Last Serving NWMP Officer

I've downloaded a number of back issues of the RCMP 's The Quarterly magazine, ranging in publishing date from the mid-1940s to as recently as 2018.

For the unfamiliar, the publication is first began publication in 1933 and is produced by the veterans association. It covers a wide range of topic, mostly current, such as events, community appearances, career achievements, retirements, obituaries, etc. But as you would expect from an organization that dates back to 1873, it also includes some historical content.

I was poring over my downloads for said historical content and in short order came across this bit of trivia in the April 1946 issue. 

I hope to come across Duncan's full name at some point so I can record it properly!

Speared, by John Easterly

The short story that follows appeared in the December, 1934, issue of Thrilling Adventures. Left click the image, then right click and open it in a new tab to enlarge it. 

I wasn't able to locate much information about the writer, Easterly. His work appears in other pulp novels of the time, but it doesn't seem as though Mounties were a particular focus of his, unfortunately. 

North Bounty by A. DeHerries Smith

The following story was published in the February 15th, 1931, edition of Adventure Magazine.

I was not familiar with Smith when I initially began reading the story last night, but it took very little research to determine that he was among the more prolific writers of Northerns in his time. I believe he had his first sort story published in 1925 and continued writing until the early 1940s. He passed away in 1945. He also wrote under the names Owen Finbar and Dan O'Rourke. 

"The Graphic: An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper"

The illustrations below appeared in the December 31st, 1881, edition of the London, England, newspaper named in the subject line.  

"Mountie Lifestyle No Picnic"

The article below was published in the Calgary Herald on August 1st of 2000 as Fort Calgary was celebrating its 125th anniversary. It provides a glimpse into the hardships faced by the men at the time, and some general historical data about the fort itself. 

The Mounties Always Fetch Their Man

The brief article below appeared in the Fort Benton (Montana, USA) Weekly Record of April 13th, 1877.

It is unfortunate that I was not able (at least thus far) to locate an undamaged version of the article. It is believed to be the source, or perhaps inspiration is the more accurate term, of the "always get their man" tagline attached to the Mounties. 

Irvine must be Acheson Gosford Irvine, who joined the  NWMP in 1875. He would have been Assistant Commissioner at that time, and became Commissioner in November 1880.

Winder is likely William Winder, who commanded 'C' Troop during the March West in 1873, then through to his discharge in 1881. 

Dixon of the Mounted Splash Page

I mentioned, in the November 24th post, having acquired a number of decades-old publications in digital format. The image below is a treat from one of those acquisitions. 

This is the opening page to the first of five stories in the July 1942 issue of Active Comics. It involves three Nazis being dropped off from a submarine near Nelson River with a mission to destroy a munitions factory and Dixon's relentless chase to prevent them. 

Dixon had front-and-center honours on the cover for this issue, shown below.  

Dixon was a regular feature for the first 20 issues or so. From what I've viewed so far, the art is inconsistent, but it does shine on occasion. I'll be sure to share those occasions as I make my way through the material.