Remembrance Banners

The Royal Montreal Regiment (RMR) and the City of Westmount share a bond forged in sacrifice and remembrance. In 1920, the 58th Regiment, Westmount Rifles, stood aside so the RMR could continue after the Great War, and Westmount provided the land that made the Regiment’s Armoury possible. Built in 1925, the Armoury was dedicated to the 1,192 members of the Regiment who gave their lives in France and Flanders, and it remains a living memorial today.

These banners honour that legacy. Each features the face and name of an RMR soldier, reminding us that behind every act of service was a life, a family, and a story worth remembering.

Lest We Forget.

Charles Basil Price, CB, DSO, DCM, VD, CD

Born December 12, 1890. Died February 15, 1975.

Lived at 64 Forden Crescent, Westmount, QC.

Major-General Charles Basil Price (1889-1975) was a highly distinguished Canadian soldier, affectionately known as the “Father of the R.M.R.”. His military career began in 1905 with the Victoria Rifles, and at the outbreak of World War I, he joined the 14th Battalion CEF. Price famously exemplified selflessness by voluntarily stepping down from Sergeant-Major to Colour-Sergeant, allowing a more experienced regular soldier, J.M. Stephenson, to assume the Regimental Sergeant-Major role.

His wartime valor was recognized with the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) in April 1915 for a courageous night patrol in Belgium, shortly after which he was commissioned as a Lieutenant. Price was wounded three times during the war, steadily rising through the ranks to Major and Second-in-Command. He earned the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his gallant leadership during the critical Canal du Nord operations in September 1918, where he commanded the Battalion despite being wounded for a third time.

After the war, Price became the first peacetime Commanding Officer of The Royal Montreal Regiment (1920-1924), a position he held again from 1927-1929. He was instrumental in securing the RMR’s armoury in Westmount, serving as Secretary of the “Armoury Association”. This association, under the leadership of Honorary Colonel Brig.-General W. O. H. Dodds and Lieutenant-Colonel Price, initiated a campaign to secure an armoury, which resulted in the City of Westmount leasing land on St. Catherine Street for 99 years at an annual rental of $1.00. The completed building was formally opened on December 28, 1925. As a civilian, he became managing director of Elmhurst Dairy. In January 1931 he became an alderman in Westmount.

At the start of World War II he was a Brigadier General and led the 3rd Brigade overseas in 1939 at the outbreak of war. He was later promoted to Major-General, commanding the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and upon retiring from military service in 1943 he served as the Overseas Commissioner for the Canadian Red Cross Society for the duration of the war.

Price was later appointed Honorary Colonel of  The Royal Montreal Regiment on August 6, 1943, a charge he did not relinquish until December 31, 1957. In this capacity, he received distinguished visitors like Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein and the Governor General of Canada, Viscount Alexander of Tunis, at the Armoury.

His extensive service was further recognized with the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) and the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD). He also served as Dominion President of the Canadian Legion in the 1950s. Price’s legacy within the RMR is honored by a dedicated memorial plaque and the “Price Badge,” worn by the current Regimental Sergeant-Major.

Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger, VC

Born February 10, 1881. Died February 13, 1937.

Lived at 1389 Redpath, Westmount, QC.

Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Alexander Caron Scrimger, VC (1881–1937) was a Canadian doctor and soldier whose courage at Ypres became legendary. Born in Montreal, the son of a Presbyterian minister, he studied medicine at McGill University and graduated in 1905. He joined the staff of the Royal Victoria Hospital before the outbreak of war and was widely respected for his quiet confidence and integrity.

When the 14th Battalion (Royal Montreal Regiment) was formed in 1914, Scrimger became its first medical officer. During the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915, German poison gas swept the Canadian lines. Stationed in a dressing station under heavy bombardment, he tended the wounded until the building was collapsing around him. Refusing to abandon his patients, he carried the badly injured Major Edward Norsworthy to safety through shellfire and gas. For his valour and devotion to duty he was awarded the Victoria Cross—the first Canadian in WW1 to receive the Empire’s highest decoration.

Scrimger survived the war and continued his medical career at Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital, serving first as an assistant surgeon and later as surgeon-in-chief. Just one year into that role, he died of a massive heart attack in 1937 at the age of 57. His service and sacrifice lived on in his family: his only son, Captain Alexander Canon Scrimger, of the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment), was killed in action in Holland in 1944.

