True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: June, 2022
Reg.#15080, Staff Sergeant Des Harrison
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
The presence of an RCMP Constable visiting my parents in our home in Milltown, NB is as fresh today as it was in 1955. At the time, then Constable Des Harrison was a member of the RCMP Detachment in St Stephen, a small town in the south west part of New Brunswick on the border of Maine, USA. Des and his wife Rose were our neighbours, and they had befriended my parents. On the occasion of Constable Harrison's visit to our home for a cup of coffee I was just a small boy.
Dressed in his Brown Serge, high brown boots and breeches he stood as tall and slender as a willow tree. After all these years, I had the pleasure to visit Des and Rose Harrison in their Vancouver home on June 6th, 2022. RCMP Veteran Peter German was free to join me on this memorable and very special visit. Today, Des Harrison is counted as one of the oldest living RCMP Veterans. He is in wonderful health and spirits. Des turned 98 in April, 2022. It appears that he does not intend to slow down.
Des Harrison was born on a farm in Moose Jaw, SK in 1924. After high school, he joined the RCAF at the age of 18. It was 1942. Over the course of the next few years, he was transferred with the RCAF to Toronto, Saguenay, QC and finally to Debert, NS. After the war, he left the RCAF in 1946 and he returned to Moose Jaw. In 1948, a friend told him that the RCMP was looking for recruits so he decided to enlist. He undertook Basic Recruit Training Part I at 'Depot' followed by Part II -- another three months at Rockcliffe, ON near Ottawa.
Canada wide transfers were frequent for RCMP members in days gone by. After Recruit Training in Ottawa, Des was transferred to BC. In those days, marriage regulations required members of the Force to wait five years, and it was only then that Des was allowed to marry. He met Rose in Richmond, BC where they married. Soon, they were transferred to St Stephen, New Brunswick and it was at this time that I first met Des and Rose. After a short spell, Des and Rose were transferred to Gagetown. It was a promotional opportunity, and he was promoted to Corporal. He had about eleven years of service. His final posting in the province was to Saint John, NB.
After a few years in New Brunswick, Des and Rose looked forward once again to moving west. Des applied for a transfer and it was finally granted. They were transferred to Edmonton, AB and Des joined the GIS (General Investigation Section). He was promoted to Sergeant.
After a few years in Edmonton, Des was transferred again. This time, he was posted to Red Deer as the NCO IC. Des was promoted to Staff Sergeant. As the years rolled by, Des and Rose yearned to return to the Lower Mainland. Des had pensionable service so he decided to retire. This would allow him and Rose to return to Richmond, BC which was Rose's hometown. Rose was content to be closer to her family.
Des retired in 1969 with a combined service between the RCAF and the RCMP of 25 years. He was then hired by the Vancouver Stock Exchange. At first, he was the Floor Manager, then he received a promotion to Vice President. He held this position for 12 years.
Even after his retirement from the RCMP, law enforcement was not far from Des' mind. One day on the Lower Mainland, he and Rose were out for a casual drive in their private car. Des recognized a wanted man from Moose Jaw standing on the street corner. He hopped out of their car and made the arrest, then placed the prisoner in the front seat between he and Rose. Des said he delivered the prisoner to the RCMP at Langley Detachment. File closed.
Today was a very special, memorable and emotional day in my life. Over the past 67 years since I first met Des Harrison when I was a small boy, I had thought of he and Rose many, many times. I lost touch with them over the years until I was able to contact them in Vancouver with the great investigative assistance of my friend Peter German. It was because of Peter's help that Des and Rose were eventually located. I am grateful to Peter for his friendship.
I made a promise to Des and Rose that I would visit them again. It was an incredible day.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
June 23, 2022
