Regimental Lines 201111.qxd - Governor General's Horse ...

Summer 2014

GOVERNOR GENERAL'S HORSE GUARDS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

CanadianSacrifices

In WW IA MEMORIALFOR

PASSCHENDAELEThe Brooding Soldier Memorial

Saint Julien, Belgium

SPECIAL FEATURE

ow that election fever hasabated somewhat (other thanthe mayoralty marathon), our

intrepid boy-reporter and publisher-extraordinaire, Sgt Colin Rowe, mustadd "editor" to his many titles, inpreparing this year's Summer editionof Regimental Lines, has had theunusual problem of an abundance ofmaterial contributed.

As I mentioned last year duringMemorial Weekend, Canadians aregoing to be constantly reminded of ourinvolvement in the Great War. To com-memorate the centenary of the war'sstart at the end of July, I had the pleas-ure of attending a scholarly sympo-sium sponsored by our HonoraryColonel's organization, the BillGraham Centre for ContemporaryInternational History at Trinity

College, U of T (an alma mater thatcolonel Graham and I both share). Inaddition to the most eminent Canadianmilitary historians, there were alsosome of the infamous - Conrad Blacksat a few rows in front of me. Thesecond day included a reception hostedby the Lieutenant-Governor andcapped by an evening concert/presen-tation at Varsity Stadium attended by5,000 people (including many HorseGuards and family members).

In this issue of your newsletter, youwill be able to read the CO's reflec-tions on his first year of command, aswell as Colonel Jim Claggett'soverview of the very exciting GGHGMemorial Project. Also included willbe Part 1 of Colonel David Friesen'strip to Flanders to place a memorial atPasschendaele; a bike ride in Nor-mandy to benefit victims of PTSD; therejuvenation of the Regiment's Jr NCOranks; and much, much more.

Enjoy the rest of your Summer and,if you find yourself in town, make sureto come out and support Warrior's Dayat the CNE.

Nulli Secundus

President

GGHG ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE

PRESIDENTCapt Chris Briggs....................416-930-1119

PAST PRESIDENTMWO Charles Vondercrone....905-669-6574

VICE-PRESIDENTSCWO Brian MacDonald..........905-743-9978Lt Craig Anhorn.......................416-282-9738

TREASURERCWO Bill Davidson………....416-577-4609

SECRETARY Cpl Mike Clarkin.....................416-762-8601

MEMBERSHIPMWO Jim Fisher…………....705-735-1972

SGT-AT-ARMSTpr Duane Grady…….….…416-471-6375

WEBMASTERSgt Colin Rowe …………......416-566-0398

SICK AND WELFARESgt Faye MacLachlan…..…...416-743-5124

VETERANS’ REPRESENTATIVELt Len Heidebrecht ………416-256-9222

BOARD OF TRUSTEESLCol Shawn Matheson…...905-468-4977

E-Mail [email protected]

http://www.gghgassociation.com

Official Publication of the Governor General's Horse Guards Assoc.LCol George Taylor Denison III Armoury

1 Yukon LaneDownsview, ON M3K 0A1

Canada

Editor,Sgt. Colin Rowe….............…. 416-566-0398

Layout & DesignSgt. Colin Rowe…..............….416-566-0398

Phone Number..416-633-6200 Ext. 2893

(Photo I.D. needed at the main entrance)

President’s Message

GGHG Association Regimental Lines – Summer 20142

25th Annual Massed Military Band SpectacularSacrifice & Glory: Commemorating a Legacy

ROY THOMSON HALL$39.50 - $89.50

20% off Family Pack (4 or more tickets)Call the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office or 416-872-4255 to purchase.

Sun Oct 26, 2014 2pm

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LETTERS TOTHE EDITORCOURAGE INAFGHANISTAN

I have recently released my latest book,Canadian Courage In Afghanistan. Itcan be purchased online atwww.lulu.com Justenter the title and myname (John Johnson).All Royalties go toPaws Fur Thought, acharity that supportsCanadian service per-sonnel with Post traumatic Stress Dis-order. As someone who went to helland back with PTSD, it was a NoBrainer to support. Kindly support myefforts, but more importantly, theirefforts and sacrifices during the War inAfghanistan.

Thanking you all in anticipation.

John D JohnsonNORTH WALES

SPRING SURPRISEI receive the Regimental Lines viaemail and also get a hard copy. I readthe Spring issue while in Florida. Itwasn't till I got back to Ontario that Ireread the hard copy. I didn't get to thelast page till now. On the back page Inoticed the picture of my father. Wentto check to make sure it was him on theback of the motorcycle and when I readthe names you have him in the side car.I think the two Jim’s got mixed up.That is definitely my dad, Jim Vallanceon the back of the Indian, so I suspectthat is Jim Landles in the sidecar.

Thank you for this newsletter. I feelso connected to the GGHGs. My Dadloved to talk about the GGHGs. I

remember when my sisters and I had totype up the roster for the reunion. (Gotto know a lot of names!) Still vaguelyremember the Christmas parties in theold armories downtown Toronto. Thepicnics, one in particular when I was ateen and my boyfriend dragged meacross the finish line after I fell in thethree-legged race. (Still married him!)Going up to the Riding Club to watchmy sister Margaret ride. That was thefirst year you allowed girls. Think sheoutrode the boys too! And of course,going out for the Remembrance Dayservices and the Warriors Day parade.Fond memories. Thank you

Christina Crawford (Vallance)

OAKVILLE, ON

KEEPING IN TOUCHAfter my Father Tommy Fountain diedin 1996 we kept up the dues for a fewyears just so the family could havesome contact with the Association.Over the years we have enjoyed gettingthe newsletter and now RegimentalLines. Now that we can check out thewebsite we can keep in touch that way.I must admit it is fun to see old picturesand there is my Dad. I am sure notmany people now still remember himbut he is with you in spirit.

Mary Ellen BalezBRAMPTON, ON

THANK YOUI thought it was time that I wrote to youas the editor of your wonderful "Regi-mental Lines Newsletter" of which Ihave just received the Spring 2014edition. Firstly, I must let you knowthat I have never served in the Cana-dian Forces, as all my 22 years of Mil-itary Service was in "The WelchRegiment 41st Foot" from 1949 to1971 of the British Army. My old Reg-iment was Allied to The Ontario Regi-ment in May 1928, so, long before Icame to Canada to live, I came toOshawa with my wife every other year

from 1971 up to my wife 'Passing' inJanuary 1999.

Yes, I thought you might like toknow who is this person writing to me..............??? My name is William H(Bill) Davies BEM and over the last 13years since coming to Oshawa to live Ihave made a number of friends Servingand Ex-Service members of your "FineRegiment", just to name a few CWOBrian MacDonald, Hon. Lt Col JeffDorfman, Maj (ret’d) David Mezz-abotta, Director of Music Capt P.J. VanAuken and many more. I am a 'PastPresident' of the Ontario RegimentAssociation ( 2010 - 2012) and I am 83years old this year and alive andkicking, By the way, two of yourmembers, CWO Brian MacDonald andSgt Faye MacLachlan are going on a14 Day Tour I have organized to TheNormandy 'D' Day Beaches, plus a fewdays in Paris, Deippe, Arras, VimyRidge, Ypres, and Beaumont Hamel.We depart Pearson InternationalAirport on Tuesday 15th July 2014 andreturn from Gatwick on Tuesday 29thJuly 2014.