Scrimger’s name is permanently etched into Canada’s landscape and memory. A 2,755-metre (9,039 ft) peak in the Canadian Rockies on the border between Alberta and British Columbia bears the name Mount Scrimger, VC, and he is commemorated at McGill University’s Strathcona Medical Building as well as within the RMR’s armoury itself. His life remains a testament to courage, compassion, and the enduring bond between medicine and military service.

George Burdon McKean, VC

Born July 04, 1888. Died November 28, 1926.

Captain George Burdon McKean, VC, MC, MM (1888–1926) was one of the most remarkable soldiers to serve with the Royal Montreal Regiment. Born in Durham, England, he immigrated to Canada in 1902 at the age of 14 and worked on farms near Lethbridge, Alberta, before enrolling in a Presbyterian theological school in Edmonton. Small in stature—barely 120 pounds—he was rejected three times before finally being accepted into the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915. After serving with the 51st Battalion, he transferred to the 14th Battalion (RMR) in June 1916.

McKean quickly distinguished himself in combat. He earned the Military Medal at Bully-Grenay in 1917 and was soon promoted to lieutenant and appointed the RMR’s Scout Officer. His memoirs Scouting Thrills vividly describe trench raids, including one in April 1918 near Gavrelle where, armed with grenades, he leapt a barricade and landed in a trench swarming with enemy soldiers. Despite being wounded, he fought through and captured two trench blocks and eight prisoners, actions for which he received the Victoria Cross—the RMR’s second of the war. Later that year he was awarded the Military Cross for his role in the capture of Cagnicourt.

After the war, McKean settled in England, married, and had a daughter. He wrote Scouting Thrills (1919) and Making Good: A Story of North-West Canada (1920), the latter inspired by his years ranching in Alberta. In 1926, while working in Hertfordshire, he was killed in an industrial accident at a sawmill at only 37 years old.

McKean’s legacy endures both in Canadian military history and within the RMR. The Captain G.B. McKean, VC, MC, MM Trophy (Best Soldier) is awarded annually to the Regiment’s best soldier. This prestigious award honours McKean’s courage and leadership, recognizing the individual who best represents the highest standards of conduct, professionalism, and excellence throughout the training year. His memory is also preserved in a striking portrait by Frederick Varley of the Group of Seven, held at the Canadian War Museum, and in the Canadian Rockies where Mount McKean, VC rises 2,743 metres in his honour.

Richard Steacie

Born March 29, 1871. Killed in Action April 22, 1915.

Lived at 202 Summit Avenue, Westmount, QC

Captain Richard Steacie was an Irish-Canadian soldier who lived in Westmount, and who gave his life during the Second Battle of Ypres, in 1915. Remembered as “the bravest officer of all” by his men, Captain Steacie’s sacrifice is still remembered over 100 years later. 

Born in Ireland on March 29, 1871, Captain Steacie was a seasoned soldier who commanded respect among his men. Before joining the Royal Montreal Regiment in September 1914, Captain Steacie had been with the Grenadier Guards of Canada for 20 years, one of the regiments who helped form the RMR in 1914. In his civilian life, he worked as a secretary for Smart-Wood Company Ltd (a canvas, jute and cotton goods manufacturer) and was married to Mrs. Alice K. Steacie and they had one son, Edgar William Richard.  The family lived in Westmount, on Summit Crescent. On October 4, 1914, Captain Steacie sailed for England with the RMR, never to set foot on Canadian soil again.

Captain Steacie’s enlistment paperwork notes that he changed his birth year, claiming he was born in 1881, not 1871. At 44, he was on the cusp of being too old for active service, but his dedication to his country had no limits. 

Captain Steacie was 47 when he was killed in action, shot through the neck while he led his men into battle during the Second Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915. At the time of his burial, Captain Steacie’s body  had not been identified, so his tombstone was marked as “A Captain Of the Great War, 14th BN. Canadian Inf. Known Unto God”. In 2013, the RMR’s Captain Grant Furholter took the time to painstakingly cross reference burial information and officer profiles, eventually proving the location Captain Steacie’s final resting spot. A tombstone with his name was erected, and the original tombstone was brought to Canada and is now displayed in the RMR Museum. 

Despite losing his life over 100 years ago, Captain Steacie’s story remains central to the RMR’s history. Notably, his son, Edgar, kept scrapbooks of his father’s involvement in the war, saving newspaper clippings, cards, notes and telegrams glued in a large green book. Thanks to this record-keeping, we have access to the forms of communication from the period, and the visible heartbreak of a young boy who lost his father to the war. Additionally, Captain Steacie’s sword, donated to the Regiment by his descendants, is carried on parade by the RMR’s Commanding Officer to remind them to ‘Lead from the Front.’

