The Hart Family of the Canadian Provost Corps were all very well known and respected members of the
Corps with no less than three brothers serving simultaneously during the post WWII era. They were: Sgt
J.A. (Joe) Hart (released in 1966), Sgt Harold (Harry) Hart (retired 1979) and Sgt J.A. (John) Hart (retired from
the RCMP in 1987).
Sgt Joe Hart who is a regular contributor to the Canadian Provost Corps Virtual Association Web Site, advises that
eleven members out of the fourteen children in his family had served in the British and/or Canadian
Forces. Before and during WWII six brothers and one sister joined the British Forces serving in North Africa,
Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Iran, Syria, Crete, Sicily, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Singapore, Burma, Thailand and
D Day on the beaches of Normandy during WWII.
After WWII, three brothers and one sister joined the British and Canadian Armed Forces and served with the Royal
Marines in Hong Kong, Malaya and Malta, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Korea, the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Provost Corp (Military Police) and the Royal Canadian Air Force with
NATO forces in Europe and in stations across Canada.
Outlined below, as was prepared by Joe Hart, is a short biography of each of his siblings who served their Countries
with pride and dedication:
-
Charles - Joined the Royal Army Service Corp in 1939. He served in North Africa, Palestine, Iraq,
Jordan, Syria, Iran and West and East Europe. He was wounded while serving in North Africa. He was discharged in
1946 with seven years of service.
-
Kenneth - Joined the Royal Artillery in 1940 and served as a Lewis Gunner on a troop ship in the
evacuation of Dunkirk. He was serving in Singapore when he was taken prisoner by the Japanese and worked as a
POW on the Burma railway. He remained a POW until the end of the war. He was discharged in 1946 with six years
of service.
-
James - Joined the Royal Air Force in 1940 and served as a transport driver in England and North
Africa. He was discharged in 1946 with six years of service.
-
Norman - Joined the Royal Fusilier's in 1938 and then transferred to The Queen's Own Regiment,
he served with the British Expeditionary Forces in France and was evacuated from Dunkirk. He also served in Italy
and Greece. He was discharged in 1946 with eight years of service.
-
Donald - Joined the Royal Marines in 1941. He was with the 45th. Commando and served in North
Africa, Crete, Sicily, Italy,"D" Day in Normandy, France, Holland and Belgium as an Assault Engineer. He was blown
up, blinded and disfigured by a land mine in Belgium while disarming them. He was discharged in 1945 with four years
of service.
-
Margaret - Joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in Jun 1941. She transferred to 200 Company,
C.R.U. C.W.A.C. as a Dispatch Rider on 7 Apr 1943. She was killed in a motorcycle accident at Ash Vale, Surrey,
England on 6 Feb 1944 with two years and eight months of service.
-
Milton - Joined the Royal Artillery in May 1944. He served in Greece and Palestine. He was discharged
in Nov 1947 with three years six months of service.
-
Harold - Joined the Royal Marines in 1949. He served in England, Hong Kong, Malaya and Malta with 45
Commando until 1953 when he transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and then to the Canadian Provost Corp in 1954
where he served in Canada and with NATO forces in Europe. He retired in 1979 with thirty years of service.
-
Joseph - Joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in 1951. He served with the United Nations Forces
in Korea from 1951 to 1952, and then transferred to the Canadian Provost Corp in 1953 where he served in Canada and
with NATO forces in Europe. He was wounded while serving in Korea. He was discharged in 1966 with fifteen years six
months of service.
-
John - Joined the Fort Garry Horse in 1951. He transferred to the Lord Strathcona Horse (RC) and then
to the Canadian Provost Corp in 1951 and served in Canada and with NATO forces in Europe. He was discharged in Dec
1957. He joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1957 and was stationed in numerous places across Canada. He
retired in 1987 with a combined total of thirty six years of service.
-
Sheila - Joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in Feb 1954. She served in Canada and with NATO forces
in Europe. She was discharged in Jun 1956 with two years and four months of service.
Of the eleven members, one was killed, three were wounded and one was a POW with the Japanese.
All of the family members were honourably discharged or retired with a combined total of approximately one hundred and
twenty one years of service.
In the inset photo Joe Hart is shown holding a framed display of all of the military hat badges that were worn by
members of his family, in either or both, the British and Canadian Forces. On the left side, from top to bottom:
-
British Royal Marines - worn by Kenneth and Milton;
-
Royal Marines - worn by Donald and Harold (Harry);
-
Royal Army Service Corps - worn by Charles;
-
Royal Air Force - worn by James;
-
British Army Auxilliary Territorial Service (ATS) and Canadian Woman's Army Corps (CWAC) - both worn by Margaret, and;
-
British Royal Fusiliers and Queens Own Regiment - both worn by Norman;
On the right side:
-
Canadian Army, Fort Garry Horse (FGH) and Lord Strathcona's Horse (LDSH (RC)) - both worn by John;
-
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) - worn by Sheila;
-
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) - worn by Joseph;
-
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) - worn by John;
-
Canadian Provost Corps (C Pro C) - worn by Harold, Joseph and John, and;
-
Canadian Forces Military Police (MP) and Canadian Navy (HMCS Sioux) - worn by Harold.
There may very well be other immediate families in either the United Kingdom and Canada that have given as much to their Countries
Armed Forces but one thing is for sure, it is indeed very rare to encounter such an extensive level of service from a single family. It
says a awful lot about their upbringing and the patriotism instilled into each one of them by their parents. So they should be proud of
their combined military service.
|
