore Cosgrave, who represented Canada during Japan’s official surrender ceremony on Sept. 2, 1945. Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Cosgrave, who fought with Lt.-Col. John McCrae — who wrote In Flanders Fields — in 1915, was Canada’s military attaché to Australia during the Second World War and was an impromptu representative — and the only junior officer among admirals and generals — during the surrender ceremony.

During the formal event on Sept.

2, 1945, representatives from nine Allied countries signed the “Instrument of Surrender” document. However, Cosgrave signed his name just below the appropriate spot, on the line reserved for the French delegate.

“The mistake forced the subsequent signatories to also put their names on the incorrect lines, up to the New Zealand representative, who put his signature on the blank portion at the bottom,” a Legion Magazine article said.

The dismayed Japanese delegation refused to accept the error-filled copy, so

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U.S. General Douglas MacArthur’s chief of staff, the notoriously mercurial Lt.Gen. Richard Sutherland, hand-wrote corrections to the Allied titles under each signature, the article noted.

Sutherland tersely dismissed the Japanese, who retired to their launch in Tokyo Bay, clutching the disfigured certificate that acknowledged their unconditional surrender. The emperor had to make do with a marked-up copy.

Sutherland’s quick thinking turned what could have been an embarrassing diplomatic incident into a minor, now largely forgotten historical footnote, and — eight decades on — a punchline, the magazine added.

Cosgrave’s error wasn’t his first,

Col. Lawrence Moore Cosgrave (seated) signing the document for Canada on USS Missouri, 2 September 1945, while being watched by U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur (left), who organized the ceremony. Photo courtesy Canadian War Museum

though, as, according to the book “From Flanders Fields to Tokyo Bay,” he apparently signed McCrae’s attestation paper on the wrong line when they volunteered for the First World War. After the ceremony, Cosgrave cabled Ottawa, saying, “Surrender ceremony completed this morning.” Continuing, he wrote that Canada had been accorded

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“every courtesy and consideration” during the event.

“Admiral (Chester) Nimitz (head of the U.S. Navy) and General MacArthur asked me to send their warm personal and official greetings to Prime Minister (William L.M.) King and their keen pleasure (with) Canada’s participation,” Cosgrave wrote.

The colonel added that the first group of Canadian prisoners of war would likely be released within 48 hours, although no details were known.

Cosgrave made no mention of his historic faux pas in his official typewritten report to the Canadian embassy in Australia, as his recollection of the day was different and more personal, the Legion article noted.

In his note to the embassy, Cosgrave simply listed those who signed and in what order and wrote that “the Allied representatives made a colourful, impressive group.”

His notes reflected the sense he was in august company. But instead of being awed by MacArthur or Nimitz, his attention was drawn to the emaciated figures of newly freed MajorGen. Jonathan Wainwright, ill-fated commander of American troops who surrendered on Bataan in 1942, and Lt.Gen. Arthur Percival, the defeated British commander in Singapore.

“I shall remain eternally grateful to the authors of my appointment to this historic ceremony,” Cosgrave wrote, adding wistfully, “Twill always remain the highlight of my not uneventful career.”

Canada’s Pacific war began three weeks after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941, when 290 of 1,975 Canadians from the

Quebec-based Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers were killed defending Hong Kong, which fell on Christmas Day in 1941, according to a Global News article.

The Instrument of Surrender document that was signed during the ceremony. The blank line that Col. Lawrence Cosgrave should have signed can be seen on the document’s right-hand page, along with Lt.-Gen. Richard Sutherland’s handwritten corrections. Photo courtesy Legion Magazine

Almost as many Canadians subsequently died of starvation, disease and brutality in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, with roughly 1,400 surviving.

Canada contributed fewer soldiers, sailors and airmen to the Pacific Theatre — roughly 10,000 personnel — compared to the European Theatre, but still played an important part, nevertheless.

Soldiers fought in Alaska; airmen flew troops, ammunition and other supplies in the China-Burma-India Theatre, and were pilots, navigators and gunners with the Royal Air Force in Southeast Asia; and sailors supported the U.S. Navy in the final months of the war.

Canada was preparing to send 70,000 military personnel — including 25,000 soldiers — to help with the expected invasion of Japan in November 1945, but the latter’s surrender ended those plans.

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Formal ceremony that ended WWII was ‘the greatest drama in modern times’ Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allies during a formal ceremony on Sept. 2, 1945, was “the greatest drama in modern times,” a Times-Herald editorial stated, especially since the event was broadcast live.

