FOREWORD
The year 1994 marks
the fiftieth anniversary of many significant battles and events of
the Second World War. Names such as the Liri Valley, Normandy,
Ortona, and the Scheldt will live on in the hearts of veterans and
serving soldiers alike, as well as on the battle honours of many of
Canada‟s regiments and corps. Although its origins well precede that
epic struggle, the Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers was founded in 1944. Since that time, the
soldier/technicians of the Corps have served the Canadian Army and
Canadian Forces with distinction. They have maintained the
operational readiness of the equipment they were required to support
to a standard envied by all, matched by few, and surpassed by none.
While the Corps may have changed names from time to time, it has
consistently met adversity and overcome it, due in large part to its
unchanging virtues: an eager dedication to the Army and the Canadian
Forces alike, and an indomitable spirit. This book is not only a
Corps history but a living and vivid account of how the EME Branch
came to be, its exploits during war, its efforts on United Nations
duty and the challenges it faces today. With a global milieu in flux
and an unprecedented rate of technological change, the need for
those who live by the motto Arte et Marte will undoubtedly grow. The
price of mechanization and advanced technology is mechanics and
technicians, but those who are also soldiers are not only valuable,
but absolutely vital to any army which wishes to be able to fight
and win on the modern battlefield. The spirit and dedication shown
by the EME Branch and its predecessors over the past half-century
have ensured that the future can only be bright for Canada‟s
Craftsmen.
Lieutenant-General G.M. Reay, CMM, MBE, CD
Commander Land Force Command
St-Hubert. Que August 1995
PREFACE
In 1991 I was asked
to consider writing an update of Canada‟s Craftsmen. I had a concern
about that. Would rewriting our Branch history ten years after the
publication of Canada‟s Craftsmen be considered a mere rehash of the
old? Not so, as events have shown. Much has happened in the past
decade. The Cold War was won. The Gulf War was fought. Peacekeeping
took a quantum jump in intensity and frequency. Deficit reduction
and recession hit Canada. The EME Branch got its “horse” back and
celebrated 50 years of EME services to Canada‟s Armed Forces. In
fact there is now more than enough material to write a book based
only on the past ten years. Writing a book only on that period would
be easy. However, it would separate the past from the present.
Furthermore, as I interviewed Craftsmen wherever I met them in
stations, bases and UN missions, I could see from their experiences
a smooth steady evolution of the EME Branch from a corps created in
the crucible of war to to-day‟s strong “regiment of very many, very
small units - everywhere.” What I found was an EME Branch that had,
“Pride in its past and faith in its future.” So this book spans the
past fifty years and more. It is not a mere rehash of old stuff in a
new package. Rather, it is a story of young people continuing to
build on the experiences of their predecessors in keeping equipment
available for operations. From their experiences emerges an image of
Canada‟s Craftsman as the Mobile Repair Team commander and his/her
team doing a difficult job under dirty, dangerous conditions - and
doing it well. Keep that image in mind as you read this book.
Remember that as long as humans continue to become more dependent on
sophisticated equipment to help them fight their battles or keep the
peace, there will be a need for craftsmen to keep that equipment fit
for operations. Ten years ago I wrote, “Insight, pride and
perspective can help to-day‟s Craftsman to do a better job.” It
remains the aim of this book. This book is the product of the
assistance of many people. There are those who researched, edited
and drafted parts of the book. They include Brigadier-General R.B.
Screaton, Colonel P.J. Holt, Lieutenant-Colonels P.A. Vlossak, P.D.
Kerr and R.J. Vincent, Chief Warrant Officer E.A. Rest, editor
Jonathan Côté, translator Claude Lebel, contributing writers William
Andryc and Dick Gatien, and the team from the Canadian Forces
Training Material Publication Centre. Some helped verify details
such as Leading- Seaman R. Amyotte who looked up countless names and
initials. Many others wrote articles or letters, donated pictures,
files and papers or were interviewed. Their names are included in
the narrative where I have used their information and ideas. There
are those who reviewed and proofread the various drafts of the
manuscript. Their comments and criticism were of great help,
particularly those of Colonels K.R. Ward and J.C. Boughton and my
wife, Joan. Finally, the encouragement and dedicated work of four
successive Branch Advisers, Lieutenant-Colonel D.W. Clarke, Captain
S. McDonald, Captain Marie Robichaud, Ms. Marie Delisle and Mrs.
Katherine Taylor got the book published. In total, the names of
those who assisted in the production of this book are legion. I am
grateful to them all. This book never would have happened without
the behind the scenes support of my wife, Joan. For forty years she
has faithfully followed the flag. This book is dedicated to her and
the thousands of other wives and sweethearts who have kept the home
fires burning. They are Craftsmen too. This book is also dedicated
to Janice and Jenny, my two daughters, and to the sons and daughters
of all Craftsmen - for they are the future of Canada and why we went
to war and kept the peace.
Arte et Marte
Murray C. Johnston
Colonel Colonel Commandant Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
Branch
March 1996
Canada's Craftsmen at
50! (pdf)
50 Years of
Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (pdf)
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