Roll Call, Volume 10, Issue 3, December 2024, Newsletter of the Friends of the New Brunswick Military History Museum (FNBMHM)
Roll Call, Volume 10, Issue 3, December 2024, Newsletter of the Friends of the New Brunswick Military History Museum (FNBMHM)
ROLL CALL
NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDS OF THE NEW BRUNSWICK MILITARY HISTORY MUSEUM
AMIS/AMIESDE MUSEÉ D’HISTOIRE MILITAIRE DU NOUVEAU-BRUNSWICK
Volume 10,Issue 3 December 2024
Roll Call is published four times a year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. This issue isthe second for 2024. Submissions orcomments can be sent to the Editor, Hal Skaarup at hskaarup@rogers.com. For details on joining the Friends, please contact the Museum at 506-422-1304 or email us at: friendsnbmhm@gmail.com.
Friends of the New Brunswick Military History Museum Executive:
President-Brian MacDonald
Vice-President-Hal Skaarup
Secretary-Doug Hall
Treasurer-Randall Haslett
Directors-Paul Belliveau, Gary Campbell, Robert Dallison, Brent Wilson, Harold Wright
In Searchof a Veteran of Napoleon’s Army
By BobDallison Lt Col (Ret)
About a decade ago I was given a faded newspaper clipping, without a date or name of the newspaper. The clipping noted that a local New Brunswicker had served in Napoleon’s army and was buried 20 miles from Debec, Carleton County. I decided to attempt to locate this veteran’s grave.
Early in my search, I spoke to a gentleman mowing a historic cemetery. I asked if he knew of any Napoleon veteran being buried nearby. No, but he was familiar with the grave of a veteran of the Battle of Waterloo. He kindly lead me to the Saint John’s United Church Cemetery in McKenzie’s Corner. Although interesting, the man’s marker gave no indication that he had a military background nor had he seen action at Waterloo; regardless, it was not what I was seeking. But before leaving, I checked out the other graves in the cemetery.
To my pleasure, I found a hint that I was in the correct area. There was a gravemarker dedicated to a George Ludwig Debeck, the same name as the Napoleon veteran. This marker had been repaired. It had been broken at one point and placed in an upright position, supported by iron braces. The inscription had faded, but someone had used black paint to highlight the letters. The painted inscription showed that this Debeck had died 25 June 1862, that was six months after the death of the Napoleon veteran. A painted inscription at the bottom noted that this George had died at the age of 28 years, while the Napoleon veteran had died at the age of 78. I concluded that this was the grave of the Napoleon veteran’s son.
Off and on for the next 10 years, I checked out historic cemeteries around the town of Debec and there were a number of them. The Napoleon veteran’s grave proved elusive. In the spring of 2024, my son Mike come for a visit from Calgary. As the old adage says, concerning family relationships, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Mike is also enthusiastic about military history. One day, since we were near the United Church Cemetery in McKenzie's Corner, I showed Mike the Debeck grave. He studied it carefully. With his younger eyes, Mike was quick to point out that the date of death had been painted incorrectly. The correct date was 25 January 1862, not June. The same date as the date of death of the Napoleon veteran. Just what where the chances that both men died on the same day? Mike then identified another error. The correct age at death was 78 years, not the painted 28 years. After all those years, the Napoleon veteran’s grave had finally been identified!
George Ludwig Debeck was born in 1783 in Saint John, New Brunswick. His Loyalist family had just arrived in the Fall Fleet, after being exiled from New York. George’s father, Lieutenant John Ludwig Debeck, was of German origin. He enlisted as a sergeant on 17 September 1778 with the Loyalist regiment called the Emmerick’s Chasseurs, whose commander was a German cavalry officer by the name of Andreas Emmerick. On 27 April 1779, John DeBeck was promoted to ensign. This mounted unit participated in extensive combat operations around the City of New York. In April 1779, the Chasseurs were ordered disbanded. Using the disbanded soldiers, a new company was formed under command of Captain John Althouse, with Lieutenant DeBeck as one of its officers. It was transferred to the New York Volunteers. The ship transporting Althouse’s company to the Southern States ran into a major storm. The ship was de-masted and blown off course cross the Atlantic to England. Eventually, they made it back to North America where they were attached to General Benedict Arnold’s Virginia Campaign and later participated in the siege of Yorktown. The unit returned to New York in 1782 and was disbanded in Saint John in September 1783. The New York Volunteers were assigned land in Block #3 along Keswick Ridge, York County, and that was where John received his land grant.
