Help Identify Members – Part II

Another Case Solved on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen!

Recently we reached out to our Veterans to see if they could help identify two members in a photograph taken of then Princess Elizabeth when she visited Canada in 1951 filling in for her ailing father King George VI. The response has been great and the identity of the two members confirmed.

1951 – Photograph of Princess Elizabeth, Prince Philip and two unknown RCMP members (Source of photo – Ric Hall’s Photo Collection).

The member facing the camera is James Robertson Zavitz, Reg # 13997, and the officer shaking Princess Elizabeth’s hand is William Harrison Graham Nevin, Reg # 11122/O.371.
William Nevin was born in Portstewart, Northern Ireland. He joined the Force in October 1931.

He had a well travelled career as a member of the Force. He served in “H”, “G” “Depot”, “A” and back to “H” and then back to “A”, “D” and “L” Division when he was promoted to Chief Superintendent and served as the Commanding Officer. Off to “E” Division and his final transfer was to “B” Division as the Commanding Officer. He was invalided to pension in July 1956.

Many immediately identified Jim Zavitz, but unfortunately I was not able to get a lot of information on his career. He was born on July 28, 1922. He joined the Force on June 21, 1941 and retired on December 31, 1970.  Apparently, he was out of the Force from  June 30, 1945 to June 1, 1946, reason unknown. He won Connaught Cup in 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1961. That is outstanding and no mean feat! He retired from the Force as a Sergeant Major.

1951 – Photograph of “A” Division team which won the James Boa Team Match at the DCRA Meet at Connaught Ranges. Left to right: Sgt. E.C. Armstrong (260 x 300); S/Sgt. E. Davies (230 x 300) and Constable J. Zavitz (267 x 300). The “A” Division team was 27 points ahead of the second-place and Constable Zavitz topped the shooters in the individual scores in the same match (Source of photo – RCMP Quarterly Volume 17 – No. 2).

In 2003, he authored a book entitled “Remembering My Life In The Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1941 – 1970.”  This was a self published book.

Photograph at an unknown event appears to have William Nevin and Jim Zavitz in the background (Source of photo – Ric Hall’s Photo Collection).

My friend, veteran Don Render, Reg # 20457/O.872, pointed out to me that Nevin and Zavitz were captured in the front row of a group photograph taken of members of Vancouver Town Station (wow, that is going back in time!) and Vancouver Sub-Division (remember Sub-Divisions?) taken in 1961. Not a lot of smiling faces! It seems that officers always had to have that severe look on their faces, perhaps back in the day it was true what they said about the newly commissioned officer’s “Hate Course.” I bet the members of the day did not call officers by their first names!
Nevin, then a Superintendent, is the taller of the two officers wearing the blue tunic and cloth cap and Zavitz, then a Sergeant, is fourth from the right. Don Render is in the centre row, second from the left peering over the shoulder of the taller corporal in front of him. The officer in the front row wearing Review Order is Inspector Maurice Nadon….I wonder whatever became of him?

1961 – Photograph of the Vancouver Sub-division and Town Station Inspection (Source of photo – Ric Hall’s Photo Collection).