William Noel (Jock) Barclay

Born August 14, 1919. Killed in Action 06 October, 1944.

Lived at 726 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC

Lieutenant William Noel (Jock) Barclay (1919-1944)  was a young officer who gave his life for the freedom of North-West Europe, and managed to shield his men while doing so. 

Born in Quebec on August 14, 1919, William Noel Barclay, nicknamed Jock, lived in Westmount with his father until he left for training in England in late 1940. Educated at Selwyn House School, Loyola High School, and McGill University, Barclay aspired to be an accountant. He was three years into his Bachelor of Commerce, cut short because of the war. He was also interested in the military before the outbreak of WWII, he already held the rank of Sergeant thanks to 3 years with the Loyola College C.O.T.C. and one year with the McGill C.O.T.C. He enlisted for active service with the RMR on October 25, 1940 in Westmount, at 22 years old. 

Lieutenant Barclay was an avid photographer, often choosing his comrades and their extra-curricular activities as his subjects. Lieutenant Barclay’s photography of his friends playing volleyball and riding around British towns gives us a glimpse into the everyday social life of Canadian soldiers overseas. 

The McGill alumni fought on the banks of the Leopold Canal, a battle that took place during WWII, on the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. This battle would lead to 10 RMR men killed, 17 RMR men wounded and 17 RMR’s taken as prisoners of war in Germany. He bravely led his men in assault boats across the fiery canal, assuring that they arrived at the northern bank safely. As the boats reached land, a machine-gun shot fired through the front of Lieutenant Barclay’s boat, killing him immediately. He fell backwards, essentially acting as a human shield for the rest of the men sitting in the boat with him. Lieutenant William Barclay was only 25.

Lieutenant Barclay was remembered by his comrades as “a very gallant officer and gentleman” and he was buried at Adegem Canadian Military Cemetery in Belgium. His name is commemorated in the McGill Roll of Honor, 1939-1945

Richard Maurice Thornicroft

Born May 16, 1922. Killed in Action 06 October, 1944.

Lived at 946 Melrose, Montreal, QC

Private Richard Maurice Thornicroft (1922 – 1944)  was a 22 year old bakery salesman whose avoidable death on the battlefield marked how vicious the conflict against Nazi Germany was. 

Born on May 16th 1922, Richard Maurice Thornicroft was from NDG, living with his family at 946 Melrose Ave, right outside of Westmount. Thornicroft was the fourth of six children, with three sisters and two brothers. All three Thornicroft brothers served in the military, one in the Navy, one in the Air Force and Richard in the Infantry. 

In the years coming up to the war, Private Thornicroft was in school studying to become a CPA. Besides his education, he played golf and baseball regularly, but also participated in theatre and school plays. His musical side led him to joining the RMR’s Bugle Band in April 1939 before he turned 18 and was able to officially join active service. 

Throughout his late teens, Private Thornicroft worked part-time at the well-loved Westmount bakery, Harrison Bros. Today, it is known under the name POM Bakery. He worked as a house-to-house bread salesman, as well as in their retail store situated at the intersections of St-Catherines street, Landsdowne avenue and Glen road, across from the RMR Armoury. Thornicroft was employed by the local business from 1937 until 1939, when he enlisted in the military. 

The POM bakery (POM standing for Pride Of Montreal) was a staple in Westmount throughout the mid to late 20th century, and they held a close relationship with their neighbours at the RMR Armoury. During the early months of WWII, POM Bakery had a fleet of their delivery trucks painted with “R.M.R. Association Branch 14 (Quebec 14), Canadian Legion, B.E.S.L.” to promote enlistment into active duty.

On October 6th 1944, the fateful first day of the Battle of Leopold Canal, Private Thornicroft was 22 years old. He was wounded early on, but not fatally, suffering from a smashed arm. He went to Captain Schwob’s Company HQ, established in a slit trench, for medical aid. Captain Schwob bandaged up his arm and sent him back to the allied territory on the southern bank of the canal for more medical help. Private Thornicroft made his way back alone and unarmed. Unfortunately, he came face to face with a German soldier on his walk back and was immediately shot dead on the spot. Private Thornicroft was killed in cold blood, the German soldier shooting him even though he was wounded and unarmed, not a threat in the slightest. Private Richard Thornicroft is buried along with his fellow fallen RMRs at the Adegem Canadian Military Cemetery in Belgium.

