Cold Danger: 0.173, Reg.#4396, Reg.#5369, 0.221

C A N A D A

Cold Danger

'Friends Not Forgotten'

This is a short essay in two parts about the RCMP which takes place in the North West Territories, Canada in the early 1900’s. Both incidents recall the arduous conditions under which members worked and the life threatening dangers our four heroes faced. Cold danger.

Part II speaks of a murder case in which very unusual circumstances played out in ‘court’. Readers will be in disbelief how the story ends.

PART I. Constable J. W. Phillips joined the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) on June 1, 1898. His first transfer took him to ‘K’ Div. (Alberta). By all accounts, Phillips was an above average sort as he went about his daily police chores. At first, nothing stood out about him thus leading one to surmise that he, like others, had their usual ‘ups and downs’.

Phillips was among other NWMP who represented Canada and fought in the South Africa War (1900 to 1902).

On July 30, 1903, for the first time, Phillips found himself in Service Court. He was charged with ‘...accepting money from a prisoner’. I suspect the money was to be used to purchase cigarettes but we are not told his story. He was fined $5.00 by Superintendent Wilson.  His ‘walk down the hall’ had little effect on his career as Phillips was promoted to the Commissioned ranks on April 1, 1913. As Officer O.173, Phillips was transferred to ‘G’ Division (Northwest Territories).

For a spell, Phillips stayed clear of Service Court. But, about five years later, on April 1, 1913, he took another stride ‘down the hall’. This time he had been charged with being ‘... found with liquor in barracks’. He was fined $5.00.

On July 22, 1918, while stationed in the North, Phillips made a routine patrol for the mail which turned into a life threatening episode. He left Herschel Island on a boat with Reg.#4396, Cpl. William A. Doak and Reg.# 5369, Cst. Eric H. Cornelius. Their boat was wrecked in floating ice during a sudden storm. The three members were forced to abandon the boat and jump from one tipsy iceberg to another, endeavouring to reach solid ice. Eventually, they came to open water and had to swim in the frigid ocean to reach shore. 

Later, it was decided that Constable Cornelius set out, in soaking clothes, to Herschel some 12 miles (19 kilometres) away. Phillips and Doak sought shelter in driftwood on the shoreline. By the next morning, Doak was delirious but they had the good fortune of attracting the attention of a whale boat passing by and the pair was rescued. When Cst. Cornelius was found, he was still struggling valiantly, in frozen clothing, towards Hershel Island. In the end, all three members were saved but only with good fortune, timing, good luck and perseverance.

PART II.  After the ice skipping incident, Phillips continued to meet new challenges which only the North could present to members of the Force. In 1920, Phillips made a lengthy patrol to the Belcher Inlands ( southeast Hudson Bay) accompanied by Reg.# 4919, Sgt. Alfred H. Joy. They were to investigate a murder. Phillips and Joy found that ‘Tukautouk’ had murdered ‘Ketaushuk’ who was known to be insane and was threatening others in the Band.

In his capacity as Coroner, Phillips held an Inquest. In his final pronouncement, he found that ‘...Ketaushuk was killed for the common good and safety of the band...’ and ‘...owing to the primitive existence and total absence of all knowledge of law’. No criminal charges were laid.

On the surface, it may appear that Phillips’ decision would tax the democratic notion of the rule of law that ‘...everyone is equal before the law’, however, extenuating circumstances and human judgement determined otherwise.  

Officer Phillips was given this honour. ‘Phillips Channel, Northwest Territories in the Mackenzie River Delta (Lat: 67·52·00N Long: 135·04·00W) was named after him.

What became of Phillips? He continued to lead a very successful career in the NWMP, RNWMP and the RCMP. In addition to serving in ‘K’ and ‘G’ Divisions, he served in ‘O’ and ‘A’ Divisions (Ontario).

Eventually, O.173, Assistant Commissioner John Willett Phillips was transferred to ‘E’ Division (British Columbia), where he retired on December 31, 1935 as the Commanding Officer.

All heroes who overcame cold danger!

O.173, A/Comm’r. J. W. Phillips died in 1959. He is buried in Ontario.

Honour Roll # 45, Reg.#4396, Corporal W. A. Doak was shot and killed on duty in 1922. He is buried in Tree River, NWT.

Reg.# 5369, Corporal E. H. Cornelius died in 1922. He is buried in Nova Scotia.

0.221, Inspector A. H. Joy died on duty from a heart attack. He is buried in Ottawa, Ontario

‘Maintain Our Memories’

Appreciation: Story line and research by Vet. Jack White
Editing and rearranging by Vet. J. J. Healy

September 27, 2011