The RCR Association Documents
A Tribute to Capt (Ret'd) George Maurice Fox, MM, CD
Captain Ross Appleton, CD
Fellow Royals,
Yesterday I informed you all of the sad news that a distinguished member of our Regimental family, Capt (Retd) George Maurice Fox, MM, CD, had passed away at London, Ontario on 01 April 2011. George Fox led a very full life that spanned nearly 92 years. In a life as remarkable and so dedicated to the service of his country, it is impossible to highlight any one achievement as the most important in a life filled with noteworthy accomplishements.
George Fox was born at Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on 28 August 1919. As was common at this time, the height of the Great Depression, George left High School early at the age of 15 to seek work. He worked at a grocery in Lloydminster for two years. In 1937 Fox joined the Non-Permanent Active Militia as a trooper in the 16/22 Saskatchewan Horse (Mounted Rifles). He remained a Militia cavalryman for the next two years, until 1939. With the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939, twenty year old George Fox volunteered for active service and transferred into the Saskatoon Light Infantry (MG), a machine-gun battalion, in October. He was only too happy to quit the cavalry for the infantry. "I decided that if I was going to be in a war, I didn't want to take care of any horse." The Saskatoon Light Infantry was to be designated as the heavy weapons and machine-gun battalion of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division (the "Old Red Patch," renowned for its service during the First World War). Fox became a mortarman and was among the first Canadian soldiers to deploy overseas (initially to England) with his unit on active service in December 1939.
For the soldiers of the 1st Candian Infantry Division this was the beginning of a prolonged wait in the UK, involving training and garrison duties, until June 1943. However, George Fox was part of a small band of Canadian soldiers who participated in the little known Spitsbergen Raid in August-September 1941. German forces had occupied all of Norway by June 1940 and with the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, this Norwegian island, part of the Svalbard Archipelago and just 600 miles south of the North Pole, took on added strategic significance. The island was rich in coal deposits and the British conceived the idea of a combined operations raid designed to destroy mining and harbour facilities and evacuate Norwegian miners. The 645 man force that carried out this raid between 25 August and 01 September 1941, consisited largely of Canadian troops from the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. An 84 man detachment from the Saskatoon Light Infantry, including George Fox, provided close fire support for the raiders. The raid was unopposed and a great success.
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Troops of the Saskatoon Light Infantry at Spitsbergen Island, August 1941 |
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Eventually promoted to the rank of Sergeant, as of 1943 George Fox was the Platoon Sergeant of a Heavy Mortar Platoon. The mortar employed was the British Mark III SB 4.2 Inch (107 MM) Heavy Mortar, of the Stokes pattern. Each heavy mortar was manned by six personnel and had a maximum range of 4,100 yards or 3,750 meters.
The long wait in England came to an end in June 1943, with the coming of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. Between 10-13 July, elements of the Saskatoon Light Infantry landed on the Pachino Peninsula in support of the three brigades of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. With the Sicily Campaign concluded as of August 1943, the Saskatoon Light Infantry would now take part in the bitter and protracted Italian Campaign (September 1943 - February 1945). Following the invasion of Normandy in June 1944, Italy soon became the forgotten front in the European theatre of war. With a mixture of pride and anger, the tough veterans of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division came to refer to themselves as the "D-Day Dodgers." George Fox and the Saskatoon Light Infantry followed the same path through Sicily and Italy as The Royal Canadian Regiment, fighting in virtually the same battles. This route included Sicily, Reggio to Ortona, the assault on the Hitler Line and the Liri Valley, the breaching of the Gothic Line, and the advance to the Po Valley.
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Sergeant George Fox remained as a mortarman with 1 Battery, D Company, 1st Battalion, Saskatoon Light Infantry throughout the campaign. During September 1944, as part of the fighting to punch through the Gothic Line in northern Italy, Fox and 1 Battery were in direct support of the Greek Mountain Brigade. From 03-22 September the Battle of Rimini raged, with the airfield and town of Rimini as the prized objectives. Advancing on the immediate left of the Greek Brigade throughout was The Royal Canadian Regiment. For his personal role in the battle for Rimini, the Greek army awarded Sergeant Fox the Greek Military Cross. The campaign in Italy ground on into February 1945. With the mass transfer of Canadian troopps in Italy to North-West Europe imminent, the long-serving veteran George Fox was repatriated to Canada. He and others who had served from the very beginning had accumulated enough points to secure rotation home.