The DeBeck family lived for a period near Fort Howe in Saint John, then moved to their land grant on Keswick Ridge. Unfortunately, George’s father died in 1784, leaving his wife a widow with young children to support. It is not known how she fared in these difficult circumstances, but once he became of age, George left New Brunswick, sailing to France to seek his fortune. As a soldier of fortune, he enlisted in Napoleon’s army and there he prospered, reaching the rank of colonel and being awarded the prestigious Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. This award had been established by Napoleon in 1802 and was first awarded in 1804; it is the highest honour awarded by France for meritorious military service. George was severely wounded fighting the Austrians at the Battle of Wagam in 1809. This injury put an end to George’s military career; he resigned from Napoleon’s Army and returned to New Brunswick.
In 1810,George married Mary Green of Keswick Ridge, the daughter of Captain Althouse. Undoubtedly, he would have required time to convalesce from his war wound and it was not until 1835 that he took over the operation of a mill in Carleton Country. The community around the mill was originally named Blain’s Mills, but was renamed after the new owner, however it was misspelt, as Debec. As he aged, George eventually settled down on property in nearby North Richmond. In an 1851 census report on agriculture, he is shown as owning 400 acres, of which only two acres were developed, for a value of $50. He had one horse, one cow and six pigs. A very modest beginning. However, ten years later, the 1861 agricultural census shows a substantial change in his circumstances. He now owned 600 acres of which 150 acres were developed, with a value of $6000 and equipment worth $600. He employed one male and one female, had 16 horses, 25 cows and assorted other animals.
Fatherand son checking out military grave.
Tombstone of a daughter of George DeBeck.
George Debeck died on 25 January 1862 at the age of 78. He is buried in the Saint John’s United Church Cemetery in McKenzie’s Corners. When he was buried, the church and cemetery were Presbyterian. Buried next to him are three of his children, Hannah age 9, died 1845 of diphtheria, Roderick age one month, died 1859, and Emeline aged 23, died 1860 of TB. Other children are buried in Richmond and two sons are buried in the USA.
George’s grave marker is intriguing. At one time it had been broken and laid flat on the ground exposed directly to the elements. A number of years ago someone restored the marker. Reinforced by steel bars, it was put together and set upright, with the inscription enhanced by black paint. Unfortunately, errors occurred. A good lesson that I had to learn again, be very critical of what appears on tombstones and in documents.
Gary Campbell noted, "You were looking at the headstone of Captain William McKenzie. He had served as a Corporal in the 52nd Regiment at Waterloo and had been wounded. After moving to New Brunswick, he founded the community of McKenzie Corners. He led the abortive raid on Fort Fairfield, Maine in September of 1839. His story appears in more detail in that excellent book, The Aroostook War of 1839. His Waterloo Medal had been in the family until about 50 years ago when it disappeared from sight."
Teddy Bears Continue to Serve
In 2003the military had a ‘Name the Bear’ contest to find a name for the CanadianArmy’s new white polar bear mascot. Polar bears are strong, tenacious, andbrave. Similar qualities have been exhibited by our troops since the South African War. The name Juno was chosen as it honours our troops who landed on Juno Beach during the Normandy invasion.
Bears have a long tradition with the military. The Canadian connection of the First World War “Winnipeg Bear” is well known. A small black bear was purchased by Canadian Army Veterinarian Harry Coleman of the Fort Garry Horse. Coleman took the bear to England with his troops. Winnipeg was later housed at the London Zoo and in 1926, Alan A. Milne wrote a story for his son. Winnie the Poohis a worldwide childhood classic story. Winnie died in 1934.
During the Second World War the Polish 22nd Artillery Supply Company, Polish II Corps. adopted Wojtek, a 500-pound Syrian brown bear. Afterthe war Wojtek was placed in the London Zoo where he died in 1963.
