Who Am I?
• I descended from a distinguished line that included Zachary Taylor,
the twelfth President of the United States, and Jefferson Davis,
President of the American Confederacy,
• I was born on October 17, 1889 near Napanee, Ontario.
• Because of my father’s career in the RNWMP, I lived at a number of
police posts prior to attending Upper Canada College in Toronto.
• I attended the Royal Military College in Kingston, where I
graduated in 1912.
• Shortly after I secured a commission in the RNWMP.
• During World War I, I served in France and Belgium as a lieutenant
of a cavalry squadron.
• Upon returning to Canada in 1919, I served in the Yukon at various
posts, including Herschel Island where he also held the appointments
of Justice of the Peace, Coroner, Sheriff, Game Inspector and Customs
Officer.
• Following my northern service I was posted to western Canada.
• I was appointed the RCMP’s eighth Commissioner in1938
• I served as commissioner through the difficult war period, formed
the First Provost Company (Canadian Provost Corps) for overseas
service, helped establish a system of registration for aliens, and
dealt with the espionage cases of 1945-46.
• I opened up new detachments in the North, organized a permanent
RCMP Band, established the first RCMP scientific laboratory and
museum in Regina and horse breeding station at Fort Walsh, improved
wireless communication and broadcasting, instituted a preventive
policing program directed towards youth and negotiated provincial
policing contracts for Newfoundland and B.C.
• I had brought gradual growth to the Force, improvement of
scientific methods of crime detection, law enforcement and crime
prevention.
• In 1943 I became a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St.
George, and in 1947, was awarded by the United States Government the
Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm.
• I retired from the Force on May 1, 1951.
• I died on January 4, 1966 in Ottawa and was buried in the RCMP
cemetery in Regina.
Who am I?
A) 825 S.T. Wood;
B) 759 H.H. Lawson;
C) 732 H.A.S. Wurtle; or
D) 741 N.M Sutherland.
Answer: 825 Stuart Taylor Wood (RMC ’12)
Special Note – from 8057 Ross Mckenzie (RMC ’70)
This was #825 S.T. Wood. His father was # 67 Z.T. Wood who graduated from RMC in 1882 and rose to be Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP.
There’s an article by S.T. Wood “RMC and the RCMP” reprinted in “As You Were: Ex-cadets Remember” Vol. 1 p. 335. All sorts of good stuff in it about ex-cadets in the Mounted Police.