The Zombie Mutiny
15th Canadian Infantry Brigade.
Its my understanding that the French Canadian Fusiliers do St. Laurent (aka the Zombies) also went to fight in the Aleutians. Can anyone correct me on this?
These guys turned their guns on their own officers while stationed in my home town of Terrace, BC during WW2. The only mutiny to occur on Canadian Soil during WW2.
Here is the story.
Two days after having received the "King's Orders" mobilizing them to Europe the Fusiliers refused to go on parade - the base's senior officers were at an emergency meeting in Vancouver and stormy weather prevented them from returning in short order.
Shortly afterwards members of the Prince Edward Island Highlanders woke up to the fact that the Fusiliers had their weapons trained on them and had taken over weapon stores and the ammunition dump. The Fusiliers maintained that if the PEI Highlanders dared to go on Parade that morning "They would be made to suffer". For three days PEI Highlanders watched patiently from barrack windows as the Fusiliers patrolled the base in full battle dress, armed to the teeth.
On the evening of the third day the base's senior officers finally arrived from Vancouver and made plans to break the mutiny. The C.O. Fus. du St. L., Lt.Col P.H. L'Heureux, with a small garrison of men, confronted the mutineer's in both English and French at the drill hall. He defined the seriousness of the action they were taking. The men were read both section 7 of the army act, paragraph 420 (c) of the King's Rules and Regulations regarding the consequences of Mutiny. All of this was to no avail.
In a session of the House of Commons, Mackenzie King was handed a message from from Major General Pearkes which read:
"The situation in Terrace can now only be considered as mutiny - approximately 1600 men affected in Fusiliers du St. Laurent. Prince Edward Island highlanders and Prince Albert Volunteers in a demonstration without disorder yesterday. About 25% of garrison controlling the remainder by intimidation, occupying well organized positions with six pounders mounted. Have asked Attorney-General to close liquor stores (in Terrace) and prevent movement of liquor into it.
Brigadier (A.R.) Roy and Lt. Col (J.E.P.H.) L'Hereux now endeavoring to regain control of French units."
On November 28th the C.O. gave them 15 minutes to lay down their weapons and form up on the parade square. From the parade square they would get on a train and head for the East Coast. One by one the mutineers lay down his weapon and formed up on the parade square. The mutiny (aka "War of Nerves") was over.
Its my understanding that these French Canadians were conscripted under the promiss that they would never to be shipped over to Eurpore to fight "Britain's War" (which I never understood considering it was France that was invaded). So they signed up and were stuck in Terrace, BC as far from Europe as you can get really. Anyways the war in Europe was taking its toll on the Canadian Army and thus the Fusiliers du St. Laurent received the King's Orders to ship out. Thus they mutinied.
The "Zombie" term was a derogatory term taken from Hollywood horror movies meaning "The walking dead". It came to be used to describe the NRMA soldiers in 1942 because of the fact that their military training was to no avail. The troops seemed to have no purpose, no motivation, poor morale and poor discipline.
Court of Inquiry (3 December) assembled at Terrace
Only a few disciplinary actions were taken as a result of the Terrace Mutiny
Many of the NRMA men did not turn up in the eastern provinces once the train arrived (they jumped somewhere along the line). Their senior NCO's were obviously looking the other way. Those that stayed on the train enjoyed two weeks of rest before being sent over seas. According to reports from Britain they fought bravely and consequently charges for the incident were dropped. As for those that were indicted they were accused with dissobedience of a lawful order; and not many of these charges were pressed into a conclusion.