Teddybears have been part of our culture since the first one was made by RoseMichton in 1903 in Brooklyn, New York. While many children may get a teddy bear as a child, I did not get my first bear until I was in my late twenties. My friend, Second World War Veteran Henry Bisson, lived at the Partridge Island Quarantine Station in the 1920s and then he served there during the second war. As a child on the island, Henry had a teddy bear, complete with measles (dabs of red paint) to mimic sick immigrant children then in hospital. Henry gifted that “Bisson Bear” to me and it is still a prized possession.
Fastforward to 1992 when our son Jason was born. I put a small teddy bear (6 inches small) in Jason’s crib as his “Guardian Bear.” Over the next two decades my son (in reality it was me) collected an impressive collection of more than 500 small teddy bears, six inches or smaller. As part of my research travels about Saint John, I once ended up at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. They do not have bears in the Falklands, so I brought home a custom-made six-inch penguin wearing a knitted Jason hat. That is the only “Penguin Bear” in the world!
Fastforward again to 2019 when the Turnbull (NB) Chapter and 250 Saint John Wing, RCAF Association, under the umbrella 250 Wing RCAFA Inc., began working on their RCAF 100 projects for 2024. Several projects were identified, and all had the same organizational components: design, education, students, community, the environment,and funding. For their RCAF 100 Pennfield Ridge Air Force Memorial, I came up with the idea of an RCAF teddy bear which could be attractive for the elementary students in the Charlotte County area where the memorial was to bebuilt.
Part of the idea concept came from Veteran Affairs Canada’s educational handout on the use of Animals in Warfare. Winnie the Pooh figures prominently in those stories. Eventually I expanded the concept to include three bears representing the military heritage of Charlotte County during the Second World War. The idea was passed around to friends and members of both aviation organizations and the Victory Bears were born.
To make the Victory Bears as relevant as possible to the community, each was given a personality with a name, ID tag and appropriate uniform. Private Berlin Grant Utopia trained at that Camp before serving overseas. Stoker William Fisher was the sole survivor of the sinking of his ship HMCS St. Croix. Leading Aircraftwoman Lilian Hawkins Pennfield served in Canada during the war and her family had a connection to the Pennfield airport property. Each bear has a replica Second World War Certificate of Service, with the appropriate G, V and R service numbers.
The uniforms are as authentic as possible. Each is made from a spare Second World War uniform. I was given an RCN blouse and an RCAF WD skirt. Our bear-maker bought a pair of battledress pants and LACW Pennfield’s buttons are actually second war RCAF buttons. The cap badges are replicas of the real badges of that war. The bears were made by Turnbull member Debbie Cyr, herself a Veteran as was her late husband Phil. Each bear took about 30 hours of hand and machine stitching.
Each bear will wear a purple poppy, a symbol from England to remember animals who are victims of war. The bears will each have a copy of the VAC children’s handout, Tales of Animals in War.’
The next challenge was how to make the Victory Bears available to our members, the RCAF Association members, and anyone with an interest in military history and teddybears. It was decided not to sell tickets, which makes the administration of the project so much easier but instead to accept $5 donations. Each donor gets a donation number and on 01 April 2025, the 101st anniversary of the RCAF, three donors will receive one bear.
This still did not give us confidence in our goal of engaging the students in educating them about the military history of their community and our Canadian Forces, and also about Remembrance. We decided to have miniature replica Victory Bears made - 100% copies of the originals but half size. Students will have the opportunity to sell student tickets for a nickel, dime, quarter, Loonie or toonie. This method gives every student an opportunity to get a ticket. The money raised by the students will stay with the schools.
The Victory Bears will feature prominently at the June 2025 Summerside Air Show. Summerside was the birthplace of the RCAF Tartan. Maybe there will be an RCAF Piper Bear in tartan.
Donations will be accepted until 31 March 2025 as shown on the Victory Bears poster.
Harold E.Wright, Secretary
Turnbull (NB) Chapter
CanadianAviation Historical Society
Remembering fallen Canadians in Cyprus
During my service in the Canadian Forces, I had the privilege of servingin the Canadian Airborne Regiment. I took part in one of its deployments with the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), from Aug 1986 to Feb 1987. Through a series of fortunate circumstances, I was nominated to represent the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association (CPVA) through Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) on a pilgrimage back to the island to commemorate the 60thAnniversary of UN Operations in Cyprus.
