We record with pride and gratitude the
names of members of Our Communities who served their King and Country
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Victoria
Cross Winners
The Victoria Cross was awarded
for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of
valour or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the
presence of the enemy. There have been 1,351 Victoria Crosses and
3 Bars awarded worldwide, 94 to Canadians (Canadian-born or
serving in the Canadian Army or with a close connection to
Canada). |
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BAZALGETTE, Ian
Willoughby
A mountain peak in Jasper National Park is named for this winner of the
Victoria Cross. |
HARVEY, Frederick
Maurice Watson - Fort
MacLeod
Frederick Maurice Watson Harvey was born in
Athboy, County Meath,
Ireland, and came to Canada in 1908 where he worked as a surveyor in
northern Alberta and High River. He settled in Fort Macleod ca. 1911.
Fred enlisted in the Canadian Mounted Rifles in 1915. He became a
lieutenant in 1916 and went overseas, soon transferring to Lord
Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians). During the First World War Fred
was awarded the Victoria Cross, Military Cross and Croix de Guerre.
From 1923 to 1927 he taught physical education at the Royal Military
College in Kingston, and in 1938 was promoted to lieutenant colonel and
became commanding officer of LdSH(RC) at Currie Barracks in Calgary. In
1940 he was promoted to brigadier and commander of the 13th Alberta
Military District. Fred retired in 1946, and was honorary colonel of
the LdSH(RC) from 1958 to 1966. He lived in Calgary from 1938 on, was
an avid equestrian who took part in horse shows. |
KERR, George Fraser
KERR, John Chipman (1887-1963)
Born in Fox
River, Nova Scotia, Kerr was serving with the 49th Battalion, Canadian
Expeditionary Force, at Courcelette, France, on September 16, 1916.
Advancing about thirty yards into an enemy position Kerr found himself
under attack. Although wounded, Kerr moved along the trench in full
view of the enemy. After tossing grenades and firing his rifle at the
enemy beneath him, Kerr chased his victims into their dug-out. He took
62 prisoners.
Mount Kerr in Jasper National Park is named
after this winner
of the Victoria Cross.
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KINROSS, Cecil John -
Lougheed 
Excerpt from the Edmonton Journal
- Pte. Cecil John Kinross, 21, a
farmer-soldier from Lougheed,
180 km southeast of Edmonton, answered the call. The devil-may-care
young company runner stipped off all his equipement except his rifle
and bandoleer. Oblivious to the threat to his personal safety, he
charged across the open ground in broad daylight to flank the enemy
machine-gun. He killed the crew of six with his rifle and wrecked the
enemy gun.
- Kinross was born February 17, 1896, near Stirling, Scotland. The
family immigrated to Alberta in 1912 and settled on a farm near
Lougheed. In October 1915, he enlisted in the 51st Battalion and was
later drafted into Edmonton's 49th.
- Kinross was discharged from the Canadian army for medical reasons on
January 23, 1919.
- A few days later, Edmontonians packed the old Pantages Theatre ...
and some 3,000 more were turned away at a civic reception for Kinross.
- In 1956, he was invited to London with other VC winners for the 100th
anniversary of the Victoria Cross. The VC heroes attended a memorial
service at Westminster Abbey. They were inspected by the queen in Hyde
Park.
- A year later, on June 21, 1957, he died alone in his hotel room in
Lougheed. He was a lifelong bachelor.
- He was buried with full military honors in the prairie soil. The
final salute was a sharp crack of rifles above his grave by a military
honor guard from Wainwright.
- In 1951, one of the most spectacular mountain peaks in Jasper
National Park was named after him. Mount Kinross is a 2,731 metre peak
a few kilometres northwest of Jasper townsite.
- The Royal Canadian Legion in Lougheed proudly bears his name and
inside hangs a big picture of Cecil John Kinross, one of the youngest
men to win the Victoria Cross.
For
corrected and
additional information about Cecil John Kinross click here
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MCKEAN, George Burdon
Mount McKean in Jasper Nation Park is named after this winner of the
Victoria Cross. |
PATTISON, John George
Mount Pattison in Jasper Nation Park is named after this winner of the
Victoria Cross. John George Pattison, 1875-1917 |
ROBERTSON, Peter -
Medicine Hat
Private Peter Robertson was born October 26, 1883, in Nova Scotia. He
had moved to Medicine Hat at the age of 16, taking a job with the
C.P.R., later attaining the rank of Engineer. In 1915, he enlisted in
the 13th Canadian Mounted Rifles. He was killed at the battle near
Pashendeale, and for his selfless devotion to commrades and for his
heroic efforts in battle, he received the Victoria Cross. |
ZENGEL, Raphael Louis
Mount Zengel in Jasper Nation Park is named after this winner of the
Victoria Cross. |
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