SALUTING A HERO
Moray Clouston, his wife Maggie and nephew Milo, attend a Parks Canada ceremony to honour his father, J. Campbell Clouston, the Montreal-born naval commander who helped save more than 300,000 soldiers at Dunkirk. René Bruemmer reports.
On the shores of the lake where he learned to sail as a boy a century ago, Canada paid tribute Thursday to J. Campbell Clouston, who helped save 338,000 Allied soldiers on the beaches of northern France and paid for his heroism with his life.
Flown in from England for the ceremony organized by Parks Canada was Clouston’s son, Moray, now 76, who Clouston would never meet. Clouston’s grandson Milo came in from Australia.
Born and raised in Montreal, Clouston’s exploits were all but unknown in his home country until this summer’s blockbuster movie Dunkirk revived interest in the improbable evacuation of the British, French and Belgian soldiers penned in by German troops in May 1940.
Put in charge of the ramshackle pier at the eastern reach of the beach, Clouston, by then a member of the British Royal Navy, worked tirelessly for six days shepherding 200,000 troops along his dock and onto naval vessels and civilian boats while under fire from German warplanes. The soldiers sailed across the English Channel to the safety of Britain. Winston Churchill, who thought only 45,000 troops could be saved, dubbed it the “Miracle at Dunkirk.”
A group of Canadian amateur historians determined to see Clouston gain the recognition he deserved contacted the Montreal media in early August and the story was picked up nationwide, sparking the interest of Ray Coutu, the manager of national celebrations and commemorations for Parks Canada.
Six weeks later, more than 150 people gathered to commemorate the man who saved so many, 77 years after his death, as part of the federal government’s Hometown Heroes campaign. Among the dignitaries were officials from the consulates of England, France and Belgium, as well as admirals from Canada’s navy and representatives of the federal government and the military.
A memorial plaque featuring Clouston’s photo and a description of his exploits was unveiled. It will be installed on the shores of Lac St. Louis in Lachine, not too far from where Clouston’s parents are buried.
“We felt it was important to commemorate Commander Clouston while his two sons, who are both in their late 70s, are still with us,” Coutu said. “We wanted them to be there to be part of this.”
Moray Clouston, who flew in with his wife Maggie, found himself unexpectedly overcome, his voice catching during his presentation.
“As we all know, war is indeed cruel, and we have a duty to honour and remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedom and values,” he said. “We hope this commemorative panel will spur the next generations to learn more about this turning point in the Second World War.”
It was a day of mixed feelings, pride and gratitude combining with profound loss, Moray Clouston said.
“It’s a very big event, which is bringing back a lot of memories of what one could have had, as a son, which one didn’t have.”
As to why his father’s sacrifice went overlooked for so long, he said: “There were many heroes in that war.”
Clouston grew up in PointeClaire and attended Selwyn House, Lower Canada College and McGill University. Each institution had representatives at the commemoration. At the age of 17, he enlisted to join 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 at Dunkirk in northern France, he volunteered to help.
When the evacuation was nearly completed, he was killed when his motor launch was bombed, leaving behind a pregnant widow and a son.
Clouston’s cousin, famed Canadian actor Christopher Plummer, sent a tribute to be read at the commemoration.
“I grew up with the knowledge I had a cousin who was a hero. … What a lovely thought it is to honour Campbell in this manner — a ceremonial tribute to his incredibly selfless courage. Sadly, my wife and I could not be present this day, but we are surely here in spirit, for the mist has lifted and I can see him now so clearly,” Plummer wrote.
A military band played as the plaque was unveiled, followed by the firing of a vintage cannon and a moment of silence to honour Clouston and all those who sacrificed their lives.
Moray Clouston thanked the Canadian government, as well as Michael Zavacky, Jeffrey Street and Rick Munroe, three Canadians who spearheaded the effort to gain more recognition for his father in his native home. Zavacky said efforts would continue for further honours, including perhaps a posthumous medal such as the Victoria Cross.
Clouston’s parents were from Lachine and are buried there. Clouston would race sailboats on Lac St. Louis out of the PointeClaire Yacht Club. His name is still inscribed on the club’s Challenger Cup, which he won in 1913 at the age of 13. His grandfather, James Stewart Clouston, was the chief trader for the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Lachine post, located a few hundred metres from where Clouston was honoured Thursday.
Touring the area in which her father-in-law grew up, Maggie Clouston said she was struck by the beauty and relative comfort in which Clouston grew up.
“He led such a gilded life here; he could have done anything,” she said. “And yet he chose to go overseas to serve.”
We hope this commemorative panel will spur the next generations to learn more about this turning point in the Second World War.