Finally, thank you for a greatNewsletter Magazine. Yours in Com-radeship.

Bill Davies.OSHAWA ONTARIO

REMEMBRANCE DAY Wow.. Thank you so much for sendingme your Spring Newsletter. The articleabout the Remembrance Day cere-mony and the impact my students andschool made on the day is so fulfilling.I especially loved the part about thenational anthem.. it gave me chills aswell!

Thank you again for letting us be apart of this special day, and please letme know of any events in the futurethat my students could attend or be apart of!

Ashley GerardiGrade 3/4 TeacherSt. Edward Catholic SchoolWILLOWDALE, ON

3GGHG Association Regimental Lines – Summer 2014

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In Memoriam

ANTROBUS, William “Bill” -passed awayJune 20, 2014 inQualicum BeachVancouverIsland at the ageof 86. Most ofthe old-timerswill rememberBill as the Men'sMess Stewardand he was also

the father-in-law of retired GGHG Ser-geant Tom Gallant who married hisdaughter Lucy in 1975. Bill was amember of the 25 Service Battalion.He worked for the City of Toronto untilhe retired in 1986 and later moved toBritish Columbia.

BAYNES, Anne - A volunteer riderwith the CavalrySquadron, passedaway on April25th at age 34. Afuneral serviceand reception washeld on Thursday,May 1, 2014 at

the Taylor Funeral Home in Newmar-ket Ontario

DUNCAN, Wilfred Malcolm - Fatherof GGHG 2IC,Maj Scott Duncan,died on April 2,2014 in his 85thyear after a longbattle with Parkin-son's disease. Bornand raised in

Toronto, he completed his Bachelor ofApplied Science (Civil Engineering) atthe University of Toronto ('52). Heserved with the Canadian OfficerTraining Corps, achieving the rank of2nd Lieutenant. As a Civil Engineer

and Urban Planner, he worked in theresidential land development industryuntil the age of 70. A leader in design-ing and developing suburban subdivi-sions in the GTA, Mac was a Directorwith E.G. Faludi and Associates, Presi-dent of Urban-Regional EngineeringConsultants Ltd., Vice President ofGenstar Development Co. and laterowner and President of Duncan-LandConsulting & Management Inc. Hisnoted achievements include the designprojects of St. Andrews residentialdevelopment in North York, theGenstar Glen Abbey development inOakville and large residential commu-nities in the GTA for Toronto's leadingbuilders. He is survived by Barbara, hiswife of 57 years, son Scott (Laurie),daughter Renee (John) and grandchil-dren Kathryn and Matthew. A funeralservice was held at the Mt. PleasantVisitation Centre in Toronto on April 6,2014.

HARDING, Sgt Robert John -GGHG WW II Veteran and Member ofthe GGHG Association, passed awayon Saturday, May 10, 2014 in Califor-nia. Very few details are known at thistime.

SAMS, BERYL - A long-timeMember of theGGHG Associa-tion and widow ofthe late Capt RoySams, a formerOfficer with theGGHG Cadets,passed away onJuly 20 at St.

Michael's Hospital after a brief periodof hospitalization at the age of 95.

Beryl made an effort to attend asmany regimental events as she couldand was with us at the last Memorial

Dinner and the Association's AGM andChristmas get-together in December.She was proud of her membership inthe GGHG Association and her yearsof attendance at our functions evenafter the death of her husband, is a tes-timony to her loyalty and dedication.She was also a regular attendee at theRCMI Military History Nights for thepast several years and is featured onthe front cover of the latest copy oftheir Newsletter sitting on the frontrow at the last Military History Night.

In keeping with her wishes, Berylwas cremated and no funeral servicewas held.

WALKER, John Alexander - FormerMess Manager of theOntario Regiment,passed away onWednesday June11th, 2014 at Lak-eridge HealthOshawa at age 67.John was a tremen-dous community

supporter and will be sadly missed byhis many friends he made throughouthis volunteer time with numerous asso-ciations and the many social occasionsshared with the Governor General’sHorse Guards Association.

He treasured his time as Adminis-trator of The Officers Mess at theOntario Regiment. John was a memberof Ontario Regiment, Rotary Club ofOshawa, Past President 2006 and PaulHarris Fellow, and was Past Presidentof the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce2010. He was an avid supporter of thecadets, 151 Chadburn Squadron.

A funeral service was held at St.George's Memorial Anglican Churchin Oshawa on Monday June 16th.

We wish to convey our heartfelt condolences in acknowledging the recent passing of thefollowing:

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he Memorial Project will recognize all the variousunits that the current day Regiment has the privilegeto perpetuate or has been directly associated with

through its contribution of soldiers and officers to thedefense of Canada.

Project Objectives:

1. Catalogue, picture and maintain current inventory ofGGHG memorials;

2. Build GGHG memorials to commemorate RegimentalBattle Honours and/or Key Regimental Events;

3. Establish and maintain a digital database of all Regi-mental Fallen

The Project

The memorial project is being rolled out over a number ofyears in order to achieve key historical milestones.

The approach of the 100th year anniversary of WWI (TheGreat War) will see the Project placing memorials com-memorating the efforts of the 4th Canadian Mounted Riflesand the 3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment).

2014 to 2020 - World War 1 Memorials

• St Julien (Completed 2013)• Passchendaele (Completed June 3, 2014)• Mount Sorrel (Planned 2014)

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In 2013, The GGHG Calvary and Historical Societyand the GGHG Board of Trustees, under the direc-tion of Col (Ret’d) Claggett commenced the GGHGMemorial Project. The aim of the project is thecommemoration of the members of the Regimentwho have served throughout its storied history.

The GGHG Memorial ProjectPasschendaele Memorial

dedicated in June 2014


• Ancre Heights• Vimy • Scarpe • Flers-Courcelette • Hill 70 • Amiens• 100 Day Offensive (Hindenburg Line, Canal du

Nord, Cambrai, Valenciennes)

2019 marks the 75th year anniversarythe Italian Campaign of WWII andthe Project will be placing key memo-rials across Italy to mark this impor-tant campaign for the Regiment.

2017 to 2019 – World War 2 Memorials

• Liri Valley• Gothic Line• Melfa Crossing• Misano Ridge• Lamone Crossing• Fosso Munio • Ijsselmeer

2015 to 2020 – Canadian and‘Other’ Memorials

• South Africa • Northwest Canada• War of 1812 - Canada• Toronto Memorial

Memorial Design

A project has various memorials designed that will becustom tailored to the historical significance of a site andrecognizes key architectural or natural features of the sur-rounding area. The memorials are being appropriately situ-ated at a Battlefield or within a community to highlight thesignificance and historical meaning of the location and its

relationship to the Regiment. Eachmemorial includes a description of thebattle or event that occurred and theRegiment’s contribution to that effort.

