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Fallen Comrades (retired members)

Jack was an impressive individual. Of interest, Cliff Chadderton told me he and Jack were the first two Little Black Devils who were selected for officer training and then served in the unit. Both landed on D Day (Cliff unofficially as he had been designated as left out of battle for the operation) and were later wounded in action.
 
CWO Marv MacDonald, The RCR passed away last week. No other details at this time. Marv was a true gentleman and served with distinction in both The RCR and the CAR. On retirement he became a mainstay at the Donnybrook branch RCL in Dorchester ON. Anyone who has seen the old, large sign for the Museum at Wolsely has seen "Marvellous" Marvin. Vaya con dios amigo!

As a pointed aside: NOTHING! on either regtl net. In fact can't even post to the RCR one. :

Larry Williams
 
Larry I posted this in this already here with obituary details.

RIP Marvin
 
LCol (Ret'd) Ralph Priestman (Florida) late of The Royal Canadian Regiment, passed away last night after a massive heart attack.  :salute:

RIP, old chum.

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Just a few weeks ago, with his lovely wife Liz

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3rd row, 2nd from the right (between Al Chaplin and Ben Gilmore) in the late 1960s, Ralph was ACD to HRH, the Colonel in Chief.
 
Capt Steve Rickets passed away this week in London. Steve was a main stay in the old 3RCR and 4RCR as well as subsequently  giving freely of his time to RHQ and the Association. RIP friend  :salute:
 
Just received the sad news of the passing of Lieutenant Colonel RB (Dick) Rogers (ret'd) in Fredericton. Dick and I were OCP classmates in 1960-1961 and then earned our PSCs on the same staff college course at Kingston in 1970-1971. Dick was an AOP pilot who opted to pursue his career as a pilot, eventually commanding 403 Squadron. He still remained a staunch gunner at heart and attended all our class reunions less this year's as his health would not permit him to travel.

Ubique and End of Mission

        :cheers:
 
I have just heard that Capt (ret'd) Ed Mastronardi, MC, passed away at the age of 91. (Actually Ed served in the RCN, in 1944/45, the Canadian Army (The RCR) in 1950-53 and in the RCAF, 1950-63, retiring as a Flt Lt.) Ed was one of the heroes of the battle of the Song-gok Spur on Nov. 2, 1951. Later, Ed joined the De Havilland Aircraft Company and later, still, held the senior executive position of Assistant Secretary to the Treasury Board in Ottawa. He wrote a couple of books, too.

He was a regular at our RCR Association gatherings in Ottawa and I was lucky enough to be called "friend" by him. He was a brave man and an all 'round nice guy who will be sorely missed.  :salute:

   
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                                            Ed Mastronardi as a subaltern in Korea circa 1951                                                                                                            Ed Mastronardi as an octogenarian in Ottawa
 
A tribute for Sapper Oscar T. Carlson

Oscar Carlson - A humble, honourable man and lifelong ‘Soldier at Heart’

Oscar was born in farm house in Minnesota on 23 Aug 1919. He moved with his family in the 1920’s to the Fosston Saskatchewan area. He and his siblings lost their beloved mother Helen in 1930 and persevered through the bleak ‘dirty thirties’ decade raised by his strong, principled but demanding father, C.O. Carlson.
From an early age he was expected to pull his load without complaint. He and his older brother Clarence would be up harnessing two Percheron horse teams and feeding livestock every morning before eating breakfast. Oscar was an intelligent, thoughtful man who did not have the opportunity to gain a higher education as his family needed him to labour hard early in life.
Canada asked its young men and women to go to war in September 1939 to fight the Nazi evil plaguing the world. Oscar volunteered in 1941 and served as a Sapper in the Royal Canadian Engineers until 1946.  The latest Legion magazine describes ‘Canada’s 5 Greatest Battles’. One of those crucial battles was ‘The Battle of the Scheldt’ and Oscar did his part then, in those hard times. Clearing the Scheldt to allow Allied forces to defeat the Nazis cost Canada 6,367 young soldiers’ lives against the SS and the Wehrmacht.
You have to know that these experiences affect a person very deeply and shape how one lives the life that God has given him.
Oscar was a very private person who had an active and inquiring mind. He was never one to brag or even take a strong self-protective stand. He lived alone very simply. It was as if he was the ever vigilant soldier who is expected to have his kit bag packed and be prepared to receive his ‘Warning Order’ and given 5 minutes ‘Notice to Move’.
Oscar freely gave his time and his modest resources to his community and special interests such as ‘Ducks Unlimited’, Saskatchewan Wildlife Habitat Fund, Fosston Curling Club, the Bethel Church and Cemetery maintenance and the Royal Canadian Legion.
The Community honoured and showed their respect to him many times when he was the ‘Guest of Honour’ at Ducks Unlimited and Wildlife Federation events and was granted a Life Member of the Royal Canadian Legion.
He was blessed with amazingly good health for most of his 97 years. At 95 he was still going on a daily morning patrol along Highway 35. He finally had to turn in his golf putter club, ala cane, for a new ‘Racing Wheel’ walker when he moved to Caleb in Tisdale.
On the 30 Oct 2016, Lutheran Reformation Sunday, God needed a good soldier and ‘Sapper’ to work on his bridges in Heaven. In typical Oscar fashion he left this world without complaint with his kit packed and in good order.
Chimo, Oscar. I am glad to have known you and you will always have a place in my heart.

