Victoria Cross (Canada)
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Victoria Cross (Britain)
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Troops bring dignity back to war hero's gravesite - VC (Alexander Robert Dunn - First Canadian to earn a Victoria Cross – Crimea)
LdSH Victoria Cross Winners (LdSH Museum)
Posthumous
Victoria Cross is delivered to Hero's mother by mail - More
- More (Lieut.
Robert Hampton Gray was the only member of Canada's navy to win the Victoria
Cross during the Second World War. Fewer know that another Canadian-born naval
officer won the award in that conflict. He was Captain Frederic Thornton Peters,
VC, DSO, DSC, Royal Navy (RN))
Valour Road (Name of street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where 3 Canadian Victoria Cross winners lived)
War Hero Billy Bishop, VC a fraud, book alleges - Billy Bishop, perhaps the country's greatest war hero, was actually a liar and a fraud, who padded his list of victories and invented the dramatic raid that won him the Victoria Cross, says a new book by a noted Canadian historian. In the book, The Making of Billy Bishop, to be published in June by The Dundurn Group, historian Brereton (Ben) Greenhous revisits the Bishop record in the First World War and finds it hollow. He says he's prepared to face the anger of veterans and others rushing to defend a national idol. Greenhous argues that Bishop lied about his victories and about the legendary dawn raid on a German airfield in June 1917 that won him the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth's highest decoration for valour. Bishop is a Canadian and Commonwealth icon. The record says he won 72 aerial victories, the most in Commonwealth history. Photo WAB BBHM (Apr 02)
Piper James Cleland Richardson, VC 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, CEF
Victoria Cross Signature Book (The Victoria Cross Signature Book was compiled by W.C. Noxon, Agent-General for Ontario in London, to commemorate the Prince of Wales' Victoria Cross banquet held in London, England, 1929. Thirty-two Canadian Victoria Cross recipients attended the event) (Archives of Ontario)
Smokey's medal staying He's the last surviving winner of the Victoria Cross and there is no one more qualified on the subject. And Ernest "Smokey" Smith made it clear there is no way his medal will be sold for profit upon his death. "Mine is not for sale," the 90-year-old military legend said over the phone from his Vancouver home. "I've given mine to the Seaforth Highlanders -- they get it when I die. It's in my will. It will never be sold." canoe.ca 27 Nov 04
Victoria Cross recipient commemorated by provincial plaque The Ontario Heritage Foundation unveiled a provincial plaque to commemorate Victoria Cross recipient Colonel Graham Thompson Lyall. Graham Thompson Lyall emigrated from Britain in 1911, settling first in Welland and later in Niagara Falls where he worked for the Canadian Niagara Power Company. At the outbreak of the First World War, Lyall enlisted in the 19th "Lincoln" Regiment at St. Catharines. He later joined the 81st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) as a private. "For most conspicuous and skillful leading during the operations north of Cambrai," Lyall was awarded the Victoria Cross, the British Empire's highest decoration for valour, self-sacrifice or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. Lyall received this honour from King George V at Buckingham Palace on March 15, 1915. In 2002, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum of Technology in Reading, England accepted Lyall's medals on long-term loan from Lyall's family. newswire.ca 5 Jun 05
