True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: March, 2019
Reg.#8940, Constable William Henry Kirby
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
William Henry Kirby was born on October 9th, 1900 in London, England. He cited his year of birth as 1899 which would make him one year older and so that he could qualify to serve in WWI. After having served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), William Kirby immigrated to Canada. He joined the Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP) at Ottawa, ON, on December 5th, 1919.
Even after WWI, horses continued to fulfill an important role in the RCMP both from a ceremonial perspective but also in law enforcement; crowd control, riots and the like. And so it was that Constable Kirby's above average ability around horses soon became obvious to Senior RCMP Officers. Plans, it seems, were laid out for his future in the RCMP. His career was to begin with horses.
A year after his arrival in Canada, Constable Kirby was recruited as a member of the 1920 Musical Ride.
One story is told about Constable Kirby travelling on horseback 78 miles from Ottawa to Prescott, ON over a couple days to carry out a single performance of the Musical Ride. Afterwards, the Mounted Troop returned to Ottawa. A horse ride of that distance was quite unusual for the Musical Ride, and this unique event with the Ride was noted in Constable Kirby’s Service Records.
Constable Kirby's career in the RCMP was varied and rewarding, but he also had some ups and downs. His discipline record showed that he appeared in Service Court on three separate occasions between 1921 and 1923 -- each time his infraction was identified as 'absenteeism'.
For sure, the infractions for which Constable Kirby was charged were not considered serious by any means, but there was no doubt that Constable Kirby convinced himself that on occasion he needed privacy as well as some time away from the other men, the horses, the mundane, and the never ending chores of the day. Hundreds of other RCMP found themselves in the same situation as he did and they too eventually found themselves in Service Court. For the men, strict discipline and strict adherence to the Force's Rules and Regulations was the single and highest order of the day.
After his tour on the Musical Ride, William Kirby served as a police officer in 'N' Division (Ottawa, ON), 'C' Division (Quebec), 'A' Division (Ottawa, ON) and 'O' Division (southern Ontario).
After 22 years in the RCMP, Constable Kirby took his discharge when his term expired on May 15th, 1941. He then moved to Vancouver, BC.
William Henry Kirby was born into a generation of war. Like men of his time, he exhibited a high degree of loyalty as well as bravery because he volunteered for and served in WWI. Whether or not he suffered psychological ill effects of war is not known, but whatever hardships or ills he suffered also caused him to die at the relatively young age of 63.
On May 23rd, 2019 and the 146th Anniversary of the founding of the Force, the Ottawa Veterans' Association held a Vigil and Day of Remembrance at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa. A Walking Tour of Beechwood Cemetery was provided to the visitors, spectators, and guests. A number of preselected graves of deceased RCMP were identified and the group stopped alongthe Walking Tour at Constable Kirby's grave to pay respect to him.
William Henry Kirby died in Vancouver, BC. His body was returned to Ottawa and he was buried with other family members and relatives in Beachwood Cemetery. He is remembered.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
March 23, 2019
Photo courtesy of Canadian Gravemarker Gallery
& Merle Armstrong, RCMP Vets London, ON
