George Pearkes Major General George Randolph Pearkes , VC , PC , CC , CB , DSO , MC , CD ( February 28 , 1888 – May 30 , 1984 ) was a Canadian politician ; soldier ; recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to British and Imperial forces ; and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia . Early life . Born in Watford , Hertfordshire , England in 1888 , the oldest child of Louise and George Pearkes , he attended Berkhamsted School . In 1906 , he and his brother emigrated to Alberta where they settled near Red Deer . In 1911 , George joined the North - West Mounted Police and served in Yukon until the outbreak of the First World War . Military career and Victoria Cross . In 1915 , he enlisted in the 2nd Regiment , Canadian Mounted Rifles ; transferring in September 1916 to the 5th Battalion Canadian Mounted Rifles . During the Battle of Passchendaele his gallantry as detailed in the following citation won him the Victoria Cross . During the war , he was promoted to Lieutenant - Colonel . He received the Victoria Cross , the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order . Following the First World War he became a career officer in the army . He was appointed to Princess Patricia ' s Canadian Light Infantry . During the 1920s and early 1930s he was stationed as a staff officer in Winnipeg , Manitoba and in Calgary , Alberta . He also served as staff officer at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston , Ontario . In 1925 Pearkes married Constance Blytha Copeman and they had two children . In 1936 , he attended the Imperial Defence College for two years . From 1938 to 1940 he was District Officer Commanding 13th Military District in Calgary . With the opening of hostilities with Germany in the Second World War , Brigadier Pearkes was given command of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade , a component of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division . This comprised a number of units raised in western Canada . In December 1939 , Pearkes and his staff left for England where the 1st Division was finally concentrated in a single place as a formation . In February 1940 he developed a serious case of spinal meningitis , but soon recovered . In November 1941 Pearkes was asked to assume temporary command of the expanding Canadian Corps , taking the place of Andrew McNaughton who was on an extended leave . General Montgomery of the British Army , whose opinions of Canadian officers were crucial in the careers of senior officers overseas in the mid - war period , felt that Pearkes was a " gallant soldier " with " little brains " . In August 1942 Pearkes was returned to Canada and became General Officer Commanding in Chief Pacific Command , primarily a home defence organization for western Canada . He oversaw defences on Canada ' s West Coast . In 1943 Pearkes was part of the planning for Operation Greenlight , retaking the Aleutian Islands from the Japanese . During the Second World War , in 1944 , Pearkes was instrumental in suppressing the Terrace Mutiny , a revolt by conscripts stationed in Terrace , British Columbia resulting from the announcement that conscripts would be deployed overseas . Although successful , Pearkes was extremely critical of the actions that led to it in the first place , stating he had been placed in the " intolerable position of being ordered to enforce a policy which his past experience gained in applying similar policies has proven ruinous to discipline of [ troops ] , and of being in an utterly dishonourable position , and [ Pearkes said ] that he will NOT issue instructions to his [ junior commanders ] placing them in an impossible situation . " When it became clear that the government was not considering deploying troops for the fighting in the Pacific , Pearkes requested a change of command , or to be allowed to retire . The Cabinet War Committee eventually decided on the latter , and he retired from the Army in February 1945 . He went into federal politics , winning the Nanaimo , British Columbia riding for the Progressive Conservative Party . Political career . In the 1945 federal election , he was elected as a Progressive Conservative Party candidate in the riding of Nanaimo , British Columbia . He was re - elected in 1949 . In the 1953 election , he was elected in the riding of Esquimalt — Saanich , British Columbia . He was re - elected in the 1957 and 1958 elections . He was Minister of National Defence from 1957 to 1960 under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker . In 1958 , Pearkes recommended that the Avro Arrow programme be cancelled . In a historic turningpoint for Canadian aviation , the costly programme was cancelled in 1959 in favour of a costly alliance on missile defense with NORAD . He resigned from federal politics in 1960 . Lieutenant governor . He became Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia on October 13 , 1960 , and became one of the few Lieutenant Governors to agree to an extended term , serving until July 1968 . In 1967 , he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada . Family . In August 1925 , he married Constance Blytha Copeman . A daughter , Priscilla Edith ( " Pep " ) , was born in 1928 though she died while still a young child . A son , John Andre , was born in 1931 . Legacy . Pearkes ' name has been honoured in various ways , including : He donated a ceremonial sword to Berkhamsted School to be awarded each year to the school ' s best senior NCO cadet . Victoria Cross . Details . He was 29 years old , and an Acting Major in the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles , Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC . On 30 October 1917 near Passchendaele , Belgium , Major Pearkes , although wounded in the right thigh , continued to lead his men with the utmost gallantry , despite many obstacles . It was entirely due to his determination and fearless personality that he was able to maintain his objective with the small number of men at his command against repeated enemy counter - attacks . His appreciation of the situation and the reports rendered by him were invaluable to his commanding officer . He showed throughout a supreme contempt of danger and wonderful powers of command and leadership . Further information . He later achieved the rank of Major General . His grave / memorial are at Holy Trinity Cemetery , West Saanich , Sidney , Victoria , British Columbia , Canada . Section 4 - West . Headstone . The medal . His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Canadian War Museum ( Ottawa , Canada ) .