Trilingual plaque in Vancouver honors two Victoria Cross recipients (06/29/97)

Trilingual plaque in Vancouver honors two Victoria Cross recipients

by Stefan Lemieszewski

VANCOUVER - Filip Konowal and Jack Mahony, both Victoria Cross winners, were honoured in New Westminster, British Columbia, on April 5 at a plaque unveiling ceremony and a gala banquet.

The Victoria Cross, instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria, is the highest decoration of the British Empire. It is made of brass taken from a Russian cannon captured during the Crimean War. Of the 1,348 medals that have been awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, only 94 went to Canadians. Filip Konowal was the first and only Ukrainian Canadian Victoria Cross recipient.

Cpl. Filip Konowal exhibited his heroic courage in saving lives during the battle of Vimy Ridge and his single-handed destruction of two machine-gun nests at Lens, France in 1917. For his valor, Konowal was awarded the Victoria Cross by King George V in London, England, on October 15, 1917. Konowal was a volunteer with the 47th Canadian Infantry Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force - now perpetuated by The Royal Westminster Regiment in New Westminster, British Columbia.

He was also a Ukrainian Canadian - one of about 10,000 who soldiered in the Canadian Army. Ironically, while he was risking his life for Canada and the British Commonwealth, Canada was unjustly interning some 5,500 Ukrainians whom it had labeled as "enemy aliens" during Canada's first national internment operations of 1914-1920.

Konowal was born near Kudkiv, Ukraine, on September 15, 1888. He died in Ottawa on June 3, 1959, and was buried from the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church with full military honors at the Notre Dame Cemetery in Ottawa. He carried a bullet in his head from the war until his death.

Major John Keefer "Jack" Mahony of The Royal Westminster Regiment was awarded the Victoria Cross by His Majesty King George Vl in 1944 for his courage in defense of the Melfa River bridgehead during the Battle of Liri Valley in Italy. Mahony was born and raised in New Westminster and died in London, Ontario, in 1990.

It is significant that the plaque is trilingual: English, French, Ukrainian. The members of The Royal Westminster Regiment and the Ukrainian Canadian community wanted a trilingual plaque from the start, but unveiling plans were delayed because of objections coming from a few retired commanding officers who wanted English only on the plaque.

With cordoned off streets, hundreds of Canadian and Ukrainian onlookers witnessed a colorful and musical parade of The Royal Westminster Regiment marching into place by the Armory and City Hall. This was followed by the arrival of Brig. Gen. Ken Quinn, Deputy Commander Land Force Western Area, and Volodymyr Furkalo, Ukraine's ambassador to Canada.

Honored guests included Justice John Sopinka of the Supreme Court of Canada and John Gregorovich, president of The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 360 [known as the Konowal Branch], and president of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Present were supporters Roy Lisogar, owner of the Royal Towers Hotel, and patron Julia Stashuk from the Ukrainian Studies Foundation of British Columbia, as well as Prof. Lubomyr Luciuk from the Royal Military Academy in Kingston, Ontario.

After general salutes and inspection, and the playing of the national anthems of Ukraine and Canada, the audience heard remarks from Jerry Gangur, chairman of the Victoria Cross Plaque Committee and past president of the regiment; Helen Sparkes, mayor of New Westminster; Brig. Gen. Quinn; Ambassador Furkalo; and Fred West, president of the regiment.

The plaque was unveiled by Brig. Gen. Quinn, Jim Wilson of the Regiment and Art Castle. Mr. Castle, who will be 100 years old this summer, remembers Cpl. Konowal saving his life at the battle of Vimy Ridge when Mr. Castle was but 18 years old.

After the unveiling, the plaque was consecrated by Bishop Severian Yakymyshyn of the Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, New Westminster Eparchy; the Very Rev. Orest Hudyma of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ss. Peter and Paul of New Westminster; and the Rev. Helen Patterson, the regimental padre.

Wreaths were laid by the May Queen, Carlie MacKay and Kim McLennan, who was dressed in a Ukrainian national folk costume.

After the departure of dignitaries, the audience was served to a reception and refreshments in the Armory (which has the distinction of being Canada's only remaining wooden armory), where they viewed Konowal and Mahony displays and the war museum.

The tribute to Filip Konowal and Jack Mahony continued into the evening at a black-tie gala banquet attended by about 200 people at the Royal Towers Hotel.

Justice Sopinka of the Supreme Court of Canada gave the keynote address. He was joined by greetings from Ambassador Furkalo, and Mayor Sparkes. Grace was said by the Rt. Rev. Bohdan Hanushevsky of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Master of ceremonies responsibilities went to Mr. West, president of The Royal Westminster Regiment.

Entertainment was provided by the Danube String Quartet consisting of Robert Clark, first violin (past president of the Ukrainian Canadian Professional Business Association of Vancouver), Kevin McDonell, second violin, Mila Tymoshenko, viola (former member of the Kyiv State Opera Orchestra) and Peter Caton, cello.

This event was the last of three projects honoring Filip Konowal in Canada, and was organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association in cooperation with Branch 360 of The Royal Canadian Legion.

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