Category Archives: Legion Magazine

Politics, racism and colonialism: Awarding the Victoria Cross

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Front Lines
Stephen J thorne

Smokey Smith, Canada’s last living Victoria Cross recipient, in 2004. He died nine months after this was taken in Italy, not far from where he earned it. Credit: Stephen J. Thorne

Politics, racism and colonialism: Awarding the Victoria Cross

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Military brass insists that the awarding of valour decorations—in this case, the Victoria Cross—is a merit-based exercise rooted in fact and timeliness, but history suggests otherwise.

Politics, racism, colonialism and other flaws and frailties have figured in the process since Queen Victoria created the medal for all ranks in 1856.

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Victoria Cross
Military Milestones

Wikipedia

The Laurier way: Canada’s first French Prime Minister

STORY BY SHARON ADAMS

It is difficult today, looking at his dour expression in portraits or on a $5 bill, to believe that Wilfrid Laurier, who served as prime minister from 1896-1911, was so popular. Or so successful.

Laurier was a member of Parliament for 45 years, Liberal Party leader for 32 and the country’s first francophone prime minister, a position he held for 15 years.

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1943: The Allies gain the advantage in the Second World War
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Canvet Publications Ltd.
86 Aird Place |
Kanata, Ontario | K2L 0A1 | Canada |
1-844-602-5737 | 613-591-0116 | magazine@legion.ca

No VC for Jess Larochelle, says military

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Front Lines
Stephen J thorne

Victoria Cross Medal (left) Private Jess Randall Larochelle (right) [CORPORAL ISSA PARÉ, RIDEAU HALL © OSGG-BSGG, 2007; DND]

No VC for Jess Larochelle, says military

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

A high-profile campaign to upgrade an Afghanistan veteran’s valour award to a Victoria Cross is dead in the water, as far as the military and the head of its Directorate of Honours and Recognition are concerned.

But the group spearheading the effort says not so fast.

Lieutenant-Colonel Carl Gauthier told Legion Magazine that hard-and-fast time limits prevent Private Jess Larochelle from becoming the first soldier to receive the Canadian VC since it was created in 1993.

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Victoria Cross
Military Milestones

Library and Archives Canada

Heroes of the House: the 1916 burning of Parliament

STORY BY SHARON ADAMS

Although Parliament was in session debating the price of fish on the evening of Feb. 3, 1916, Nova Scotia MP Francis Glass was ensconced in the cozy reading room at the House of Commons. He noticed a fire had started in a wastebasket and called for help.

Within minutes the entire room was ablaze and instead of smothering the fire, the extinguisher scattered the embers, first igniting newspapers hanging from dowels along the walls, then nearby magazines and a collection of 20,000 books, some dating back more than a century.

In just a few hours, Canada’s seat of power, considered one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the British Empire, was a pile of smouldering ruins.

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Pocketpills

From refilling prescriptions to getting expert advice from licensed pharmacists, Pocketpills offers a complete pharmacy experience from home over the holiday season. That means more time for wrapping presents, more time for making snowmen, and more time for family and friends.

Click the link below to see offers in your area or call 1-855-950-7225 and mention that you are a Legion member.

Free labour spawns sabotage in Nazi factories

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Front Lines
Stephen J thorne

Wikipedia, Bundesarchiv, Bild 185-23-21 / CC-BY-SA 3.0

Free labour spawns sabotage in Nazi factories

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

The crew of U-94, a Type-VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine, were a happy bunch as they motored to port in mid-October 1941.

They had all but completed their sixth war patrol, their first under Kapitänleutnant Otto Ites, and they believed they had sunk four or five ships, all stragglers, in the notorious North Atlantic waters southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland.

The record would attribute the sub with one kill but, no matter: no convoys had been sighted and U-94 was never attacked. To top it off, their boat was going in for an extended refit at Stettin on the Baltic, now the Polish city of Szczecin.

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Battle of the St. Lawrence: U-boats Attack
Military Milestones

Library and Archives Canada

Prince of Death: Canada’s Indigenous war hero

STORY BY SHARON ADAMS

Tommy Prince, the most decorated Indigenous soldier of the Second World War, entered this world humbly, born in a tent in Petersfield, Man., and raised, one of 11 children, on the Brokenhead Reserve (now the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation) northeast of Winnipeg.

Among Tommy Prince’s ancestors are revered Indigenous leaders. His great-great-grandfather, Salteaux Chief Peguis, led 200 Ojibwa from the Sault Ste. Marie region (now in Ontario), to Manitoba’s Red River area in 1790s, following the fur trade. He was one of five chiefs to sign the Selkirk Treaty, the first between the Crown and western Indigenous Peoples. And Peguis’ son, Henry Prince (Mis-Koo-Kinew) signed Treaty 1 in 1871.

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BST Vacations

BST Vacations are pleased to be able to extend the following exclusive offers to Royal Canadian Legion Members from Air Canada Vacations, Azamara Cruises, and Emerald Cruises. In addition to these fantastic offers, we have an exclusive offer just for you on our April South of France River Cruise. Legion Members will enjoy $1000.00 off per person! Only 10 cabins available. RUN don’t walk! 1 800 561 4275 / bstvacations.ca

*Please note offers are not combinable.
Email sent to: mkbarbour@gmail.com

Canvet Publications Ltd.
86 Aird Place |
Kanata, Ontario | K2L 0A1 | Canada |
1-844-602-5737 | 613-591-0116 | magazine@legion.ca