Family refuses to profit from war medal The price of the rare Victoria Cross medal is reaching extraordinary heights when it comes up for sale at international auction houses. But the Merrifield family of Sault Ste. Marie has decided its Victoria Cross will never be sold to the highest bidder and will never leave Canada. In November, the Merrifields donated the Victoria Cross medal set that belonged to Sgt. William Merrifield to the Canadian War Museum. The family was donating a military artifact that would be worth a lot of money on the collectors' market; a British Victoria Cross sold for $482,000 in 2004. For the family, the fate of the medal set, handed down from wife to eldest son, and kept in a safety deposit box, was a topic of concern and discussion for some time. The family saw the rising amounts of money being sought for military medals, and saw the angst and controversy over the recent sale of Fred Topham's Victoria Cross. The executors of Mr. Topham's widow's estate wanted to auction the medal in Britain, causing a national outcry in 2004. The federal government eventually stepped in and bought the medal for $300,000. The Merrifield family wanted to avoid all that. So the family decided to hand over the medal set to the Canadian War Museum in a little ceremony in November. The family won't enjoy the possible future financial benefit if the Victoria Cross becomes even more sought-after. But the family will have the assurance that the medal set will be in the hands of historians who care and who will tell the story of William Merrifield. Members of the family may also view it at the museum. Dan Glenney, director of collections at the war museum, says the Victoria Cross is an icon of Canadian military history, and families that have one often become concerned about what will become of it. Families typically do a lot of thinking before donating such a piece, says Mr. Glenney. So far, the war museum has collected 29. Mr. Glenney says the medals are great for the museum to collect, not just because they are small and easy to store and display, but also because there's a story behind each set and it's the museum's mission to tell those stories. canada.com 3 Jan 06
Victoria Cross recipient's WW1 bagpipes find home at BC ... A set of bagpipes trampled beneath the mud of a First World War battlefield returned home to Canada, telling a story of how their mournful defiant voice spurred soldiers to a historic Canadian victory. The battlefield bagpipes played with youthful bravado by Canadian soldier James Richardson arrived at the B.C. legislature Wednesday, fittingly escorted by a regiment of marching pipers. The pipes are now on permanent display. Richardson, from Chilliwack, B.C., died on the Somme battlefield in France in 1916, but his bravery earned him the Victoria Cross, the highest military gallantry medal, and a place in Canadian history. He is the only Canadian piper ever awarded the VC. canada.com 9 Nov 06
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Island
soldier’s bravery earns him highest award for military valour During the 1939-1945 war
period, only 16 members of Canada’s Armed Forces were awarded
the Victoria
Cross
— eight were live awards and eight were posthumous awards.
Capt. Frederick Thorton Peters (Royal Navy) was awarded the Victoria
Cross for
the naval action on the night of Nov. 7, 1942, at Oran, Algeria,
located on the north side of Africa bordering on the Mediterranean Sea.
During the engagement, his attacking naval force was severely
shot up. Peters was later fished out of the harbour and was jailed with
medical attention. On Nov. 13, he was aboard a Royal
Australian Air Force Sunderland flying boat for return to Great
Britain. On approach to Plymouth Sound the aircraft experienced
difficulties and crashed in the water. Peters' body was not recovered.
He is a fatal battle casualty of the Second World War with no known
grave save the sea. Peters was born in Charlottetown on Sept. 17, 1889.
His father, Frederick, became premier of P.E.I. in 1891. His mother was
a daughter of John Hamilton Gray, a quite prominent citizen of the
Confederation era. The Peters family moved to British Columbia in 1898.
Capt. Peters’ death originated in the Nov. 7, 1942 night
naval action. It was a gallant attempt to secure the harbour at Oran
for Allied purpose and uses. Winston Churchill, in his usual terse, but
fully descriptive comment, stated “the finest British naval
engagement since Trafalgar.” United States armed forces were
involved in the Oran action and shortly thereafter the United States
awarded Capt. Peters its own Distinguished
Service Cross.
In order of precedence this award is the highest the United States can
bestow on a foreigner. Located on Water Street in
Charlottetown,
one will find Her Majesty’s Canadian ship, Queen Charlotte.
