John Stolarski’s Old Newspaper Clippings

With the exception of his first two years in the Force, John Stolarski spent his entire career as a Police Dog Services handler.

Throughout this career, John clipped newspaper articles about members who he had worked with.

Despite the fact that John has passed away, his family has agreed for us to re-post these articles for the interest of RCMP Veterans and current members of the Force.

TWO RCMP OFFICERS HURT IN SCUFFLE WITH CYCLE GANG

Kamloops, B.C. Eleven youths appeared in magistrate’s court here Monday in connection with weekend incidents in which two RCMP officers were injured and four others attacked.

A total of 20 charges were laid, including assaulting a police officer, causing bodily harm, creating a disturbance and wilful damage after what police described as a running battle with a motorcycle gang wearing sleeveless denim jackets.

The trouble started Friday night when a youth police said was a member of a gang called Devils Escorts kicked in the window of a citizen’s car.  Const. Ken Rehman (Reg.#23696) attempted to arrest the youth but was attacked “by six or more other gang members,” RCMP said.

Some of the youths wielded pieces of chain and Rehman suffered head cuts.  A crowd of 50 gathered to watch the fight but only a few offered to help the officer.

Shortly afterwards, police attempted to arrest a youth in connection with the first attack and another fight broke outside a dance hall.

Const. H. Jenkins suffered a possible fractured skull in the scuffle as a crowd of about 200 watched.  Only a few people offered assistance, police said.

“The youths are members of a so-called motorcycle club,” an RCMP spokesman said.  “We have had a few run-ins with them before but nothing like this.”

Victor Gregory, 22, and Raymond Grey, 19, were fined $25 each Monday when they appeared in court and pleaded guilty to causing a disturbance.

Six others, charged with assaulting a officer and causing a disturbance, were remanded to Aug. 16 for trial.  Magistrate J.D. Layton set bail at $500 each.

Two others, charged with obstructing an officer and causing a disturbance, were remanded to Aug. 16 with bail set at $50 each.

Michael McElgunn, 19, charged with assaulting an officer and causing a disturbance, was released on bail of $1,000 pending a hearing Aug. 11.  He entered no plea.

NOTE: Ken Rehman retired from the Force on January 3, 1988 and his last posting was in the General Investigative Section – Victoria Sub-division.

NEW RCMP HEAD NAMED

Photograph of RCMP Sgt. Norm Manning.

Sgt. Norm Manning (Reg.#14838) is the new head of Haney RCMP detachment, following S/Sgt. Harding’s retirement.

Sgt. Manning, formerly of the Epenticton detachment, assumed command Tuesday, March 16.

His family, consisting of his wife and four girls, ages from 11 to 18, will follow him from Penticton in July.

Sgt. Manning has served with the RCMP for 24 years, in Vancouver, Campbell River, Bella Colla, Trail, Prince George, White Rock, and for our years in southern Alberta.

NOTE: Norm Manning retired from the Force on December 5, 1974 and his last posting was as the NCO ic Haney Detachment.  According to Veteran Mel McIntosh, “Norm has had a stroke and is now confined to a wheel chair.  Although his voice is a little hesitant, he still sounds like Norm.”

CONSTABLES PRAISED FOR SAVING 11 PEOPLE

Photographs of (left to right): RCMP Constables Gamble and Thomas Assay.

February 10, 1966 (Vancouver Sun) – Two RCMP constables who rescued 11 people from a burning house last May have received official praise from their superiors.

Const. Donald John Gamble (Reg.#22046) of the Richmond detachment and Const. Thomas A. Assaly  (Reg.#23560) of the Kamloops detachment were presented with the commendations from their commanding officers and RCMP assistant commissioner F.S. Spalding Wednesday.

The men saved the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wallace and their nine children during a fire at the Wallace home on the Mount Currie Indian Reserve in the Pemberton Valley.

NOTE: Donald Gamble went on to become a handwriting expert in the Force and retired in 1986.  Thomas Assay went on to become an Ident member in the Kamloops Subdivision. After retiring on June 30, 1979, he went onto open up a a jewellery story in Melfort Saskatchewan.