Now a Warrant Officer 2nd Class (WO2), Fox was appointed a Company Sergeant-Major with the Administrative and Training Staff of the 2nd Battalion, Saskatoon Light Infantry at Saskatoon. Following the end of Second World War in May 1945, George Fox decided to opt for a career in the post-war Permanent (Regular) Force and transferred into the Interim Force in 1946. Remaining at Saskatoon until 1951, he was in the meantime accepted into the Instructional Staff of the Permanent Force in 1948. Fox retained his rank of WO2 and appointment as a company sergeant-major. Like many other returned veterans he also married and started a family.
In 1951 WO2 Fox successfully completed the basic parachute course at Rivers, Manitoba. Keen to see action again, this was a prerequisite to his joining one of three Regular Army parachute battalions (1RCR, 1PPCLI, 1R22E), all destined for active service in Korea. In October 1951 Fox was posted to 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment at Petawawa, Ontario in the appointment of a company segeant-major. After intensive training at Petawawa and Fort Lewis, Washington, the Battalion shipped out for Korea in March 1952. There followed a bloody, unrelenting 12 month tour of duty in the front lines in such mountainous, inhospitable locations as Korea's "Iron Trinagle." Sergeant-Major Fox was a natural leader and his previous combat experience in Sicily and Italy, in an environment often as rugged as that of Korea, stood him in good stead. In many ways the Battalion's tour in Korea experienced its apogee during the Battle of Kowang San, 22-24 October 1952.
Under horrific artillery and mortar fire, relentlessly assaulted by thousands Chinese infantry, whole portions of the 1RCR defensive line at Kowang San (Hill 355) were overwhelmed. George Fox, during the climactic night of 23-24 October, would play a pivotal role in eventaully repelling the close-quarter enemy attack. E Company, of which Fox was the Sergeant-Major, was cut off from the rest of the Battalion when the company to its right was "completely overrun by the enemy." Fox was a constant presence rallying his shaken men and restoring their fighting spirit. "With utter disregard for his own safety" he personally took command of E Company's three 60 MM Mortars, engaing the hordes of oncoming Chinese at ever closer ranges. One can only imagine the utter relish of this veteran mortarman as he expertly pounded the enemy, breaking up their assaulting formations. For a moment did he even imagine that he was back in Italy in a desperate firefight? The Chinese attack at Kowang San was eventually beaten back. For his gallantry and leadership during the battle Sergeant-Major Fox would be awarded a well deserved Military Medal (MM). To quote from the citation: "This Warrant Officer has displayed a high degree of courage, ability and control under fire. His personality and spirit inspired confidence in his men, and he has set a fine example to all ranks of the Battalion." After the fight at Hill 355 Fox was appointed Sergeant-Major of Support Company and would see more action at the "Hook."
AWARD OF THE MILITARY MEDAL TO |
On 6 September 1952 Warrant Officer Class 2 Fox became Company Sergeant-Major of "E" Company, 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment. The Battalion moved onto the Kowang San feature that day, with "E" Company occupying the left forward position of the area. For the two months that "E" Company occupied this forward position the troops were under heavy shell and mortar fire from the enemy. Warrant Officer Fox, as Company Sergeant-Major, carried out his duties effectively despite heavy shelling and displayed a great sense of responsibility and control in organizing and carrying out the replacement of arms and ammunition for the Company. As the Company had no Second-in-Command, he also relieved the Company Commander for periods of rest by doing tours of duty in the Command Post. He was completely aware of the situation at all times. On the night of 23/24 October "E" was subjected to intense mortar and artillery fire and became cut off from the remainder of the Battalion when the Company on their right was completely overrun by the enemy. During the entire night, this Warrant Officer remained on the hill and with utter disregard for his own safety commanded a brigaded group of three 60 Millimetre Mortars as well as reporting each situation to his Company Commander and making his presence known to the men. On 29 December the Battalion occupied a position known as the "Hook". Warrant Officer Fox was Company Sergeant-Major of Support Company during the thirty-two days that the Battalion occupied this position. He was personally responsible for delivery of arms and ammunition to the Company. This duty he carried out with great gallantry often under shell and mortar fire in the forward positions. This Warrant Officer has displayed a high degree of courage, ability and control under fire. His personality and spirit inspired confidence in his men, and he has set a fine example to all ranks of the Battalion. |