In
1977, the building was officially opened by the then minister of
national defence. In the foyer is a bronze plaque. The heading reads:
“This building is dedicated to the memory of Frederick Peters
V.C., D.S.O.,
R.N. theguardian.pe.ca 7 Apr 07 |
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Historic medals donated to war museum The descendants of a First World War hero have donated a cherished collection of medals to the Canadian War Museum. The family of Sgt. William Merrifield presented the museum with six of his medals, including the Victoria Cross. Sgt. Merrifield was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during an assault on German defences in France in 1918. Merrifield died in 1943. His family has taken special care of the medals ever since. They include: Victoria Cross, Military Medal, 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1920, the Victory Medal 1914-1919 and the King George VI Coronation Medal 1937. Merrifield was one of 94 Canadians to receive the VC. The Canadian War Museum has 29 Victoria Crosses in its collection. cbc.ca 21 Nov 05 |
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Victoria Cross finds a home at the War Museum The Canadian War Museum has unveiled a new attraction -- the First World War Victoria Cross of Captain Francis Scrimger. A Montreal native who studied medicine at McGill University before the war, Scrimger served with the Royal Montreal Regiment (14th Battalion) during the Second Battle of Ypres. Scrimger was the first medical officer to receive the British Commonwealth's highest military decoration for bravery and gallantry, after he conducted the evacuation of a medical station in what is believed to have been the first use of poisonous gas in battle. Scrimger's descendants donated his rare medal -- alongside two other medals he received -- to the War Museum in Ottawa. According to Scrimger's grandson, Dr. John Wooton, selling the medals to a collector was never an option. "I don't think it would be acceptable in our family to take financial reward from anything of great historical importance." ctv.ca 18 Oct 05 |
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'Smokey' Smith's ashes scattered at sea A sea burial was held Sunday aboard HMCS Ottawa for Sgt. Ernest "Smokey" Smith, whose ashes were scattered in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. At his memorial service at St. Andrew's Wesley United Church, a military chaplain said the week of mourning to mark the death of Canada's last Victoria Cross recipient has been overwhelming.With its military escort of 225 soldiers, the parade of family, dignitaries and veterans stretched more than two kilometres from the Seaforth Highlanders Armoury along Burrard Street to the church. ctv.ca 14 Aug 05 |
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Oct. 21, 1944: Pte. Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith crosses the swelling Savio River to secure the far bank. But the river rises and his small company is cut off. They are soon attacked by 30 German soldiers and three tanks. Switching between a Thompson submachine gun and PIAT anti-tank gun, Smokey repels the attackers, carries a wounded comrade to safety, and holds the position until reinforcements arrive. His actions, here told in his own words some years later, earn him the Victoria Cross. archives.cbc.ca |
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Italian town honours Canadian war hero Canada's most famous soldier, Ernest "Smokey" Smith, was honoured for saving untold lives in 1944 when he single handledly fought off German fighters in this little town in northern Italy. Smith, now 90 years old and the last living recipient of the Victoria Cross, survived the battle for Cesena 60 years ago. cbc.ca 29 Oct 04 |
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Canada - WWII vet's Victoria Cross to be auctioned War veterans regard it as one of the last Victoria Crosses ever to be awarded to a Canadian and say it's a precious artifact unlikely to be bestowed here again. But the military medal of Cpl. Fred Topham, a former hard-rock miner from Toronto, is up for auction, and friends and relatives say it would never be seen again if allowed to slip into the private collection of a wealthy overseas bidder. Former paratrooper Jan de Vries will take Topham's remarkable story to the man's old elementary school Monday as part of a campaign to buy the medal from the estate of the Second World War hero. "The medals are to remain in Canada to be displayed across Canada,'' de Vries says adamantly from his home in Pickering, Ont. "Canada has its own heroes and the kids should learn about it.'' Topham earned the Commonwealth's highest military award for valour when he dashed headlong into enemy fire to save the lives of dozens of wounded soldiers in Germany on March 24, 1945. Topham's Victoria Cross is one of only 16 awarded to Canadians in the Second World War and the only one earned by the 6th Airborne Division, despite its record of heavy fighting. It's billed as the second-last Victoria Cross awarded to a Canadian in the Second World War. The medal has attracted the attention of a wealthy collector who's offered $319,000, but the family has agreed to sell it to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Association if it can raise $275,000 by the end of the year. ctv.ca8 Nov 04 |
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For Valour ... Canadian Victoria Cross Winners honoured with new Stamp On October 21st, 2004, two new postage stamps will honour the Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross, the premier military decoration for gallantry. The 49¢ stamps mark the 150th anniversary of the award and its first Canadian recipient. canadapost.ca 19 Oct 04 |
