John Weir Foote

John Weir Foote VC CD

John Weir Foote took part in the ill-fated Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942 against the wishes of his superiors. His view was simple: where his men went, he went.

Before the landing, aboard HMS Glengyle, Foote reportedly gathered the men for prayer, using the words: “The Lord is my light and my salvation.” Once ashore at Dieppe, in occupied France, the burly chaplain attached himself to the Regimental Aid Post, assisting the medical officer and tending to the wounded both spiritually and physically.

During the eight hours the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry was pinned down on the beach, Foote repeatedly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire. He carried more than 30 wounded soldiers from the open beach to the aid post, moving through shellfire, machine-gun fire, and chaos with remarkable calm and courage.

As the raid collapsed and re-embarkation was ordered, Foote had the chance to escape. Instead, he climbed out of the landing craft that would have taken him to safety, waded back ashore, and voluntarily remained with the Canadian troops who had been stranded and were about to be taken prisoner.

As a chaplain and non-combatant, Foote was not supposed to carry a weapon. However, during the evacuation, he reportedly seized a Bren gun and gave covering fire for his comrades as they tried to leave the beach — an extraordinary and highly unusual act for a padre. He was taken prisoner along with many members of the RHLI, including the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Labatt. Foote remained a prisoner of war until his release on 5 May 1945.

After returning to Canada, Foote remained with the Canadian Chaplain Corps. In September 1945, he was posted to Camp Borden as Senior Protestant Chaplain with the rank of Major, and took up residence in Barrie, Ontario.

On 28 March 1946, Foote travelled to Buckingham Palace, where King George VI formally presented him with the Victoria Cross. He became the only member of the Canadian Chaplain Service ever to receive the VC.

Foote remained in Barrie and continued serving with the Chaplain Corps until his release from the Army in 1948. That same year, he left pastoral ministry for politics, winning a seat in the Ontario Legislature as the Progressive Conservative member for Durham. He held the riding until retiring from politics in 1959.

In 1964, Foote returned to the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry as its Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel, an appointment he held until 1973. Among the honours he received in later life, the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Cobourg was named in his honour in 1982.

Reverend John Weir Foote lived with his wife, Edith, in Cobourg, Ontario, until his death on 2 May 1988. He was laid to rest in Cobourg Union Cemetery. In September 1990, the James Street Armoury in Hamilton, home of the RHLI, was renamed the Lieutenant-Colonel John Weir Foote VC CD Armoury in his honour.

Foote’s medals are on permanent display at the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Museum.