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University of Victoria Special Collections Pearkes, George R. (George Randolph), 1888-1984 SC092 Title George Randolph Pearkes fonds Dates ca. 1890-1986 Extent 2.1 m of textual records and other materials Biographical Sketch George Randolph Pearkes was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England and emigrated to Canada in 1906. In 1911, Pearkes joined the Royal North West Mounted Police and served on detachment duty in the Yukon until the outbreak of World War I. During the war, Pearkes received the Victoria Cross, the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order, being promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. After the war he was appointed to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and stationed in Calgary. In 1925 Pearkes married Constance Blytha Copeman and they had two children. During the 1920s and early 1930s Pearkes served as staff officer in Winnipeg, Calgary and at the Royal Military College in Kingston. From 1936 to 1938 he attended the Imperial Defence College in London, England. In World War II, as Brigadier, Pearkes commanded the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, and in 1942 was appointed general officer of Pacific command, overseeing defences on Canada's West Coast. He retired from the army in 1945 and went into federal politics, winning the Nanaimo riding for the Conservative Party. In 1957, Pearkes became Minister of Defence under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. Pearkes resigned from federal politics in 1960 and was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, an office he held until 1968. This fonds was accessioned originally as part of the University of Victoria Social Sciences Research Project. Dr. Reginald Roy completed interviews with Pearkes in 1968 and these tapes later were transferred to the Canadian Military History Oral History Collection. After Pearkes' death in 1985 his family gave Special Collections numerous other accessions of photographs and other memorabilia. Scope and Content The fonds consists of records relating to Pearkes' military career, 1933-1976; Pearkes' personal and family papers, 1918-1978; and reference material including newsletters, magazines and other publications, 1906-1985. Records include correspondence between Pearkes and the Royal Canadian Legion, citations and birthday congratulations, Information Documents on the George R. Pearkes Children's Foundation, and a file relating to Mrs. Blytha Pearkes' activities with the Wives of Progressive Conservative Members and Senators, including membership lists and correspondence. Fonds also includes publications collected by Pearkes, programmes for official functions, annual reports of the Union Club of British Columbia and a numerous photographs of his life as a soldier and politician. Finding Aids Inventory available with series and file level control. Title Source Title based on the contents of the fonds. PEARKES, GEORGE RANDOLPH INVENTORY Compiled by: Anne Maclean July 1990 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Biographical Sketch . i Awards and Honours . iv Scope and Content . v i Pearkes Accessions: Accession 74-1 . 1 Accession 80-55 . 24 Accession 81-28 . 24 Accession 82-10 . 24 Accession 83-188 . 24 Accession 88-14 . .25 Accession 87-8 . 26 Biographical Sketch George Randolph Pearkes, the oldest child of George and Louise Pearkes, was born on 26 February 1888 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. His father was a partner in the family department store in Watford, and young George Randolph enjoyed a comfortable childhood with his younger brother Edward and his sister Hilda. In 1896, at the age of eight, he was sent to Berkhamsted School, located about 15 miles from Watford, and remained there until 1906. He later said that his school days shaped his attitudes toward life more than anything else, and instilled in him a sense of duty which he demonstrated many times throughout his life. At Berkhamsted Pearkes trained as a school cadet and hoped to enter Sandhurst Academy to prepare for a career in the military, but these hopes were dashed when his father suffered financial reverses and could no longer afford to support his son's university education. Pearkes therefore decided to emigrate. In May 1906 he went to Canada and began working on a farm near Red Deer, Alberta, which was run by the Berkhamsted Headmaster, Dr. Thomas C. Fry, as a School farm for Berkhamsted boys. Pearkes remained there for two years, then took a job at a nearby farm to gain more experience, and in 1909 set up his own homestead site on a quarter-section near Dovercourt, Alberta. In 1910 his brother Edward, who had also been at the Berkhamsted Farm, joined him on the homestead, and later that year their mother and sister also moved to Canada (Pearkes' father remained in England), settling with George and "Ted" on the farm. In 1911 Mrs. Pearkes and Hilda decided to move to the West Coast; Ted remained