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Valour in the Victory Campaign contains the exact citations for all men of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division who were awarded gallantry decorations in the battles from January to May 1945. The citations are arranged in chronological order, with a narrative text showing the context in which all these acts of courage took place. The book contains as complete a list as possible, from available government records, of those men who received gallantry awards in the final five months of the war: the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order, the Military Cross, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, and the Military Medal for courage in battle,, as well as, Statistics on gallantry decorations awarded and a Gallery of Photographs of Some Award winnners. Jul 03 |
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Canada - War hero's medals to be shared with all Canadian The family of one of Newfoundland's most respected World War One hero Tommy Ricketts, VC has donated his medals to the Canadian War Museum. View Video RealVideo or Quicktime CBC News 22 |
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Conspicuous Gallantry Medal - RAF Version Awarded to WO's, NCOs, and non-commissioned members of the Air Forces and Military for acts of conspicuous gallantry whilst flying in active operations against the enemy. vvaa.org.au |
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Canadian
'dambuster' earned medal for war raid - Squadron
leader Ken Brown was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
-- generally regarded as second only to the Victoria Cross -- after he
captained a four-engine Lancaster bomber in the Dambusters raid in
1943. More
Operation
Chastise National
Post, Canada - 13 Mar 2003 |
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Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Naval) The medal was awarded to Chief Petty Officers, Petty Officers and men of the navy (or army or air force personnel of equal rank serving with the fleet) who distinguished themselves by acts of pre-eminent bravery in action with the enemy. |
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The medal was awarded only for acts of great bravery and was intended primarily for civilians. Awards to the military were confined to actions for which purely military honours were not normally granted. |
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Canada - James O'Hagen, GM and bar - John Blatherwick
has provided the following information. 47 years ago, the medals of James
O'Hagen, GM and bar, RCNVR, were stolen from his home. By chance,
his son saw on my website that the medals were in the hands of a
collector (I had a photo of them). Through the efforts of the RCMP and
the courts, the medals were recovered by his son and will be returned
to his mother who is living in Nova Scotia. O'HAGAN, Denis James
Patrick, Lieutenant - George Medal (GM) - RCNVR / Bomb Disposal -
Awarded as per London Gazette of 17 June 1941 (no Canada Gazette). He
was born in Liverpool, England and immigrated to Canada at age 16 at
the urging of his father who was an accountant with White Star and
Cunard Lines. He joined the RCNVR in the 1930's well before the war
when he was automatically entitled to be enlisted as an officer due to
the anachronism of his membership of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht
Squadron. He became an active reserve member in the 1930's. When war
arrived, he went to England in late 1939 and volunteered for any
special duty. This it turned out, was to be mine disposal. He was the
first Canadian naval officer awarded the George Medal in WWII and he
was also recommended for the George Cross, the award being down graded
to the Bar to the George Medal instead, thus making him one of only
four persons awarded the GM and Bar in Canada in WWII. He was
asked by the Canadian Government to go on a coast to coast Victory
Bond speaking tour raising funds. After mine disposal he was assigned
to the Admiralty Department of Mines and Torpedoes where he undertook
the submarine and mine clearances of harbours from Belfast to
Alexandria and Tripoli. He then was assigned to The SS Ocean Might,
which was rigged to stream anti torpedo netting from booms while
underway. This vessel was taken to the US to demonstrate effectiveness
and seek commitments from Mr. Stevenson the UK's agent in the US for
wartime production in quantity. The Yanks were not impressed so a
Hollywood movie director was hired and live torpedoes were fired at
the vessel without harm and production was ordered. In 1943 as a
result of the Quebec Conference, Canada was assigned its own beach in
the proposed invasion of Europe. As a consequence, O’Hagan was
selected to form, train and lead Commando W, Canada's first commando
unit, which trained in Scotland under Lord Lovat. In the order of
Battle for Operation Neptune he was listed as Principal Beach Master
for Juno Beach. His unit was held back for 14 days, but was not
deployed until the end of August. During the storms which wiped out
the mulberry harbors Juno beach was the principle logistics entry for
the invasion build up prior to breaking out and encircling the
retreating Germans at Falaise. He built a temporary dock on the beach
using railway locomotives as foundations. He salvaged the Seaplane
Tender Albatross, which had been converted to a landing support
vessel, which he on Juno beach after the vessel was sunk there. He was
then given the opportunity to name a preference for his next posting,
and he asked to go to sea to get his watch keeping ticket. he was
posted to HMCS Algonquin (Debby Piers CO) and he spent the fall of
1944 and the spring of 1945 in attacks off Norway and several runs to
Murmansk. After the war he rejoined a former employer in the timber
business, and from there to the department of Fisheries and Oceans and
thence to the Department of Supply & Services where he was
Assistant Atlantic Regional Director in 1973, the year of his death.