Where appropriate, combined memo-rials with other units are being under-taken.

The GGHG Memorial Project is thecombined efforts of various membersof the GGHG Board of Trustees,serving Regiment and volunteers sup-portive of the GGHG RegimentalFamily. Please see the GGHG Histor-ical Calvary and Historical SocietyWebsite for regular updates on theprogress of the GGHG MemorialProject.http://iwdclient.com/gghgsociety/

The Memorial Project is funded through the gracious dona-tions from the Regimental Family and the general public.Should you wish to support this project please do so athttp://www.gghgsociety.org/

3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment)St. Julien Memorial completed in 2013

Col Jay Claggett

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THE GREAT WAR When Britain went to war in 1914, Canada was ayoung country with a population of 7 million.The army comprised a small permanent force of

cavalry, infantry, artillery, engineers, service, and adminis-tration totaling just over 3.000 men and 700 horses. It’sprincipal role was to train militia and to man a few coastalgarrisons. The militia was located in virtually every com-munity of any size in Canada, and included close to 60,000men.

Canadians, particularly those of British descent, felt a strong connection to Britain. Many were first-generationCanadians, who had family in the old country, and identi-

fied with the Empire with pride and a sense of obligation. Between 1914 and 1918, 245,000 Canadians joined the

CEF. Sixty-five thousand died, and 150,000 were wounded,many several times.

Forty-seven thousand of the dead are buried in hundredsof cemeteries that lay along the Front occupied by BritishArmy over four years, stretching 100 kms from the Sommenorth to Ypres and 15 kms beyond. On the Menin Gate(6,998) and Vimy Memorial (11,995), the names of theremaining Canadians are inscribed.

YPRES SALIENTAt the outset of the war, the German Army drove deep into

A M E M O R I A L F O R

P A S S C H E N D A E L EOn June 3 2014 a Memorial was dedicated to the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles andthe 3rd Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) at Vine Cottage, thesite of the final objective of the World War 1 battle of Passchendaele. Major ScottDuncan and HCol and Mrs David Friesen attended for the Regiment.

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Belgium and northern France, and were finally stopped atthe Marne on the approach to Paris, and then pushed back toa line running from central Belgium south to the France –Switzerland border.

From January 1915 a stalemate situation existed betweenthe Allied and the German armies. The British sat firm in adefensive semi-circular Front Line around Ypres. This wasYpres “salient” a bulge, into the German Front Line here. Tothe advantage of the Allies it forced the Germans to provideextra manpower to hold a longer section of Front Line.

However, a serious Allied disadvantage was that theGermans had knowingly secured good positions along theedges of this salient. From the south of Ypres there is a nat-urally occurring spur of high ground which continuesaround the eastern side of the town of Ypres. It runs in anorth-easterly direction from Messines in the south to Pass-

chendaele in thenorth.

Theadvantages tothe Germanswere many. Notonly did itprovide a viewacross our posi-tions and rearareas, but alsothe daily life ofthe Germansoldier was

affected by the better drainage of the positions located onhigher ground. For the British, the area of Belgian Flanderswas low-lying and prone to flooding due to the heavy, clay-based soil. The 3 years of bombardment turned the groundinto a horror - a morass of craters and mud churned to aslurry which was impossible to cross.

PASSCHENDAELE, THE 3RD BATTLE OF YPRES From early in 1916 it was the intention of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.), FieldMarshal Sir Douglas Haig, to break out of the Ypres Salient.Having successfully secured the high ground of theWytschaete-Messines Ridge in the Battle of Messines (7th-14th June 1917) the plan for the next operation was toadvance against the German Front Line east and north-eastof Ypres. On reaching the strategically important highground of the Passchendaele Ridge, the intention was tocontinue to push eastwards, cutting off access for theGerman forces to the Belgian ports, used for shipping andsubmarines (U-Boats).

A British offensive in Flanders before the autumnweather closed in would also draw the focus of GermanArmy commanders away from the French battlefields in thesouth. A large-scale offensive by the French, in April of

1917, failed.Very high casu-alties resulted ina struggle tomaintain disci-pline in some ofthe French unitsand soldiersmutinied.

In Flan-ders, the ThirdBattle of Ypreswas launchedon 31st July.

The British Fifth advanced in a north-easterly directionaway from its positions near Ypres with the PasschendaeleRidge in its sights. The French First Army was on its left.The British Second Army, was on its right, holding theground won during the Battle of Messines a few weeksearlier. Some ground, approximately two miles, was gainedon the first day, but that night rain began to fall. The groundall around the British attackers quickly turned into a quag-mire

Churned up by the artillery bombardment of the GermanFront Line and rear areas, the ground the British were nowhaving to advance across was badly damaged and filling upwith rainwater which could not drain away through theheavy clay soil. Added to this, several small streams flowingthrough the area had their natural drainage channelsdestroyed. Due to persistent rain over the next few weeksthe whole operation became literally bogged down in thick,sticky Flanders mud. Conditions were so bad that men andhorses simply disappeared into the water-filled craters.

The British advance turned into a series of battles,inching closer to the Passchendaele Ridge in a series ofactions with limited objectives. The capture of the Pass-chendaele Ridge eventually took over 8 weeks to achieve.The Canadian Corps, following their success at Vimy Ridge,had become known as the “shock troops” of the BritishArmy. It fell to the Canadian Corps to wage the final 4weeks at Passchendaele Ridge.

The great tragedy for the British Army and the ImperialForces of Australia, New Zealand and Canada, who sufferedso many losses in the fight for the few miles from Ypres tothe Passchendaele Ridge, is that only five months lateralmost all of the ground gained in the mud and horror of thebattles for Passchendaele was recaptured by the GermanArmy during its April offensive in 1918.

THE CANADIAN OFFENSIVEAs at Vimy, all four divisions of the Canadian Corps wouldsee action However, the mud, flat terrain, and relative lackof preparation time and artillery support would make Pass-chendaele a far different battlefield than the one the Canadi-

ans encountered at Vimy Ridge.General Currie took the time to carefully prepare as

much as possible and on October 26, the Canadian offensive began. Success was made possible due to acts ofgreat individual heroism to get past spots of heavy enemy resistance. Advancing through the mud andenemy fire was slow and there were heavy losses.

The following description from the memorial stonedescribes action by the 4th CMR and the 3rd Bn.

“On October 26th, 1917, after two weeks of preliminaryoperations, the Canadian Corps launched a two prongedattack with the 3rd Canadian Division to the north and the4th Canadian Division to the south. The 4th CMR, part ofthe 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division,was on the left flank advancing upon Wolf Copse as its inter-mediate objective.”

