Before they were names on Beach Drive
Oak Bay’s war memorial opened 78 years ago today. Here are some of the people behind it, and three ways to remember this November 11.
By Oak Bay Local ·
The war memorial on Beach Drive is called a cenotaph. It honours people who died and are buried elsewhere, or have no known grave. Nobody is buried inside it.
One of the names on its wall is Thomas M. Baker.
The sailor from Heron Street
Thomas Morley Baker lived at 2355 Heron Street and went to Oak Bay High. He served on a navy ship, HMCS Margaree. He died on October 22, 1940, aged 20.
Thomas Morley Baker in navy uniform.
Photo: Veterans Affairs Canada / Operation Picture Me.
These details come from Oak Bay Archives, the town’s collection of old records and photos, and his Veterans Affairs record. His parents were Harry Edgar and Agnes Baker.
The ship Thomas Baker of Heron Street served aboard, photographed in 1933 under its earlier name, HMS Diana. It joined the Canadian navy in 1940 and was renamed HMCS Margaree.
Photo: Royal Navy official photographer / Imperial War Museums, FL 22639. Public domain.
1948: the artist and his model
James Saull made the memorial. He had served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. The war had been over for just three years when the memorial opened.
James Saull beside his statue in 1948, before it was put in place on Beach Drive.
Photo: Oak Bay Archives, via Veterans Affairs Canada.
He spent about seven months making it. The woman above the names is called Mother Peace. His wife was the model for the statue, according to Veterans Affairs Canada. Her name was Dorothy, as a newspaper article saved in the District’s history files records.
The memorial in 2017. Mother Peace stands above the names. Four metal signs were added at the foot of the rock in 2004.
Photo: Krazytea / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized for the web.
| Year | What changed |
|---|---|
| 1948 | The memorial opens. |
| 2004 | Four metal signs are added. |
| 2023 | Archives shares its Second World War research online. |
2004: more people remembered
The first names on the memorial were people from Oak Bay who died in the Second World War. In 2004, the town added four bronze plaques. These metal signs honour people who died in the First World War, the Korean War, United Nations peace missions and the Canadian Merchant Navy. Merchant Navy crews carried supplies on civilian ships during wartime.
Today: the records are still growing
Oak Bay Archives shares photos, home addresses and military records of people named on the memorial. But it does not have original photos or personal papers for most of them. It is asking residents to help.
Three ways to remember today
- Go to the ceremony or watch online. It starts at 10:55 a.m. at the memorial in the 2900 block of Beach Drive. Everyone is welcome. The District also lists a live video for people watching from home. See the details here. The time is local to Oak Bay.
- Look up a name. The Archives’ list links names to photos and records of military service. Try finding someone who lived on a street you know. Baker’s entry is one place to start.
- Share a photo or letter. If your family has photos, letters or facts about someone on the list, email archives@oakbay.ca. You can also volunteer to write short accounts of their lives from home.
Ship photo: Royal Navy official photographer / Imperial War Museums, FL 22639, public domain. Photos: opening crowd, District of Oak Bay, Golden Jubilee booklet (1956), p. 28, cropped from the scan; Thomas Baker, Veterans Affairs Canada / Operation Picture Me; James Saull, Oak Bay Archives via Veterans Affairs Canada; 2017 memorial, Krazytea / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized for the web.