George Randolph Pearkes

George Randolph Pearkes (26 February 1888 – 30 May 1984) was a Canadian military officer and statesman who participated in both World Wars. He served as Minister of National Defence and was the 20th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Pearkes was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England and was educated as a boarder at Berkhamsted School. He immigrated to Canada in 1906 and farmed in Alberta. In 1909, he established a homestead near Stauffer. In February 1913, he joined the Royal North-West Mounted Police under regimental number 5529 and was posted in the Yukon Territory. He was discharged from the police force in 1915 to serve on active military duty during the First World War.

Pearkes joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force under service number 107473. In September 1916, he first joined the 2nd Regiment of the Canadian Mounted Rifles and later transferred to the 5th Battalion of the Canadian Mounted Rifles in France. He rose from private to temporary major and was wounded in action five times during the war. In December 1916, he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and later the Distinguished Service Order for leadership under fire.

During the Second Battle of Passchendaele, while serving as Acting Major with the 5th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, Pearkes was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions. He was wounded in the thigh before the main assault on 30 October 1917 but refused evacuation and continued to lead his force against fortified German positions near Source Farm and Vapour Farm.

His Victoria Cross citation was published in The London Gazette on 11 January 1918:

"For most conspicuous bravery and skilful handling of the troops under his command during the capture and consolidation of considerably more than the objectives allotted to him, in an attack. Just prior to the advance Major Pearkes was wounded in the thigh. Regardless of his wound, he continued to lead his men with the utmost gallantry, despite many obstacles. At a particular stage of the attack his further advance was threatened by a strong point which was an objective of the battalion on his left, but which they had not succeeded in capturing. Quickly appreciating the situation, he captured and held this point, thus enabling his further advance to be successfully pushed forward. It was entirely due to his determination and fearless personality that he was able to maintain his objective with the small number of men at his command against repeated enemy counter attacks, both his flanks being unprotected for a considerable depth meanwhile. His appreciation of the situation throughout and the reports rendered by him were invaluable to his Commanding Officer in making dispositions of troops to hold the position captured. He showed throughout a supreme contempt of danger and wonderful powers of control and leading."

Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1917, Pearkes assumed command of the 116th Infantry Battalion, CEF, which he commanded until the armistice. Following the war, he entered the Permanent Active Militia with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. During the interwar period, he completed staff training and held appointments in Winnipeg, Calgary and at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Pearkes was appointed commander of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, leading the formation overseas to the United Kingdom. He subsequently commanded the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. Promoted to Major-General, he returned to Canada in September 1942 as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Pacific Command. He oversaw coastal defence infrastructure and Canadian forces participating in the Aleutian Islands Campaign.

Pearkes retired from the military in 1945 to enter politics. He was elected to the House of Commons as the Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Nanaimo in 1945, later representing Esquimalt—Saanich from 1953 to 1960. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker appointed him Minister of National Defence in June 1957. He held the position when the North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) was established in 1958. He resigned his cabinet post in October 1960 and served as the 20th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia until July 1968. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in November 1967. Pearkes died on 30 May 1984, in Victoria, British Columbia and was buried at Holy Trinity Cemetery in West Saanich.