“During the fighting near Wolf Copse, Pte T.W. Holmes ofthe 4CMR rushed forward through a hail of bullets fromGerman machine guns to silence the enemy block housesthat had pinned down the lead companies of the advance.Because of Pte Holmes initiative in clearing the enemyblock houses, 4 CMR was able to capture its objective. PteT.W Holmes was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actionsat Wolf Copse.”

“On October 30th, 1917, the second stage of the CanadianCorps advance commenced with the 3rd and 4th Divisionsfighting to gain a base for the final assault on Passchen-daele. After a seven day tactical pause that permitted a divi-sional relief in place, the 1st and 2nd Canadian Divisionswere ready for the final push to secure PasschendaeleRidge.”

“On November 6th, 1917, the 1st Canadian Division,having relieved the 3rd Division continued their advancealong the northern flank of the Canadian Corps sector. The3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment), part of the 1st CanadianInfantry Brigade, 1st Division attacked Vine Cottages, aGerman strong point protecting the northern approach tothe Ridge. Notwithstanding stiff resistance from the defend-ers of Vine Cottage, the 3rd Battalion secured their objectiveand set the ground work for the final attack that securedPasschendaele Ridge on November 10th 1917.”

“During the fighting for Vine Cottage, Cpl C.F. Barron ofthe 3rd Battalion rushed three German machine guns posi-tions that had held up his company. Upon silencing theguns, Cpl Barron turned them upon the German front lines.This action was instrumental in allowing the advance tocontinue and for the Vine Cottages to be secured. CplBarron was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions atVine Cottage.”

Fighting at Passchendaele took great bravery. Nine Canadi-ans earned the Victoria Cross in the battle: Private TommyHolmes, Captain Christopher O’Kelly, Sergeant GeorgeMullin, Major George Pearkes, Private James Peter Robert-son, Corporal Colin Barron, Private Cecil Kinross, Lieu-tenant Hugh McKenzie and Lieutenant Robert Shankland.Two of these men, MacKenzie and Robertson, did notsurvive the battle to receive their medals.

Editor’s note: Part 2 of this report will be continued inthe fall edition of Regimental Lines with accompanyingphotographs. In the meantime, please visit the GGHGAssociation’s website where images from the visit areposted.


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The Second Battle Passchendaele: Dedicated by TheGovernor General’s Horse Guards, 4th CMR’s Per-petuating Regiment. June 2014

The Second Battle Passchendaele: Dedicated by TheGovernor General’s Horse Guards, The Queen’s OwnRifles of Canada and The Royal Regiment of Canada- the 3rd Battalion’s perpetuating Regiments. June2014


year has passed since RSMAnderson and I took over theRegiment from LCol

Develiadis and CWO Jimenez andwhat a year it has been!

The Regiment has achieved newlevels of success, built in part on ourgreat history and also on the goals thatwe have set for ourselves for a strongfuture.

In training, the Regiment is workingclosely with the Queen’s YorkRangers, and the Ontario Regiment tocreate a combined ReconnaissanceRegiment. This combined force, witheach regiment providing a Squadronwill be working with a Squadron of theRoyal Canadian Dragoons in thissummer’s training concentration. Thelessons and experiences gained byworking together has produced bettertraining opportunities, and is beingwatch with great interest by entireCorps, and Army itself. Captain Hen-derson’s Squadron is a key componentof this training and is leading the way,and is being recognized as well as adynamic force, able to meet andexceed the demands being placed uponit. Well done ‘A’ Squadron!

‘B’ Squadron sets the condition fortraining, concentrating on individualtraining, allowing for soldiers at alllevels to prepare for, and be successfulin their courses. The GGHG continuesto have successful candidates return

from courses ranging from Basic Mili-tary Qualification, to the ArmouredReconnaissance Squadron Comman-der’s Course. The efforts to preparepeople, place them in positions to gainthe experience, brush up on tactics, andbriefing techniques is no small task.Captain Cngranov’s Squadron sets asolid base for all of us to build on.

The Cavalry Squadron continues tothrive. The ride season is gettinglonger, and longer, with nearly everyweekend having an event, sometimesthree in a single day. The Cavalry con-tinues to provide a unique, and muchsought after, public duty experiencebringing great pride to the GovernorGeneral’s Horse Guards. I am lookingfor more people to join this greatorganization, as there is more workinvolved with the increased exposure.

The Regimental Band continues toprovide world class music, and hasbeen personally requested by the Lieu-tenant Governor to play at his variousdeparture events. What can be saidabout a military organization that has awaiting list to join, because of thevibrant venues, and gigs, the Bandplays. Well done to the entire ensem-ble, the only organization that has amounted fanfare team in Canada.

Our Cadet Corps – the 748 and the2402 – continue to develop exceptionaltalent amongst the cadets, both corpshave put on excellent annual inspec-tions and are wrapping up their train-ing years by exceeding their trainingobjectives. A large number of cadetsare on course at summer camp this yearas well as taking staff cadet positions.

Buttons Troop and Company hostedthe Second Annual Tank Day for bothcadet corps at the Ontario RegimentTank Museum. The cadets got somemuch needed track time and a greattime was had by all – thanks to BobMcTaggart and the Ontario RegimentMuseum for all your hard work inputting this together for our cadets.

The Regimental Trustees and Regi-

mental Association also must be com-mended for their fine work, and specif-ically the Association for perpetuatingthe traditions of the Regiment with ourserving and non-serving families.Recently the Association hosted theannual D-Day Dodgers dinner with theOntario Regiment Association and theevent was a great success. A specialthanks to Brian McDonald and FayeMacLachlan for making the dinnerpossible. I would also like to thankColin Rowe for his tireless and neverending job of support through the“Regimental Lines” and website.

The Society continues to grow, anddemonstrate the value propositionupon which it was created. The Regi-ment has a new, one stop web page thatis amazing. You must check out,www.gghgsociety.org, it is a greatlocation for the Regimental Family tohave one spot for information and newphotos. Thank you Philip Russel for allyour hard work in setting the Society,and this web page.

The glue that keeps the unit togetheris the Regimental Headquarters. Withall of the various parts doing so much,without the strong efforts of the Oper-ations Officer, Captain Steve Knowles,The Adjutant, Capt. Branko Gasperlin,the Chief Clerk, Petty Officer SecondClass Jennifer Gauthier, the Quarter-master Sergeant Kevin Evans, and allof the staff working with them to trackthis on a daily basis the Regimentwould not be able to work as effi-ciently as it does.

It is all of you that make the Regi-mental family work. You create today’shistory, and set the conditions for avibrant and bright future.

The RSM and I are humbled to bepart of this, and looking forward towhat the next few years bring to all ofus the Regiment.

Chris M.. StewardsonLieutenant ColonelCommanding Officer

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The Commanding Officer

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Yes, what happens in Kingston stays inKingston. Sgt Janet Smith (left) kickingback during the social evening with ayoung RCD Officer.

The number 1 seeded team skipped byCWO Davidson (right) included MCplBilly Davidson, Linda Mezzabotta andCpl Elmenhoff.

