Aboriginal Soldiers from the North Coast

By Dianne Rabel, Prince Rupert

An ornately decorated memorial graces a wall in the Metlakatla band office. On it are inscribed the names of four young aboriginal men who went to France in 1915 and 1916 and never returned: James Newell Leighton, Andrew O’Rielly, Dan Pearson and John Edward Rudland.

Metlakatla is an aboriginal village on an island in Prince Rupert’s harbour. Although the rate of enlistment was higher in other parts of the country, there were still many young aboriginal men on the north coast who answered the call to arms. They came from Prince Rupert, Metlakatla, Port Simpson and the salmon canneries that lined the Skeena and dotted the coast. They came from Haida Gwaii, the Nass and villages farther inland. Many were fishermen, but as soldiers, quite a few of them were assigned to pioneer, forestry and railway battalions. These troops did hard physical labour in addition to combat: digging and repairing trenches, lumbering, laying track, building roads and bridges, and disposing of ordnance.

The casualty rate was high. More of them than one would expect succumbed to tuberculosis or pneumonia, a few were killed in action and others died of wounds. Some were evacuated home due to illness or injury. From Port Simpson, Walter Ryan was killed in action in 1916 and Gordon Anderson died of wounds in 1917.

The Beynons were an interesting family. Originally from Port Simpson but living in Victoria when war broke out, three sons were eager to do their part. George, age twenty, signed up in 1915. A few months later, his two younger brothers went to enlist. Richard was accepted but John, the youngest of the three, falsified his birthdate and was turned away. He was only fifteen. Fortunately for him, by the time the recruiters were prepared to accept him the war was over. Both George and Richard are buried in France.

Two northern aboriginal soldiers were awarded the Military Medal. One was from Metlakatla, Dan Pearson, and he received his decoration for actions at Hill 70 in August 1917. Two months later he died of pneumonia. The second soldier, David Faithful, came from Port Simpson, and he survived the war. David’s citation read:

This scout in front of Valenciennes on November 1, 1918, rendered invaluable assistance to his company in the advance by going well forward and sniping and putting out of action several enemy riflemen and machine guns, who were troubling our men.

When the final objectives had been reached a party of the enemy were seen attempting to prevent our consolidation. Although the enemy artillery fire was extremely heavy, Private Faithful climbed to the top of the chimney and dispersed the company by rifle fire.

His great daring under extremely heavy fire and his skill and gallantry were of invaluable assistance to the success of the operation.

[Back to Chapter 8]