True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: March 2009
Reg. #17452, Constable John Derrick McWhinney
RCMP Vets Toronto, ON
Toronto RCMP Veterans, Wayne Barry, Ken Cornforth, Rick Morris and Jack O’Reilly have to be given credit for solving the mystery about our Vet of the Month. He is Reg. #17452 Cst. D. J. McWhinney and his grave is located in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, ON.
The story began ... then...
An old and somewhat outdated 'O' Division RCMP Grave Maintenance List showed a Constable G. D. Mawhinney (1886-1944) buried in Section 32, Lot 139 at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, ON. RCMP Veterans Wayne Barry, Ken Cornforth & Rick Morris located the grave but no one could determine with any certainity who the deceased actually was. The RCMP list of graves only showed the deceased name and the location of the grave – there were no further leads.
The headstone at the given location was photographed by Rick Morris. It showed a George D. Mawhinney and his wife Jewel McEwen. Although the first name on the headstone was ‘George’ there was no reference to the RCMP or service in the Force on the headstone.
There was only one ‘Mawhinney’ on Jack White’s Member History File. Vet Jack O’ Reilly contacted Reg. # 21180 Vern Mawhinney (Jack and he trained together in 1960) but Vern stated he had no relatives who served in the Force and could shed no light on the George Mawhinney buried in Mount Pleasant.
Based on the information on George Mawhinney’s headstone, Jack O’Reilly eventually found his obituary in the Toronto Star. Next, Jack eventually located and called this man’s daughter. She confirmed this is her parent’s grave but her father never served with the RCMP. He was a mail carrier.
Our Montreal Div Vets advised Vet Jack White that Reg. # S/0550 S/Cst Alvin McWhinney died Nov 2, 2008 at Montreal. He served many years with Special 'O' Section in 'C' Div and his brother Reg. # 17305 S/Sgt Carl McWhinney, also served in 'C' Div.
Jack O’Reilly then checked the name ‘McWhinney’ on Jack White's History File and found two names; Reg. #17305 which is spelled McWhinnie but he is still alive. The other was Reg. # 17452 Cst John Derric McWhinney. He was killed in an air crash at Ottawa in 1953.
The Toronto Star dated June 25, 1953 has the article about two Mounties, age 21, killed in the plane crash. Cst. Willard Boehler originally from Morris, Manitoba and Cst. John D. McWhinney originally from Toronto. The Star reported: “…Both died in the crash of an Ottawa Flying Club light aircraft two miles south of the city limits last night (June 24). Boehler was the pilot of the single engine Cessna 140 when the engine quit at about 800'. He tried landing in a field but crashed into a fence and demolished the plane…”.
The obit in the Toronto Star shows John Derrick McWhinney (Derrick with a 'k'). Service was at the TrullFuneral Home on Danforth Ave., Toronto and he was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery on June 29, 1953!
Wayne Barry contacted Mount Pleasant Cemetery and learned that John Derrick McWhinney was buried in Section 32, Lot 335. The cemetery map indicated the McWhinney grave was about 100 feet from the other grave of George D. Mawhinney. By this time, winter had arrived in Toronto and the cemetery was covered in snow. The cemetery records indicated the McWhinney grave was a flat marker. We knew that we would have to wait until spring to find McWhinney’s grave.
During the first week of March 2009, Jack O’Reilly was driving past Mount Pleasant Cemetery and as the snow had melted considerably, he decided to take a look at Section 32. The McWhinney marker was visible. It stated, “Const. John D. Mawhinney – RCMP”. Although the proper grave had now been located, why did it show the surname as Mawhinney? The cemetery record and Trull Funeral Home record indicated the surname as McWhinney.
Vet Rick Morris did an ancestry search and came up with the Mawhinney Family Tree. It confirmed John D. Mawhinney, RCMP, died in a plane crash in June 1953. It also indicated his mother, Ida Emily Mawhinney had returned to Ireland in November 1953. She died on Feb 20, 1978.
Based on the information from Rick Morris on the Mawhinney Family Tree, Jack found the obituary for Ida Emily Mawhinney showing she died in Toronto and was also buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Through her obituary, Jack tracked down Rita Eason (John's sister) who is still living in Toronto.
On March 8, 2009, Jack spoke with Rita & Earnest Eason. Rita advised their family name is Mawhinney and they came from County Derry in Ireland. John's Irish birth certificate wrongly spelled his last name as McWhinney and when he joined the RCMP because his Birth Certificate was McWhinney, he became known as McWhinney. John's father never came to Canada -- he died in Ireland.
We learned that after John was killed in the plane crash, his mother had a nervous breakdown and on her doctor's advice, returned to Ireland in November 1953 (confirms the information Rick located) to stay with her other daughter, Pearl. She eventually returned to Canada and died in 1978 and is buried in a different section of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. John is buried with his aunt & uncle (his mother's brother, who had a plot in Mt Pleasant at the time John died in the plane crash).
Rita & Earnest Eason visit the graves in Mount Pleasant several times a year. They had John’s marker raised last fall (2008) as it had dropped considerably over the years.
They are pleased that we will get John’s name back on our annual grave visit list and that his grave will be visited and cared for in future years.
This grave will be added to the RCMP “O” Division list and we will show the name as McWhinney AKA Mawhinney!
Would anyone have ever guess that the mix-up in this case was caused by an incorrect spelling of Cst. McWhinney’s last name?
The case and the solution to the mystery show the tenacity which sometimes is required by our Vets to uncover the exact identity and location of a deceased member’s final resting place.
Our appreciation and gratitude go out to the Toronto Vet Team.
This case can now be considered closed.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
March 23, 2009
the Constable John Mawhinney grave marker (right)