On Sunday, 10 November, our VAC group visited the Dhekelia Cemetery,where the remains of nine Canadians of the 28 who lost their lives in Cyprusduring their tour now rest. Canadian soldiers who died while serving in theUNFICYP theatre of operations include:
Pte Archambault J.E.R. Pte Berger J.J.C. Pte Bernard J.P.E. Tpr CampbellJ.H.
Gdsm Chartier J. Capt Crawford K.C. Sgt Dupont J.R.A. Lt Edmond K.E. PteHall T.J.
Rfn Hoare P.J. Cpl Isenor P.C. Sgt Kloss D.L. Pte Kohlman S.J. PteKrieger D.R.
Pte Lerue J.A. MCpl Lessard J.R.M.J.P. MCpl MacRae M. MCpl McInnisJ.D.G. Tpr Nass L.W. Capt Patten I.E. Pte Perron J.L.G. Pte Prins A.J. CplRedmond O.J. Cpl Roach A.
Cpl Salmon K.A. Pte Trottier T.J. and Pte Wilson M.D.
(VAC Photo)
Lieutenant Kenneth E. Edmonds, age 44, had been serving with UNFICYP asa member of the Canadian Intelligence Corps (C Int C) in 1964, when injuriesfrom wounds he sustained during the Second World War caught up with him and hedied. Four members of our Intelligence Branch, Greg Jensen (from New Denmark,NB), Mike Beauvais, Barry MacDonald, and myself, had all served in UNFICYP, andwe took part in ceremonies to pay our respects to our C Int C colleague.
I noted that during my tour, we lost MCpl Mark MacRae who was killed ina climbing accident while touring St Hilarion castle. I spoke with our groupduring the visit to the cemetery in Dhekelia. I remember that it was a verydown evening for all of us when his body was brought back to Wolseley Barracksin Nicosia on 6 December 1986. Our Regimental Chaplain, Captain Reg Gilbertcalled our Headquarters and Signals Squadron (HQ & Sig Sqn) together toquietly talk to us about the accident. As you can imagine, particularly forthose of us who later served in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Afghanistan and a host ofsimilar missions, the mood was very somber – we all knew each other, Mark was no stranger.
(RCAF Photo)
When the Regiment returned to CFB Petawawa, Reg carried Mark's asheswith him on our first jump at home. On 24 March 1987, Reg was the firstout the door of the Lockheed CC-130 Hercules transport. We paused for a fewseconds before we followed him, allowing space to represent “the missing man”as the rest of the chalk of MCpl MacRae’s brother paratroopers jumped in hishonour. In accordance with Mark’s wishes, Reg scattered his ashes over the DropZone (DZ) as he descended.
MCpl MacRae does not have a grave marker in Cyprus, because he was oneof the first of many Canadians who died while on duty overseas, to be flownback to Canada. Those of you who have taken part in a rampceremony, or seen the recreation of it in the film “Fallen Heroes” willunderstand that this is no small thing. We do military funerals with absolutedignity and honour – we all know that it could be one of us one day, and itmust be done right. As we honour our dead and injured, we also honour those wholost a member of their family. Those of you whohave taken part in a ramp ceremony, or seen the recreation of it in the film “FallenHeroes” will understand that this is no small thing. We do militaryfunerals with absolute dignity and honour – we all know that it could be one ofus one day, and it must be done right. As we honour our dead and injured, wealso honour those who lost a member of their family.
Teddy Bears in Cyprus
(VAC Photos)
Military personnel were not the only ones interred in the Dhekelia Cemetery. The remains of 531 children are also buried there. I spoke with Annie Macmillan Davies, who has made it her mission to ensure that a teddy bear orother stuffed animal was placed with each child’s tombstone, to ensure they arenot forgotten.
They are the babies and young children of British families who diedwhile their parents were stationed in Cyprus in the 1960s and early 1970s, withmore than 450 little ones - 159 recorded as having died at only one day old -buried here in Dhekelia. The retired nursery head realized many had not beenvisited in decades, a sad reflection of how military families had to leavetheir deceased loved ones behind when they were re-posted, before repatriationwas commonplace.
