Topic: Canadian Army
Services Mascots earn Place in Photo Gallery
One Mascot Sailed
The Coaticook Observer,
29 December 1939
Ottawa.—"No Mascots" was the effect of an order to all units of the First Division of the canadian Active Service Force and apparently, only one lot got away with a modest infraction of the rule, a lively Airedale pup scrambling past some one's blind eye. The Airedale had been smuggled into the port of embarcation by an Ontario Scottish unit. There are stringent quarantine regulations across the seas and it is highly probable the pup will have an enforced stay "Somewhere."
This was in strong comparison with the sailing of the First Contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914. No unit was complete without its mascot and the fleet assembled in Gaspe Basin sheltered a varied assortment of dogs, big and little, bear cubs and goats. This Noah's Ark contingent was promptly gathered up on arrival in England but even that drastic measure failed to diminish the army's faith in animal mascost.
Ottawa Citizen, 8 May 1948
By James B. Roe, Evening Citizen Staff Writer
As part of its week-long "Be Kind To Animals" campaign the Ottawa Humane Society's display of animal photographs in the Little Gallery on Spark street has already been visited by hundreds of persons. Although the display is devoted mainly to a pictorial appeal on behalf of the British Society fo the Protections of Animals in North Africa, which is supported by Canadian funds in part, two panels commemorate mascots of the Canadian armed forces who served with our fighting men during the war.
Made Life Happier
Many Ottawa ex-servicemen will remember these doughty comrades, whose devotion and friendship frequently made life a little bit happier for soldiers, sailors and airmen in strange wartime surroundings.
Mrs. James Schwartz, convener of the display for the Society, says that it will remain open another week. Already a considerable amount has been collected through voluntary contributions to aid the North African society in its efforts to rehabilitate thousands of mules, horses, and camels who served and suffered with the Allied troops during the Tunisian campaign of 1942-43.
Many a Canadian ex-soldier will remember the "wonderful mules of Tunisia" who were hastily pressed into service to meet the exigencies of the moment in war and are now returned to the old ill treatment and over-work disabilities at the hands of their North African civilian masters.
The display panels concerned with Canadian service mascots strike a lighter, happier note. Here are shown "Cheetah", the little monkey who served as an Able Seaman in HMCS "Restigouche" on many a North Atlantic convoy. Among "Cheetah's" Ottawa ship-mates in those days were the writer, Lieut. Commander Ralph Hennessey, Lieut. Commander Fred Toller and John Dunne, and many others.
Another naval protagonist shown is "George," a sea-gull who served his time, fair weather and foul, in HMCS "St. Stephen", serving as a weather ship in Arctic waters under command of Lieut. E.M. Chadwick, RCN, of whom he was a special chum.
Then there is another "George", the English bull mascot of the Royal 22nd Regiment in Sicily, who usually took great pride in mounting guard outside battalion headquarters.
Shown also are the Saskatoon Light Infantry's donkey, "Flakers"; the kitten mascot of HMCS "Sault Ste. Marie", who was part of the ship's company on her maiden voyage in 1943, and scores of others.
In a world eternally an unfortunately distinguished by the propensity to talk too much and act too sparingly, man has long valued the animal as a companion and work-mate. When the going gets tough, the animal conforms in mute devotion and wordless sympathy. Sometimes that trust is abused.
From the Library and Archives Canada on line archive Faces of the Second World War, the following images of unit mascots can be viewed:
- "Princess Louise", the mascot of the 8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars, who was found badly wounded after the battle of Coriano and nursed back to health by members of the regiment. Italy, 1944.
- Able Seaman Daniel Ralph with the mascot of the patrol vessel ALLAVERDY of the Fishermen's Reserve, Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada, 8 November 1941.
- Able Seaman Freddy Derkach (right) with personnel of the 65th Chemical Company, U.S. Army, aboard H.M.C.S. PRINCE DAVID off Omaha Beach, France, 5 July 1944.
- An unidentified member of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment with his unit's canine mascot, England, 20 April 1944.
- Crew of H.M.C.S. ASSINIBOINE and their mascot returning from sea after sinking the German submarine U-210 on 6 August 1942. St. John's, Newfoundland, 9 August 1942.
- Gunner G.D. Bracken, 4ht Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (R.C.A.), holding Skippy, the unit's mascot, Ossendrecht, Netherlands, 23 October 1944.
- Infantrymen of "C" Company, Royal Rifles of Canada, and their mascot en route to Hong Kong. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, ca. 27 October 1941.
- Presentation of painting of mascot Wallace to the Canadian Scottish Regiment, London, England, 6 December 1945.
- Private Peter Bross, and mascot Bob, of a Canadian Highland regiment aboard the troopship H.M.T. NEA HELLAS en route to Philippeville, Algeria, 8 July 1943.
- Regimental Sergeant-Major W.J. Clark of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion with Johnny Canuck, the battalion's mascot, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, 4 April 1944.
- Sub-Lieutenant A. Roberts with Able Seaman "Terry", the mascot of the frigate H.M.C.S. LEVIS, Lauzon, Québec, Canada, 6 June 1944.
- Unidentified piper with the mascot "Wallace" of the 1st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment, England, 10 June 1943.
- Unidentified ratings with their mascot Buddy at the Royal Canadian Navy Gunnery School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, October 1941.
- Wallace, the mascot of the 1st Battalion, The Canadian Scottish Regiment, being fed at a ceremonial dinner at the Mansion House attended by H.R.H. the Princess Royal, London, England, 6 December 1945.
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