While he pursued his peacetime career in the Federal government he
remained active in the Naval reserve, becoming commanding officer of
Canada's senior naval reserve division of HMCS Scotian from 1955 to
1958. His contribution to the Naval reserves and the Sea Cadets (The
O'Hagan Trophy) is commemorated in four large display boards on the
quarter-deck of HMCS Scotia. Additionally, his cap is enclosed in a
glass display case presented by my mother on the occasion of a
reception by the Lt. Governor of Nova Scotia marking Scotian's 50th
anniversary in 1997 at Government House. He has three surviving
children, James Rea Patrick, a senior partner of William Alexander
& Associates a mining and energy project development firm in
Halifax, Brian Boru, a mathematics and chemistry professor at Fort
Smith, and Patricia Anne (Stout) a school librarian in Sussex, N.B.
Commanding Officer of HMCS Scotian (Naval Reserve Unit Halifax) from 1
May 1955 to 31 December 1955. Promoted Commander on 1 January 1956 and
continued in Command of HMCS Scotian until 15 April 1958. O'HAGAN.
Denis James Patrick, 0-56170, Lt(Temp) [4.9.39] RCNVR GM~[17.6.41] Bar
to GM~[9.6.42] HMCS ALGONQUIN (R17) DD, (6.11.44-?) HMCS NIOBE (D/S)
for combined Ops (UK) (23.12.43-?) A/LCdr(WHA), Resigned [8.6.45]
"He has up-to-date dealt with thirteen unexploded enemy mines and
has shown consistent high courage." On the night of 22/23
December 1940, a mine fell very close to the Central Electricity Power
Station, Trafford Park, Manchester, and it was necessary that this
mine should not be allowed to explode. It was lying with its
bomb fuse underneath and a fire was raging some fifty yards away;
during the operation which took four days, it was necessary to let
fire engines pass close by as a further attack on the night of 23/24
December had started more fires close by. He carefully scraped
away the earth from underneath the bomb fuse, only to find that it had
been damaged and the spring gag could not be used. He then
decided to try and screw in a screw tap into the hydrostatic valve
hole and this was successful. He then rolled the mine, so that
the bomb fuse was on top only to find that the keep ring was badly
bent. With the help of Bevan, he tried to unscrew the ring, and
whilst doing so, the fuse clock started and ran off. However,
the screw tap prevented the mine from firing. It was now obvious
that the mine could not be rendered safe in the normal manner without
great risk; so it was decided to sterilize the mine by boiling out the
explosives. This was done successfully by the evening of the
26th December, great care being taken not to detonate the mine as the
bomb fuse, primer and detonator and the mine primer and detonator were
all in position. When the H.E. filling had been emptied,
sandbags were put round the mine, the bomb fuze successfully
countermined and the main detonator and primer then cleared. The
greatest credit is due to O'Hagan and Bevan (Able Seaman William Henry
Bevan, RN, who was also awarded the George Medal) for this fine piece
of work which prevented severe damage to the power station.
NOTE: The original recommendation was for the George Cross. O'HAGAN, Denis James Patrick, Acting Lieutenant-Commander - BAR to the George Medal (GM*) - RCNVR / Bomb Disposal - Awarded as per London Gazette of 9 June 1942 (no Canada Gazette). "For gallantry and undaunted devotion to duty." In May 1941, the enemy started dropping a new type of mine, known as 'G' type, which had no parachute and which if it did not explode on impact, buried itself deeply in the ground (twenty to thirty feet or more). On 22 May, 1941, Fortt (Temporary Lieutenant Frederick Ronald Bertram FORTT, RNVR, who was awarded the George Medal for this action) and O'Hagan were sent to Nuneaton to deal with one of the first 'G' mines dropped on land and unexpended. It was already known that it contained a new anti-handling mechanism activated by a photo-electric cell, which would explode when exposed to daylight and it was necessary to remove the unit of the mine containing this device before the mine would be safe to handle. Instruction showed that it was necessary to work in darkness and also that the mine would probably be magnetically alive and sensitive to any magnetic influence. The Nuneaton Bomb Disposal Squad (Lieutenant R.A. McClune) volunteered to work on the preliminary heavy excavation, up to the point of locating the mine. The mine was found at twenty-two feet and Fortt and O'Hagan freed the end from the surrounding sub-soil; then widened the bottom of the shaft sufficiently for the necessary operations to be carried out upon the magnetic unit. The soil being in the form of petrified clay, work could only be carried out with picks and shovels regardless of any effect which the vibrations would have upon the mechanism of the mine -- then very largely and unknown quantity. To add to the difficulties, those parts which had to be removed in the early and most dangerous stages of the operation were very heavy, in practice too heavy for one man alone -- this was why two officers were sent. Working in the dark, they successfully removed the magnetic unit and primer and, after further excavation, the fuze. Dealing with an unknown mine, courage of a very high order is required. The operation was brought to a successful conclusion. Fortt has been in Land Incident Section for eight months and has dealt with thirty mines. O'Hagan for ten months and has dealt with twenty-three mines. Medals of Commander Denis James Patrick O'HAGAN, GM and BAR, CD RCN(R): George Medal (GVI) and BAR - 39/34 Star - Atlantic Star - Defence Medal - CVSM and Clasp - 39/45 War Medal - CD. His son reports that the medals were stolen from their home in 1958/59 but they were recovered and presented to the widow of James O'Hagen in 2005. Jun 05 |
Broken Link - Posted for information Purposes only
Porter
Jarrell, GM, has died aged 82 -
Canadian-born American awarded the George Medal while
serving with Britain's Special Boat Squadron in Greece in 1943.
