February 2013 Volume 24, Number 1 Topics of Interest: Connections p.1 Murmansk Sailors Honoured p.6 150th Anniversary of Black Connections by Doug Rowland Watch, p.7 In an Edmonton church there is a memori- grave in the Canadian cemetery at Brette- al stained glass window made of shards of ville-sur-Laize. Also, through the assis- glass collected by two close friends, a mil- tance of local residents, they were able to itary chaplain and an army doctor, as their determine and visit the very spot in the vil- unit moved through the war-devastated lage of Clare Tizon where Captain Ma- towns and villages of Normandy. rantz fell and had been buried temporarily, pending relocation to his permanent burial Denis Marantz never had a chance to site. know his father well. He was only a child when his father enlisted in the Royal Ca- But his most remarkable find was com- nadian Army Medical Corps and was post- pletely unexpected. On the 22nd of April ed overseas during World War II. 2012, Denis was in his home in Tyne Val- ley, PEI, sipping a glass of wine and Denis writes: checking his email and he opened this message: “My father, Captain Harry Marantz, was felled by a German .88 on August 14th “Dear reader, 1944 in the fighting to cross the bridge at Clare Tizon in Normandy, one of the “Can you forward this e-mail to Mr. Denis many battles to close on Falaise. As a Marantz who is Board Member of the doctor, he was detached from the Royal Stewart Memorial Hospital in Tyne Valley, Canadian Army Medical Corps to the PEI? I do not have his mail address. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Winnipeg.” “Dear Mr. Marantz, In his desire to know more about his fa- “Let me introduce myself to you first: My ther, Denis has tracked down his military name is Leo Mackenbach of Jagerskreek service records, contacted old comrades 49, 3206 HJ Spijkenisse - The Nether- and, searched news archives. He has lands. I am 60 years of age and happily made such discoveries as the recording of married to my wife Liesbeth. a report, from Matthew Halton of the CBC, Last weekend we had a big flee (sic) mar- broadcast from south of Caen on August ket in our city in favour of our church. My 3, 1944 in which Halton described Captain wife and I were attending the booth with Marantz's unit as “the most advanced reg- curiosities. Amongst these curiosities we imental aid post on this front”. found a (suit)case which left unsold. Nor- mally all unsold items vanish in the gar- Denis discovered that his father, a Jew, bage, but this case had "something" and had formed a close friendship with the we purchased it just for fun. regiment's Protestant Chaplain, Tom Da- Inside the case we found the name: H. vies, and had tended to the Chaplain's Marantz R.C.A.M.C. wounds immediately before being killed himself. Search on the internet produced a Cap- tain H. Marantz who fell in the 2nd World When Denis retired, he and his wife, Ka- War on the 14th of August 1944 and who ren travelled to France to visit his father's (Continued on page 3) Page 2 The Friends of the President’s Message Canadian War Museum Douglas Rowland 1 Vimy Place Ottawa, ON K1A 0M8 While in Sault The Museum's plans for the Tel: 819.776-8618 Ste Marie re- marking of the sixtieth anni- Fax: 819.776-8623 cently, I visited versary of the Korean armi- www.friends-amis.org some of the stice are well advanced. E-mail: [email protected] city's attrac- They include special events Patron tions. The city and upgrades to the perma- His Excellency the Right Honourable Museum has nent exhibits on Korea. The David Johnston C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D. consecrated one of its galler- Friends have set aside fund- Governor General of Canada ies to the military history of ing to assist the Museum the Algoma region. On dis- with its plans. Honorary Director play are artefacts and photo- Gen (Ret’d) Ramsey Withers graphs from World War I and The CWM hopes to strength- President II, brief histories of the regi- en its collection of Korean Douglas Rowland ments of the area and me- conflict artefacts. If you have Vice-President morials to some of the re- items that might fill in some BGen (Ret’d) Linda Colwell Secretary gion's most decorated sol- gaps, let us know. We'll put Mrs. Helen McKiernan diers and airmen. Their you in touch with the right Treasurer three Afghanistan War dead Museum staff. David Parr are also memorialized. Major changes to the LeBre- Directors An exhibition of paintings by ton Gallery's