George G. Blackburn
Encyclopedia
George Gideon Blackburn, CM
, MC
(February 13, 1917 – November 15, 2006) was a Canadian
veteran of World War II
and author.
Born in Wales, Ontario
, Blackburn worked in the United States
in railway construction as a steam shovel
operator and, later, worked as a newspaper reporter for the Ottawa Journal
in Pembroke, Ontario
. He joined the Canadian Army in 1940, becoming a forward observation officer, and fought at the Battle of Normandy
. He was awarded the Military Cross
in 1944 for his role in defending the Twente
Canal bridgehead in the Netherlands
.
Blackburn returned to Ottawa
after the war and found work as a journalist and with the Canadian Department of Labour. He wrote a musical jingle
which was pervasive in Canada during the 1960s, Why Wait for Spring? Do It Now, that encouraged homeowners to have home improvements done during winter. He was producer for a radio show, Canada at Work, and also wrote a musical play, A Day to Remember, about the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
, an event that permanently submerged his home town.
Blackburn wrote a trilogy of books based on his war-time experiences: Guns of Normandy: A Soldier's Eye View, France 1944 (1997, ISBN 0-7710-1503-8), The Guns of Victory: A Soldier's Eye View, Belgium, Holland, and Germany, 1944-45 (1997, ISBN 0-7710-1505-4), and Where the Hell Are the Guns?: A Soldier's View of the Anxious Years, 1939-44 (1999, ISBN 0-7710-1506-2). The Guns of Normandy received the Edna Staebler Award
for Creative Non-fiction in 1996. He was appointed to the Order of Canada
in 2001. He also received the French Légion d'honneur
.
Blackburn died at the Ottawa General Hospital in 2006 where he was being treated for cancer
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(February 13, 1917 – November 15, 2006) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and author.
Born in Wales, Ontario
Wales, Ontario
Wales is a ghost town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of Ontario's Lost Villages, which were permanently flooded by the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958...
, Blackburn worked in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in railway construction as a steam shovel
Steam shovel
A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. They played a major role in public works in the 19th and early 20th century, being key to the construction of railroads...
operator and, later, worked as a newspaper reporter for the Ottawa Journal
Ottawa Journal
The Ottawa Journal was a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Ottawa, Ontario from 1885 to 1980.It was founded in 1885 by A. Woodburn as the Ottawa Evening Journal. Its first editor was John Wesley Dafoe who came from the Winnipeg Free Press. In 1886, it was bought by Philip Dansken Ross.The...
in Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke, Ontario
Pembroke is a city in the province of Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Muskrat River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley...
. He joined the Canadian Army in 1940, becoming a forward observation officer, and fought at the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1944 for his role in defending the Twente
Twente
Twente is a non-administrative region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel...
Canal bridgehead in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Blackburn returned to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
after the war and found work as a journalist and with the Canadian Department of Labour. He wrote a musical jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
which was pervasive in Canada during the 1960s, Why Wait for Spring? Do It Now, that encouraged homeowners to have home improvements done during winter. He was producer for a radio show, Canada at Work, and also wrote a musical play, A Day to Remember, about the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
, an event that permanently submerged his home town.
Blackburn wrote a trilogy of books based on his war-time experiences: Guns of Normandy: A Soldier's Eye View, France 1944 (1997, ISBN 0-7710-1503-8), The Guns of Victory: A Soldier's Eye View, Belgium, Holland, and Germany, 1944-45 (1997, ISBN 0-7710-1505-4), and Where the Hell Are the Guns?: A Soldier's View of the Anxious Years, 1939-44 (1999, ISBN 0-7710-1506-2). The Guns of Normandy received the Edna Staebler Award
Edna Staebler Award
The Edna Staebler Award is an annual Canadian literary award, presented to the year's best work of creative nonfiction. The award was established in 1991 by writer Edna Staebler, and is administered by Wilfrid Laurier University.-Winners:...
for Creative Non-fiction in 1996. He was appointed to the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 2001. He also received the French Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
Blackburn died at the Ottawa General Hospital in 2006 where he was being treated for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.