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Star of Military Valour (SMV) - Established in 1993 for distinguished and valiant service in the presence of the enemy. The ribbon is light crimson 1.25 inches wide with two white stripes 3mm wide 2mm from each edge. No awards to date. |
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Governor General announces the first-ever awarding of Military Valour Decorations Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, announced the awarding of the first four Military Valour Decorations to members of the Canadian Forces who have displayed gallantry and devotion to duty in combat. October 27, 2006 - Honours News Release |
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Canada honours the brave- Governor-General
Michaëlle Jean has presented medals to six soldiers who
performed
extraordinary deeds under fire in Afghanistan. It's the first time
these decorations for military valour have been awarded since they were
created 13 years ago. Major William Fletcher of Edmonton and
Sgt.
Patrick Tower of Edmonton and Sidney, B.C., were awarded the Star of
Military Valour,
which is second only to the Victoria Cross in recognition of courage
under fire. Sgt. Michael Denine, of Edmonton and St. John's,
N.L.,
Master Cpl. Collin Fitzgerald of Shiloh, Man., and Morrisburg, Ont.,
Pte. Jason Lamont of Edmonton and Greenwood, N.S., and Capt. Derek
Prohar of Edmonton and Avonlea, Sask., were awarded the Medal of
Military Valour. Another 33 soldiers, including
Capt. Nichola Goddard of Calgary, who was killed in Afghanistan last
May, were awarded meritorious service decorations. theglobeandmail.com
Feb 07 |
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Medal of Military Valour (MMV) - Established in 1993 for an act of valor or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. The ribbon is light crimson 1.25 inches wide with three white stripes 3mm wide with one in the centre and the others 2mm from each edge. The medal has not been awarded yet. |
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Decorations for Bravery Governor General of Canada
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Governor General announces the awarding of nine Decorations for Bravery, including the rarely awarded Cross of Valour August 31, 2006 - Honours News Release |
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Author John Melady released earlier this year a new book, Acts of Courage. The book deals with the 17 heroes who won the Canadian Cross of Valour. One of the 3 recipients featured on the cover of the book is Master Seaman Amedeo Garrammone, the only Canadian Navy serving member with the Cross of Valour. MS Garrammone won the Cross of Valour for a heroic act that led to a knife wound just below the heart when he went to assist another sailor who was being attacked and later died of stab wounds. MS Garrammone is now a military policeman at CFB Valcartier. (Ref: The Maple Leaf, Vol 1, No. 14, 1998) |  |
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Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, presented 43 Decorations for Bravery at a ceremony at Rideau Hall Images of recipients 13 Oct 06 |
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CPO2 Marsh, SC CD This group consists of the Star of Courage, Special Service Medal (Bar NATO/OTAN), and Canadian Forces Decoration with Bar. CPO2 Marsh was awarded the Star of Courage for an incident in September 1979 and was Gazetted on 11 April 1981 on page 2256. |
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Canadians honoured for bravery When their snowmobile plummeted down a deep ravine and crashed into an ice-covered stream, 11-year-old Leia Hunt-Hans braved the cold and complete darkness, and ignored the howling wolves to find help for her injured father. The young girl walked for about three kilometres before she returned to her father. They huddled together the rest of the night, wet and cold as the mercury dropped to 27 degrees below. In the morning, she set out down a snowmobile path, walking another six kilometres before people on snowmobiles found her. Leia's right foot and left toes had to be amputated. For her bravery she was awarded one of two Stars of Courage by given out by Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson. globeandmail.com 25 Jun 04 |
- Cynthia (Cindy) Louise Corlett-Parolin, SC (posthumous award) "On August 19,1996, Cindy Parolin died to save her six-year old son from a vicious cougar attack near Princeton, British Columbia. Mrs Parolin was horseback riding with three of her children when her youngest son was thrown by his frightened horse and attacked by the cougar. Mrs. Parolin jumped to the ground and provoked the cat with a stick, until it released her child. The enraged beast then pounced on her. As she wrestled with the animal, she ordered her children to take their injured brother and run for help. When rescuers arrived, over one hour later, they found her still alive in the underbrush where she had been dragged by the cougar. The animal was still crouched over her savagely mauled body. A man fired a shot in the air and unleashed his dog to scare the cougar off. The animal was then shot".
