City’s unknown war hero Clouston to be honoured with monument
Campbell Clouston, the unsung, Montreal-born hero of this summer’s blockbuster movie Dunkirk who helped save close to 200,000 Allied soldiers in the Second World War, will finally be honoured — 77 years after his death.
On Thursday, the Canadian government will unveil a plaque and monument on the shores of Lac St-Louis in Lachine, a few kilometres from where Clouston grew up in Pointe Claire, in a ceremony that will include the Canadian military, embassy officials from France and Belgium, and Clouston’s 77-year-old son, flown in from England, and his grandson who is coming from Australia.
Sources close to the commemoration said members of the federal government were spurred to act after seeing a Montreal Gazette story in early August about the efforts of a group of Canadians to drum up recognition for Clouston’s exploits.
All involved wanted to see something done while Clouston’s two sons, who are in their late 70s, are still alive.
Clouston grew up in PointeClaire and attended McGill University. At the age of 17, he enlisted in Britain’s Royal Navy in 1917, hoping to fight in the First World War. He stayed with the British Navy, and in May 1940, when 338,000 Allied soldiers found themselves encircled by German forces in Dunkirk in northern France, he volunteered to help in the evacuation.
It was estimated only 50,000 men could be saved from death or imprisonment, but Clouston and seven other men were able
to save most of the soldiers, shuttling them off the beach at a rate of 2,000 an hour while under German gunfire. Clouston was the piermaster for the main jetty on the beach that saw most men evacuated to naval destroyers and civilian ships shuttling soldiers across the channel to safety in Britain.
Clouston worked for five straight days on the pier, went to England for a planning meeting then chose to return because French troops still had to be evacuated, and he spoke French because of his Montreal upbringing. His motor launch was bombed on his return to Dunkirk and Clouston was killed.
Despite his heroism and accomplishments, Clouston’s exploits were unheralded and unknown, even though the “Miracle at Dunkirk” was considered a major turning point of the war. In this summer’s movie Dunkirk, the character who portrays Clouston, played by Kenneth Branagh, was not identified as Clouston. This was much to the disappointment of Clouston’s son, Dane, who lives in England and wrote to the film’s producers to complain.
Historians and amateur historians like former Montrealer Michael Zavacky tried to have Canada Post issue a commemorative stamp honouring Clouston, but were denied. They were happy to hear of Thursday’s commemoration ceremony, and are vowing to push for further recognition, including perhaps the bestowing of a posthumous medal.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if his sons, after all these years, could finally see their father get the recognition he is due,” Zavacky told the Montreal Gazette in August.
The ceremony, which will be held at 2105 St-Joseph Blvd. across from the Lachine Canoe Club and starts at 10 a.m., will be officially announced on Tuesday.