“It would have been a dramatic event — the complete capitulation of a modern military power — in any circumstance, but when, through the medium of radio, the entire world listened in on the event, there was a theatrical aspect to this making of history,” said the editorial 80 years ago.

The formal surrender officially ended the Second World War, a conflict that killed roughly 85 million people, 75 per cent of whom were civilians. During the war, 1.1 million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served, with 45,000 killed and 55,000 wounded.

A Times-Herald article about celebrations in Moose Jaw after Japan announced on Aug. 15, 1945, that it was quitting the war.

Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Public Library archives

Victory over Japan Japan had announced on Aug. 15, 1945 — VJ-Day — that it was quitting the war, which prompted jubilant celebrations in the same vein as when Germany officially surrendered on May 8, 1945, or VE-Day. Moose Jaw held two celebrations to commemorate VJDay, one that was spontaneous and one that was official.

A Times-Herald article from August 1945 reported that the spontaneous celebrations on Aug. 15 saw residents “ready to ‘whoop it up,’ to make a noise and let go their feelings at the end of a long and terrible war.”

The official event on Aug. 16, meanwhile, was a national holiday, which included church services, a parade and a street dance. There was also plenty of enthusiastic noise — motorists honking horns, children using instruments and other objects, and people shouting from buildings — throughout the evening.

“The rejoicing at the close of the 1939-45 war was kept up until the early hours of Wednesday morning, many

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being loath to call it a day and go home to bed,” the article added.

A solemn event The editorial commended U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the supreme commander of the Allied forces in the Pacific, for being the author of the ceremony and an actor in it. Moreover, the article praised him for how he arranged his supporters and the surrender table on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri, along with his “significantly phrased epilogue.”

The editorial pointed out that the world was again at peace, while for the people of China, “the great drama of Tokyo Bay” likely held more meaning and hope for them since their country was the first victim of Japanese aggression; 20 million Chinese died during the war.

“Peace in the Orient and in the Far East and throughout the islands of the Pacific means much to … our own Dominion of Canada,” the article said, noting “great wisdom and tact” would be required to maintain that peace since Japanese militarism could easily re-emerge.

The editorial pointed out that MacArthur would work to ensure the Japanese understood their defeat, since it was “a most difficult undertaking to impress upon a semi-civilized, semi-barbaric peoples” who believed they were unbeatable because they had never in their history been defeated.

General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander, delivers a speech to open the surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri. Canadian Col. Lawrence Cosgrave is behind him, third from left, the lowest-ranking Allied officer to sign the surrender documents. Photo courtesy Legion Magazine

“… it was most evident that he was making the event solemnly impressive to the Japanese nation as well as to the world,” the article added.

Said MacArthur during the ceremony, “It is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past — a world founded upon faith and understanding — a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish — for freedom, tolerance and justice.

“As supreme commander for the Allied powers, I announce it is my firm purpose, in the tradition of the countries I represent, to proceed in the discharge of my responsibilities with justice and tolerance,” he added, “while taking all necessary dispositions to (ensure) that the terms of surrender are fully, promptly and faithfully complied with.”

With top-hatted foreign affairs minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu, chief of the army general staff, at the fore, representatives of the Empire of Japan stand attentively on USS Missouri’s deck during the formal surrender. Photo courtesy Legion Magazine

Meanwhile, the United States would be largely responsible for educating the Japanese people “to the standard of world nations who abhor war and love peace,” the article noted.

“With the historic events which took place in Japan (on) Sunday, Sept. 2, 1945, the world enters a new epoch. … with the six terribly devastating years behind, the world on Sept. 3, 1945, starts on the uphill climb to the new era in which fear of the aggressor and the other fears which have borne so heavily on the minds and souls of mankind for countless years are to be banished,” the editorial added.

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PAGE A26 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Newest veterans’ banners feature first woman in the collection Jason G. Antonio

Twenty new banners featuring Moose Jaw-area veterans — including the first woman — now hang from light poles downtown, as part of city hall’s project to honour those who served in war and peace.

Below are the biographies of husband and wife Helen Isabelle Pashia Tillie and Alexander Tillie II. This is part 1 of 7 in a series.

Helen Tillie Tillie was born in Croydon, England, to an English mother and a French father who served in the French Foreign Legion from 1914 to 1916. She attended private and art schools, became a skilled painter, and lived a sheltered life.

During the Second World War, she and her friend Elizabeth trained with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF, or “WACKS”), working mainly at night.