Thomas Cripps Lewis, DSO

Born February 9, 1911. Killed in Action 17 October, 1944.

Lived at 52 Academy Road, Westmount, QC

Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Cripps Lewis, D.S.O (1911-1944) Beloved RSM and C.O. of the RMR, Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis was a natural soldier. Being promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel at only 31, he was one of the youngest officers to receive the post at the time. His life was cut short, as he gallantly fought for freedom. 

Born in Montreal on February 9, 1911, Thomas Cripps Lewis lived in Westmount and worked as a statistician with Sun Life Insurance. In 1925, he joined the military, and by the outbreak of the Second World War he was a well-respected lieutenant. Between 1937-1939, he served as RSM of the Royal Montreal Regiment. He was a part of the RMR’s B Coy, sailing for England on December 9, 1939 aboard the S.S. Duchess of Bedford.

Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis spent some time during the middle of the war in Canada, working as an instructor at RMC, but by May 1943 he was back overseas, taking command of the RMR as it changed from MG unit to the 32nd Reconnaissance Unit. In March 1944, The RMR was told that the Regiment would be reduced to NIL strength, in the lead up to Operation Overlord, the Invasion of Europe. Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis is the one to break the news to his men in the field, in England.  In March 1944, Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis transferred to the 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Hussars) and became their C.O.

On August 14, 1944, Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis fought in the Falaise Operations, and he was awarded the D.S.O. for “fearless leadership”.  His last position change was in October 1944, when he became acting Brigadier of the 8th Infantry Brigade. Days later, on October 17, Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis and a comrade were in a Jeep when it came under enemy fire. Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis was killed by shrapnel and the driver of the vehicle was captured as a prisoner of war. He was 33. In 1946, he was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre avec Palme, in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the cause of the Allies. 

Left behind to mourn the loss of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis were his wife, Mrs Dorothy Lewis and baby boy, named Thomas, who lived at 52 Academy Road, in the apartment building behind the Armoury. Mrs Lewis would eventually remarry, like many war-widows, but Lewis’ memory lived on in his son; his namesake. Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis fondly is remembered as a central figure of the Regiment from the Second World War.

Robert Julien Schwob, MC

Born September 2, 1915. Died March 6, 1989.

Lived at 3015 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC

Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Julian Schwob, MC was known for his level-headed and calm leadership, proving his rigour and defensive fighting skills as he held a key Allied bridgehead on enemy territory for three days, beating back repeated German counterattacks. 

Born on September 2nd, 1915, Robert Julian Schwob was the second-eldest child of Julian Schwob and Muriel Taylor. The family of 6 lived in Montreal, and by the time the war began in 1939, Schwob was 25 and lived in Westmount. He worked a regular non-military job before the war, as an insurance underwriter, in Montreal. By 1944, he was a Captain and serving overseas as an officer in Western Europe. In late September 1944, Then-Captain Schwob would take over Major Lowe’s position as first-in-command for the battle of Leopold Canal. Major Lowe was left out of battle to give the chance to a younger and less experienced officer to take command, and to take a well deserved break from the frontlines. 

At 29 years old, Captain Schwob led his men through a terrifying and bloody battle, and managed to hold onto an allied bridgehead for three full days. While the bridgehead was small and the RMR were constantly fighting off counter-attacks, Captain Schwob’s determination and organization allowed for Allied access to enemy territory, eventually leading to an Allied victory over the Germans. He was remembered by his men as composed, confident and capable of leadership. Captain Schwob was awarded a Military Cross in October 1945, for “gallant and distinguished services in the field” during his time on the banks of the Leopold Canal. 

After the war ended in August 1945, the RMR men came home and were celebrated for their sacrifices, strength and bravery. Captain Schwob returned to civilian life and married Miss Muriel Garrow Brotherton on June 20, 1951 in Westmount. Muriel was born in 1921 and she also had a background in the Canadian Military, being a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division (R.C.A.F. W.D.) between 1943-1946. She was a part of the 6th Group in Yorkshire, England. Captain Schwob continued to climb the ranks at The Royal Montreal Regiment, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and later serving as Honorary Colonel. He and Muriel had one child, and they lived in Kingston, Ontario at the end of their lives. Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Julian Schwob passed away on March 6th, 1989 at 74 years old, and is buried with his wife in Kingston. He is remembered the the RMR as a the hero of the Battle of Leopold Canal, and there is a room in the Officer’s mess even bearing his name. 

