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eye apotoDer aBom

Volume 4 April l994 Issue I

People, Places and Pleasantries

Congratulations...to Charlie Martin, aD-Day veteran who wonthe Distinguished ConductMedal (DCM) and theMilitary Medal (MM)while serving with theQueen's Own, on hisappointment by theWarriors' Day ParadeCouncil as the ReviewingOfficer and Guest ofHonour at the Warriors'Day Parade to be held atthe Canadian Nationalexhibition on SaturdayAugust 20, 1994.

Promotions. . .Congratulations aiid bestwishes to the followingserving officers who werepromoted recently.Captain B.G. MCEbchemwho was promoted toMajor; 2 LieutenantK. Haupt who was

promoted to Lieutenant;Lieutenant R. Zisman whowas promoted to Captain.

Congratulations...to Captain (Retired) J,A.(Al) Mercury, a formerofficer with the TorontoBattalion, who washonored at the 12thAnnual Harry JeromeAwards dinner for hisinvolvement incommunity work... Theseawards are made inmemory of Harry Jerome,an outstanding Canadiantrack athlete, who diedsuddenly in December1982... Al, a self-employed Torontobusinessman, has spenta lifetime in the serviceof his community. He isalso active with theLions Club and other-civic minded groups.

Casa Loma. . .TheBoard of Directors ofthe Kiwanis Club of CasaLoma, at its January 1994meeting, has unanimously

passed a motion to allow

free admission to Queen`sOwn veterans and servingmembers who wish to viewthe Regimental Museum.Identification passes willbe available through theQueen's Own Riflesorderly room at Moss ParkArmoury. Special thanksgo to Lieutenant ColonelThe Honorable BamettDanson who wasinstrumental in securingfree admission for ourRegiment.

\Vhat's ln A Name...General J.V. Allard, in hishock "The Memoirs OfGeneral Jean V. Allard"published by the Universityof British Columbia Pressin 1988 has this to sayabout the removal of TheQueen's Own RIfles ofCanada from the Regularcomponent of the CanadianForces in 1968... "A fewwords concerning theQueen.s Own Rifles. Its

:::I,':heen:apLeadquarters. M°Ss pa+ko%nT:,U8htta% &u5eAe? RS;reet East Tei (41 6) 362.3946

name played a certain Outnot major) role in itsdisappearance in 1968. In1956 when the time cameto choose the Canadianunits which, under theaegis of the UnitedNations, were to keep theIsraelis and Egyptiansapart, the latter refusedour suggestion of sendingthe Queen's Own. Thename and our uniforms ofthe time were far toosimilar to the reviledBritish for the Egyptiansnot to take offence. In1967, faced with the taskof having to reduce thenumber of infantryregiments and of seeingthat our Army wasCanadian in every detail(whenever possible) , thenames of infantry unitsto be eliminated thatimmediately sprang tomind were the Queen'sOwn Rifles and theCanadian Guards. "

QOR AssociationIToronto)

Members of the Queen'sOwn Association IToronto)who have not paid their1994 dues for membershipin the Association areurged to do so now. AHandy proforma for thispurpose is included withthis newsletter.

QOR Of C TrustFund

Your attention is directedto a letter to the Editor byLieutenant ColonelJ.G.B. Strathy, Presidentof the Trust Fund,concerning the state of theFund.

1994 donations may bemade using the proformaincluding with thisnewsletter.

D-Day ColouredPrints

A limited number ofsigned and numbered

prints of the D-Dayassault landing paintingwhich hangs in theOfficers' Mess of TheQueen's Own Rifles ofCanada are still available.

Only loo of thesecoloured prints, whichmeasure 18 inches by 21inches, were signed by theartist of the painting,Captain Orville N. Fisher,Priced at S150.00 theyare certain to become acollector's item.

Unsigned prints of this

painting are alsoavailable at $45.00 eachfrom the Regimental KitShop.

Stained GlassWindow

Former members of the lstand 2nd Battalions of theRegiment will be pleasedto learn that the stainedglass window, depictingoiir Regimental Badge, hasbeen installed in theCalgary Museum ofRegiments to mark ourRegiment's service in thatcity.

The S1500.00 cost of thewindow was bone by theTrust Fund throughdonations that werereceived from members ofour Regimental family.

The appreciation of theRegiment has beenextended toMr. J. Svencicki, Directorof Collections, CalgaryMilitary Museums Societyfor overseeing this projectto its successfulconclusion.