Tillie met her husband, Alexander, when he was caught stealing onions from a garden. They married in London, where she adapted to a difficult lifestyle, even though she had been raised in comfort. She and her husband later moved to Moose Jaw, with help from family, including her Aunt Jessie. They farmed at Mortlach, where Tillie learned to cook, garden, and manage farm life despite hardships.

and worked hard to support the family. Though life was challenging, she adjusted from a city upbringing in England to rural life in Canada.

Alexander Tillie II Tillie moved to Mortlach in 1927 with his parents, two brothers, and three sisters. His family had strong farming roots, raising cattle and horses, and many of his siblings married and settled in nearby communities.

During the Second World War, Alexander joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as a sergeant and flew planes overseas. His squadron’s plane was named “We Go Like Hell.” He documented much of what he saw with photographs and kept in touch with family by sending photos and letters. He was eventually injured and spent time in the hospital before returning to Canada.

After the war, Alexander married, settled in Moose Jaw for a time, and later moved to Chamberlain and Mortlach, where he and his wife raised 13 children.

They farmed modestly with cattle, chickens, and crops, and Alexander also drove a school bus for many years.

Later in life, the family moved to Victoria, British Columbia. Alexander Tillie II passed away in 1983 at the age of 73.

She raised children, endured struggles with money,

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D-Day soldier, elite commando featured on newest downtown banners Jason G. Antonio

A soldier who landed on Juno Beach during D-Day and a commando who put the fear of God into the Germans in Italy are featured on the newest banners in downtown Moose Jaw. This story features the biographies of Edgar V. Dalgarno and Fayne (Spud) Elliott, with information from the City of Moose Jaw’s heritage advisory committee.

This is part 2 of 7 in a series.

lived and worked there until his death in February 2010.

Fayne (Spud) Elliott Elliott enlisted in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders in 1939 and later joined the 2nd Canadian Parachute Battalion in 1942, where he volunteered for the First Special Service Force (FSSF), “The Devil’s Brigade.”

Edgar V. Dalgarno Dalgarno was born on March 17, 1922, to Kenneth and Lily Dalgarno in the Pioneer district, northwest of Moose Jaw, and at 22, he volunteered to serve in the Second World War. Although he initially hoped to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, his colour blindness prevented that path, so he enlisted in the army instead.

The Devil’s Brigade was a joint Canadian-American unit that kept the Germans on their toes and in fear in Italy and France.

He underwent training in British Columbia and, in early 1944, was deployed to England as a member of The Rocky Mountain Rangers. Edgar was part of the first wave of troops to land on the French beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

While his landing was successful, he was later seriously wounded near the village of Caen.

The veteran settled in Moose Jaw, where he raised a family, managed Subway Texaco, and was an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 59, where he co-ordinated the Colour Party and earned a Lifetime Membership.

After a lengthy recovery in an English hospital, Edgar returned home to Canada. He and his wife, Olive, raised three children and farmed the land where he grew up. He

Elliott served in the Aleutian Islands, Italy, and Southern France until the FSSF was disbanded in 1945, while he was honourably discharged in 1946.

The decorations he received included 1939–45 Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, War Medal, US Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valour, Purple Heart, and the FSSF Congressional Gold Medal (2015).

LEST WE FORGET

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PAGE A28 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Three veterans from Coderre area newest inductees in banner program Jason G. Antonio

Three of the newest veteran banners in downtown Moose Jaw feature men from the Coderre area, including one soldier who served in both world wars and two who helped liberate Italy and Holland.

Below are the biographies of David Weir Wilson, Walter Johnstone and Samuel Mervyn Mainwaring, with information from the city’s heritage advisory committee.

This is part 3 of 7 in a series.

David Weir Wilson Wilson was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and immigrated to Canada in 1902. He worked on ranches in Saskatchewan and later homesteaded near Gravelbourg. In 1916, he married Pauline Wilson and enlisted in the Canadian Forces Artillery, serving in England and France during the First World War.

Pool, and in November, he was transferred to No. 1 Technical Training School in St. Thomas, Ont. — the only base of its kind in the province during the Second World War. This school trained skilled ground crews for active wartime service.

Walter Johnstone Johnstone was a 25-yearold farmer from Coderre when he enlisted in the army as a trooper on Jan. 5, 1943. He completed his basic training in Bordon, Ont., before being deployed overseas, where he served in Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

In January 1941, Mervyn was posted to No. 4 Service Flying Training School (S.F.T.S.) in Saskatoon, and on Feb. 25, 1941, he married Jean Wilson at Grace United Church in Coderre — the first military wedding held there. The couple returned to Saskatoon.

