Robert McBeath to be commemorated
with a traditional Scottish cairn
 LOCAL CHILDREN with the help of a stonemason constructed a traditional Scottish cairn to honour fallen hero Robert McBeath in his hometown of Kinlochbervie, Scotland in 2009. |
VANCOUVER – Constable Robert McBeath is fondly remembered as a hero by members of the Vancouver Police Department and citizens of his hometown of Kinlochbervie, Scotland.
McBeath's adventurous spirit took hold in 1915, at the age of 16. He was living in Kinlochbervie, Scotland when he made the decision to join the fight for king and country in the First World War, even though he was too young to enlist.
During the war Lance Corporal McBeath set himself apart with his bravery. With the help of a tank, he singlehandedly wiped out a number of machine gun nests in an effort to save fellow soldiers pinned down by German gunfire during the 1917 Battle of Cambrai in France. He alone captured three officers and 30 soldiers at the barrel of his Lewis gun and forced the Germans into retreat. For his brave actions he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Despite being the toast of the town and the recipient of free farmland after the war, McBeath pined for adventure so he packed up and left Kinlochbervie for Vancouver.
Tragically, not long after he became a police officer in his new home of Vancouver, Robert was shot and killed by an impaired driver at the corner of Davie and Granville on October 9, 1922.
At the time, Vancouver newspaper editorials called for two minutes of silence to honour the fallen policeman (and capital punishment for his killer), and his funeral was one of the largest ever held in Vancouver history. All stores and banks were closed and thousands of people attended to pay their respects.
The funeral procession was led by Vancouver Police Inspector George Hood on horseback along with two other mounted policemen. The Vancouver Police Pipe Band marched ahead of widow Barbara, Vancouver's mayor and council members and 300 Masons marching four abreast.
The procession was completed by 80 hand-picked members of the Vancouver Police Department led by Chief Constable James Anderson, along with 100 members of the Vancouver Fire Department, 12 members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in scarlet uniform, 50 members of the Seaforth Highlanders Regiment Vancouver, a contingent from the Irish Fusiliers of Canada, several hundred World War One veterans, 40 members of the BC Electric Railway, 12 members of the Canadian Pacific Police and several hundred members of the Foresters, St. Andrews, and Caledonia Societies.
Bringing up the rear were several hundred members of the public. As the procession passed by heads were bared and a reverent silence befell the crowd.
Back in his hometown of Kinlochbervie, Scotland, citizens mourned their hero, and named a street in the small village in his memory.
In 2009, an event was held in Kinlochbervie, Scotland to commemorate Robert McBeath, VC. Local school children, with the help of a stone mason, constructed a traditional Scottish cairn in his honour.
Plans are already in place to have a twin memorial cairn erected in Vancouver to commemorate all of the fallen Vancouver Police officers and to signify the connection between Vancouver and Robert McBeath’s home town of Kinlochbervie, Scotland. The cairn will be situated at the new Vancouver Tactical Training Centre on Glen Drive.
Students from the local high school in Kinlochbervie are planning a school trip to Vancouver between June 9-16th, 2010 and are extremely interested in contributing to the building of the cairn. They would also like to bring some stones from McBeath’s original home for inclusion in the cairn.
The Vancouver Police Department is initiating a school project here in Vancouver involving local children who will partner with the children from Scotland and help in the construction of the cairn.
The intention is to make the unveiling ceremony into a community event where schools and local groups will be invited to attend. The Vancouver Police Pipe Band will play at the dedication ceremony, which is planned for June 14 at 11 AM.
Various groups within the Vancouver Police Department are actively raising money to help with the costs of bringing the Scottish visitors to Vancouver.
At this time, a stone mason has not been secured to build the small cairn. If you can provide the contact information for a local stone mason who would be willing to volunteer time to build the cairn then please get in touch with: Constable Jeff Campbell, Granville St. Community Policing Centre, 1263 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 1M5. Call (604) 717-2920, (604) 717-3349 Ext. 2132 (voicemail), or fax: (604) 717-2922.
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