Courtesy Phil Meyer:
JBAA Roll of Honour
It is again time to remember club-mates who served – and some who died – protecting our freedom. (Excerpts from JBAA: The First 100 Years, written by Lew Madley).
Bill Scott enlisted for service in South Africa (the Boer War) and was killed in action. This accident robbed JBAA and Canada of one of its greatest oarsmen. (His death) also broke up the original “Big Four” of JBAA rowing.
The first world war, which was to change forever the roll of nations, bring about the beginning of the end of the British Empire, and create carnage on a scale previously undreamed of in the annals of history, commenced in August of 1914. By October of that year, it had decimated the membership of the James Bay Athletic Association… . Sixty-one members had enlisted in the armed forces and by this time, although most were still at Willows Camp, some where already overseas. By May of 1915 the enlistment of Bays into the armed forces had increased to eighty-six. The Victoria Times of May 6th, 1915 writes as follows:
“The roll of honour of the James Bay Athletic Association, Victoria’s senior athletic organization, is a long and notable one. Members of JBAA have always been in the front rank of the many and various branches of athletics in which that club takes part, and their members are many of them now, in the front rank of the Empire’s fighting forces.”
The first Victorian whose death on the (WW I) battlefield was recorded, was a member of the JBAA, Lieut. Boggs. …The Times of March 31st, 1917, under the heading “JAMES BAY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION HAS HONOURABLE ENLISTMENT ROLL” the sub-heading read:
Popular sporting club sent members to France; Over eighty of whom are Commissioned Officers; Supreme sacrifice paid by seven”. …
“Fought and Died: Gun. J.H. Austin, Lieut. H.B. Boggs, Sgt. M. W.T. Taylor, Lieut. F.T. Galliher, Lieut. W.L. Pilkington, S.M. Rich, Harold F. Sinclair.
Those enlisted: R.E. Arnold, J.H. Austin, Lt. G.E. Ambery, G.G. Aiken, A.D. Anderson, Lieut. J.C. Bridgeman, Lt. C. Baylis, Lt. P. Beasley, Lt. H.R. Boggs, Lt. C.G. Beeston, Lt. F.C. Belson, Lt. F.N. Bagshawe, Lt. E.A. Burton, A.C. Baker, J. Bendrodt, B. Bendrodt, W.J. Baiin, Lt. C. Brown, Capt. T.A. Briggs, M.D.,M.C., Col.l R.P. Clarke, M.C., G.D. Case, Lt. A.L,C. Chalk, Maj. F.J. Campbell, M.C., P. Hay Currie, Capt. H.R. Christie, V.W. Carter, Lt. E.O. Copas, G.D. Chandler, Lt. C. Cowan, Lt. G.C. Carstairs, S.L. Crocker, Lt. G.D. Christie, E.S. Chatters, Lt. R.H. Columbine, Lt. Wm. Day, T.A. Davidson, L.C. Diespecker, M.C., Lt. R. C.O. Diespecker, E.J. Diespecker, G.M. Duncan, Lt. Duncan Ellis, M.C., Fletcher Elliott, V.C. Fawcett, O.V. Falconer, F.P. Forrester, Lt. J. Greig, Lt. F.T. Galliher, Lt. T. Gallon, A.N. Godson, Lieut. K.T. Gonnason, Lt. Joe Gorman, Lieut. A.W. Hanbury, Bert Hobbis, S.E. Heald, Lieut. J. Houston, A. Horthonthwaite, Sgt. A. Hill, G.M. Hemsworth, R.H. Hiscock, G.C. Hartnell, H.P. Hughes, Lt. G.A. Heinekey, J. Hickey, G. Hewitt, G. Heddle, Lieut. A.B. Irving, Byron Johnson, Warrant Officer Chas. B. Kennedy, Lt. J.H. Kerr, Lt. D.G. Kenning, Sam Lorrimer, Lt. G. Lyons, D.C.M., Sgt. W. Lorimer, A.D. Lossee, Capt. W.H. Langley, K.L. Lloyd, Sgt. S.P. Langley, Sgt. R. Lees, A.D. Lloyd, Lieut. P. McCutcheon, Lt. J.Y. McCarter, J. McArthur, V.G. Meakin, Lt. R. McLauglin, Dr. Mossly, Lt. A.N. Milligan, Major R.G. Montieth, Lt. J. Mason, Lt. T.B. Monkm, Lt. R.E. Meredith, Capt. Carew Martin, Lt. W.B. Montieth, Lt. A.R. Morton, Sgt. A. Morley, G.H. Morton, Lt. J.A. Miller, G. McDonald, Lt. A. McLean, Lt. Ken McDonald, Lt. T. McKinnon, Capt. J.R. McIllree, D.S.O., M.C.W. McDougal, Lt. E.E. McCallum, D.S.O., Lt. D.C. McIntyre, E.C. McMillan, D.J. McBrady, Lt. J.H. O’Keefe, T. O’Mara, W.S. Otter, Lt. A. Poole, W.R. Price, Lt. D. Picking, Sgt. F.G. Pauline, Lt. A.S. Paul, V. Paulin, Lt. R.L. Parker, Lt. W.F. Pattison, Lt. W.L.B. Pilkington, Lt. F. Russell, W. Redfern, A. Redfern, S.M. Rich, Lt. W.C. Ross, Capt. W.D. Rochfort, K.M. Raymur, H.L. Robinson, Col. Lorne Ross, D.S.O., M.R. Rolston, Sgt. S.H. Reynolds, B. Roberts, Capt. A.G. Sargison, Capt. A.E. Sargison, Sgt. H.B. Sargison, Lt. Blayney, E. Scott, Harold F. Sinclair, Joe A. Sweeney, Lt. Frank Sweeney, Lt. Matt H. Scott, J. Shires, Lt. C.E. Straker, Lt. K.C. Saunders, O.H. Smith, G.W. Scott, G.S. Stewart, Sgt. Ed Tuck, Sgt. Major W.T. Taylor, R.T. Travis, D. Travis, Jasper Tate, C.A. Vickers, Lt. Chas Vincent, A.W. Wilkerson, C.J. Walsk, Lt. H.N. Wooton, Acting Brig. General W.N. Winsby, Lt. R. W. Watson, J. Warren. …
JBAA years between the wars were to end in a similar manner to those preceding 1914-1918. Most of JBAA’s young men would enlist in the armed forces of Canada and go off to fight another world war. While there is no record of the names of the men who enlisted such as we have seen relative to the first world war, H.L. Johnson’s statement at the regatta in 1941 indicates that some seventy percent of the club members were in the armed forces. A number of these young men lost their lives in that conflict and some were decorated for gallantry.”
We also remember club-mates John Rockingham – Commander of Canada’s 25th Brigade in Korea – Sam Weller, Ed Barlow, Frank Gower, LewMadley, Skip Walker, Jim Hubbard, Dave Burk and Dave Mead. This service continues today with Rick Williams, Rhys Davies, Ben Strocel, Mark Perron, Mike Charlesworth, Dylan McGinn, and James Brown – all serving Canada – and members of the New Zealand Navy, presently stationed in Victoria with HMNZS Te Kaha, and playing for JBAA.
***Thank them all – for they are ours.***