Saturday, December 8, 2012

Veteran's News

Heavy Medal

WWI hardware with a Chilliwack connection on the block

Released by James & Sons Auctioneers

n April 1916, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Leslie Coote , commanding officer of the 47th Battalion, the Canadian Expeditionary Force, appointed his elder son, 20 year-old Ian Vernon Coote, as his Adjutant.

His younger son, 'Ginger' Coote, also joined the battalion, as bugle boy at the age of 12, becoming its crack shot.

He first served in the trenches of Northern France at the age of 14.Remarkably all three family members survived the hostilities.

Andrew Leslie Coote organized the Warehouse at Terminal Avenue in Vancouver during the Depression, taking care of between 400 and 500 men in distressed circumstances. At the outbreak of WWII he was living in England and became CO of an Observer Corps Group until retiring when he returned to Canada. There he took an active role with the Pacific Coast Rangers.

In 1948 with the Red Cross he took part in flood relief on Lulu Island. His medals form an OBE group of seven.

Ian Vernon Coote, following his service with the CEF in Canada, England and France, became a staff officer at 3^rd Army HQ.He later became Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Essex. His is an OBE group of five.

'Ginger' joined the Royal Flying Corps while convalescing from wounds in England towards the end of WWI, and then the RAF, thus laying the foundations of his future in aviation founding the Chilliwack Flying Club, Bridge River Caribou Air Services and Ginger Coote Airlines.

This remarkable Canadian Expeditionary Force family group of medals is one of the lots being auctioned By James and Sons, the Norfolk, UK, auctioneers, on December 19th at Fakenham Racecourse, commencing at 12 noon.

On-line bidding is available through: www.the-saleroom.com. The catalogue can be viewed on: www.jamesandsonsauctioneers.com

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