Ottawa,
Ontario — Whether fighting in the trenches of the First World War or
fighting in the political arena for full rights for his people, First
Nations soldier Sergeant Francis Pegahmagabow is a true Canadian hero.
The Ojibwe soldier from Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound,
Ontario was not only one of the most effective snipers and scouts in the
Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), but of the Aboriginal Peoples who
participated in the First World War, he is the most decorated.
Recognized three times for bravery and devotion under fire in Belgium
and France, he is one of only 38 Canadians to earn the Military Medal
with two bars, each bar referring to a subsequently recognized act of
bravery. The modern equivalent to the Military Medal is the Medal of
Military Valour, the third highest award for military valour in the
Canadian honours system.
Sgt Pegahmagabow was most likely born
on March 9, 1889, in what is now Shawanaga First Nation, near Parry
Sound. The war hero’s father, a member of Wasauksing First Nation on
Parry Island, died of an illness when
Sgt
Pegahmagabow was just a baby. As his mother also fell ill, he was raised
by his Shawanaga relatives, only returning to Wasauksing First Nation
as an adult.
As a young man, he turned his hand to several trades, including
working as a seaman on boats in Georgian Bay. At 21, he learned to read
and write English, a rare skill for a First Nations person of
Sgt Pegahmagabow’s generation.
“
We have great admiration for him for that,
” said the veteran’s great-grandson,
Dr. Brian McInnes. An Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Minnesota-Duluth,
Dr. McInnes was very close to two of
Sgt Pegahmagabow’s children, Duncan and Marie, who passed on many stories about his great-grandfather.
Sgt Pegahmagabow’s world was soon to
change dramatically. When Britain declared war on Germany on August 4th,
1914, Canada too was at war as a member of the British Empire. He was
among the first recruits, signing up on August 13, 1914, despite an
early prohibition against the enlistment of Aboriginal Peoples.
Sgt
Pegahmagabow served with the 23rd Northern Pioneers Regiment, based in
Parry Sound, which amalgamated into the 1st Battalion of the
CEF.
He would go on to fight on the Western Front during all four years of
the Great War, attaining the rank of Corporal on November 1st, 1917.
Nicknamed “Peggy” by his Army buddies, the young Ojibwe man soon
proved that his courage and abilities were second to none. In 1916, he
was one of the first Canadians to be awarded the Military Medal. He
received the first of his three commendations for facing enemy fire
repeatedly while carrying vital messages along the lines during the
battles at Ypres, Festubert and Givenchy.
A spiritual man,
Sgt Pegahmagabow
carried an Ojibwe medicine pouch which he believed would help keep him
safe. This belief may have been a comfort to a man who faced constant
danger, including being present at the Second Battle of Ypres, where the
German Army first used chlorine gas as a weapon. Dr. McInnes said after
the war, his great-grandfather developed breathing issues which became
so severe he eventually had to sit up to sleep.
Wounded in the leg while fighting in France in September, 1916, the
war hero returned to action in time to take part in the bloody assault
on Passchendaele. During a battle so intense the Allies lost some 16 000
men, he earned his first bar to his Military Medal. His commendation
reads:
“
At Passchendaele Nov. 6th/7th, 1917,
this NCO [non-commissioned officer] did excellent work. Before and after
the attack he kept in touch with the flanks, advising the units he had
seen, this information proving the success of the attack and saving
valuable time in consolidating. He also guided the relief to its proper
place after it had become mixed up.
”
Following his valorous actions during The Battle of Scarpe in August 1918,
Sgt Pegahmagabow received his second bar. This commendation reveals again his courage under fire:
“
During the operations of August 30,
1918, at Orix Trench, near Upton Wood, when his company were almost out
of ammunition and in danger of being surrounded, this NCO
went over the top under heavy MG [machine gun] and rifle fire and
brought back sufficient ammunition to enable the post to carry on and
assist in repulsing heavy enemy counter-attacks.
