Century-old war medal returned to B.C. family, with new details on how it was earned
A mystery more than 100 years in the making has been solved in Nanaimo, B.C.
The daughter of a First World War veteran always knew her father fought gallantly, but an odd series of events uncovered just how brave he was.
In 1958, Lt. John Austin died. His death was caused by lingering effects of mustard gas poisoning, decades after he served with the Canadian Forces in the First World War.
For his daughter, Margret Sloat, you'd expect the stories about his years in the military would have died with him.
"The trenches were awful. There were rats and water and mud. That's all he said," Sloat told CTV News on Monday.
"(He) never said anything about what he did."
Decades later, however, Sloat would learn about how her father earned a military medal for bravery.
"It says, 'For bravery in the field,'" she said, reading the medal.
The silver, 1917 medal was stolen from Sloat's home, alongside other items, before the pandemic began.
In December 2021, however, a keen-eyed city worker spotted the glistening medal as he cleaned a tent encampment in Nanaimo.
'A GENTLE WARRIOR'
The medal was turned over to Greg Devenish, a volunteer at the Vancouver Island Military Museum.
"The research was really important in this," said Devenish. "Those military medals weren't just handed out."
Devenish traced the origin of the medal and learned that Austin was awarded the commendation at the Battle of Lens in France in 1917.
"During that attack his immediate superior officer goes down," said Devenish. "He rallies his men, gives them orders, and putting his own life on the line, he eliminates the threat."
"He must have been a gentle warrior," added the museum volunteer. "He had to be. He never bragged about it, never talked about it and his daughter never knew what the medal was for."
It was eventually discovered that Sloat was Austin's daughter, and the medal was returned to her.
The Vancouver Island woman says she's grateful that the city worker found the medal, and that Devenish was able to complete so much research.
"Without the two of them, where would (the medal) be?" she said.
"It would be at the dump," she said. "No one would know about it, I wouldn't know all this information about my dad."
A daughter, who already cherished her father's memory, has a 105-year-old reason to be proud again.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.