Representing the Regiment in their newjackets were (from left) MWO Shouldice,Cpl Vondercrone, Sgt Smith and CplButterfield.

The surprise of the tournament was theGGHG Association team. (From left)Team skip Maj Mezzabotta, Cpl Clarkin,Tpr Grady and Sgt Rowe.

Cpl Elmenhoff extolling the virtues of ahearty breakfast when curling starts atthe crack of dawn.

Cpl Butterfield can attest to the fact thatthe dinner laid on at the Saturdaybanquet was not only appetizing but at acost that could not be matched.

This year’s Ironsides was a great weekend of curling andcamaraderie and MWO Shouldice and his team were proudrecipients of some of the hardware handed out.

Who said that close only counts in horseshoes? This shotrequired the measuring tool and verification by Col SteveKelsey (3rd from left), the Director of The Royal CanadianArmoured Corps.

ARMOURED CORPS IRONSIDES XXXVII


Six GGHG RSMs in the room for the Cavalry Luncheon. (fromleft) Capt Henderson. Capt Crngarov, Hon LCol Dorfman, CWOAnderson, Maj Mezzabotta and Capt Brady.

Another fine showing by the Governor Generals HorseGuards at this year’s Cavalry Luncheon which returned to theRCMI after a 3 year hiatus over at the Albany Club.

Sgt Anderson, one of the organizer ofthis year’s Games Day II and known for,motivating his team with his aggressiveplay and intimidation tactics.

A visit by Maj Mezzabotta and Sgt Roweat Sunnybrook to see GGHG Veteran AlSellers, resulted in a chance meetingwith former CO, Col Bob Rutherford.

Newsletter Editor Sgt Rowe (left) andAssociation Secretary, Cpl Clarkin,sampling some of the selections at thebar in the newly renovated RCMI.

‘ROUND THE REGIMENT

On hand to support the Tank Saturday activities back in Maywere the Commanding Officer of the GGHG, LCol Stewardsonand Commanding Officer of the OntRs LCol Rostek (right)seen here with GGHG Cadet Instructor 2Lt Bob McTaggart.

Both the GGHG 748 and 2402 Cadet Corps had the thrill of alifetime with hands-on experience in an APC on Tank Day inOshawa. They also learned how important a helmet can beinside the vehicle.


GGHG WW II Veteran George Elson wasamong the three Dodgers in attendanceat this year’s D-Day Dodgers Dinnerhosted by the GGHG Association.

Rounding out the trio of D-Day Dodgerswas Ralph Kearns, an Ontario RegimentVeteran.

RCD Veteran Don White was another D-Day Dodger at the dinner which washeld in the beautiful dining room at theStouffville Legion.

This enduring image of Capt Zeitoun (left) and Capt Van Aukenmaking a grand entry into the Liberty Grand, affirmed that theHorse Guards were in charge of the Garrison Ball this year.

At the D-Day Dodgers Dinner, 2Lt BobMcTaggart made a presentation toDavid Mountenay, President of the OntRMuseum on behalf the of GGHG Cadets.

GGHG Association Executive MembersBrian MacDonald and Faye MacLachlanstriking a regal pose at the RegimentalBall.

The smile on the face of Cpl Butterfield(left) is validation that he has organizedanother successful Regimental Ball.

GGHG Association President Chris Briggs taking time to “lethis hair down” with his partner on the dance floor at the Reg-imental Ball.

‘ROUND THE REGIMENT

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This year’s Black Hat BBQ was a resounding success with theOntario Regiment playing host at their museum which maywell become the home for the event. The venue is alreadybooked there for next year.

After many years of keeping the annual barbecue going atCFB Borden, it must give Capt Shaw (above) a great feeling tosee that the tradition will carry on in the capable hands of theOntRs.

Many decades of service here among the boys of the “OldGGHG Brigade” at the BBQ. (from left) Capt John Drygala,MWO Bob Hannigan, Sgt Terry Bannon, Cpl George Lancia,WO Keith Craig.

Good company, steak and chicken on the grill and beer servedon the honour system was a winning combination for Associ-ation Vice-President Craig Anhorn (left) and AssociationMember Lt Richard Gunn.

The Association Executive was out in full force for the after-noon headed by Past-President MWO Charles Vondercrone(left) and current President Chris Briggs.

Col Bob Chapman (right), President of the Ontario RegimentAssociation was happy and eager to give a guided tour of themuseum to Col Steve Kelsey, Director of Armour, who tooktime out of his busy schedule to attend the Black Hat BBQ.

BLACK HAT BBQ


wenty Fourteen (2014) hasmade itself to be a strong yearfor training and professional

development among the members of‘A’ Squadron, with much of the creditgoing to the recent influx of muchneeded Master Corporals at the begin-ning of the year, who have proven to bean invaluable asset to the Squadronleadership.

The Regimental initiative over thelast couple of years to replenish thedepleted Junior NCO ranks has pro-vided ‘A’ Squadron with 7 new MasterCorporals to date, and more are on theway. This boost in leadership man-power has allowed the stretched SeniorNCOs and Officers to take a step back,being able to spend more time planningand organizing future training onparade nights. As a result, the qualityof training among ‘A’ Squadron’smembers has improved.

This year’s Parade Night trainingfocus has been geared toward thedevelopment of individual soldierskills. ‘A’ Squadron members spenttime in the SATS practicing marks-manship, as well as gunnery onmakeshift pintle mounts to simulatebeing in the hatch of a G Wagon. Sol-diers also ran through Calls for Fire,using simulators for much of the prac-tice, which not only gave them arefresher on how to call in and bracketArtillery, but also a bit more trainingon their radio procedure as well. Ontop of many of these skills, soldiersalso practiced dismounted patrollingand ambushes, getting a much neededrefresher on these skills beforeemploying them on weekend exercises.On top of all of this, the troops were

even able tolearn how to useshotguns, which wasa new and unfamiliarweapon system to mostmembers.

‘A’ Squadron’s weekend train-ing has been both demanding andchallenging, with the Squadron partici-pating in its first Division level Recceexercises with the QYRANGs andONTRs during Worthy Lance 1 and 2.At first the learning curve was steep, asthe Squadron needed to acclimatize toworking as a part of a Recce Regiment,but in no time it was able to coordinateitself with the other units and develop astrong battle rhythm and pace. This isonly the opening chapter in what willlikely be a new and exciting change inoperations, as the Squadron looksforward to its first summer concentra-tion at the Divisional level this August.