”
His record as a sniper is equally impressive. Although difficult to
substantiate as he worked alone, the expert marksman is credited with
378 kills. However,
Dr. McInnes pointed out his great-grandfather never spoke of his record as a sniper to his family. “
He
valued that he had won the Military Medal three times, and the fact
that each time he had so done it was for an act of valour that saved
life,
” said his great-grandson.
According to
Dr. McInnes, his great-grandfather was known as an insightful man. “
He
was an exceptionally kind, gentle, light-spirited and humorous
individual, who also was thoughtful and reflective on the world.
”
Sgt Pegahmagabow’s early response to
Canada’s call for soldiers may well have been an example of that
reflective nature. With a great-grandfather who fought for the British
in the War of 1812, the war hero’s family had a history of military
service.
Dr. McInnes said
Sgt Pegahmagabow also hoped his willingness to serve would help change perceptions about Aboriginal Peoples.
“
I think that was a powerful motivator
for him to go to war because it was this opportunity that equalized men
and women. In war, nobody was above anyone else by virtue of their birth
status in this country,
” said
Dr. McInnes.
Sgt Pegahmagabow made the point himself in a 1919 interview with the
Toronto Evening Telegram, saying bluntly, “
I went to war voluntarily just as quick as the white man.
”
Ending the war at the rank of corporal, the weary veteran returned
home in 1919 to a political landscape that was as restrictive for
Aboriginal Peoples as it had been before the war. “
Returning
from the war where he had done what he believed to be a great act of
service to Canada, I think he believed he should have earned equality
from that experience,
” said
Dr. McInnes. “
It was a source of frustration that would bother him the rest of his life.
”
Sgt Pegahmagabow, who married Eva
Nanibush Tronche and fathered eight children, became a political
activist, serving as councilor and band chief for Wasauksing First
Nation. He was elected the Supreme Chief of the National Indian
Government and was also a member of the National Indian Brotherhood,
which was an early precurser to the current Assembly of First Nations.
After the war, the veteran appeared to miss the camaraderie he had
enjoyed with his Army colleagues. In the mid-1920s, he re-enlisted in
the Militia. Historian Adrian Hayes in his book,
Pegahmagabow: Life-Long Warrior,
presents convincing media and anecdotal evidence that the war hero
served in “A” Company of the 23rd Northern Pioneers Non-Permanent Active
Militia (NPAM). The unit was later amalgamated into the Algonquin
Regiment. The Reserve Force is the modern equivalent to the
NPAM.
Unfortunately, as many Militia soldiers’ personnel records between
the First and the Second World Wars were not archived, there is no
formal record of
Sgt Pegahmagabow’s rank
during his Militia service. However, during his research, Mr. Hayes
noted and made photocopies of correspondence from the Company Commander
of “A” Company to the war hero. One letter addressed the war hero as
Sergeant, while another addressed him as Sergeant-Major.
As well, Mr. Hayes observed that in his interview with Roy Lloyd
O’Halloran, Second World War veteran and former Mayor of Parry Sound, he
described
Sgt Pegahmagabow as a sergeant-major. Dr. McInnes also documented Francis’s son Duncan referring to his father as Sergeant.
The decorated veteran died in the community of Wasauksing on August
5, 1952 of a heart attack. He has been honoured by being entered into
the Indian Hall of Fame, as well as having the 3rd Canadian Ranger
Patrol Group's headquarters at Canadian Forces Base Borden in Ontario
renamed in his honour in 2006.
Dr. McInnes feels his great-grandfather offers this country an
authentic story of a Canadian hero whose soul was defined by his
distinct linguistic and cultural identity.
“
He valued above all else his identity
as a First Nations person in this country and the unique contributions
he could make as a First Nations person.
”
By Gerry Weaver, Army Public Affairs
The memorial itself is found in front of the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group building.
Marker text:
Dedicated
to the memory of
Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow, MM
1889 - 1952
A member of the
Parry Island Band,
a hero of the First World War and
Canada's most dedicated
Aboriginal Soldier
Unveiled by
The Hon. James K. Bartleman.
O. Ont., Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario
6 June 2006
(repeated in French)
