George Pearkes

Infobox Governor General
honorific-prefix = The Honourable
name = George Randolph Pearkes
honorific-suffix = VC PC CC CB DSO MC CD
nationality = Canadian


order = 20th
office = Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
term_start = 1960
term_end = 1968
predecessor = Frank Mackenzie Ross
successor = John Robert Nicholson
birth_date = birth date|1888|2|28|df=y
death_date = death date and age|1984|5|30|1888|2|28|df=y|

Major General George Randolph Pearkes VC PC CC CB DSO MC CD (February 28, 1888 - May 30, 1984) was a Canadian politician, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, and Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

Early life

Born in Watford, England, the oldest child of Louise and George Pearkes, he attended Berkhamsted School. In 1906, he emigrated to Alberta with his brother and they settled near Red Deer. He served with the North-West Mounted Police in Yukon.

Military career & Victoria Cross

In 1915, he enlisted in with the 5th Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles. [ [http://www.army.dnd.ca/sherbrooke_hussars/victoria_e.htm Sherbrooke Hussars website - Victoria Crosses] ] During the notorious Battle of Passchendaele his gallantry as detailed in the following citation won him the Victoria Cross.

:"For most conspicuous bravery and skilful handling of the troops under his command during the capture and consolidation of considerably more than the objectives allotted to him, in an attack. Just prior to the advance Major Pearkes was wounded in the thigh. Regardless of his wound, he continued to lead his men with the utmost gallantry, despite many obstacles.

:At a particular stage of the attack his further advance was threatened by a strong point which was an objective of the battalion on his left, but which they had not succeeded in capturing. Quickly appreciating the situation, he captured and held this point, thus enabling his further advance to be successfully pushed forward.

:It was entirely due to his determination and fearless personality that he was able to maintain his objective with the small number of men at his command against repeated enemy counter attacks, both his flanks being unprotected for a considerable depth meanwhile.

:His appreciation of the situation throughout and the reports rendered by him were invaluable to his Commanding Officer in making dispositions of troops to hold the position captured.

:He showed throughout a supreme contempt of danger and wonderful powers of control and leading." [http://gateway.uvic.ca/schoolnet/digicol/pearkes/plv5/vicxcitation.html]

Following the First World War he became a career officer in the army. Pearkes served as staff officer in Winnipeg, Calgary and at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston. In 1936, he attended the Imperial Defence College for two years.

From 1938 to 1940 he was District Officer Commanding 13th Military District in Calgary. With the opening of hostilities with Germany, Pearkes was given command of the 2nd Brigade, The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. This comprised a number of units raised in western Canada. In December 1939, Pearkes and his staff left for England to join the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. [ [http://gateway.uvic.ca/schoolnet/digicol/pearkes/ww2.html George R. Pearks - Army Years, WWII] ] In February 1940 developed a serious case of spinal meningitis, but soon recovered.

In November 1941 Pearkes was asked to assume command of the Canadian Corps, taking the place of Andrew McNaughton who was on an extended leave. Pearkes was opposed to the Dieppe Raid and was eventually removed from command of the Corps as a result.

In August 1942 Pearkes was returned to Canada and became General Officer Commander in Chief Pacific Command, primarily a home defence organization for western Canada. In 1943 Pearkes was part of the planning for Operation Greenlight, retaking the Aleutian Islands from the Japanese.

During the Second World War, in 1944, Pearkes was instrumental in suppressing the Terrace Mutiny, a revolt by conscripts stationed in Terrace, British Columbia resulting from the announcement that conscripts would be deployed overseas. Although successful, Pearkes was extremely critical of the actions that led to it in the first place, stating he had been placed in the "intolerable position of being ordered to enforce a policy which his past experience gained in applying similar policies has proven ruinous to discipline of [troops] , and of being in an utterly dishonourable position, and [Pearkes said] that he will NOT issue instructions to his [junior commanders] placing them in an impossible situation." [ [http://gateway.uvic.ca/schoolnet/digicol/pearkes/mutiny.html George R. Pearks - Army Years, Mutiny] ]

When it became clear that the government was not considering deploying troops for the fighting in the Pacific, Pearks requested a change of command, or to be allowed to retire. The Cabinet War Committee eventually decided on the later, and he retired from the Army in February 1945.

Political career

In 1945 federal election, he was elected as a Progressive Conservative Party candidate in the riding of Nanaimo, British Columbia. He was re-elected in 1949. In the 1953 election, he was elected in the riding of Esquimalt—Saanich, British Columbia. He was re-elected in the 1957 and 1958 elections.

He was Minister of National Defence from 1957 to 1960.

Lieutenant Governor

He became Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia on October 13, 1960, and became one of the few Lieutenant Governors to agree to an extended term, serving until July 1968.

In 1967, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Family

In August 1925, he married Constance Blytha Copeman. A daughter, Priscilla Edith ("Pep"), was born in 1928 though she died while still a young child. A son, John Andre, born in 1931.

Legacy

Pearkes' name has been honoured in various ways, including:
*George R. Pearkes Arena in Saanich, British Columbia.
*Mount Pearkes, along the mainland British Columbia south coast.
*The George R. Pearkes Children's Foundation
*The George R. Pearkes Centre for Children, a treatment facility for children with cerebral palsy, now part of the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children's Health in Victoria, British Columbia.
*General George R. Pearkes Elementary School in Hudson's Hope, British Columbia.
*The George R. Pearkes Building which houses the Canadian Department of National Defence Headquarters, in Ottawa.
*The George R. Pearkes, VC Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
*CCGS George R. Pearkes a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker.
*There are numerous thoroughfares named for him.

He donated a ceremonial sword to Berkhamsted School to be awarded each year to the school's best senior NCO cadet.

Victoria Cross

Details

He was 29 years old, and an Acting Major in the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 30 October 1917 near Passchendaele, Belgium, Major Pearkes, although wounded in the right thigh, continued to lead his men with the utmost gallantry, despite many obstacles. It was entirely due to his determination and fearless personality that he was able to maintain his objective with the small number of men at his command against repeated enemy counter-attacks. His appreciation of the situation and the reports rendered by him were invaluable to his commanding officer. He showed throughout a supreme contempt of danger and wonderful powers of command and leadership.

Further information

He later achieved the rank of Major General. Grave/memorial at Buried at Holy Trinity Cemetery, West Saanich, Sidney, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Section 4 - West. Headstone.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Canadian War Museum (Ottawa, Canada).

References

*"Monuments to Courage" David Harvey, 1999
*"The Register of the Victoria Cross", "This England" magazine, 1997
*"VCs of the First World War - Passchendaele 1917", Stephen Snelling, 1998

External links

* [http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=2233 Order of Canada Citation]
* [http://www.ltgov.bc.ca/office/GeorgePearkes.htm Biography from the website of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia]
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/bio.asp?lang=E&query=3031&s=M Political Biography from the Library of Parliament]
* [http://www.legionmagazine.com/features/victoriacross/05-05.asp Legion Magazine Article about George Pearkes and the Victoria Cross]
* [http://gateway.uvic.ca/spcoll/photo.html George Pearkes Fonds]