For his service, Walter was awarded several honours, including the 1939–45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, Good Conduct Badge, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp.

He was honourably discharged on April 4, 1946, and the pride he carried from serving his country and defending the freedom of others stayed with him throughout his life.

He returned to Canada in 1919, receiving the Great War for Civilization Service Medal. He later managed the BW Bar Ranch with his brother.

Samuel Mervyn Mainwaring Mainwaring was born in Winnipeg on Sept. 20, 1914, to Samuel and Winnifred Kate (Lloyd) Mainwaring. In 1915, the family moved to a farm near Mazenod, Sask., where Mervyn attended school.

During the Second World War, he enlisted again in 1943 as part of the Veterans Guard of Canada and earned the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. He died suddenly of a heart attack at a POW camp in Lethbridge, Alta., in 1945, and was buried at Grace United Church Cemetery in Coderre.

They relocated south of Coderre in 1929, where Mervyn farmed with his father and worked for other locals.

Mainwaring later spent a year at an aeronautics school before enlisting in Regina as a mechanic with the Royal Canadian Air Force on July 12, 1940.

On Sept. 13, he spent six weeks at the Toronto Manning

Mainwaring’s final posting was at Rivers, Man., at No. 1 Central Navigation School (C.N.S.) on Oct. 28, 1944.

Mervyn was later discharged in November 1945, and the couple returned to the family farm. He managed lumberyards for years and was a talented musician who enjoyed creating little jingles to entertain his nieces and nephews.

In 1967, the couple moved to Moose Jaw, where Mervyn worked in maintenance at the Union Hospital until his health declined. He passed away on April 6, 1986, and was interred at Grace United Church Cemetery in Coderre.

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On June 2, 1941, Mervyn was transferred to No. 11 S.F.T.S. in Yorkton, where he received his Leading Aircraftman (L.A.C.) with B Group in July. He earned A Group status in October, corporal stripes on Feb. 1, 1942, and sergeant stripes on March 1, 1943.

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Polish PoW, British paratrooper newest veterans on downtown banners A Polish soldier who became a prisoner of war, a British paratrooper who survived a hell-on-earth fight with the Germans and an airman who fought the Japanese are the latest veterans honoured on downtown banners.

Jan (John) Smolak, Albert French and Harold A. Benson all fought during the Second World War and have their biographies — provided by the heritage advisory committee — presented below.

This is part 4 of 7 in a series.

Jan (John) Smolak At 25 years old, Smolak joined the 52nd Regiment, Polish Infantry shortly before Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939.

He fought in Poland during the occupation until he became a prisoner of war (PoW) in 1942.

The soldier was sent to Majdanek Concentration Camp in Lublin, Poland, for forced labour.

However, he escaped this camp five times, each time hiding in the woods and finding food from his parents’ home in Turza at night. After the fifth escape, he surrendered because his family was threatened. He was put in charge of ensuring no other prisoners escaped, under threat of death.

In 1943, he was transferred to Natzweiler Concentration Camp, and in 1944, to the infamous Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, where he remained until liberation in April 1945.

Smolak stayed in Germany until 1948, then immigrated to Moose Jaw, where he worked for the city in the sewer and water department. He survived an excavation accident, which left him with a lung

condition.

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Despite his doctor advising against it, Smolak continued to march in the veteran’s parade on Remembrance Day. On Nov. 11th, 1970, while marching down Main Street to the Legion, Jan died.

Albert French French was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of a newspaper printer. Trained as a stone mason, he practised his craft for over 50 years, including work on a monument at Edinburgh Castle.

During the Second World War, he served in the British Airborne, fighting in Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, and notably surviving nine days during Operation Market Garden before swimming across the Rhine to safety.

Market Garden was the Allies’ attempt to capture three bridges in the Netherlands to end the war

by Christmas. However, unexpected resistance from the Germans prevented this, with over 1,700 British paratroopers captured or killed in Arnhem — the famed “bridge too far.”

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1940, where he trained as a fighter pilot and served in England.

He flew Spitfires with 401 Squadron in Europe and later Hurricanes with 146 Royal Air Force (RAF) Squadron in India and Burma. From 1944 to 45, he flew 94 missions in P-47 Thunderbolts in the Burma campaign, supporting ground forces. After the war, he served as a duty officer in Burma until the war ended.

