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This article was published 23/01/2019 (2430 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Subhead
By Aileen Goos
SPECIAL TO CANSTAR
St. John’s
If the name Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan doesn’t sound familiar, it soon will be.
The story of how Strachan earned his stripes, so to speak, is what blockbuster movies are made of — the type where a soldier is faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and emerges a hero as he steps up and leads his troops to victory.
It’s what Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Koltun calls “insane courageousness”, which is why he led the charge to have the McGregor Armoury renamed the Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC, MC Armoury after Winnipeg’s most decorated soldier. Strachan was one of 73 Canadians who served in the First World War who were awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The medal is on display in the armoury museum, which is open every Tuesday night.
“He’s an inspiration,” said Koltun, who served in Afghanistan in 2006. “In order to do what people who win the Victoria Cross do, self-preservation is thrown out the window. They are focused on completing the mission or place the safety of their unit above their own.
“There is an expectation of people who win the Victoria Cross to show humility and he definitely set an example for his fellow citizens.”
The act of renaming an armoury is itself rare. The practice started in Ontario when armouries began recognizing decorated soldiers who made significant contributions in their military careers and who had ties to their units. Strachan was a lieutenant with the North End-based Fort Garry Horse when he served in the First World War.
The renaming process took about a year and a half, and was symbolic in many ways — both planned and coincidental. The official renaming ceremony took place 101 years to the day Strachan’s leadership skills were put to the test. And the number of soldiers who participated in the ceremony parade matched the number of soldiers who crossed the bridge during the fateful Battle of Cambrai.
“Our parade only took 15 minutes, but their’s took an awful lot longer,” noted Koltun.
Local dignitaries and community members attended the Nov. 20 event, including Honorary Colonel Bob Williams, president, Swancoat Investments Ltd., Nahanni Fontaine, MLA, St. Johns, and Jon Reyes, MLA, St. Norbert, also representing the Government of Manitoba as special envoy for military affairs.
It’s “a fitting example of the Fort Garry Horse motto ‘Facta non Verba’ for his bravery and leadership,” Reyes posted on Facebook, referring to the Greek term that translates to “Deeds not words.”
An act of courage
It was in fact Strachan’s deeds over a century ago that landed him the Victoria Cross. (He also received the Military Cross and there’s a lake near Thompson named after him.)
The Scottish-born Strachan, who immigrated to Canada in 1905, was 33 years old when he was stationed in Masinières, France during the First World War. On Nov. 20, 1917 after his squadron leader was killed during a cavalry charge, Strachan led his fellow soldiers through machine-gun fire to take control of an enemy position. Under his leadership, the men were able to capture 15 enemy prisoners and return from the battle safely.
Prior to his passing in 1982, Strachan was humble about his conquest when he attended anniversary events at the armoury, which is currently home to two reserve units — Fort Garry Horse and 38 Combat Engineer Regimen. Around 450 soldiers use the facility on weeknights for various events.
Koltun hopes the soldiers who walk through the doors of the armoury are inspired by its namesake.
“I hope they adopt his attitude of getting the job done,” he said. “To learn about Harcus Strachan, who used to live right here in Winnipeg, is a proud moment in Canadian history.”
If the name Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan doesn’t sound familiar, it soon will be.
The story of how Strachan earned his stripes, so to speak, is what blockbuster movies are made of — the type where a soldier is faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and emerges a hero as he steps up and leads his troops to victory.
Supplied photo
The McGregor Armoury was renamed in honour of Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan. A ceremony to reveal the new name for the armoury was held Nov. 20. Strachan is one of Winnipeg’s most decorated soldiers, having received both the Victoria Cross and the Military Cross.
It’s what commanding officer Lt.-Col. Dave Koltun calls “insane courageousness”, which is why Koltun led the charge to have the McGregor Armoury renamed the Lieutenant-Colonel Harcus Strachan VC, MC Armoury after Winnipeg’s most decorated soldier.
Strachan was one of 73 Canadians who served in the First World War who were awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The medal is on display in the armoury museum, which is open every Tuesday night.
“He’s an inspiration,” said Koltun, who served in Afghanistan in 2006. “In order to do what people who win the Victoria Cross do, self-preservation is thrown out the window. They are focused on completing the mission or place the safety of their unit above their own.
“There is an expectation of people who win the Victoria Cross to show humility and he definitely set an example for his fellow citizens.”
The act of renaming an armoury is itself rare. The practice started in Ontario when armouries began recognizing decorated soldiers who made significant contributions in their military careers and who had ties to their units.
Strachan was a lieutenant with the North End-based Fort Garry Horse when he served in the First World War.
The renaming process took about a year and a half, and was symbolic in many ways — both planned and coincidental. The official renaming ceremony took place 101 years to the day Strachan’s leadership skills were put to the test. And the number of soldiers who participated in the ceremony parade matched the number of soldiers who crossed the bridge during the fateful Battle of Cambrai.
“Our parade only took 15 minutes, but theirs took an awful lot longer,” noted Koltun.
Local dignitaries and community members attended the Nov. 20 event, including honorary colonel Bob Williams, president of Swancoat Investments Ltd., St. Johns MLA Nahanni Fontaine, and St. Norbert MLA Jon Reyes, who represented the Government of Manitoba as special envoy for military affairs.
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It’s “a fitting example of the Fort Garry Horse motto ‘Facta non Verba’ for his bravery and leadership,” Reyes posted on Facebook, referring to the Greek term that translates to “Deeds not words.”
It was Strachan’s deeds over a century ago that landed him the Victoria Cross. (He also received the Military Cross and there’s a lake near Thompson named after him.) The Scottish-born Strachan, who immigrated to Canada in 1905, was 33 years old when he was stationed in Masinières, France during the First World War. On Nov. 20, 1917 after his squadron leader was killed during a cavalry charge, Strachan led his fellow soldiers through machine-gun fire to take control of an enemy position. Under his leadership, the men were able to capture 15 enemy prisoners and return from the battle safely.
Prior to his passing in 1982, Strachan was humble about his conquest when he attended anniversary events at the armoury, which is currently home to two reserve units — Fort Garry Horse and 38 Combat Engineer Regiment.
Around 450 soldiers use the facility on weeknights for various events. Koltun hopes the soldiers who walk through the doors of the armoury are inspired by its namesake.
“I hope they adopt his attitude of getting the job done,” he said. “To learn about Harcus Strachan, who used to live right here in Winnipeg, is a proud moment in Canadian history.”
