ROYAL CANADIAN

HISTORY DOCUMENTATION PROJECT

INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP EXPERIENCES OF RCH MEMBERS DURING

THE BOSNIAN DEPLOYMENT DURING THE PERIOD FROM 1993 TO 2004

Copyright held by the Royal Canadian Hussars Association Version 2016.03.01 2016-07-14 Royal Canadian Hussars History documentation project Individual and group experiences of RCH members during the Bosnian deployment during the period from 1993 to 2004

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Foreword

The history project that resulted in the publication of this document was undertaken in 2015. It was aimed at documenting the individual or group experiences of Royal Canadian Hussars who participated on a military mission overseas. Each individual’s experience was documented as a separate summary.

When documenting these experiences we tried to take note of the location of deployment, the role the individual played in the location, the description of the unit to which they were assigned, and the unit’s activities. Where possible, we have also described the soldiers’ day-to-day routine, their uniforms and equipment, and any interesting stories or experiences that they were prepared to share. The texts are complemented by pictures or maps generally provided by the soldiers themselves.

The purpose of the project was to provide future members of the unit as well as the families and friends of the soldiers involved with an idea of what occurred during these operations, and what it felt like to be a soldier at this time in history. The summaries have been assembled in a PDF document that is to be made available at no charge to members of the unit, project participants, their families and friends and other members of the public.

The Royal Canadian Hussars Association holds the non-exclusive transferable publication rights of the final document. Each of the project participants holds the rights to their own story and their pictures. Copies of the document or permission to reprint it in whole or in part can be obtained by communicating with a member of the executive of the association. For more information, please contact: The Royal Canadian Hussars Association, 4185 Cote des Neiges Road, Montreal, , H3H 1X2.

This record was prepared in 2015 and 2016, many years after the events occurred. The authors prepared this record principally using information obtained during interviews with the individuals involved. Where possible, this information was corroborated through interviews with others and a review of pictures and other available information. The record presents the events as the individuals remembered them several years after they occurred.

Since many of the participants in this project were attached to sub-units of the 12e Régiment blindé du and the 5e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada, and since many of the sub-units mentioned in the text were composite units comprised of members of the and the other three reserve armoured units based in Quebec – The militia branch of the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada in Trois- Rivières, the Hussars, and the Régiment de Hull – it is a history that is shared with those units.

The initial versions of this document are mixed language versions, with each participant working in his or her language of choice. Once all stories have been documented, fully-translated versions will be prepared.

We thank all those who participated in the project for having given their time and effort and for their willingness to share their experiences with future generations.

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Principal authors and collaborators

The principal authors of this text, aside from the individuals recounting their stories, were John Cochrane, and Marina Tinkler. Other members of the association have helped out in the project notably to contact the individual participants and to review, improve and format the documents. They include Chuck O`Donnell, Robin Thibault, Steven Barrett, Philippe Chevalier and others.

John Cochrane is a former member of the Royal Canadian Hussars. He served in the Reserves from 1971 to 1991. He first joined the and then transferred to the Royal Canadian Hussars when he moved to Montreal in 1977. He served as a troop leader in A squadron, as the regimental training officer, the adjutant, the officer commanding B squadron in St Hubert, the Deputy Commanding officer and finally as the Commanding Officer from 1984 to 1987. After having served as Commanding Officer, he went on to command Militia district number 1. In his civilian life, John was a Chartered Professional Accountant who served as an employee and then as a partner successively at Coopers & Lybrand, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. He retired from public accountancy in 2015. Marina Tinkler is John’s niece and goddaughter. She was raised on a family farm in the Eastern Townships and moved to Montreal to continue her education. At the beginning of this project, she was a student at Concordia University in the English Literature Honours program. Upon graduation from Concordia, she was accepted to pursue a Master’s degree in Literatures of Modernity at Ryerson University in Toronto. Since John invited her to participate in this history documentation project, she has had the privilege of meeting several members of the Royal Canadian Hussars and hearing about their firsthand experiences as soldiers deployed overseas.

Project participation and suggestions for improvement

If any who served in this deployment wishes to participate in the project and add their story to future versions of this document, they can initiate procedures to do so by contacting the undersigned. Also, please let us know if you see an error or an area that can be improved. Please send any questions, comments or suggestions to:

John Cochrane – [email protected] – 514-591-9455

Cover pictures provided by: Mike Bisson. Troop from A squadron of 12 RBC on Patrol in Bosnia in 2003.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Overview of the conflict and Canada’s involvement 2. Jacques Rioux’s Story – 1993-94 - Operation Cavalier with CANBAT II in Visoko 3. Bethan Mowat’s Story – 1993-94 - Operation Harmony with CANBAT I in Croatia 4. L’histoire d’Antonio-Luc Pelchat et Stéphane Morin - 1993-94 -Arrière-garde à Valcartier 5. Brian Cobby’s Story – 1993-94 Operation Cavalier with CANBAT II in Visoko and 1996-97 with Operation Alliance at Camp Maple Leaf in Zgon 6. Ted Duckworth’s Story – 1999 – 2000 – Operation Palladium at Camp Maple Leaf 7. L’histoire de Guy Bériau – 2002 – Opération Palladium à Camp Maple Leaf. 8. Mike Bisson’s Story – 2004 - Operation Palladium at Camp Maple Leaf 9. L’histoire de Pierre-Jean Pilon – 2004 - Opération Palladium à Camp Maple Leaf 10. Robin Thibault’s Story – 2004 - Psychological operations at UK sector headquarters 11. Tribute to Fallen Comrades and other departed soldiers

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