True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: February, 2016
Reg.#12088, Sergeant-Major Harold Alexander Hunter
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
Years and years ago, I once met Sergeant Major Harold Alexander Hunter for an afternoon chat. It was a week or so before I joined the Force in August, 1964. My parents had read in the local newspaper that Sergeant Major Hunter had retired from 'J' Division in Fredericton, NB and that he and his wife had bought a home and had settled in St. Stephen, NB.
My Mom recommended that I visit the Hunter home and interview Sergeant Major Hunter before I left for 'Depot'. Although it was a mid August, 1964 visit, all these years later, Sergeant Major Hunter left me with fond yet touching memories. I can recall him very, very well as he stood in his garden anddressed in his work coveralls. The years have whizzed by and it seems like the afternoon that I spent with him was only a few weeks ago.
Harold Alexander Hunter was born in Hagersville, Ontario on June 1, 1912. He graduated from high school in 1930 then he joined the Haldimand Rifles and in 1932, he was commissioned to 2nd Lieutenant. His passion for the military and discipline would last his entire life.
Harold joined the RCMP in November 1933. He was posted to 'Depot' in Regina, SK for Basic Recruit Training and he graduated in June 1934. After 'Depot', his first operational posting took him to 'D' Division (Manitoba); his early years were spent on Detachments in Winnipeg, Shoal Lake and Russell. In 1938, he was transferred as the Constable In Charge of Kelwood Detachment, and in late 1939 he was transferred to Dauphin as a plainclothes detective. World War II was around the corner.
In early 1940, Harold left the Force due to WWII. He rejoined the Canadian Militia -- this time a component of the 13th Canadian Brigade with its Headquarters in Niagara Falls, ON. Harold served in the capacity of an Intelligence Officer which included protection duties at vulnerable points and as the Military Liaison Officer with local Ontario police forces. Soon, he was postedto the 5th Canadian Armoured Division and in May 1942 Harold proceeded overseas.
Harold served honourably during WWII. He was awarded several medals and he had been Mentioned In Dispatches (MID Italy). As a result of having been in active service in Italy in 1943, and in North Western Europe in 1945, Harold earned The Victory War Medal, The 1939-45 Star, The Italy Star, The France and Germany Star, and The War Medal 1939-45.
After WWII, Harold returned to Canada. He reengaged in the RCMP at Fredericton, NB in April 1946. One year later, Harold was promoted to Corporal. He spent three years on Fredericton Detachment, then he was posted as the Corporal In Charge of St. Stephen Detachment.
Later, he was transferred to Campbellton Detachment and then in 1953, he was promoted to Sergeant Major and he was assigned to Fredericton Headquarters. In the meantime, he also served for a short spell to Newfoundland. It was the late 1950's and the time of the loggers strike. After a few years, Harold was transferred to Ottawa as the Division Sergeant Major. Then in 1959, Harold decided to retire and to return to New Brunswick. Eventually, he and his wife Rita moved to St. Stephen in south western New Brunswick.
Throughout his police service, Harold was a faithful and celebrated member of the RCMP. He had received a Commissioner's Letter of Congratulations for a 1937 murder case investigation; (Rex Vs Peter Kidala), and he received a second Letter of Congratulations from the Commissioner for his part in a 1948 murder investigation: (Rex Vs Phillip Nash). In 1937, he was commended bythe Commanding Officer of Manitoba for his investigation of the accidental death of victim Mary Smith. Overall, the criminal investigations in which Harold was involved were marked by his doggedness and determination and by his ability to bring the cases successfully before the courts.
Harold had been active all his life, so he decided that he would not stand still after his retirement from the RCMP. Instead of sitting at ease, Harold wanted to continue to be active and productive after he left the Force. He joined the Canadian Legion, he made new friends and he volunteered for a host of money raising activities in St. Stephen. Their new home was much like a cottage -- situated on 50 acres of property not far from the banks of the St. Croix River which separates New Brunswick from the State of Maine.
Harold took particular pride in his garden and he spent hours and hours caring for his vegetables and flowers. Their properly was abundant in flowers bushes of all sorts. For additional exercise, Harold also cut their own wood for the winter and for their fireplace, and he launched into a new activity of bird watching. Harold became fascinated with the colour and species of birds and it was a quiet and calming hobby which occupied him for many, many years.
It was an honour for me to have met Sergeant Major Harold Alexander Hunter in 1964. As a soldier, he made a huge contribution to a peaceful Canada, and he was the type of a police officer whom one could admire. He worked diligently to get ahead in the Force, and as the RCMP's Sergeant Major in New Brunswick, Harold built a solid reputation of honesty and fair mindedness over a long and successful policing career.
Harold passed away in St. Stephen, NB on March 24, 1990. Rita, his wife was with him. After his funeral in St. Stephen, Rita took Harold back to her hometown of Russell, Manitoba to be buried with her. Rita passed away in 2006.
I would like to sincerely thank and acknowledge Manitoba RCMP Vet Earl Smith for all the help he provided to me for this short story. Earl sent me the background information on Sergeant Major Hunter's war record and he was also responsible for discovering S/M Hunter's grave in Russell, MB. Thank you Earl.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
February 23, 2016