While there was a lot of hard workto be done during training weekends, itwasn’t without its fair share of fun. ‘A’Squadron participated in Ex WorthyTarget in March, which was a consoli-dated gun camp between the HorseGuards and its two fellow Recce Regi-ments, and sported enough ammuni-tion to not only run through all themembers of the three units, but themore than 80 civilian guests whoattended. ‘A’ Squadron’s leadershipwas able to run their range in a highlyefficient and safe manner, reducingwait times to a bare minimum andeliminating what downtime there wasthrough engaging and exciting back-ground activities. Once again, ‘A’Squadron’s new junior leadership hasproven to be a valuable asset, as their

high turnoutwas not only

enough to run therange that was assigned

to us, but also to provideadditional support to other

ranges which were low onstaffing. While the Squadron now has

several new Master Corporals, thepush to develop and train them has notended by a long shot. The next step forthese newly trained Junior NCOs is tobecome Crew Commander qualified,and the Squadron’s Senior NCOs andOfficers have been making substantialefforts to prepare these new leaders forthe tough courses that lay ahead ofthem. Crew Commander preparationtraining has been run for thesemembers beginning in March, goingover many of the skills that will beessential on course, and providing asmuch practice as possible on Paradenights via sand table reviews ofconcept and traces on simulators, aswell as weekend PD sessions that wereorganized on the Senior NCO’s initia-tive.

With several new Master Corporalspreparing to go on their Crew Com-mander course this summer, and evenmore Corporals rising up to the chal-lenge and enrolling in PLQ, the futureof ‘A’ squadron’s leadership is lookingbright, all thanks to the hard work fromall ranks to procure more juniorleaders.

Lt Stefan Kessler LO, ‘A’ Sqn

T

BRIGHTFUTUREAHEAD

“A” SQUADRON

RL


n 6 June 2014, over 100 indi-viduals from all over Canada,and a handful of Australians

from Soldier On, came together to takepart in a memorable and emotional 700km trip through the countryside ofNormandy, France. The goal of thisride was to raise money and spreadawareness about Post-Traumatic StressDisorder, a long-term psychologicalcondition associated with OperationalStress Injury, and to remember andhonour the many Canadians who paidthe ultimate sacrifice in their service toCanada during the two world wars.Many of the individuals who took partin the ride were serving or retiredmembers of the Canadian ArmedForces, who at some point in their livesexperienced PTSD or are still copingwith it. Others included familymembers, friends and strong support-ers.

The ride began at Juno Beach on the70th anniversary of D-Day where, on 6June 1944, Canadians from the 3rdCanadian Infantry Division and com-

mandos of the Royal Marines, withsupport from the Royal CanadianNavy, landed in order to provide flank-ing support to the British push intoCaen, as well as to capture the Germanairfield at Carpiquet.

The ride continued towards Rouen,with a stop at the Bény-sur-Mer Cana-dian War Cemetery, where 2044 Cana-dians were laid to rest after the SecondWorld War. An emotional service tookplace, with the bugler and piper sound-ing the last post, lament and reveille. After a restful day off in Rouen, theteam pedaled their way toward theshores of Dieppe, where allied soldiersfrom the 2nd Canadian Infantry Divi-sion raided the German defences on 19August 1942. This raid proved to becostly for the allies, with 907 killed,586 wounded and 1946 captured.Another service was held at the DieppeCanadian War Cemetery just outsidethe town.

The team continued their journeyinto Amiens, stopping at a few of themany small commonwealth cemeteries

along the road. Two of the biggermemorials that were visited includedthe Australian War Memorial Cemeteryin Villers-Bretonneux, where over 770soldiers of the First Australian ImperialForce are laid, and the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, oneof few memorials where the battlefieldand related terrain are kept in a pre-served natural state.

The final day of the ride was theshortest, but most emotional for every-one. For most, this was their first visitto the Canadian National Vimy Memo-rial, the centerpiece of a 250-acre pre-served battlefield that encompasses thegrounds upon which the CanadianCorps made their assault during theBattle of Vimy Ridge. The final serviceof the trip was held at the memorial,which sits atop hill 145, the highestpoint on the ridge.

Next year, Wounded Warriors plansto take its riders through Belgium andNetherlands, and then to Italy in 2016.

RL

OBattlefield Bike Ride 2014

On the final day of the Battlefield Bike Ride over 100riders rolled into Vimy Ridge as a unified group ofCanadians united in National Pride and a commoncause as Cpl Nero played the Last Post.

Band NotesCpl Anthony NeroGGHG Band


arrived atthe island ofPanay,

Western Visayasin the Phillipineson Nov 27th,2013. I took a33hr ride on aC17 with fiveother LiasonOfficers viaComox, Hickam

Airfield (Hawaii),Anderson Airfield (Guam) and landedon Iloilo airfield. From there, we tooka harrowing four hour drive through anarrow road teeming with tricycles andjeepnees (think on stretch Jeeps beingused as mini buses) to Roxas City. Ouraverage speed was 40kms. The tricy-cles' max speed was about 35kms -usually with about 7-8 people ridingthe damn thing. (The Filipinos aresmall. I feel tall here.)

There are no traffic lights or trafficstop signs here. There are no one waysigns and any other traffic signs (do notenter) are just suggestions. Traffic inRoxas city looks like Saturday after-noon at Costco, except that instead ofshopping carts, its tricycles, bicycles,jeeps, buses and cars. Somehow, bysome miracle; there's no accidents (sofar) that I've seen.

I currently work for J9 (CIMIC)LCdr Brunner. Before I arrived, J9 didthe logistics, field work, operations,planning and liason; in short - every-thing. I volunteered to stay back, andhelp organize the J9 cell and buy himsome operational maneuver room. So

now I do, the field work, operationsand liason with the NGOs, Engineers(ours), Medical Staff(ours) and logis-tics.

The work is surprisingly just likeRecce Ops but easier. (You don't havepeople shooting at you and the popula-tion LOVES the Canadians - tall whitepeople are looked upon like RockStars).

My language skills proved handy toJ9 and the TF HQ. I could negotiate inTagalog and provided a quick transla-tor service to the immediate area. Thelocal population's English is muchbetter that our Quebecois' English somy Tagalog is not in demand as muchas Ottawa thought. The Liason Officersare all (except one) Tagalog Speakerswith an in depth knowledge of theculture. This made imbedding the LOteams with the targeted location muchmore effective, as the population wel-comed them with open arms to theirhomes. (When the Filipinos first heardthe LOs speak Tagalog, it was as if E.T.had spoken perfect English). The LOTeams are having a great time in thefield. Everyone here (except me)wishes they were out there living withthe population. The hospitality isunparalleled, the tropic view is beauti-ful and local food is excellent; RoxasCity is the Philippine's seafood Capital.Unfortunately, we are forbidden topartake in them until the PMed clearsthe establishment. Also unfortunate, isthat the PMeds are not really adventur-ous. (Some of them didn't like to enter-tain the idea of Balut - google that formore information).

Now for the work. TyphoonYolanda (as the Filipinos called it) onlyspent six hours wrecking the Island.What it did was carve a path ofdestruction about 12km wide from theEast to West, leaving large parts unaf-fected. The death toll was no wherenear Tacloban, since the local Gover-nor of Capiz Provice, Panay - orderedthe population to the shelters andthreatened to jail any who refused. Theonly foreign military forces in Panayare the Canadians. This is strictly aCanadian Show in terms of Militaryrelief. The level of cooperation withthe local government, NGOs, thePhilippine Armed Forces and theDART is so far ABOVE ideal, that allthe NGOs and the TF HQ are stunned.What we are doing is sending the LOteams to areas that no NGOs havetouched or remain ignorant of. Fromthere were gather the conditions on theground looking for the CCIR (food,water, shelter, route access and medicalimmediate, near term and long termneeds). We then pass the compiled,analyzed and prioritized information toNGO cluster groups as potential tasksfor relief and rescue.