The 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment returned to Canada in March 1953. In January 1954, 1RCR was transferred from Petawawa to Wolseley Barracks at London, Ontario. Not surprisingly, George Fox, decorated veteran of two wars, was promoted to Warrant Officer 1st Class (WO1) in March 1954. With the departure of WO1 F.A. Burns (RSM 1RCR, 1950-54), WO1 Fox was now appointed Regimental Sergeant-Major of 1RCR. The Battalion would eventually rotate to Fort York at Soest, West Germany, as part of NATO forces, in November 1955. With Fox as RSM, 1RCR completed at two year tour in Germany. In November 1957 the Battalion returned to Canada and was stationed at Camp Ipperwash, Ontario. It was while the Battalion was posted at Ipperwash that RSM Fox did much to restore the close, fraternal ties between The RCR and the 48th Highlanders, a unit with which The Royal Canadian Regiment had been brigaded throughout the Second World War (The RCR, the 48th Highlanders, and the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment had made up the 1st Infantry Brigade, the senior brigade in the 1st Canadian Infantry Division). This is a story I previously related in an article entitled, "The Story of a Sword," a joint history of The RCR and the 48th Highlanders.
In August 1958 WO1 Fox was posted to Rivers, Manitoba as the Regimental Sergeant-Major of the Canadian Joint Air Training Centre (CJATC), in otherwords, the jump school. George Fox fulfilled this para role until he accepted a commission on 27 February 1962. He was subsequently posted as a Captain to the Recruiting Staff at London, Ontario. While on the Recruiting Staff, Captain Fox served as the Staff Captain (Manning) at Headquarters Western Ontario Area, with responsibility for recruiting in south-western Ontario. In 1965 the Recruiting Staff was re-organized and George Fox now became the Recruiting Officer (Army) and Administrative Officer for the London Recruiting Centre. He would remain a Canadian Forces Recruiting Officer for the balance of his career unitl his eventual retirement in 1974. There is an interesting Regimental sidebar to George Fox's time as a Recruiting Officer. In 1966 he was approached by an earnest young man who had been serving with the 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers) as a Reservist since 1963. He wished to become a commissioned officer in one of the Regular Battalions of The RCR. Captain Fox subsequently recruited the young Reservist into the Regular Army, administering to him the oath of loyalty. In 1967, following 12 rigorous months of training at the Royal Canadian School of Infantry, the young man was indeed commissioned as an officer into the 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment at London. That young man is known today as Major-General Walter M Holmes, MSM, MBE, CD, a distinguished former Colonel of the Regiment of The RCR.
Having attained the age of 55, George Fox retired from the Forces in 1974. He had completed 37 years of military service. Mr. Fox contiued to work however, as a manager with State Farm Insurance Company. Notwithstanding his retirement, his close ties to The Royal Canadian Regiment and the military were far from over. George Fox was an Associate Member of the Wolseley Barracks Officers Mess. He was extremely active with The RCR Association, serving as a Vice-President and as of November 1981 as President. Mr. Fox was to eventually become a "Life Member" of the Association. George Fox was also active with a wide variety of other veterans and military organizations, including the Korean Veterans Association, the Saskatoon Light Infantry Association, the Royal Canadian Legion, the Royal Canadian Military Institute, and the Canadian Airborne Brotherhood.
Now at the end of his military career, in 1975 George Fox returned to the battlefields of Italy in what must have ammounted to a personal pilgrimmage. It was an occasion to recall the adventures of his youth and of the many comrades who had fallen there. Members of the Regiment would no doubt think of his accomplishments as a soldier and leader on the battlegrounds of two wars. Mr. Fox himself doubtlessly thought of the family he now leaves as his greatest achievement. George's wife Anne passed away in July 2008, but he is survived by a son, Ron and his wife Janice, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Royal Canadian Regiment has lost a tangible link to a glorious past, but its members can still be inspired by the sterling example Captain George Maurice Fox, MM, CD.
Pro Patria