137 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5e 6J8 July 2019
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
AIRBORNE SOCIAL CLUB NORTHTOWN PO, BOX 71034 9308 - 137 AVENUE EDMONTON, ALBERTA T5E 6J8 JULY 2019 EDITOR’S MESSAGE Her father started his search for a special spot in the mountains in 1982. Packing a lunch, he With this year making the 75th anniversary of and her mother would drive from Sylvan Lake up D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, numerous through Nordegg toward Saskatchewan River commemorative events have taken place Crossing looking for unnamed mountains. He throughout Canada and Europe. One major found many potential candidates but when he event was “Journey across Canada’ where submitted the information to the Alberta Veterans Affairs Canada partnered with VIA Rail Government, he found that they were already Canada, Parks Canada, the Canadian Forces named. It took from 1982 to 1997/98 to find a and community organizations to hold events in mountain that had four peaks and was communities across Canada. The journey of unnamed. He specifically wanted a mountain remembrance began in March, when a pair of with four peaks to be named for the Battalion’s combat boots representing the Canadians who four campaigns. He also wanted it accessible for traded in their civilian shoes for combat boots to people to come and recognize 1CANPARA’s battle serve in the Second World War was placed on a honours. VIA Rail train in Vancouver, bound for the east coast. The boots visited more than 17 Through Lynn, I then was put in contact with communities and travel over 5,000 kilometers Lana Michelin, staff writer for the Red Deer before reaching its destination of Halifax. Advocate who since 2000 has written several articles on Norman from the lead up to the Edmonton was one of these communities, when monument’s creation and Siffleur Falls on April 24th the boots were escorted from the commemoration activities since then. Lana’s train to Jefferson Armoury where Veterans June 5th, 2019 article is republished below. Affairs hosted a commemorative ceremony. Several distinguished guests and associates, in CENTRAL ALBERTA VETERAN ENSURED HIS addition to members of the Social Club were in ‘LOST’ CANADIAN PARACHUTE BATTALION attendance. Keynote speaker, WWII veteran IS REMEMBERED…Published in the Red Deer John Murphy (94) talked on his personal Advocate by Lana Michelin, Advocate Staff, experiences during his pre-deployment training June 5, 2019 and subsequent service overseas. This article is a follow-up of one she first In addition to the Journey across Canada, this published, September 2000 in recognition of the year saw the Siffleur Falls commemoration inauguration of the monument. Thanks to Lana ceremony also acknowledging the 75th and a and the Advocate for giving permission for the significant contributor to the establishing of the republication of her article. 1CANPARA Monument, namely Captain Norma Toseland, a name many of us probably would Norm Toseland’s daughter will attend D-Day have never known were it not for the attendance ceremony beside commemorative cairn, of his two daughters at the 2018 ceremony. It mountain. Canadians not only battled on Juno was at this event I first met Lynn Toseland Robb Beach on D-Day, they also fell from the sky. and her sister Gerry Greschner. It was they who Brave parachutists from the 1st Canadian made me aware of their personal contact Parachute Battalion will be recognized on between the monument and its creation. Briefly Thursday with a special 1:30 pm service at the Lynn explained her father, Norman Toseland is Siffleur Falls staging area, west of Nordegg. acknowledged for finding a mountain to commemorate “The Lost Canadian Parachute In the scenic distance, behind a three-metre Battalion.” If not for him there would be no high cairn that commemorates the battalion, mountain, no cairn and no beautiful place to stands a four-peaked mountain named for this remember the 1CANPARA soldiers, such as this “lost” Canadian parachutist unit. Much credit cairn provides. for achieving this lofty recognition rests with the late veteran Norm Toseland of Norglenwold. He was instrumental in getting the Canadian that his unit would be remembered, says Robb. government to officially call this mountain Ex Her father might have died decades before; he Coelis - Latin for “Out of the Clouds,” his surprised medics by surviving his serious D-Day battalion’s motto. injuries. Toseland’s daughter, Lynn Robb of Calgary, will While Toseland did not talk much about the war attend the outdoor service on the 75th while raising Robb and her sister Gerry anniversary of D-Day to remember her father Greschner, of Sundre. Robb believes her father and his comrades. Before his death in 1999, suffered from post-traumatic stress that was