 

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A good man, a damned fine soldier and commander: LGen (ret'd) CH (Charlie) Belzile, QORofC and R22R ...

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... I was, I think, luck enough to be counted amongst his friends, at least amongst those with whom he never seemed too busy to stop with and share a pint, a joke and a few words about friends and family ...

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... I met him first when he was a fast rising captain in the QORofC, he was doing the two year staff college course and he explained to a bunch of very, very young and impressionable subalterns why Mr Hellyer was no the devil incarnate and why some of his changes would be good for the CF (we managed to kill the good ideas in 1975) and some bad (we didn't kill the bad ideas until a decade later) ...

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... I had the pleasure to serve around him in the 1960s and '70s, and, eventually, directly under his command (1981). In the 1990s, and beyond, I enjoyed his company at various social gatherings, large and small. He was a fine man.

 
E.R. Campbell said:
A good man, a damned fine soldier and commander: LGen (ret'd) CH (Charlie) Belzile, QORofC and R22R ...
I'd heard that from Don Pryer on Thursday night.    :salute:  A fine man, indeed.
 
Journeyman said:
I'd heard that from Don Pryer on Thursday night.    :salute:  A fine man, indeed.


I would have posted it earlier but the rebuilding of the server made posting a bit problematical ... there will be a memorial service in Ottawa on 13 December followed by a private, family, funeral wherein the R22R will provide full honours. PM me if you need details, but I think everything I know is here, but I believe regimental blazers and medals are expected at the Tuesday afternoon public service.
 
Joe "Snee" Schechtel, formerly of The RCR, The Canadian Airborne Regiment and Princess Patricia's Light Infantry passed away overnight.  He was in the loving care of former fellow soldier Rocky Boudreau, at Rocky's place in Costa Rica.  Joe had cancer and it really took him down quick.  In his final weeks he remained optimistic and travelled to Newfoundland to visit some friends, and then it was off to Costa Rica where he lived his final days.  He was really looking forward to that trip.

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This is Joe with Rocky taken about a week or so ago.


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Here's Joe from his time in 3 Cdo.

Joe was one of the first members of my company I met when I joined 2 RCR back in 1989.  My first weekend there he was DD and took a bunch of us into Fredericton for a night on the town.  After he went off to the Airborne in 1990, I next saw him when I was going through officer training at the infantry school.  He was a MCpl then, and I, an OCdt, was part of the demo section (they were short a guy so they used me as LMG #2 in the demo section attack).  I remember Joe jacking the living crap out of me.  Then with a wink and a smile he said it wasn't every day he got to jack up an officer.

Joe will be missed.  :salute:

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LCol Kenneth John Chisholm, CD (Ret’d)