Marcel McBarnett

Born January 8, 1920. Died May 11, 1943.

Lived at 1322 Saint-Antoine, Montreal, QC

Private Marcel McBarnett, (1920-1943) was one of many Allied service people who lost their lives in accidental circumstances, but their sacrifice is always worth the same respect as those who died in action. 

Born in Montreal to Peter and Victoria McBarnett, Marcel McBarnett was the eldest of two children, living in Montreal. Tragedy struck the McBarnett family early with losing the patriarch, Peter at age 57 and Marcel’s younger sister, Marguerite in May of 1930, at only 11 years old. By 1939, McBarnett was working as a chauffeur and living with his mother, he was the sole provider of the small family. McBarnett enlisted in the RMR in September 1939, arriving in England on December 18, 1939, leaving his mother impatiently awaiting his return.

In July – November 1940, Private McBarnett was a part of a platoon of Quebecers that helped destroy an enemy bomber during the Battle of Britain, a large-scale Nazi German air raid on the UK. He was featured along with the rest of the platoon in a Montreal newspaper in November of 1941. 

Like many young Canadian soldiers, Private McBarnett took advantage of his time in the UK to find a romantic connection. Private McBarnett met a young woman from Wales soon after arriving in England and by November 1940 he was married to Miss Antovia L. Josepia. 

Private McBarnett lost his life in England in a tragic, but accidental manner. On May 11, 1943 while on duty in England, he was riding as a passenger in a Jeep with Lieutenant K.A. Mackenzie as driver. They were on their way to have lunch as they carefully drove up an uneven dirt road. As the Jeep crawled up the hill, the land gave out and the Jeep flipped with both men inside. Lieutenant Mackenzie escaped mostly unharmed, but Private McBarnett was trapped, with the weight of the vehicle resting on his head. The men both called for help but as their comrades appeared, Private McBarnett started to lose consciousness. A medical orderly took him to the nearest hospital, but he was deceased on arrival. He was 23 years old.  

Private McBarnett was described as cheerful and responsible, taken too soon from his mother and wife, both for whom he was the sole provider. Private McBarnett is buried at the Brookwood Cemetery in England. 

Edward George (Taffy) Evans

Born April 20, 1911. Died September 13, 1948.

Lived at 72 St-Andrew Avenue, Beaconsfield, QC.

Private Edward George (Taffy) Evans (1911-1948) contribution to the RMR is more than his service during the Second World War. His friendly demeanor and friendships with other RMR’s can be seen through a collection of photographs of him and his comrades, illustrating the men’s time in England during training.

Born on April 20, 1911 in Sheffield, England, Private Edward George Evans, known as ‘Taffy’ was a private with the RMR during World War II, stationed mostly in his home country throughout the conflict. Evans’ life before the war was seemingly tainted in tragedy. In 1930, at 19 years old, he married Miss Margaret Wesely in Montreal. Unfortunately for the young couple, Margaret would pass away only a few months later, at just 17 years old. Right before the war, he found love again, marrying Miss Blanche Hagarty in 1937. Married between 1937 – 1948, the majority of the couple’s years together were during Taffy’s overseas service. 

Private Evans enlisted early on in the war, in 1939 at 29 years old. He spent most of the war in England, training, however he did go to Holland in 1944 during the Allied efforts to liberate North-West Europe. He was remembered as a friend to many and is featured in many photographs taken by the men. Private Evans served with the 1 Platoon (Signals) HQ Company, 1st Battalion RMR until 1945. When he returned to Montreal he had  a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with a silver Maple Leaf denoting overseas service under his belt. Like many returning soldiers in 1945, he went right back to work and settled back into civilian life. 

Evans worked as a taxi driver in the Beaconsfield area of the West Island of Montreal, but tragically on September 13, 1948, only 3 years after the end of the war, he was involved in a tragic incident that took his life. While bringing customers to the C.P.R. station in Pointe-Claire, his taxi stalled on a set of train tracks and while the passengers got out to help push the car, Evans stayed inside to try and drive off the tracks. Unfortunately they were unable to move the car and while the passengers escaped with non-fatal injuries, 37 year-old Taffy Evans died when a train hit the stalled car. 

Private Evans is remembered through a collection of photographs of him and his comrades that give us a realistic glimpse at the daily activities of Canadian soldiers overseas.