Benson earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1950, worked with Mannix Co., and married Tommi Tomlinson in 1952.

They raised four children while moving around Western Canada and the United States for hydroelectric dam construction projects.

Benson passed away in Calgary in October 2001.

French emigrated to Canada in 1948, settling in Edmonton, where he married Bernice and raised six children. In 1957, the family moved to Moose Jaw, where he worked at Moose Jaw Marble and Granite, was active in the church and community, and briefly served with the Saskatchewan Dragoons.

He was also known for teaching his children and grandchildren lessons of good citizenship, hard work and patience.

Harold A. Benson Benson was born in Moose Jaw and later joined the

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PAGE A30 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Last Allied soldier killed in WWI newest banner inductee Two soldiers who fought in the First World War — with one the final Allied death — and a veteran who fought with a famed armoured regiment in the Second World War are the newest veterans’ banners inductees.

Presented below are the biographies of George Lawerence Price, Philip Myrtle Chambers and John Barnett, with information from the city’s heritage advisory committee.

This is part 5 of 7 in a series.

Jason G. Antonio

The veteran moved west to join his brothers Jim and Norman to farm in the Weyburn area.

He eventually ended up working for Canadian Pacific Railway in that community, while he also met and married his wife, Jean.

Chambers and his family — including children Franklyn, Vernon, Douglas and Helen — moved with the CPR to Moose Jaw in the early 1940s, where he resided until he died in 1981.

George Lawrence Price Price was born in Nova Scotia in 1892 and later became a resident of Moose Jaw, where he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1917.

The soldier served with the 28th Canadian Infantry Battalion, was wounded by gas in 1918, and returned to action.

However, on Nov. 11, 1918, just two minutes before the Armistice, he was killed by a German sniper — becoming the last Commonwealth battle fatality of the First World War. Price is buried in Mons, Belgium, and posthumously received the British War Medal and Victory Medal. A memorial to him also stands in Moose Jaw’s Crescent Park.

Philip Myrtle Chambers Chambers enlisted in the First World War in Listowel, Maryboro, Wellington County, Ont., at age 23, on March 21, 1916.

He embarked for France on the HMT Olympic from Halifax with the 153 Battalion C.E.F., and was later wounded and returned to Canada in 1918.

John Barnett Barnett, from the Lillestrom District near Moose Jaw, enlisted in the South Alberta Regiment in 1942, trained across Canada, and deployed to England to prepare for D-Day. His unit became the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, part of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, and landed in Normandy in July 1944, a month after the landings in France.

Barnett fought in major campaigns throughout the summer of 1944 and served in the same unit as Major David Vivian (D.V.) Currie, who earned the Victoria Cross —the only such award to a Canadian Armoured Regiment in the Second World War — for heroism in France and

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helped close the Falaise Gap, thereby ending the Battle of Normandy.

The honours the regiment earned included Falaise Gap, St. Lambert-sur-Dives, The Scheldt, The Lower Maas, Kapelsche Veer, The Rhineland, The Hochwald, Twente Canal, Bad Zwischenahn and North-West Europe (1944–1945).

Veterans who flew bombing missions, drove trucks on newest banners The veterans’ banners throughout the downtown feature men who had interesting lives, including one who survived 35 bombing missions in the Second World War and another who was a transport driver.

Below are the biographies of four men who appear on the new flags, with the information from the City of Moose Jaw’s heritage advisory committee.

This is part 6 of 7 in a series.

Ambrose Alexander Coghill Coghill was born in Congress, Sask., on July 10, 1921, to James Dunnet Coghill and Margaret Coghill (née Fordyce). He moved to Assiniboia to complete his Grade 12 and worked at Alliance Grain elevator to pay for his room and board.

Ambrose joined the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Bomber Command and graduated from Mount Jolie, Que., in 1942. He served in Canada from June 3, 1942, to Oct. 22, 1943, and a day later, was stationed in England on active duty as a mid-upper air gunner on a Halifax Mark VII bomber.

While in England, he completed a full tour — 35 trips over enemy territory before returning home to Canada on Nov. 14, 1944.

Ambrose then served in Canada from Nov. 15, 1944, until his release on March 2, 1945.

After the war, Ambrose went to the University of Regina for one year, then came to Moose Jaw and worked for Scott National Fruit. In 1947, an employment opportunity arose at the Moose Jaw Union Hospital as an orderly, where he also met Jessie McLeod, who was a nurse in training, and they married in 1948.

