True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: February, 2021
Reg.#11458, Sergeant David Johnstone Brims
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
I would like to acknowledge Canadian author Elinor Florence for the short story which she wrote in her book 'Wildwood' in which she covered the life of RCMP Sergeant David Johnstone Brims and his three daughters. The story of the Brims family was told to Ms. Florence in 2018 by Jean Brims one of Sergeant David Brims' daughters, and it is a story of a family facing difficulties and hardships over many, many years, but at the same time sticking together as a loving and supportive unit.
David Brims was committed to the care and well being of his three daughters, and in turn, the three girls were devoted to their father -- and just as David Brims served Canada in WWI and years later with the RCMP, each of his three daughters made a significant contribution and a personal commitment to serve Canada during WWII. The photos in this piece were also provided to Ms. Florence by Jean Brims, and I am thankful for being allowed to use them in this piece.
David Johnstone Brims was born on November 1, 1891 at Broughty Ferry, Scotland, United Kingdom. His parents John and Mary Brims were 21 years of age. Early in life, David immigrated to Canada and soon afterwards he got married. Two baby boys were born, but they both died. In 1914, he enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and WWI. On his Attestation Papers, he identified his occupation as a horse teamster.
David Brims was sent overseas in 1914 and he saw action in France and Belgium. He returned to Canada in 1919 and he was demobilized. Like most other soldiers, David Brims was also left with scars after the war, and it is only after many, many years that Canadians began to fully comprehend the pain and suffering which most soldiers suffered and endured. To varying degrees, the effects of the war were felt by all Canadians.
Many veterans required physical and occupational rehabilitation due to mutilations, blindness, collapsed lungs and amputations. David Brims' health suffered also. He was gassed at the Battle of Vimy Ridge and it took months fro him to recover. No doubt he also suffered mental anguish and to compound the problem jobs were scarce, and there was high unemployment. David Brims needed a job, and he found one in policing on the Prairies.
To find work, David Brims joined the Regina City Police in 1919. In her book entitled "Letters From Windermere" Elinor Florence wrote that three daughters were born; Mary, Gladys and Jean, but David Brims' marriage was troubled, and so he and his wife separated. At the time, the three girls were all under the age of 8, so David Brims fought to keep the three girls together and he was successful.
In the meantime, David Brims left the Regina City Police and he switched over to the Saskatchewan Provincial Police (SPP). As time went on, he remarried to a kind and compassionate woman. The family moved to Manitoba where he joined the Manitoba Provincial Police (MPP). In 1932, the MPP was absorbed into the RCMP, and David Brims was promoted to Corporal.
Eventually, David Brims was transferred to Flin Flon, MB. He was promoted to Sergeant. The three girls reached high school and had grown into young women. In 1939, WWII broke out. Everyone was asked to contribute in some way, either their skills or by sharing their knowledge. David Brims trusted in his three daughters that they too would give of themselves.
All three Brims girls wanted to contribute to the war effort, Jean Brims told author Elinor Florence that, "Mary decided to become a nurse in Brandon, Gladys also studied nursing before joining the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, and rather than enroll in a strange school, Jean found a job at the Hudson Bay Company in Flin Flon. But Jean longed to follow in the footsteps of her big sister Gladys, who had been in the army corps for eight months." No doubt, David Brims had set a good example for his three daughters to follow. Their upbringing with an emphasis on education, training and commitment were good predictors of future success.
Upon reaching her eighteenth birthday, Jean also joined the Army Corps. Jean recalled that her father took her to the train station where she boarded the train for Winnipeg, As Jean Brims recalled, “My father was wearing his red serge, and as the train pulled out of the station, he stood at attention and saluted me,” Jean recalls. “I’ll never forget that moment.” Jean Brims passed away in Vancouver, BC on December 7, 2019 at the age of 93 years.
Over his lifetime, David Brims felt his share of grief. He and his first wife lost two baby boys. He served Canada overseas in WWI and he fought at Vimy at which time he was gassed. His marriage dissolved upon his return to Canada. He went on to serve Canada with the Regina city Police, the SPP, the MPP and the RCMP.
David Brims retired on May 31st, 1946. He died in 1977 in Nanaimo, BC at the age of 85. He was buried in Cedar, BC
The end.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
February 23, 2021
Florence, Elinor. (2018). Wildwood. Wildwood Paperback. (https://www.elinorflorence.com/wildwood).
https://www.elinorflorence.com/blog/jean-hubbard-cwac/?fbclid=IwAR0SHFH5ImKKrllwSdmmpT0nhZws-S4cwO0J0g2_mYCyANMSN-zHqBm4bOc