Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1960-1961 I9 Remembrance Day Address, 1960 By Colonel Kenneth M. Case, E.D. Why are we gathered together here on this day? This date, November Ilth, marks the signing of the Armistice terminating the First World War, and was observed annually in remembrance of those who gave their lives. Following the Second World War the day became Remembrance Day. Observed each year at Il a.m., November llth., as a moment of remembrance of all those who fell in all the Wars. lt is my intention to give you briefly, an outline of the efforts of the Canadian Navy, Army and Airforces in the last War and to try to impress upon you that no single nation achieved the overthrow of Germany and Italy in Africa and Europe. I have, in the past little while, been speaking to several young people. I have been surprised and a little perturbed to find that so many are under the impression that there was only one country which was in the war and which succeeded in defeating the enemy. This is understandable, most of the pictures you have seen, the stories on the Radio and T.V. and most magazine articles, even your comics have spoken or written only about our neighbours to the South. On the other hand, Britain and her Allies, the Commonwealth of Nations or the British Dominions, have never been too concerned with telling the world what they were doing or had done. It is very rare to find a story or moving picture that singled out one of their happenings or an individual to build an exciting story about. We, who were involved are at fault! None of us have told you much about the war and our experiences. If you were to ask about some particular incident and we had been there, you might be surprised with the story. Let me begin by telling you that certain countries, because of their education, training and discipline, have very valuable attributes to offer in time of war or crisis. We are concerned at the moment only with the Canadians. The youngest of you knows that Canada is a very very large land mass with a rugged and varied climate. Larger than any country in Western Europe or Australia or New Zealand. We have a small population spread from coast to coast. To be successful every man has to be self reliant, yet willing to work together with other people. He has to think for himself, You are being taught these same points at Selwyn House in your games and studies! Your games to teach you teamwork and your studies to teach you to think for yourself, also to practice self discipline. From the smallest formation to regiments, corps and armies, Canadians are disciplined. Knowing what was expected of them they got on with it. If the circumstances changed the Group could and did alter the plan without waiting to be told how and what to do next. Because these forces could be so effective they were used in every area of the war, usually under British Command. The war started when German troops invaded Poland, without a declaration of war, on September I, l939. Three days later Great Britain and France declared war, fulfilling their pledge to defend Polish independence. All the Dominions quickly rallied to the colours, eager to know what form their contribution should take. Like the other democracies, Canada was unprepared for war. She had a small Permanent Force, a trained skeleton General Staff and an Non-Permanent Active Militia, or Reserve as you now know it. By December l939 the first contingent of Canadian Army docked in Great Britain. A few units joined the British forces in France, but too late to see action. France was falling -the Maginot Line had been by-passed in the North through Belgium by the Germans. Fortunately the Canadians managed to escape through Calais before the port fell and

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I8 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE Visitors As in previous years Selwyn House has been favoured by a number of distinguished visitors, who have spoken at various functions of the school. Among those who have thus honoured us since our last magazine went to press have been the following: O. M. Solandt, Esq. O.B.E., M.A., M.D., D.Sc., LL.D., M.R.C.P., F.R.S.C., Vice-president of the Canadian National Railways, Mr. John S. B. Pembertoni, first Lucas Medallist of Selwyn House, and Mr. John G. M. LeMoine, former Governor of the School, who were Guests of Honour at the Academic Prize- giving, the Sports Prizegiving and the School Gymnastic Display respectively. His Excellency Dato Nik Ahmid Kamil, Malayan Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Samuel C. R. Forster, Secretary of the Department of External Affairs, Sierra Leone, Mr. Howard