displays are un- Mr. Mike Bedford, Dr. Marvin Blauer, LCdr (Ret’d) Terry Christopher, BGen local artist Doug Bradbury derway. The Museum is re- (Ret’d) Linda Colwell, Maj. (Ret’d) was also on view. It included grouping and repositioning Walter Conrad, Maj. (Ret’d) Thomas some of his works on naval the equipment, organizing it Dent, M. Paul Fortin, Mr. Charles Gru- chy, Col (Ret‘d) Jarrott W. Holtzhauer, subjects. He is represented into coherent themes and M. André Levesque, Mrs. Helen in the CWM collection. As an providing new, more com- McKiernan, Mr. Peter Mills, M. Gilles aside, the Sault's Bushplane plete, more visible, signage. Morin, Maj. (Ret’d) Jim Muckle, Mr. Mark O’Neill, Mr. David Parr, Mr. Museum is first rate. Don't Work should be complete Douglas Rowland, Maj. (Ret’d) Wil- miss it if you pass that way. around the end of March. liam H. Smith, WO (Ret‘d) Edward Visitors and Friends will be Storey, Marie-Josee Tremblay, Mr. James Whitham, and LCol (Ret‘d) We'd like to hear from you pleased. Brad White. about attractions in your area that would be of interest to The Torch (ISSN 1207-7690) our actual and potential Editor / Layout: Mike Braham members. Send a brief write Photographer: Dennis Feldman -up to us at fcwm- Mailing Team: Pamela Brunt, Tina Creber, Helen Ott, Huguette Thériault [email protected] or to 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa On K1A Printed by: SLAN Printing, 440 Pres- 0M8. We'll place them on our ton St., Ottawa, ON, K1S 4N6 new website when it's up and running. Sault Ste Marie Museum Ce Bulletin est aussi disponible en- Francais Page 3 Connections (continued from p.1) War on the 14th of August 1944 Heart thumping, Denis telephoned Recently, the search has led to a and who was buried in Bretteville Mr. Mackenbach in Spijkenisse. It meeting with the children of his fa- -sur-laize (Calvados) France. was indeed his father’s medical ther's great friend, Tom Davies, case, and Mr. Machenback Chaplain of the Camerons and the I also found part of a newspaper agreed to send it to him. How it force behind that memorial article by Denis Marantz giving got from Clare Tizon in Normandy stained glass window. details about the burial of his fa- to a town in the Netherlands, 68 ther. (Is this you?) Your picture years later, nobody knew – most What stories the artefacts in this on the site of the Stewart Memo- probably the unit had taken the Museum have to tell us! rial Hospital gives us the impres- case and its contents with them as sion that you are this person. it moved through France and into Belgium and the Netherlands. Another newspaper article showed the number of Marantz's The medical case, and the fruits of from Flin Flon, Manitoba who Denis' research into his father's went into war, quite impressive! wartime experience have now been offered to the Canadian War As the date of the death of H. Ma- Museum by Denis and his sister rantz is over 60 years ago, I as- Denise Wilson. sume that - when looking at your photograph - you have less recol- Denis continues his quest to know lection of Capt. H. Marantz. more about the man who gave (Provided it is your father)....” him life and who gave up his own in the service of Canada. Change of Command by Howard Mansfield At the Canadian War Museum in military honours, and inspected a Ottawa on 29 October His Excel- 50-member Canadian Forces lency the Right Honourable David guard of honour accompanied by Johnston, Governor General and out-going CDS, General Walt Commander-in-Chief of Canada, Natynczyk. He then presented presided over a ceremony mark- the Chief of Defence Staff pen- ing the Change of Command of nant to the newly appointed Chief. the Canadian Forces from Gen- eral Walt Natynczyk to General General Lawson, a former fighter Tom Lawson. pilot, served most recently as (l. to r.) Gen. Lawson, Governor Gen- Deputy Commander, North Ameri- eral Johnston, Gen. Natynczyk To the sound of a 21-gun salute, can Aerospace Defence Com- the Governor General received full mand, in Colorado. Group Friends Normally we list our Group friends we now have so many that it is no rated the listing of Group Friends in each edition of the Torch. longer possible. on to our web site and will only note the addition of new members However, I am pleased to say that Instead, we have now incorpo- in the Torch. Page 4 Volunteer Profile Mike Bedford was born in Oakland California in work, volunteering, with the Friends of the Canadi- 1946 and immigrated to Canada an War Museum.