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Remembrance Day – 2015
By: WJO
Most people who know me will be surprised to know that I’m a closet sentimentalist; a good part of the time. No more is this evident than on 11 Nov – for obvious reasons.
Last Wed (11 Nov) I had the opportunity to sit /stand along aside 3251 Jim Tremain (photo left) during the RMCC Remembrance Day Ceremony.
We arrived about 15 – 20 minutes before the formalities got underway. Jim and I exchanged some small talk.
In between, I was thinking of former RMC military friends / acquaintances that are no longer with us. People like: Danny McLeod; Jack Tripp; Fred MacLean; Denis Fournier and Art Wade.
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Why these five? I don’t really know.There were many others. Too many.
At one time or another, I had a connection with all of these gentlemen. And gentlemen they all were! The ‘Maj” and I met up at least 20 times over the years on 11 November and often sat / stood near each other. Remembrance Day was ALWAYS special to Danny which wasn’t surprising because of his involvement with World War Two.
One thing that really sticks out in my mind is that if those running the ceremony were not following the proper protocol / format he would really be upset. He even went to the trouble of having his wife, Sheila, type out the proper standing operating procedures (sops) and gave copies and a lecture to more than one college Drill Sgt/major.
Jack Tripp, Fred MacLean and Denis Fournier were all college chief warrant officers during my uniform days at RMCC. Consequently, they were all highly visible (in my eyes anyways) on Remembrance Day.
Art Wade was working at Panet House for the Club / Foundation in 1996 when I first started there. We worked together on a number of projects; I witnessed first-hand TDV from him day in and day out over the next few years.
Back to Jim Tremain.
Although he didn’t come out and say it; his memories would have hit home much more than mine.
Why?
His maternal grandfather, 203 Col C Wm Bermingham (ret), the oldest living Ex cadet in the Kingston area at the time laid the wreath at the Memorial Arch on 11 November1944. That is him in the left photo above. Jim’s dad 1766 Col Ken Tremain (ret) did the same thing Ex Cadet weekend1955 when he was the Club president.
Regretfully, we were unable to find a photo of Ken but we do have his obituary – see below.
During 1980-81, Jim, followed his dad’s footsteps and became president too. That is him in the photo on the right above during the march to the memorial arch – Ex Cadet Weekend 1981.
One can only imagine what was going through his mind especially during the wreath laying by the current Kingston Branch president, Ted Davie.
When it was all over, I wondered too what the ‘Maj’ would have to say, about the protocol / format if he were still with us.
Although I’m no authority on such matters, I thought it was pretty darn good.
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