Ambrose continued his employment at the hospital and went from orderly to medical records and finally

Jason G. Antonio

director of purchasing until his retirement in 1985.

In 1951, Ambrose built the home where he and Jessie raised their four children and lived there until his death on Dec. 23, 2016.

Milton Allen (Casey) Steele Steele, one of 10 children born to George and Lona Steele, was born in Parkbeg, Sask. He enlisted in 1942 with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps and served as a transport driver in Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, where he took part in the liberation of Dutch residents.

Awarded several service medals and later the Dutch Medal of Remembrance, he seldom spoke of his experiences but carried the memories throughout his life.

After the war, he returned to Parkbeg and operated the Western Oil Bulk business until 1971. He also drove the school bus and served on town council, the school board, and in his church. Milton and his wife Mildred raised three children — Roscoe, Marlene, and Joyce — and retired to Moose Jaw in 1972, where he continued to be active in church and community life.

The medals he received included the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal; CRT Star 1939-45 for operational service; Defence Medal for non-operational service; France-Germany Star for service in France, Belgium, Netherlands or Germany; War Medal 1939-45 for overseas service.

The Dutch Medal of Remembrance was awarded posthumously on May 4, 2003.

David Tweedle Tweedle proudly served in the Canadian Army from 1939 to 1945 and was a member of the 8th Recce Division.

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Throughout his service, he distinguished himself with honour and dedication. His children were fortunate to have preserved some of his belongings, including his medals and Soldier’s Pay Book, as lasting reminders of his sacrifice.

The medals he received included two GRT Star Medals, the Defence Medal and George IV’s Voluntary Service Medal.

“Our family is very proud of him and deeply grateful for the life we are able to live because of his service. His courage and commitment continue to inspire us today,” his biography added.

William (Bill) J. Royds Royds was born in Moose Jaw in 1926, and like many young men, he felt compelled to join the forces in the Second World War and fight for democracy. He enlisted in the army in May 1945 in Regina and was discharged on June 4, 1946.

Royds was sent to Peterborough, Ont., for basic training, then to Camp Borden, but he never left Canadian soil.

When Royds was discharged, he returned to Moose Jaw — for 30 days after discharge, he had to wear his uniform and carry his papers — and received an embossed certificate from the city thanking him for his service. In 2013, he was made a life member of the Legion.

He died in October 2019 at age 93.

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PAGE A32 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

Newest veteran banner features Cold War soldier who served in Germany, Israel Jason G. Antonio

Twenty new banners featuring Moose Jaw veterans now hang from downtown light poles as part of the third annual project that city hall has pursued to honour those who served in war and peace.

Featured below is the biography of Larry Pettigrew, the only Cold War veteran inducted into this year’s banner program. Information about his service comes from the heritage advisory committee.

This is part 7 of 7 in a series.

Pettigrew served with the Calgary Highlanders (Black Watch tartan) in his teen years, spending several years with the militia. He enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces on Aug. 17, 1971, and went to recruit school in Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cornwallis, N.S., on Sept. 25, 1971. As a mobile support equipment operator, he was stationed at: • CFB Calgary, Alta., March 7, 1972 • CFB Lahr, West Germany, Aug. 21, 1978 • CFB Cold Lake, Alta., Aug. 15, 1982 • CFB Moose Jaw, June 28, 1989 to Aug. 23, 1995 While in Cold Lake, he served six months at CFS

Alert, NWT, from Nov. 30, 1983, until May 31, 1984. He completed a safety supervisor course in CFB Borden, Ont., from Aug. 17, 1987, until Sept. 15, 1987, then a heavy equipment operator course in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Furthermore, Pettigrew also took an XB Grader, XC Bulldozer, and frontend loader course in CFB Chilliwack, B.C., from Jan. 9, 1978, until Feb. 24, 1978.

While at CFB Moose Jaw, he served as a peacekeeper in the Golan Heights (Israel) from Sept. 1, 1982, until Dec. 8, 1982. After 25 years, Larry retired as a sergeant in August 1995.

Larry has been married to Bev for 52 years,

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Lest We Forget

raised two sons, Jeremy and Nicholas, and has four grandchildren and eight grandchildren. He has also offered a home to over 40 foster children for more than 34 years.

Pettigrew is an avid woodworker, a great snow remover, a great customer and neighbour, and a dedicated member of Zion United Church and other churches. He considers his life full, hopes many more to come, loves family foremost, and is dedicated to his country.