LORNE NELSON LEAVES FOR REGINA TO TRAIN WITH THE RCMP

Photograph of Lorne Gary Nelson.

Lorne Gary Nelso, 20-years-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Nelson of 6th Road, Albion, left Wednesday morning, August 8, for Regina, Saskatchewan, where he will train as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police member (Reg.#22763).

Lorne graduated from Maple Ridge Senior High School in June, 1960, and since then has been employed in Nelson Brothers sawmill.

He has one sister, Mrs. A. Millhouse (Lorraine), Stonhouse Road, Haney.

Miss Dixie Watkins and her mother, Mrs. H.G. Watkins, honoured Lorne with a farewell party on Sunday evening, August 5.  Approximately 30 friends and relatives gathered at the Watkins home to bid Lorne farewell and to wish him luck in his chosen vocation.

He was presented with a beautiful cake trimmed in white and red and centred with a miniature mounted policeman figurine; also a large card, made by Miss June Nalli, which had been signed by each guest.

Refreshments were served by the hostesses and an enjoyable evening of dancing was spent.

Another party was given for Lorne by the members of the Yennadon Softball team and their wives on Saturday evening, July 28, at the home of Phil and Thelma Stolarski, 14th Avenue North.

Mrs. Edna Blackley, on behalf of everyone present, presented Lorne with a hand made leather wallet.

Mrs. George Herman had made numerous sandwiches and arranged them in the shape of a large loaf of bread with “Good Luck, Lorne” written across the top in dill pickles.  A miniature mounted policeman and police car centred the loaf.

Dancing brought the memorable evening to a close.

NOTE: Lorne successfully completed his basic RCMP training in Regina and was transferred to “K” Division where he served until his retirement on December 1, 1986.  Lorne left the Force with the rank of Sergeant.

BRAVE MOUNTIE MOUNTIE GOT HIS MEN

Photograph of RCMP Corporal Bob Teather.

It was a scary moment.  The panic fisherman had ripped off his would-be rescuer’s mask and the two jostled for control in the cramped engine room of the overturned fish boat.

But Surrey RCMP Cpl. Bob Teather managed to calm the man, turned him on his back and made his way to the surface.  He then went back to rescue a second man.

This dramatic rescue has won for Teather Canada’s highest award for bravery – the Cross of Valor.  He saved the lives of two fishermen trapped inside the engine room of the 16-metre vessel Respond, in the dark of night Sept. 26, 1981.  His companion Tim Kain, received the Medal of Bravery.

Teather, 36, a 16-year veteran (Reg.#26122) of the force and a diving expert  said he declined to lecture on the subject of rescuing people from inside overturned vessels at the University of Michigan in 1980 “because this type of a rescue had never been done before.”

He had been sent to the university to lecture on the subject of police diving for rescue and recovery operations.

His citation for bravery reads: “Though inexperienced in this type of rescue, yet aware that the boat was sinking and that qualified help was miles away, Cpl. Teather determined to go.”

“Knowing that he had no back-up, unsure of the dangers inside and uncertain of the condition or the cooperation of the seamen inside, he entered the companionway.”

Kain, who cannibalized his own diving equipment so two could breathe from a single apparatus, went under water with Teather and it was decided to entrance was so small that only one man could go in.

He remained on the surface and carried the men over to a hovercraft as Teather brought them up.

“Tim was right in there,” said Teather, paying a tribute to his colleague.

“No I don’t feel like a hero – and that’s not just an ‘aw shucks‘ – I think any member of the diving team would have done the same,” Teather said Friday in an interview. “But the award came as a pleasant surprise.”

The award was presented at a ceremony in Ottawa June 24.

NOTE: Bob Teather went on to write several books: “Scarlet Tunic,” “Merlin,” “Something Beautiful This Way Comes,” Mountie Makers,” and “The Encyclopaedia of Underwater Investigation.”  He retired from the Force on May 20, 1998 and passed away on November 15, 2004.

Bob Teather is the only member of the Force to have receive the Cross of Valor.