Battle Diary - D-Day

"Battle Diary -D-Day" is

a fast-paced and immediatebattle account by five timeswounded and twicedecorated Charles C.Martin who was thecompany sergeant majorwith his beloved ACompany of the Queen'sOwn Rifles from the day

he landed in Normandy tothe end of the war.

This is a rifleman.s storyof fighting a war, yard byyard and field by field,against a fierce anddedicated enemy whosurrendered nothing easily.

Published by the DundumGroup, the bcok will go onsale in April 1994. Costof the paper edition will beS16.99 and $22.99 for thecloth edition.

Copies may be orderedfrom RegimentalHeadquarters for the pricesquoted with an additional$3.00 charge for mailing.

STOP PRESS !!!!!

Number 1

In a letter of Marsh 22,1994, Toronto DistrictHeadquarters aJ`nouncedthat The Queen's OwnRifles of Canada wasdesignated as the best unitin the District. Judgingwas made on the basis of16 criteria ranging fromadministrative matters totraining results tofinancial managemen(.

Well done, Queen's Own.

IN REMORIAM

The Regiment is deeply saddened by the death of Colonel H.Elliot Dalton, DSO,EM.CD on Jarluary 13, 1994.

Colonel Dalton joined The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada asa rifleman in 1930. He rose through (he ranks receiving hiscommission in 1938. A D-Day veteran who commanded ACompany of the Queen.s Own in the Normandy assaultlanding on June 6, 1944, he was awarded the DistinguishedService Order for gallantry in battle.

He commanded the lst Battalion for the las( four montlis ofthe Second World War and the Toronto Mi)itia Battalion fromMay 1951 to October 1952. He then served as the unit'sHonorary Colonel from 1975 to 1984.

Colonel Dalton is survived by his wife Marie, sons Mark andBret(, daughter Beverley, brother Charles who also served inthe Queen's Own and commanded 8 Company on D-Day,sister Marjorie and Constance, and seven grandchildren.

`'At the going down Of the sun and in the moming. we

will rememl7er him" .

For Visitors To Erraland

A giant screen showing dramatic film footage of some of thekey events of the D-Day landings of 50 years ago, is one ofthe highlights of a ne`hr exhibition at Landon's Imperial WarMuseum. "D-Dq)/ „ VIc/ory" is the museum's contribution tothe 50th anniversary, tracing the Allies' campaign fromthe earliest planning stages to final victory in May 1945.It includes secret planning documents, diaries and lettersof those who took part, uniforms. af`d sabotage equipmentused by those operating behind enemy lines.

PREPARATIONS FOR D-DAY PLUS 50

1994 has a specialsignificance for TheQueen's Own Rifles ofCanada. The year marksthe 134th anniversaryof the foundingof the Regiment - aRegiment that has servedCanada exceptionally wellat war and in peace. Italso marks the 50thanniversary of (he lstBattalion' s assault landingin Normandy where itreceived its baptism of firein the Seeond World War.

In celebration andremembrance of these twomajor milestones in theRegiment's long andglorious history and as partof the "CanndoJicmcmberj" nationalprogram, the Regiment isstaging two exciting eventsin Toronto.

Open House - Moss ParkArmouryln celebration of its 134thbirthday and to mark the50th anniversary ofD-Day, the Batta)ion andthe Queen's OwnAsscoiation of Torontohave joined forces to stagean open house in MossPark Armourycommencing at 1200 hourson Saturday April 23,1994.

Veterans of the D-Daylrmding and all wars.serving members of theBattalion and their familiesand friends, and the public

CELEBRATIONS HEAT UP

are invited to enjoy anafternoon of fun, nostalgiaand camaraderie. Thehighlight of the afternoonwill be the launching ofCSM Charlie Martin'sbcok "Bal[le Diary" . Yes,Charlie will be present toautograph copies of it.

Activities will include abriefremembranceservice,period and contemporarymusic by the RegimentalBand. and static displaysof equipment andweaponry. Regimentalsouvenir items will be ondisplay for sale. A buffetstyle lunch will beavailable at a reasonablecost.

D-Day Phis 50 DinnerA D-Day Plus 50 Iinnerwill take place in theToronto Hilton Hotel at1900 for 2000 hours onThursday May 12, 1994 tomark the 50th anniversaryof D-Day. It will honourthose veterans of Canadianand allied units who took

part in the assault landingand subsequent battles inNorth-West Europe.

The Dinner will featuremusic by the RegimentalBand, a singsong ofSecond World War tunes,video vignettes of the unyears, and static displaysof Second World Warequipment and weaponry.

Cost of the Dimer will be$60.00 per person. Dress

for gentlemen will be MessKit, military uniform ordinner jacket wi(h medals.Business suit orRegimental blazer mayalso be won. Indiesshould dress appropriately.