This is classic RECCE pull (OPs,Patrols and Route Recces to determinethe main effort or avenues of advance),a skill that we often practice in ourtrade craft. The NGOs operate in clus-ters to avoid duplication of efforts andcooperate to assign resources to fulfillthe population's need. The DART alsoassists with unique Engineering, HeloSupport and Mobile Medical Teams.We are also pumping millions of pesos(43 pesos = 1 CAD) to the localeconomy as we buy local goods andsouvenirs.

All in all the job is morally reward-ing, and I see that the good old Cana-dian way of being humble, yet helpful,pays dividends. RL

I

DART OP RENAISSANCE-PhilippinesAs part of a Government of Canada response, the Canadian Armed Forces(CAF) provided humanitarian support to the Philippines following a typhoonthat hit the country on 8 November 2013. CAF members began deploying tothe region on 13 November 2013 and the mission officially ended on 15December 2013. Among those fortunate to be a part of this mission was Sgt.Phil Aviado of the Governor General’s Horse Guards who recounts his experi-ence in a land where he also has roots.

Sgt Phil Aviado


PERSPECTIVES ONGGHG GAMES DAY II

n February 22, 2014, members of the GovernorGeneral’s Horse Guards participated in the unit’sRegimental Sports Day, which saw several “call

signs” go head-to-head against each other in a variety ofactivities. Each respective call sign was led by a senior NCOand a junior NCM. 11A was spearheaded by Sgt MajShouldice, 11C by WO Kalk, 11E by WO Woodcroft, and11G by WO Serkies. The remaining soldiers were thenassigned to each call sign in order to complete the teams.There was a large representation from each troop in ‘A’Squadron, including many from all facets of the Regiment.Members of all ranks were able to make an appearance,including some officers and members of the band. The day’sevent peaked at over 55 personnel.

The day commenced with eachcall sign preparing to face eachother in a round robin tournamentstyle competition and collectingpoints based on a victoriousoutcome. Each call sign would haveto compete in soccer, basketball,and hockey. Although some callsigns excelled at one sport overanother, the winning call sign wasdetermined based on the totalamount of points collected through-out the tournament. Overall, thesports day proved to be quitearduous for many of the participants, as break times inbetween games were sparse and total time for all of thescheduled games to be completed spanned the duration ofthe entire afternoon. In the end, WO Woodcroft’s call sign,11E, garnered the most points and claimed the title as thechampions for the Regimental Sports Day.

After the resounding effort by all participants and organ-izers, the Mess was opened for all members to relax andrehydrate with hops based beverages. The gathering at theMess proved to be a raucous affair, as members who couldnot participate in the day’s events began to make an appear-ance. At the Mess, members were able to relax and partici-pate in some Mess entertainment, which included variouscard games, pool, and dominoes. The main headline of thenight was Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), whichwas slated to feature several notable fighters and drew the

interest of many members attending the function. Through-out the evening, a large array of food products were madeavailable for purchase, including Jamaican beef patties,hotdogs, chips, and pizza. The proceeds earned from thesales were put forth towards funding the upcoming 125thAnniversary of the Governor General’s Horse Guards Regi-mental Ball. All members were encouraged to attend theball, as it is always a memorable experience and guaranteedto be a remarkable event.

On the whole, the Regimental Sports Day and Messevent proved to be highly successful. Awards were slated tobe presented at the next CO’s parade for the 11E. Someformer Horse Guards made an appearance at the Mess and

were able to catch up with their col-leagues. Events such as these onlywork to create new bonds within theunit and continue to strengthen theregimental family. As soldiers, wecommit a large amount of our per-sonal time throughout the year inorder to participate in trainingevents. However, it is important toremember to also find time toappreciate the time with oneanother, as it is easy to get caughtup with the constant flux of ourdaily lives. After such an excep-tional showing, all troops are

encouraged to attend the future sports days or Mess func-tions. With the assistance of the troops and Associationmembers, more prizes and awards are in sight. The wheelsare already in motion to plan the next event and all membersof the unit, past or present, regardless of rank or affiliation,are welcome to participate.

Special thanks to Lt Kessler, WO Smith, WO Kalk, SgtAnderson, Sgt Aviado, MCpl Akintunde, MCpl Castillo,MCpl Leung, MCpl Ng, MCpl Nooristani, Cpl Butterfield,Cpl Chin, and Cpl Newton, for organizing the occasion andto all of those that made the event a reality – hope to see youat the next event.

MCpl Victor Leung‘A’ Squadron

O

Cpl ChinBAND

MCpl Leung‘A’ SQUADRON

The coveted Games Day trophies


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Prizes may not be exactly as shown.

hat happens when you get about40 Horse Guards in a gym withhockey sticks, soccer nets and

basketballs on a Saturday afternoon?Sounds like the start to a bad joke but for thefour teams that showed up for Sports Dayon Saturday February 22nd, 2014, the com-petition was anything but a joke. This wasmy first time attending unit sports day and Ihave to admit, after two games of soccer,ball hockey and a game of basketball back-to-back-to-back (you get the idea)… I wasbeat! That is to say figuratively speaking asmy team – shout out to Team Echo led byWO Woodcroft – won the day undefeated with a 5-0 record.Though the competition was fierce and I was definitely sorefor about a week after, the event was incredibly fun and a

wonderful way to meet other members of theRegiment in a friendly but competitivesetting. After all of the hard work and runningaround, the teams reassembled in the Mess tokick back, enjoy a beverage and a deliciousassortment of food.

Many individuals also brought board gamesor card games to play while relaxing withsome buddies. All in all, I think the organizersof Sports Day did an outstanding job and Ihope to see more events like this in the future.For those of you who did not attend this one,I would challenge you to come out next timeand join in on the fun. See you on the courts!

Cpl S.V. ChinRegimental Band

RL

W

WO Woodcroft Winning team leader

RL


By Melanie JacobJournal Staff WriterHumboldt Journal

t’s the place dedicated to preservingthe memories of loss, sacrifice, andbravery and now the Royal Cana-

dian Legion museum has more in itscollection.

As a former member of the Gover-nor General’s Horse Guards, RonSerkies has recently bestowed upon themuseum some of his personal itemsfollowing his retirement on February25.

“We were here back in 2012 andpresented the camp flag, so I figuredsince I’m going to B.C., I’d stop here

and donate some items personally,”said Serkies. “Two of the itemsbelonged to the regiment and weretitled to pass on to the museum here.”