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Baildon soldier survived Japanese PoW camp, but died in U.S. submarine attack Baildon’s Kenneth A. Dunlop was one of 132,000 Allied military personnel whom the Japanese captured during the Second World War, while he was also one of nearly 21,000 men killed in American submarine attacks.

According to Moose Jaw historian Richard Dowson, Kenny — born on Jan. 13, 1899 — and two friends left Baildon in the 1920s for a new life in California. Work was plentiful and life was good. Ken worked in road construction, was married and later acquired a job in a shipbuilding yard.

Seeking adventure and probably more money, Ken left the United States in early 1939 for the Philippines to work for an American company building and expanding naval bases in the region, Dowson wrote. The opportunity looked rosy, as the United States was a neutral country and not at war with anyone — no worries.

Dunlop was in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941 — “A date which will live in infamy,” as the U.S. president said. In early 1942, the former Saskatchewanian was taken prisoner at Corregidor, where, as a prisoner of war (PoW), he was placed in different camps.

It would be more than a year before Dunlop’s mother, Mrs. Andrew Dunlop of 472 Stadacona Street West, learned that her son was “safe and in good health,” but a PoW, according to a TimesHerald article from Sept. 7, 1943.

Jason G. Antonio

The clipping highlighted Dunlop’s previous employment at the Richmond shipyards, while the reference to Chester was about a friend with whom he worked closely on construction projects, the Times-Herald article said.

The article noted that Dunlop sent the message to his wife in New York, with the postcard showing censorship and mailing marks of the Japanese Imperial Army. The missive was also the first word from him since the fall of Corregidor.

Mrs. Dunlop told a Times-Herald reporter that Kenneth last wrote at Easter in 1942, just before Corregidor’s capture.

“She had never given up her belief that he was still in the land of the living and definite word from him that he was uninjured and in excellent health was overwhelming good news,” the article added.

A painting of a ship similar to the Arisan Maru, a Japanese boat that carried nearly 1,800 prisoners of war, including Kenneth A. Dunlop, formerly of Baildon. Only nine PoWs survived an attack by a U.S. submarine; Dunlop did not.

Photo courtesy pows.jiaponline.org

24, 1944. Only five prisoners survived, while the remaining 1,783 prisoners, including Kenneth Dunlop, died.

The USS Snook (SS-279) submarine was on her seventh patrol in the South China Sea when she encountered a Japanese convoy on Oct. 24, 1944. She sank a passenger/ cargo ship, a tanker, and the Arisan Maru, which had hundreds of Allied prisoners of war. Photo courtesy bremertonbasehistorian.org

Mrs. Dunlop learned about her son’s condition after receiving a clipping from a Berkley, Calif., newspaper that Dunlop’s wife sent, the article continued.

However, the tide of war began turning against Japan after 1942, and in 1944, the Philippines looked like it would fall to the Americans, so the Japanese decided to move their prisoners to Japan for slave labour, Dowson wrote.

“I am interned at Philippine prison camp No. 9.

My health is excellent. I am uninjured and well,” Kenneth wrote on a Japanese form postcard. “Pay my insurance. Take good care of yourself. I am doing fine and do not worry.

Dunlop and others were put on a ship, the Arisan Maru, in mid-October 1944 and taken to Manila, where the ship became part of a Japanese convoy.

On Oct. 21, 1944, the Arisan Maru and other ships left for Takao, Formosa (Taiwan), where they would be sorted and sent on to Japan.

“Please give my best regards to all the gang and Chester. All my love, Kenneth.”

States Navy submarine Snook (SS-279) attacked the convoy, sinking the Arisan Maru on Oct.

Before reaching Formosa, however, the United

U.S. subs — the Snook was sunk in April 1945 — unknowingly killed more than 21,000 Allied PoWs, whom the Japanese transported on unmarked “hell ships,” according to the U.S. National Archives.

“The International Red Cross has sent to the American government an official list obtained from the Japanese government, after long delay, of American prisoners of war, who were lost while being transported northward from the Philippine Islands on a Japanese ship, which was sunk on Oct. 24, 1944,” a Times-Herald article from July 20, 1945, said.

“Kenneth Andrew Dunlop was among those listed as lost … and may be presumed to have lost his life.”

Dunlop left behind his mother in Moose Jaw; his brother Edgar of Baildon; his sister Mrs. J.E. Lindasy of New Westminster, B.C.; and Gertrude of Moose Jaw.

