The Reverse Panty Raid (or The Naughty Nine)
On a balmy night on Halloween Night 1957, 10 young ladies from Queen’s pulled a reverse panty raid on the cadets at Royal Military College of Canada. A happy crowd of Queen’s students marched to neighbouring Royal Military College. Moving with absolute precision, the raiders from Queen’s Ban Righ and Adelaide Hall women’s residence swept down onto the Stone Frigate. 4804 Neil Johnstone (RMC 1960) was in the entrance hallway of the Stone Frigate when they arrived. 3921 Roy Strickland (RMC 1958) was one of the intended targets of the “Reverse Panty Raid” on the Frigate of the successful panty raid. The entire operational was over in less than five minutes. They sprayed talcum powder about and several made it to the third floor or into 5 Squadron area of the Stone Frigate. There was no property damage or violence. The young ladies in question were taken back to Kingston in Arneys Taxis along with a number of fourth year cadets and treated to a few drinks at Beaupre’s pub in Portsmouth.
The 10 Queen’s students were identified because of a retaliatory raid on Ban Riegh was organized spontaneously later that night by a group of third year Frigateers who were incensed over the attack on their home. One of the 10 Queen’s students pleaded extreme parental displeasure if found out so the remaining women dubbed the “Naughty Nine” were charged, found guilty, and fined and ordered to do some service by the Queen’s Alma Mater Society (AMS) Court (now known as the AMS Judicial Committee).
The ladies made a penitential visit to apologize to the Commandant of RMC in the period 1957-60 was 2184 Commodore (later Rear Admiral) D.W. Piers. “Debby” Piers attended RMC 1930-32 then left to start Midshipman training with the RCN. Piers was the first ex-cadet of RMC to go directly to naval service. Piers was completely unaware of the Reverse Panty Raid, as was his Staff Adjutant! A fund raising ticket sale at Queen’s and RMC helped defray the fines. The Queen’s Journal of November and December 1957 has items about the raid and the trial. It was talking about this raid at the RMC Third Year Mess dinner that may have encouraged our Dirty Thirty to make their panty raid on Queen’s (see eVeritas 08 Jun 09). There also a rather nasty ‘paint raid’ on Queen’s – but that’s another story.
Researched by E3161 Victoria Edwards (RMC 2003)
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Royal Roads Military College was granted the Freedom of the City
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Did you know?
Researched by: E3161 Victoria Edwards (RMC 2003)
Royal Roads Military College was granted the Freedom of the City for outstanding military service to the community on May 11, 1986. RRMC had been an integral part of the development of the City of Victoria since 1940 with an exemplary record of service to the community, both in war and peace.
The Freedom of the City is the highest award conferred by the City of Victoria to individuals or to military units. Recipients of the award are recognized during a special ceremony at Council, which can comprise twenty-three parts, including of an address by the Mayor, a vote, taking of the Declaration and signing of the Roll of Freedom, march of colours (military) and taking the salute (military).
Recipients also sign their names in the Mayor’s Visitor’s Book. The military tradition of troops being granted Freedom of Entry to the City originates from a custom first observed in the cities of London and Edinburgh in the 17th century, when “the right, title, privilege, honour and distinction of marching on ceremonial occasions with bayonets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and colours flying” was first accorded to the Town Guard. The Municipal Act was amended on March 7, 1927 to read: “For the purpose of bestowing honours upon any person distinguished for national or local services, it shall be lawful for the Council of any city municipality to confer, by resolution passed by unanimous vote of all the members of the Council, the freedom of the city on such person.”
http://www.victoria.ca/archives/archives_reffrdm.shtml
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12 cadets from the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean carried in a torch…
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During the opening ceremonies of Expo 67 in Montreal, twelve cadets from the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean carried in a torch that was lit in a ceremony 2 years prior. The cadets metaphorically represented each province and territory in Canada at that time. The ceremonies were held at Place des Nations on the sunny Thursday afternoon of April 27, 1967. Expo was officially inaugurated by Governor General Roland Michener, with over 7,000 guests in attendance, including 53 heads of state. The flags of 62 nations were unfurled.
The torch bearer was Joseph Philip Lonuel, who passed it on in order of hierarchy of governance. It was passed to the Commissioner General of Expo 67, Pierre Dupuy; who passed it to the Mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau; who passed it to the Premier of Quebec, Daniel Johnson, Senior; who finally passed it to the Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson.
The Prime Minister used the torch to light the Expo Flame, which would burn the entire 6 month duration of Expo 67. Sources: Expo 67 opening ceremonies The CBC Digital Archives Website Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Last updated: Aug. 14, 2009.
http://archives.cbc.ca/society/celebrations/clips/529/ and Expo 67…a virtual experience
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/expo/053302_e.html
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Memories of the 1924 Winter Olympics
Carr-Harris was born in Kingston, Ontario, one of nine brothers who “were hockey mad,” says Mary. All of the boys went to Royal Military College in Kingston and, given their family ties, were given the option of joining either the Canadian or British armies after graduation.