Honouring Yesterday

More on John "Chip" Kerr - from historian Arthur Bishop

(from Legion Magazine)

John Kerr earned his VC Sept. 16, 1916, while serving with the Edmonton 49th Bn. He was acting as chief bayonet man in a 12-man hand grenade assault on a German redoubt. Charging well ahead of his men, he jumped into the far end of the trench and began inching his way forward. He had advanced about 30 yards when a German sentry hurled a grenade at him. Kerr threw up his right hand to shield himself from the blast. The move saved his sight, but the explosion blew the upper part of his forefinger off and wounded him slightly in the side.

By this time the rest of the section had joined him and a grenade throwing contest erupted between the Canadians and the Germans who were around the corner of the trench. But it soon petered out into a standoff with both sides exhausting their bomb supply. Kerr decided to try and break the stalemate.

Climbing out of the trench he moved along the man-made embankment until he reached a spot where he could see the enemy below him. But they could see him, too. Although he was highly vulnerable he still had two grenades left and his rifle. He tossed the bombs into the middle of the swarm of Germans then opened fire with his carbine. Suddenly the bolt jammed. Fortunately, his number two bayonet man had joined him by this time so he borrowed his comrade’s rifle and continued firing. By the time the rest of the squad arrived they threw the rest of their bombs into the melee so effectively that the Germans retreated into one of the trench bays.

Kerr and his squad closed in and cornered the Germans who thought they were surrounded. In fact, 62 Germans raised their hands in surrender to a party of only 12 Canadians.

Born Jan. 11, 1887 in Fox River, N.S., Kerr took a job as a lumberjack near Kootenay, B.C. In 1912, he bought a homestead in Spirit River, Alta., where he and his brother farmed until war broke out. Both enlisted in the 66th Inf. Bn. In June 1917, he was drafted as a reinforcement for the Edmonton 49th Bn. which was sent to France and bloodied at Ypres before moving to the Somme.

On Feb. 5, 1917, Kerr received his VC from King George V at Buckingham Palace. On Aug. 6, 1918, he was given a hero’s welcome at Edmonton where he and his British bride were greeted by the lieutenant-governor, the premier, cabinet ministers and city politicians and presented with $700 in gold.

The Kerrs first resided at the Spirit River homestead, but soon tired of farming. Kerr sold the property to work in the Turner Valley oil fields. Later, the couple moved back to Spirit River where Kerr worked in the Peace River as a forest ranger.

During WW II, Kerr re-enlisted in the army, but transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force with the hope of getting overseas. Instead, he was posted to Sea Island, B.C., where he served as a service policeman and sergeant-of-the guard. After the war, he retired to Port Moody, B.C. On Feb. 19, 1963, he died at age 76 and was buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver.

A mountain in Jasper Park, Alta., has been named after him and in 1975 his widow donated his VC to the Canadian War Museum. Later it was loaned to the Museum of Alberta in Edmonton.

THE VETERAN ON OUR TEN DOLLAR BILL

If you look at the back right-hand side of a Canadian $10 bill, you will see an old veteran standing at attention near the Ottawa war memorial. His name is Robert Metcalfe and he died three years ago at the age of 90.

That he managed to live to that age is rather remarkable, given what happened in the Second World War. Born in England , he was one of the 400,000 members of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the mainland where they found themselves facing the new German warfare technique - the Blitzkrieg.

He was treating a wounded comrade when he was hit in the legs by shrapnel.

En route to hospital, his ambulance came under fire from a German tank, which then miraculously ceased fire. Evacuated from Dunkirk on HMS Grenade, two of the sister ships with them were sunk.

Recovered, he was sent to allied campaigns in North Africa and Italy. En route his ship was chased by the German battleship Bismarck.

In North Africa he served under General Montgomery against the Desert Fox, Rommel.

Sent into the Italian campaign, he met his future wife, a lieutenant and physiotherapist in a Canadian hospital. They were married in the morning by the mayor of the Italian town, and again in the afternoon by a British padre.

After the war they settled in Chatham where he went into politics and became the warden (chairman) of the county and on his retirement he and his wife moved to Ottawa. At the age of 80 he wrote a book about his experiences.

One day out of the blue he received a call from a government official asking him to go downtown for a photo op. He wasn't told what the photo was for or why they chose him. 'He had no idea he would be on the bill,' his daughter said.

And now you know the story of the old veteran on the $10 bill.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.