Lest We Forget L est

Moose Jaw 306-692-5588 | Regina 306-525-5886

W e F org et

Thank you to the brave men and women for their sacrifices

Mayor James Murdock and Members of City Council

PAGE A34 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

‘Glory’: Veteran recalls the joy of working in West Germany during Cold War Jason G. Antonio

Being stationed in West Germany during the Cold War was exciting for Bryce Warren, since he was able to maintain well-known airplanes and investigate the cultural and tourist attractions.

airplane mechanic taking a snooze beside a busy runway. He noted that the mechanics worked long hours to maintain the squadrons’ planes, while everyone grew used to the noise of jets landing and taking off.

He worked for three years in the civilian world before re-mustering with the air force in July 1967 as a flight simulator technician. He repaired those machines until retiring in March 1994.

Continuing, Warren said that the repairman decided to lie down on the grass beside the runway to sleep.

His workmates saw this, picked some flowers and placed them in their dozing colleague’s hands, almost like he was in a coffin.

“It gave the pilots a laugh as they returned,” chuckled Warren. “They’d come in on the taxiway and this is what they saw.”

Sgt. Bryce Warren served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as an instrument technician and a flight simulator repairman during this 34-year career, which spanned from May 1957 to June 1964, and July 1967 to March 1994. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

During his 34-year career, the Belleville, Ont.,-born veteran spent 12 years working at 15 Wing Airbase in Moose Jaw, with five years in the military and then seven years as a civilian working with a contractor to maintain flight simulators.

Warren was stationed in Baden-Baden, Germany, with 4 Fighter Wing for four years, where he was responsible for maintaining planes like the Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star, the CF-100 Avro Canada Canuck — or “Clunk” — and the Canadair F-86 Sabre jet.

“That was glory,” laughed Warren, 87, about his time in the Central European country. “I was young and single and I had a good time. I had enough money in my pocket (that) I could spend and … save.”

One memory that sticks out for the former instrument technician is of an

Moose Jaw’s 15 Wing Airbase gave Bryce Warren this plaque as a gift, after he retired in March 1994 after 34 years with the military. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

“Well, Moose Jaw’s a good place. … (It) was good for me,” he said, noting that it was less expensive to live here than in Ottawa.

A plaque honours Bryce Warren’s time with 404 “Escadrille” Squadron in Greenwood, N.S., from July 1977 to May 1980. Photo by Jason G. Antonio

Warren joined the Canadian military in May 1957 and worked as an instrument technician until June 1964, when he left.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon, For The Fallen

Meanwhile, Warren recalled working for the RCMP for four months in the 1980s while stationed at a base in Iqaluit, Nunavut, about 900 kilometres straight north of Montreal. His job was to maintain and operate equipment at the airbase, including a forklift and a machine that de-iced planes’ wings.

“I volunteered. I thought, ‘Well, I’ve

never been up there,’ so … they accepted me up there,” he said.

Warren served at the airbase from October to December, in a climate that was snowy and cold. Even though temperatures sometimes plummeted to a bone-chilling minus-60 Celsius, he pointed out that there was no wind, so “it was nice to walk” — if he wore the proper clothing.

The airbase at Frobisher Bay was a refuelling stopover for planes flying further north to Alert, Nunavut, where Canada had a military base at the north end of Ellesmere Island. Located 817 kilometres from the North Pole, Alert is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world.

Warren recalled that Lockheed CC-130 Hercules cargo planes regularly flew from Frobisher Bay to Alert, carrying vital equipment, supplies, entertainment and food — and beer, of course — to the isolated base.

During one particular trip, a “Herc” was unable to fly directly to Alert because of the weather, so the pilot landed at the Frobisher Bay airbase to stay overnight, the veteran continued. He and others unloaded the plane and then closed the hangar. However, because of the aircraft’s size, its tail stuck out the door.

Chuckling, Warren added that they stored the beer in the hangar because it was too cold outside and they feared the precious liquid might freeze.

The next day, with the weather improved, the Hercules loaded up and flew north to Alert to drop off its supplies — including those adult beverages.

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With Respect We Remember November 11th is Remembrance Day because it marks the armistice that ended World War I at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. On this day, Canadians and other Commonwealth countries pause to commemorate those who have served and sacrificed in wartime, and this is why the day is observed annually on that specific date.

PAGE A36 • MOOSEJAWEXPRESS.COM • Wednesday, Nov 5, 2025

In Flanders Fields

BY JOHN MCCRAE

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.