Among those donated, Serkies hasincluded his uniform jacket, boots withspurs, sword belt, and regiment campflag. He had been collecting items overthe past 43 years, although some itemshe couldn’t hold onto or had to return.

“This is stuff you’re allowed tokeep once you retire,” said Serkies.“They don’t want it back eitherbecause it was next to your skin or youended up purchasing it anyways.”

Serkies had called the week priorasking about donating the items. Rev.Al Hingley had known him from when

he had been in Humboldt in 2012 witha group to see Original Humboldt, so itwas a pleasant surprise for him.

“I’m developing a display for theGovernor General’s Horse Guard in themuseum right now, so I was happy thathe picked us to donate to,” saidHingley. “Any artifact helps tell thestory and helps us understand better.”

According to Hingley, these itemshelp represent the more contemporaryhorse guards, especially since everymilitary outfit differs slightly in someway. He likes to have many examplesto show how they vary and to tell theirstories.

“To groups that come to visit, warnot only destroys, it also defines,” saidHingley. “We know best who we are asCanadians by the stories told. There’sthe militia and there’s war, but there’salso the home front and what it meantto live in Canada.”

The Governor General’s HorseGuard was originally known as theGovernor General’s Body Guard ofOntario. During the Northwest Rebel-lion in 1885, part of the squadron’s

with the newThis summer WO Ron Serkies headed out to B.C.with his pickup truck and stopped off in Humboldt

Sasketchewan at Legion Branch 28 where he met upwith the manager of their museum, Rev Al Hingley.

Ron and the Regiment were in Humboldt in 2012 forthe raising of their camp flag over Fort Denison.

(From left to right) Nick Sokolan,Mayor Malcolm Eaton, Ron Serkies,and Rev. Al Hingley stand togetherwith the items donated to the LegionHall museum by Serkies from histime with the Governor General’sHorse Guards.

Remembering the old

The Governor General’s Horse Guardscamp flag flies high in perpetuity overFort Denison in Saskatchewan.

I


duty was to secure the supply depotand telegraph station in Humboldt,hence the connection.

“The more we learn about theguards who were right here in ourlocale, the better it is,” said Hingley.“Having these particular artifacts fromthe guards reaffirms our happy associ-ation with them and helps us experi-ence more of their story because theydon’t just ceremonially ride around onhorses; they’ve also been in active dutyin conflicts around the story.”

In other words, these artifacts andall other items donated to the museumact as a link between the past, present,and the future. The history of theguards is alive in these items and thosememories are passed down to youthand anyone who cares to learn.

“Not everyone is crazy abouthistory,” said Hingley. “To develop arelationship with those folks, it’s all apart of the story and who we are. Themore we know, the smarter we are.”

For Serkies, Canada’s history mightbe one of the things that influenced hisinterest in the armed forces at an earlyage. He began his military career rightfrom high school and was promoted tosworn officer in 1984. He workedvarious jobs in the military throughouthis career, but ended up stationed in

Toronto as one of the horse guardsuntil the end of his career.

Now, he’ll be spending his time vol-unteering at another military museumand donating a few items there as well.

“I believe a place should have his-torical value with some of this stuff,”he said. “When we visited here, I likedwhat Rev. Al had actually done to pre-serve the history of the military.”Hingley is hoping these artifacts willhelp people appreciate the militarymore and realize that their contribu-tions are national, not just provincial.

Serkies, meanwhile, is just hopingnobody forgets what the military hasdone and continues to do.

“I’m hoping that with these items,they’ll recognize the sacrifice peoplehave done to keep Canada safe andfree,” said Serkies.

RL

Always time to take in the beauty of theCanadian Rockies. Cpl Gene Baycroft

Sgt Earl Brown

Sgt George ChalmersLt Doug ChantSgt Brian ColwellMaj Eric ConstantinidesTpr Norman CoulsonTpr Roy Crate

Sgt Charlie Dobson

Tpr George ElsonTpr Fouda Eman

MWO Gerald Griffin

Sgt Earl HarlockTpr Peter HiresTpr Reuben M. HolmanTpr Fred Hood

Tpr S. Mickey Kaneko

Tpr John E. LangTpr Jack LustyTpr William H. Lyons

Tpr Harry McCleverty

Tpr Robert Pacey

Capt Douglas ScythesSgt Alfred G. SellersTpr Larry SmallTpr Harry J. SmithTpr William SooTpr Ed. A. Stafford

Maj Eric W. Taylor

Tpr Harry WasylyciaTpr Harold Wayte

Veterans

Ron’s trip through Saskatchewan allowed him to see some of the devestation, likethe flood above which turned parts of the prairie into lakes.

GGHG ASSOCIATION


n May 10th, 2014 ButtonsTroop and Company sponsoredthe Second Annual Tank Day at

the Ontario Regiment Tank Museum inOshawa; the day was the conceivedand executed by former Museum Pres-ident LCol Leo Morin and BobMcTaggart Chair of Buttons Troop.Our friend Leo is no longer with us anddid not see the great success that TankDay has become, the event will becarried on annually in his Memory!

The day was attended by both thecommanding officers of the GGHGand the Ontario Regiments, representa-tives from Buttons Troop andCompany, the GGHG and Ontario

Regiments, as well as officers andcadets from both the 748 and the 2402GGHG Army Cadet Corps. This is thefirst time in many years that both cadetcorps have attended a combined opera-tion and both corps have agreed that itwas a great success and there are plansfor combined exercises in the future.

The cadets got some much neededtrack time, they are all proudly affili-ated with an armoured regiment but yetmost had never been inside a runningarmoured vehicle. Events like thismake for a tangible and tactile experi-ence where the cadets get to experiencethe rough along with the smell of fuel,the vibrations of the motor, and all the

dust that goes along with an openhatch. All – in – all, the cadets lovedevery minute of the experience!

Each cadet from each corpsreceived a certificate of achievementfor attending.

The cadets suggested we should dosomething more for the Tank Museumto thank them. So, with the help of theGGHG Association a presentation wasmade at the annual D-Day DodgersDinner.

Thanks again to the Ontario Regi-ment and especially the Ontario Regi-ment Tank Museum for supporting usand making this annual event a greatsuccess.

SECOND ANNUALTANK DAY

O

RL

2LT BOB McTAGGART

This is the first time in many years that both the 748 and 2402GGHG Cadet Corps have attended a combined operation


93rd - Established in 1921

THEGREATWAR 100 Years Mustering the Troops

Also remembering the 70th Anniversary of D-Day

Soldiers at Dufferin Gate, CNE Camp (ca.1915) William James family fonds,courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives


Oh for the good old days of having your own Mess, a few games of chance after the dinners, andsaving yourselves a trip to the bar even if it was not your beer of choice. Don’t know if the periodof immunity is still in effect but does anyone know these suspects?

Official Publication of the Governor General's Horse Guards Association

Financially supported by the Governor General’s Horse Guards Foundation LCol George Taylor Denison III Armoury

1 Yukon LaneP.O. Box 5000

Downsview, ON M3M 3J5Canada

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