Individual seating or tablesof ten may be bcokedthrough The Queen's OwnRifles of Canada orderlyroom at Moss ParkArmoury. Cheques shouldbe made payable to "QORRegimental Headquarters" ,Order forms may beprocured by calling (416)973-3281.

Return To NomandyA contingent of 120 allranks comprising theRegimental Band and aGuard of Honour will bedeparting Toronto for theUnited Kingdom andFrance on June I,1994 to

participate in the D-DayPlus 50 ceremonies inBeny-sur-Mer, Anisy,Le Mesnil-Patry and otherbattle locations of

particular significance tothe Regiment. Thecontingent will support abus load of Queen.s OwnD-Day veteranswhose return visit toNomandy and thebattlefields of Francewill undoubtedly bringback a kaleidoscope ofmemories.

The participation in thishistoric venture by servingmembers of the Battalion

has received the blessingof the Commander of LandForces Central area whohas authorized funds tocover a portion of thetravel costs. Fund raisingactivities will help todefray a portion of thecosts with the balancebeing shared by the

par(icipants, Anycontributions frommembers of ourRegimental family will be

appreciated.

Three members of ourRegimental family havepledged Sl .OcO.00 each insupport of the riflemen.These members haveissued a challenge toothers to match thisgenerous gesture or tomake a donation withintheir financial means.

One of the fund raisingactivities being run by theBattalion is a raffle whichoffers two return airlinetickets to the UnitedKingdom or France plus$2,000.00 in cash to theholder of the winningticket. Only I,000 ticketsare being offered for saleat $20.cO each with thedraw to be made at theD-Day Plus 50 Dinner onMay 12, 1994. Ticketsmay be ordered by usingthe proforma included withthis newsletter.

LETTERS T0 TIIE EDITORDear Editol.:

The Queen's Own Rifles objective on D-Day, June 6. 1944,was to seize and hold the town of ANISY. Not only did the

Queen's Own make the deepest penetration inland reachingtheir objective, but more importantly they held it. This,in spite of the fact that the Regiment suffered the heaviestcasualties of any Canadian unit that day.

Now, 50 years la(er, the Regiment has been approached bythe Mayor of Anisy, asking for financial support to erect amonument to commemorate the remarkable achievement ofthe Queen's own. I

The Queen ' s Own Association of Toronto Executive has votedunanimously in favour for this writer to solicit donationsfrom our general membership to provide two plaques, one inEnglish and one in French, for this monument. The town ofAnisy will provide the masonry work and the installation ofeverything required to erect the monument.

All donors will be acknowledged through the medium of thisnewsletter.

I am seeking your support and generosity in this endeavourand I am confident that you will respond generously in trueRifles spirit.

Please make your cheque payable to "QOR of C D+50Years" and mail it to me at this address:

Jack MartinD+50 Tour Chairman

54 Portsdown RoadScarborough, Ontario

MIP IVI

You will realize that time is of the essence as plaques willhave to be shipped to (he Mayor of Anisy as soon as possibleso that they can be mounted in time for the unveiling onJune 6th of this year.

Thank you for your anticipated support.

Regimentally yours,

Jack Martin

5_

Dear Editor:

I wish to use the medium of "777c Pow4cr Ham" to expressmy persona) thanks and the thanks of the Trustees tothose members of our Regimental family who gave so

generoilsly to the Trust Fund in 1993.

A total of S15,770.00 was donated to the Trust Fund by167 members. An additional Sl,540.00 was donated inmemory of Colonel J.F. hake, a former Honorary Colonelof the Regiment, who died on November 19, 1993.

This support by members of our Regimental family iscommendable indeed, however. it is hoped that the other900 names on our mailing list who have made no contributionwill respond in 1994. Without the financial support of everymember, it is difficult to meet the Trust Fund's obligationsto those Regimental activities that fall outside theresponsibilities of the Department of National Defence. Theoperation of the Regimental Museum in Casa Loma, thepublication of the "77zc J?/Wipmczn" and this newsletter, andsupplying the serving Ba(talion with Regimental dress andaccoutrements is only possible through your financial help.People should also remember that all the work that is doneto operate Regimental Headquarters, the Regimental Museum,and the Trust Fund is done voluntarily by dedicated formermembers of the Regiment who receive no remunerationwhatever.

I iirge all members of the Regimental family and recipients ofthe "The Rifleman" ar\d the "The Powder Horn" to make acontribution to the Trust Fund in 1994.

J,G.B. StrathyPresident

QOR of C Trust Fund