- Glen Mifsud, SC "On September 4,1994, Glen Mifsud pulled three friends from a burning house trailer near Kirkfield, Ontario. Alerted to the fire, other campers kicked open the door and found Mr. Mifsud inside, uncounscious and surrounded by flames. Once revied, Mr. Mifsud rushed back into the trailer, located one woman and dragged her outside where other rescuers provided assistance. Determined to rescue the other occupants, he re-entered twice despite the intense heat and smoke, and managed to bring the remaining people out shortly before the trailer was completely engulfed. Regrettably, two of the others lost their lives".
- Sergeant Kenneth James Power, SC, CD / Master Corporal Gregory Allan Smit, SC, CD "On September 24, 1996, Search and Rescue technicians Sgt Power and MCpl Smit rescued four sailors from a sailboat in danger of capsizing in heavy seas in the Atlantic Ocean, off Sable Island, Nova Scotia. The vessel's wildly gyrating mast made a standard hoist recovery impossible, so MCpl Smit and Sgt Power were lowered into the raging sea from a hovering rescue helicopter and battled 6-meter waves to swim to the vessel. Sgt Power evacuated the first two sailors, one at a time, by hooking them to his harness and leaping into the ocean. As they were lifted to safety, they were dragged underwater and slammed several times against the hull. In complete exhaustion and having swallowed a large amount of water, Sgt Power was unable to attempt another rescue. The line was then lowered to MCpl Smit who managed to rescue the third sailor. As he was dropped near the vessel for pick-up of the last sailor, a large wave separated them. MCpl Smit's attempts to hand-signal information to the helicopter crew failed and he was hoisted up without the victim. Although weakened, MCpl Smit mustered enough strength to be lowered again to the man who had drifted away from his boat, and the final hoist was successfully completed."
- Hazel Catherine White, SC (posthumous award) "On April 29, 1996, in Cluculz Lake, British Columbia, Hazel White was murdered while protecting her friend from the attack of the woman's estranged common-law husband. Aware of the man's frequent violent assaults on her friend, Ms. White was staying with her for moral support. Shortly before midnight, the women were awakened by the sound of the man smashing a glass patio door with a sawed-off shotgun. Ms. White told her friend to escape through the bathroom window while she went to confront the aggressor. Armed with a piece of driftwood, she succeeded in distracting the man long enough to allow her friend to flee to safety. Regrettably, Ms. White was shot in the back by the aggressor who then went on to severely wound another resident, a 13-year-old girl, before setting the house ablaze and committing suicide".
Girl wins courage award A schoolgirl who braved howling wolves and deep snow in an effort to save her injured father has been awarded the country's second-highest medal for courage. Marie Leia Marion Claire Hunt-Hans, of Ile-Perrot, Que., was 11 years old when she and her father crashed their snowmobile down a steep ravine into an ice-covered creek in March 2003 in northern Quebec. She lost her right foot and left toes to frostbite. The Star of Courage is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. canada.com/calgary 20 Apr 04
Hamilton awarded war medal Master-Corporal Jason Hamilton (left), along with Cpl. Dan Matthews of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, were given the Star of Courage “for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril,” the two men were part of a patrol group in Afghanistan when one of their ILTIS jeeps struck a landmine, killing two soldiers and seriously injuring another. whitewoodherald.sk.ca 15 Feb 05