Remembrance Day in Cyprus
On Monday, 11 November, we were taken by bus to the Canadian RemembranceDay Ceremony held at Wolseley Barracks in Nicosia. The buildings I worked in 37years ago are mostly still standing, but not in great shape. We were met by a British UN soldier from Fiji.
Our two groups of veterans were there to mark the 60thanniversary of Canadian Peacekeeping in Cyprus. The Cyprus 2024 Commemoration group, made up of Canadian Veterans of the mission and their families, returned to Cyprus for commemorative engagements from 4-12 November. A Government of Canada delegation, comprised of representatives from Indigenous and Veteran organizations, also travel there to participate in the program. All members took part in the ceremonies, visited key sites linked to the conflict, and had the opportunity to connect with United Nations personnel currently servingthere. The program concluded with a Remembrance Day ceremony on 11 November atthe Canadian UN Peacekeeper Memorial in Wolseley Barracks, UN Sector 2 HQ. Theceremony was streamed live for Canadians to watch at home. The Canadiandelegation was joined by Cyprus Veterans from the United Kingdom, Finland, andSweden, who were also in the area participating in commemorative events.
“This journey holds deep personal significance for Canadian Veterans whoserved in Operation Snowgoose and their families. It provides them with the opportunityto connect with fellow Veterans who served there over the years and sharestories of their service with Canadians. On this anniversary, we recognize thehigh cost of this operation on the Canadian Armed Forces personnel who haveserved there over the past sixty years. We pay tribute to their contribution topeace and recognize the challenges they faced along the way.”
The Honorable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs andAssociate Minister of National Defence
(VAC Photo)
Michelle Angela Hamelin, Harold Skaarup, Sean Darling, and RCMP SgtKelly Willis, preparing to lay wreaths at the cenotaph at Wolseley Barracks.
The Remembrance Day ceremony took place on 11 November at the Peacekeeper Memorial in Wolseley Barracks UN Sector 2 HQ, inside theUN-controlled buffer zone. The ceremony included the dedication of a Cyprus 2024 plaque commemorating the 60th anniversary of Canada’s contribution to the UN Force in Cyprus. Veteran Affairs Canada led the service, with Canadian Armed Forces soldiers mounting the guard, sentries and providing music. The service began with “O Canada.” Knowledge Keeper Robert Ouellette sang the Warrior Song and carried out a smudging. Elder Leona Neville gave a blessing, and Padre LCdr David Jackson presided over the prayers. Wreaths were laid by a number of us taking part in the gathering for the ceremony.
Canada’s High Commissioner to Cyprus Anna-Karine Asselin said the size of the delegation at the commemoration event illustrated the “deep significance of the mission” for Canadian veterans. “We pay tribute to their invaluable contribution to peace. We recognize the challenges they faced along the way.”
More than 100 active-duty Canadian Armed forces personnel, dispatched to Cyprus to assist in possible evacuations of Canadians from nearby Lebanon, joined us for the Remembrance Day ceremony.
One never knows when you will run into helicopter people. I helped organize and took part in a number of aviation events that involved No. 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron at 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown (5 CDSB Gagetown). During the 11 November Remembrance Day ceremonies at Wolseley Barracks in Nicosia, Jane MacIsaac and Brianne Peters handed me a wreath to lay on behalf of the CPVA. As our group saluted and turned to march off, LCol Allan Ireland, CO of No. 403 Squadron, reached out to shake hands –small world. He was there in charge of that same group of CF personnel standing by to conduct evacuations from the war zone in Lebanon should the need arise.
(VAC Photo)
We were back in Cyprus for a good reason, to commemorate the 60thanniversary of UN operations in Cyprus, "in service of peace". Thismemorial stands behind the Ledra Palace in Nicosia.
“The Cyprus 2024 commemoration is not just about a pilgrimage ofVeterans and their families back to Cyprus, the destination, but also the capturing of history and rekindling of memories, the journey. We are but agroup of Veterans trying to honour the service and sacrifices of ourcomrades-in-arms and leave a legacy of Canada’s longest UN peacekeeping mission and a forgotten 1974 war for Canadians.”
