EvanL
05-01-2004, 06:42 PM
LONDON -- A Cold Lake man is fulfilling the dying wish of a First World War infantryman by returning a blood-soaked Union Jack stolen from Britain. The saga of the disappearing colours began in 1914, when an unknown Canadian soldier shimmied up the flagpole on Canadian Square in Aldershot, England, and stole the British flag as a "souvenir."
The identity of the high-spirited mischief maker was never discovered, and red-faced top brass were forced to replace it.
Hidden securely in his webbing, the trooper carried it with him to the front lines of France, where he was mortally wounded and shipped to a first aid station.
It was there, as he was dying of his injuries, that he passed the flag on to a fellow Canadian sapper, with the dying wish: "Make sure this gets back to Aldershot." However, Cpl. Lorne Pultz, himself badly injured, was in no condition to comply with his comrade's wishes, and was in turn shipped back to Canada with the flag securely bundled in his kit bag.
It was only in 1984 that the aged veteran bequeathed the blood-stained banner to his grandson, Master Cpl. Lorne Pultz Jr., relating its unique history.
Pultz Jr., a career armourer with the Royal Canadian Air Force, realized that he was honour-bound to return the flag to its rightful home.
"My grandfather told me this story just before he died, in 1984," the 57-year-old said from Cold Lake.
"It seems that he was asked by a fellow Canadian soldier to make sure the flag returned to its home in Aldershot.
"We are proud of our connections with Britain, and I just had to make sure it happened."
Pultz explained that for many years the "stolen" flag was used to honour the dead in Canada.
"This flag certainly has a history," he said from the home he shares with his wife, Jean.
"I don't really mind where it is placed, once it's in the U.K., as long as it is displayed in a place of honour."
On Wednesday, the flag was handed back in a ceremony between Canadian army representatives and a senior British colonel.
Canadian Forces Maj. Pierre Bouffard presented the flag to the Aldershot Garrison's commander Col. Stephen Oxlade.
"This has been quite an unusual story, and we are proud to say that the flag is finally back in its hometown after 90 years," said a spokesman for the British army.
"If you look, you can see the blood- stains which, we assume, came from the original soldier's wounds."
The flag will now be on display at Aldershot's famous Military Museum.
The identity of the high-spirited mischief maker was never discovered, and red-faced top brass were forced to replace it.
Hidden securely in his webbing, the trooper carried it with him to the front lines of France, where he was mortally wounded and shipped to a first aid station.
It was there, as he was dying of his injuries, that he passed the flag on to a fellow Canadian sapper, with the dying wish: "Make sure this gets back to Aldershot." However, Cpl. Lorne Pultz, himself badly injured, was in no condition to comply with his comrade's wishes, and was in turn shipped back to Canada with the flag securely bundled in his kit bag.
It was only in 1984 that the aged veteran bequeathed the blood-stained banner to his grandson, Master Cpl. Lorne Pultz Jr., relating its unique history.
Pultz Jr., a career armourer with the Royal Canadian Air Force, realized that he was honour-bound to return the flag to its rightful home.
"My grandfather told me this story just before he died, in 1984," the 57-year-old said from Cold Lake.
"It seems that he was asked by a fellow Canadian soldier to make sure the flag returned to its home in Aldershot.
"We are proud of our connections with Britain, and I just had to make sure it happened."
Pultz explained that for many years the "stolen" flag was used to honour the dead in Canada.
"This flag certainly has a history," he said from the home he shares with his wife, Jean.
"I don't really mind where it is placed, once it's in the U.K., as long as it is displayed in a place of honour."
On Wednesday, the flag was handed back in a ceremony between Canadian army representatives and a senior British colonel.
Canadian Forces Maj. Pierre Bouffard presented the flag to the Aldershot Garrison's commander Col. Stephen Oxlade.
"This has been quite an unusual story, and we are proud to say that the flag is finally back in its hometown after 90 years," said a spokesman for the British army.
"If you look, you can see the blood- stains which, we assume, came from the original soldier's wounds."
The flag will now be on display at Aldershot's famous Military Museum.