Toseland was on a two-decade quest to preserve lessened after he got involved with veterans the memory of his Canadian parachuting unit, groups. recalls Robb. Robb remembers her dad taking the whole Members of the 1st Canadian Parachute family back to Normandy on the 30th Battalion had sustained heavy casualties after anniversary of D-Day. She later allowed her own jumping into enemy territory in the early hours children to skip school to attend a D-Day service of June 6, 1944. Their mission was to help next to the cairn west of Nordegg. explode bridges six hours before the main assault on Normandy and to defend the eastern Robb feels close to her late father at this spot. beachhead from enemy troops, enabling the “This is a memory that will be there forever.” Allied landings. The Red Deer Legion will also hold a D-Day Since the battalion was part of the British service at 11 a.m. Thursday by the Wall of Airborne Division, the unit’s feats, including Honour at Alto-Rest Cemetery. hiking for 80 kilometres with heavy battle gear and jumping without reserve parachutes were 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY CEREMONY – often solely attributed to Britain, leaving SIFFLEUR FALLS, ALBERTA Canadian parachutists feeling lost to history. By: Bill Dickson, MC/Coord, 75th Anniversary Day Ceremony, Siffleur Toseland, who had survived being shot in the stomach on D-Day, was not going to let this The weather icons in the Nordegg, David happen. The former Sylvan Lake Legion member Thompson area for period 5-7 June were not and past president of his battalion veterans’ promising. Dark clouds and raindrops were the association, started scouting in 1982 for an order of the day. However, as the 3rd Bn PPCLI unnamed mountain that could commemorate Climb Team (Lt. K. Soney, Sgt McKay, MCpl his battalion. Toseland wanted it to be visible to O’Hearn and Cpl Weinerman), family members motorists, and was also searching for four peaks and our Padre Dave Prouse gathered at the to honour the unit’s four campaigns in 1CANPARA Cairn (Airborne Monument) on the Normandy, Ardennes, Rhine and Elbe, says morning of the 5th June to bless the ashes about Robb. to go up Normandy Peak, it was a nice day. Cool, light clouds and windy, but nice. The team, Once these were located off Highway 11, she accompanied by two family members (Bill Dixon recalls her father spending a few years getting and Pete Howell), headed out for the climb about the mountain named. “The government tends to 1030 hours. Everyone made it to the top of work slowly,” she recalls, but the peaks were Normandy Peak, where they conducted a officially titled in 1994. memorial service for our five departed Airborne Brothers; now joining other past members as Toseland’s veterans group then raised $20,000 Guardians of the Monument. to erect the cairn, emblazoned with the inscription: “To remember is to strive for peace That night, back at the David Thompson Resort amongst all nations.” (DTR) the Meet & Greet took on the typical Airborne Family mood. It was noisy; but the It was installed just off Highway 11, within sight gathering quieted down a bit earlier than in past of the mountain, in September 2000, with then years; we must be getting older! Still, many Alberta Lt.-Gov. Lois Hole officiating. gathered back in their rooms, campsites and partied in traditional airborne fashion late into While Toseland didn’t live to see the dedication, the night. he had known the cairn was going ahead and Arriving to setup for the ceremony on the 6th, we organizations such as, CAFA/ARAC, US were pleased to find the Alberta Parks personnel Rangers, in memory of Capt Chris Smith, had restricted access to the site to all but Aboriginals of Canada. airborne veterans and families. Weather again cooperated, with light clouds and blue skies, Al Cameron of Veterans Voices of Canada, making Ex Coelis Mountain a perfect backdrop spread a vile of sand taken from the beaches of for the parade. It did not take long for the area Normandy, on the base of the Airborne to fill up. Under the direction of CWO (Ret’d) Monument in tribute to his uncles who landed Mike Bludd, he molded the gathering masses of on D-Day. Classic move! serving members, airborne veterans, army cadets, Veteran Paratrooper Motorcycle Club On dismissal, the group picture of all attendees, (VPMC) members, Alberta Parks personnel and a centered on the monument, and the backdrop of UK soldiers from BATUS, into the 18th D-Day Ex Coelis Mountain, captured the moment of Ceremony. The end count, on parade and dedication for another year. It was a beautiful guests sitting, was estimated at between 185- day for a ceremony. Would it be the last? 200 in attendance. A magnificent setting to behold from the MC’s position. The BBQ back at DTR closed out another special event and gathering of the Airborne Family.