on the homestead until he could receive clear title, and George went to Regina to join the Royal North West Mounted Police. Six weeks after he joined he was chosen along with seven other volunteers to go to the Yukon on detachment duty. Pearkes remained there for the next three years, working in various regions of the territory up until the outbreak of the First World War. Having decided to enlist, Pearkes received his discharge from the R.N.W.M.P. in February 1915 and went to the West Coast, visiting his mother and sister before joining the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles in Victoria. In June 1915 the 2nd C.M.R. was shipped overseas, and Pearkes returned to England for the first time in nine years. After training in Shorncliffe, the regiment sailed for France in September 1915. Pearkes distinguished himself in active service. He was wounded five times, took part in the Battle of the Somme and received the Victoria Cross for heroic action at Passchendaele in 1917. He also won the Military Cross in 1918 and the Distinguished Service Order in 1919. By the end of the war he had been promoted to Lt.-Col.; he returned to Canada and was stationed in Calgary, appointed to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. In the summer of 1924, while on furlough in Victoria visiting his mother and sister, Pearkes met and fell in love with Constance Blytha Copeman; they became engaged and were married in August 1925. Shortly after their marriage Pearkes was posted to Winnipeg, where he and Blytha set up house. They had a daughter, Priscilla Edith ("Pep"), born in 1928, and a son, John Andre, born in 1931. Sadly, Pep, while still in the hospital after her birth, suffered an infection which led to a succession of illnesses, and she died while still a young child. After the war Pearkes served as a staff officer in Winnipeg and Calgary and at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. In 1936 he attended the Imperial Defence College in London; his family travelled with him to England and remained there for two years. His training at the Imperial Defence College gave Pearkes an opportunity to learn more about the world situation and about the possible impact another world war could have on the British Commonwealth. He made the most of the opportunity, going on tours, researching politics and history in the College library, and giving lectures. He and Blytha also had an active social life, becoming friendly with Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Massey; in 1937 Blytha was presented at court to the newly- crowned George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The Pearkes returned to Calgary in 1938. By the start of the Second World War in 1939, Pearkes had been promoted to Brigadier. He was put in command of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, which was comprised of western Canadian units: The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, based in Vancouver; the Edmonton Regiment; the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, with companies in Victoria and Winnipeg; and the Saskatoon Light Infantry, which was attached temporarily to the brigade. In December 1939 Pearkes, his staff and the men of the 2nd Brigade sailed to England and were stationed at Aldershot. In February 1940 he became seriously ill with spinal meningitis but started to recover within a few weeks. Blytha had been informed of his illness, and she and John left for England in order to be with him. They remained in England, staying in a cottage nearby. In November 1941 Pearkes was asked to take over as Corps Commander of the Canadian divisions from Lt.-Gen. A.G.L. McNaughton, who was taking an extended leave. Pearkes was made Brig.- Gen. and eventually Maj.-Gen. Serving as Corps Commander brought Pearkes in contact with Lt.-Gen. B.L. Montgomery, with whom he had numerous personality clashes. In August 1942 Pearkes was sent back to Canada and appointed general officer commanding Pacific Command, overseeing defences on the West Coast, the Yukon and Alberta. The Pearkes family once again headed back to North America, Pearkes by air and Blytha and John following later by sea. In 1943 Pearkes helped organize Operation Greenlight, a plan to attack Kiska, Alaska, which had been taken over by the Japanese. In 1944 he helped stop the mutiny of the 15th Brigade in Terrace, B.C.; one of the biggest mutinies in Canadian army history, this mutiny was one of several which took place in the province in response to Prime Minister MacKenzie King's reversal of policy and decision to conscript men for overseas service. Pearkes succeeded in bringing this mutiny under control without blood-shed. However, he grew disillusioned when it became clear that the Canadian government would not consider employing any force to use against the Japanese until the fighting in Europe had ended, and he began to see himself more as a senior recruiting officer than as a commander-in-chief.
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