E. Rigney, Regional U.K. Information Officer, who spoke on various parts of the Commonwealth of Nations, Hon. Justice G. Miller Hyde', who addressed the school briefly at a lunch honouring former chairmen of the Board of Governors, H. Stirling Maxwelllt, Esq., who formally opened the new wing of the school at the opening assembly of the school year, Colonel John G. Bourne , who invested full prefects of the school, and A. M. Dobell, Esq., who presented Old Boy memberships to graduating seniors of the school, Colonel A. L. Laxton, Adrien Peuvion, Esq., and Mrs. Cyril R. Tester, who delighted us with movies and slides, Rev. Stanley B. Frost, Dean of the Faculty of Divinity, McGill University, Rev. David Walser, Vice-principal of Magdalen College, Oxford, and Colonel Kenneth M. Case, E.D., who addressed special assemblies of the school, Colonel J. Eric Slessor, Westmount Scout Commissioner, and Mr. David Matheson, B.A., Scoutmaster of the Second Westmount Troop, who addressed Scout and Cub Assemblies, ' J. Robert Coulter, BA., Headmaster of St. Andrews College, Aurora, Jack Livingstone, Esq., Executive Director of the Audubon Society, and Mr. Louis R. Waller, Executive Director of the Montreal Parks and Playgrounds speaking on behalf of the Red Feather campaign, Philip Pugsley, Esq., C.A., chairman of the Department of Commerce of Sir George Williams University, who iudged our annual public-speaking competition - finalists being Thomas Birks, Duncan McMartin, Gordon McNeil, Tony Stikeman, Graeme Tennant and Philip Webster. 'indicates Old Boy of the School.

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20 SELWYN HOUSE SCHOOL MAGAZINE by a miracle of weather and lack of German pursuit most of the British were evacuated through Dunkirk. Britain now faced Germany alone, having lost nearly all her equipment in France. The first Canadian Division was practically the only fully equipped unit of its size in Britain. By this time many Canadian Airforce fighter pilots had ioined the British Squadrons. Some of your Fathers were among this group of Battle of Britain Pilots. Our small but growing Navy was doing convoy work in the Channel and the Atlantic. Many Canadians were posted to British ships for duty and training. As the war spread throughout the World, Canadian members of the three services were serving in Hong Kong, India, and the Middle East. The United States was doing everything a friendly neutral could do. Late in l94l the attack of Pearl Harbour took place and the U.S. declared war on Japan, and shortly after on Germany and Italy, thus becoming Britains' ally, and able to throw her production potential fully into the effort. In July T943, the Canadian lst. Division invaded Sicily and Italy as part of the 8th, Army of Britain, assisted by our Air Force and Navy. ln the meantime the troops in England were training for the invasion of Northwest Europe. By midnight June 6, l944, D DAY, Canadian paratroopers had landed in France, to be followed by seaborne forces at dawn, who had sailed from England many hours before. The Canadians formed the left wing of the three-pronged campaign. Finally reaching Rouen on the Seine River. After the terrible Caen-Falais battle, thrusting towards Antwerp to open the Schelde as a supply port. The French ports of Calais and Dunkirk having been by passed, leaving the enemy in possession. The Canadians assisted by British forces under our General Crerar were given the task of clearing the Schelde islands of Walcheren and Bevelan. Following which the Canadians were then sent back to clear Dunkirk and Calais. The next push was the Rhine crossings into Germany, fighting every yard across Belgium, Holland, through the Riechwald Forest and the Seigfried defences in the Hochwald Forest. At this time, a half a million men, practically all the fighting strength of the Empire in Europe, were under Canadian Command. Nijmegen and Arnheim are names you must have heard of, on the Rhine. By the beginning of May the Canadians had reached Emden and Oldenberg. On May 5, l94S Germany finally gave up. l could have taken almost any action and given you a detailed and interesting story, instead of which l have covered six years in about as many minutes, in an attempt to point out that this country's efforts were far greater that you realize. There were roughly 370,000 Army, 177,000 Airforce and nearly 120,000 Navy at the height of hostilities. You have heard the names of 50 of your old boys who lost their lives. How many more served from the School, I don't know. At the outbreak of war there were about 600 who were fit and of an age to serve. Boys of Selwyn House, you have every right to be very proud of your Country.