John Allister "Jack" Currie (February 25, 1868 June 28, 1931) was an

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

author, journalist and political figure.

Early life

He was born in Nottawa, Ontario in 1862, and was educated at Collingwood Collegiate Institute. After an apprenticeship in the hardware trade, he was hired by the '' Toronto News'', and subsequently became a reporter at the '' Mail and Empire''. Around 1900, following a visit to

Rossland, British Columbia Rossland is in the West Kootenay region of south central British Columbia. High in the Monashee Mountains, the city lies immediately east of the intersections of BC highways 3B and 22. The facilities provide a winter base for the nearby multi-pe ...

, he became a mining broker.

Military service

He was one of the four founding captains of the

48th Highlanders of Canada , colors = , march = " 48th Highlanders Slow March"; Quick – "Highland Laddie" , mascot = , battles = Second Boer WarFirst World WarSecond World ...

, which served in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

, and rose to become its commanding officer. At the beginning of

World War I 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 ...

, he offered the Canadian Expeditionary Force the entire regiment, and the offer was accepted. Formally referred to as the "15th Battalion", it became known as the "Red Watch". He was in command at Neuve Chapelle,

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality c ...

, and St Julien. He was transferred back to Canada in August 1915 under cloudy circumstances, in what came to be known as the "dugout incident," where Currie was said to have been found behind the lines instead of being with his men during the first German

gas attack Chemical warfare (CW) involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from nuclear warfare, biological warfare and radiological warfare, which together make up CBRN, the military acronym ...

at St Julien. He defended his actions in a speech to the House of Commons of Canada in 1916, and wrote about the battle in his book on his war experiences, but the matter arose again years later when Currie was called as a defence witness in the 1928 libel trial concerning

Sir Arthur Currie General Sir Arthur William Currie, (5 December 187530 November 1933) was a senior officer of the Canadian Army who fought during World War I. He had the unique distinction of starting his military career on the very bottom rung as a pre-war ...

. He became commander of the 2nd Brigade at

Camp Borden Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden, French: Base des Forces canadiennes Borden or BFC Borden), formerly RCAF Station Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, C ...

during 19161917.

Political career

Currie ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the House of Commons in 1904. but subsequently won in 1908, and represented

Simcoe North Simcoe North (french: Simcoe-Nord) is a federal electoral district in central Ontario, Canada. It was established as a federal riding in 1867. Demographics :''According to the Canada 2011 Census''; 2013 representation'' Ethnic groups: 87.8% ...

in the House as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

and then Unionist member. He was defeated in his bid for reelection in 1921. Following a by-election in 1922, he subsequently represented

Toronto Southeast Toronto Southeast was an Ontario provincial electoral district that existed from 1914 to 1926. It occupied an area south of College and Gerrard between University and Logan Ave. In 1926 there was a major redistribution of Ontario seats which result ...

and then St. Patrick as a

in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario until 1929. He ran for

Mayor of Toronto The mayor of Toronto is the head of Toronto City Council and chief executive officer of the municipal government. The mayor is elected alongside city council every four years on the fourth Monday of October; there are no term limits. While in ...

in the 1924 municipal election placing a poor third.

Death

In 1931, he died at

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, following a long illness.

References

External links