John Chipman Kerr VC (January 11, 1887 – February 19, 1963), was a Canadian recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

forces. In 1912, after working as a lumberjack in the Kootenay district of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, he bought a homestead in

Spirit River, Alberta Spirit River is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is approximately north of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 49 and Highway 731. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Spiri ...

, where he and his brother farmed until war broke out. Immediately they set out for

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, leaving only a single note tacked to the door of their humble shed. It read: "War is Hell, but what is homesteading?" He was 29 years old, and a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in the 49th (Edmonton) Battalion,

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division ...

, during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 16 September 1916 at

Courcelette Courcelette () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Courcelette is situated on the D929 and D107 crossroads, some northeast of Amiens. History Courcelette was a major tactical objective in the ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, during a bombing attack, Private Kerr was acting as bayonet man and noting that bombs were running short, he ran along the parados under heavy fire until he was in close contact with the enemy when he opened fire at point-blank range, inflicting heavy losses. The enemy, thinking that they were surrounded, surrendered: 62 prisoners were taken and 250 yards of enemy trench captured. Earlier, Private Kerr's fingers had been blown off, but he did not have his wound dressed until he and two other men had escorted the prisoners back under fire and reported for duty. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the

Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum (french: link=no, Musée canadien de la guerre; CWM) is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum serves as both an educational facility on Canadian military history, in a ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Ontario, Canada. Mount Kerr in the

Victoria Cross Ranges The Victoria Cross Ranges ( to ) are a set of mountain ranges in the Canadian Rockies, located to the northwest of Jasper. Of the 19 peaks contained within this range, five are named after Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross. The area of th ...

Jasper National Park Jasper National Park is a national park in Alberta, Canada. It is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains spanning . It was established as a national park in 1930 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Its locatio ...

, Alberta, was named in his honour in 1951, and in 2006 Chip Kerr Park in

Port Moody Port Moody is a city in British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It envelops the east end of Burrard Inlet and is the smallest of the Tri-Cities, bordered by Coquitlam on the east and south a ...

, British Columbia, was dedicated. After the war he returned to farm in Alberta and also worked in the oil patch and as a forest ranger in Alberta.Alberta Government "The Victoria Cross Mountain Ranges" website He was a great uncle of

Greg Kerr John Gregory Kerr (born October 8, 1947) is a Canadian politician. He was the Member of Parliament for West Nova from 2008 to 2015 and a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1978 to 1993. Early life and education Born in Annapolis Ro ...

, member of Parliament for

West Nova West Nova (french: Nova-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. South Western Nova and South West Nova were ridings that covered roughly the same ge ...

2008–15.

References

External links

John Chipman Kerr's digitized service file

John Chipman Kerr biography
on DND's Directorate of History and Heritage
Legion Magazine article on John Kerr

Kerr's Medals at the Canadian War Museum

City of Port Moody - Chip Kerr memorial
* *

List of Canadian Victoria Cross recipients The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest award of the United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for gallantry " in the face of the enemy" to members of the British armed forces. It may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded to Commo ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, John Chipman Canadian Battle of the Somme recipients of the Victoria Cross 1887 births 1963 deaths People from Cumberland County, Nova Scotia Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers Canadian Army soldiers Canadian military personnel of World War I Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Vancouver) Canadian military personnel from Nova Scotia Loyal Edmonton Regiment The Loyal Edmonton Regiment soldiers

See also

References

Further reading

External links