A World War II veteran and retired Vancouver Police officer has received the French Legion of Honor medal during a presentation ceremony at Vancouver Police headquarters.
Edward Clarence Leaks, 90, joins a group of distinguished veterans who have received the medal in recognition of their efforts in the liberation of France during WWII.
Retired Constable Leaks, dressed in his still pristine Canadian Army dress uniform, received the medal from Mr. Jean-Christophe Floury, Consul General of France, as family, friends and current military and police personnel looked on.
Leask was born on April 3rd, 1924, in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He took leave from his job as a band saw operator at the Saskatchewan Box Factory in December of 1941, joining the Regina Rifle Regiment at age 17. Ed was deployed overseas in service to Canada, fighting for the liberation of France, and landed on the beaches of Normandy as an infantryman with allied forces on D-day, June 6th, 1944.
Ed completed his tour in 1945 and returned to his job at the box factory. In 1946, he moved to Vancouver to start a family and was employed by the Hammond Furniture Company.
On May 1st, 1951, Leask was appointed as a constable with the Vancouver Police Department and served for 28 years with consistent, outstanding performance until his retirement on April 3rd, 1979.
“Retired Constable Ed Leask has made a legacy of serving Canadians and the residents of Vancouver,” says Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu. “We are very proud to have witnessed his reception of this prestigious award as he joins a distinguished group of veterans who have been recognized for their efforts in liberating France.”
Chief Constable Jim Chu
Remarks
Ed Leask applied to the VPD in August of 1950. He and his wife, Dayle, had two young sons, and Ed was embarking on a new career.
Ed was only 27 years old, but he had already lived a pretty full life.
He was born in 1924 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. In 1939, he went to work for a short time as a band saw operator at the Saskatchewan Box Factory, and then took leave to join the Canadian Army in 1941, signing up with the Regina Rifle Regiment.
On June 6, 1944, when the allied forces landed on Juno Beach, fighting for the liberation of France, Ed rode his motorcycle, equipped with a snorkel, off of the landing craft and onto the beach. Their efforts, as we all know, would lead to the liberation of France and help bring an end to the war.
Ed went on to join the signal corps, running messages across the battlefield on his motorcycle. Imagine his surprise one day when he spotted another motorcycle approaching in the distance, thinking it might be the enemy, and then discovering it was his brother Chester, also a member of the Regina Rifle Regiment.
After the war, Ed returned to Saskatchewan and the box factory, but a year later, he headed to Vancouver to make his home on the coast. He worked at various jobs for a few years, finally ending up at the Vancouver Police Department.
How fortunate for us.
Ed’s career with the VPD included work in Traffic and on patrol. He received a Deputy Chief Constable’s Commendation in 1964, a Marksmanship Badge in 1966 and 1968, and a Chief Constable’s Commendation in 1970 for his consistent, outstanding performance in his work with the Vancouver Police Department.
Retired Constable Ed Leask has made a legacy of serving Canadians and the residents of Vancouver. We are very proud to witness his reception of the French Legion of Honour medal, as he joins a distinguished group of veterans who have been recognized for their efforts in liberating France.