We regret to advise of the death of Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth John Chisholm, CD (Ret’d) on 26 November 2016 at the Waverly Seniors Village in Chilliwack, BC. Ken was a Royal Canadian Engineer Korean War veteran.
Born in Toronto in 1923, Ken earned his Engineering Degree at the University of Toronto. He enrolled in Canadian Army Reserve Force in 1942 and then transferred to the Canadian Army Active Force in May 1945. After the war he joined the Permanent Force with the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1946.
Ken’s first posting was to the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering (RCSME) Chilliwack, BC followed by a tour at 11 Works Company in Camp Chilliwack in 1952. He was then transferred to 23rd Field Squadron in Chilliwack and and deployed for the Korean War in 1953. He then had a geographical move to  Camp Gagetown, NB where he joined 8 Works Company shortly after the new camp had been opened. This tour was followed by his successful completion of the Army Staff Course before he moved to 24 Works Company in Camp Borden, ON in 1961.
Ken had the distinction of holding two appointments as Commanding Officer of the Regular Force Field Squadrons: 1 Field Squadron at Camp Petawawa, ON (1961-62) and 4 Field Squadron in Werl, Germany (1962-64). After these commands he returned to RCSME for a short tour before being assigned to the Command Construction Engineering staff in Headquarters Mobile Command at St Hubert, QC (1966-69). Ken then served at Canadian Forces Headquarters, Ottawa including a tour as Canadian Forces Fire Marshall (1969-72).
Ken retired in 1974 and returned to Chilliwack where he had started his Canadian Military Engineer career. He continued with public service in his second career where he was the British Columbia Inspector of Dykes for ten years and responsible for ensuring flood containment for much of the Lower Mainland District and other areas of British Columbia.
In full retirement Ken maintained his strong commitment to the Engineer Family and was active with the Military Engineers Association of Canada where he served as National Registrar. Ken was also a very active supporter of the Retired Sappers and the Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack Historical Society. His contribution to the Canadian Military Engineers Family was recognized with his being awarded a Canadian Military Engineering Association Commendation.
A celebration of Ken's life will be held on 12 January 2017 at a family home. Ken's friends will be contacted once arrangements have been finalized. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Eve Project through Hungry for Life (604-703-0223) or the Alzheimer/Dementia Society.

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It is with considerable emotion that I report the death of my old friend Lieutenant Colonel Jim Bryce, RCA (ret) this afternoon at about 1630 hours. Jim had been admitted to palliative care a short time ago, and fell into his last sleep after smiling at his wife and daughters this morning.

We met on OCP Phase One in September 1960 and served together on and off over the years, including in Germany and then on the IG Course and as IsG in the School in Shilo. We also served together as battery commanders in 2 RCHA and were members of each other's wedding party.

Good Shooting, Stand Easy ( The equivalent to End of Mission in the gunner speak we first trained on together 55 years ago.)

Frigging allergies are acting up; that's three classmates this year.
 
Old Sweat said:
It is with considerable emotion that I report the death of my old friend Lieutenant Colonel Jim Bryce, RCA (ret) this afternoon at about 1630 hours. Jim had been admitted to palliative care a short time ago, and fell into his last sleep after smiling at his wife and daughters this morning.

We met on OCP Phase One in September 1960 and served together on and off over the years, including in Germany and then on the IG Course and as IsG in the School in Shilo. We also served together as battery commanders in 2 RCHA and were members of each other's wedding party.

Good Shooting, Stand Easy ( The equivalent to End of Mission in the gunner speak we first trained on together 55 years ago.)

Frigging allergies are acting up; that's three classmates this year.

That's terrible news indeed and just like him to go out that way. Jim was truly a gentleman, a caring soul and a stalwart in the Regiment.

I first met Jim when I transferred as a subbie from 3 RCHA to F Bty 2 RCHA of which he was the battery commander. I still remember when, at the end of a very long happy hour, he and another officer decided that it was necessary to settle a point of honour with sabres on top of the roof of the old 2 RCHA officers' mess. Thanks to copious amounts of alcohol, both survived unscathed.

Good shooting, end of mission, Jim. You will truly be missed by Kathy and I.

:'(
 
That is very sad news.  Although I never served together with Jim, I worked with him on various projects over the years and occasionally shared a glass with him.  He was a first class gunner and a true gentlemen, in every sense of the word.  I don't often comment on public boards, but want to add my condolences to his family and his many, many friends and colleagues, a sad day for us all.  End of Mission Jim.  Stand Easy!
 
It seems we are going through a bad patch. Word has just come down the regimental net of the passing of Col Conrad Malikowski (ret) on 28 December. Con was an ex-CO of 2 RCHA and father of Col Conrad Malikowski, the Comd 2 CMBG.
 
Old Sweat said:
It seems we are going through a bad patch. Word has just come down the regimental net of the passing of Col Conrad Malikowski (ret) on 28 December. Con was an ex-CO of 2 RCHA and father of Col Conrad Malikowski, the Comd 2 CMBG.


Very sad, Con and I worked together in BGen Terry Liston's combat development shop back in the 1970s. He was one of the (relatively) few arms officers to actually study the nuts, guts and feathers of C3 systems before pontificating. He was also a jolly, happy warrior type who brought some laughter and good fellowship into some otherwise difficult projects.
 
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