Richard A. P. Hawkshaw

Divisions Served: “K,” “HQ,” Foreign Services (Ottawa, Hong Kong, Singapore)

Medals & Honours: Long Service Medal

Pillar Location: This brick has not yet been mounted onto the Pillars, but is on display in the Centre in the interim.

Story: 

Reg. No. 21132 R.A.P. “Dick” Hawkshaw – “G” Troop 1959/60 Depot Division

Joining the RCMP was a boyhood dream and that dream was realized on October 27th, 1959 when I was sworn in as a member at the RCMP Fairmont Barracks in Vancouver, BC. What jubilation! That night I left my home in North Vancouver, BC and boarded the CPR Dominion passenger train in Vancouver. The next evening I arrived in snowy Regina, where a Duty Driver was waiting at the station to take me to Depot Division.

For the next 10 months, I learned to be a Mountie along with initially 31 other “wannabes,” although 3 of my fellow troop-mates had a change of heart and purchased their discharge before completing training. Later, we were joined by a member from a senior troop as a result of a medical “back-squading”. Come mid-August 1960, 30 proud and raring-to-go former RCMP recruits left Depot in their Red Serge as newly-minted Mounties.

We had done it! We had survived six months of equitation including stable duties and hours upon hours of cleaning saddlery and all that went with it. There were early mornings, late nights and exercise rides, not to mention our clothing, be it fatigues, uniform or civilian, smelling of the stables and horse manure because of hanging together in our dorm closets. The many aches and pains of physical training from doing pushups, sit-ups, climbing ropes, gymnastics, police holds (judo) along with the dreaded boxing. Swimming or learning to swim to earn life saving awards and at time seemingly sweating in water, laying on the edge of the pool practicing leg kicks while the instructor looked on with a thin bamboo cane in hand making it sure you were doing it right. I was fortunate I could swim while others in the troop couldn’t but learn they did. Of course there were the water polo challenges from senior troops. It was more of who could stay afloat and not drown. And, it always seemed that we had a typing class following swimming, and thanks to the chlorine in the pool water, it was hit and miss when it came to striking the right typewriter key thanks to our blurry vision. One of our members, #21160 Chuck Emberley, played the piano and tickled the keys breezing through typing, chlorine and all, while a number of us used the “hunt and peck” method. The Drill Hall with its dedicated instructors taught us to identify our left and right foot and to march and to tolerate pain when on occasion we ran with our rifles held in both hands high above our head. Driver training taught you how to operate and master a police car. This led to becoming a Depot Duty Driver when scheduled and a break from the physical manual labour duties that were always present and beckoning.

The next four months were on the academic side where the many and various Federal Statutes, Acts and Regulations were studied. Key among them was the Criminal Code of Canada. We played the policeman’s role in Model Detachment where we learned about detachment procedures and routine. This was akin to being kids in a candy store.

Leaving Depot and recruit training was both a time of joy and sadness. The joy was a career and a calling had been born with an anticipated and exciting future although yet unknown. The sadness was in leaving, the breaking-up of the family, consisting of 30 special guys that had gone through 10 months of trainings highs and lows day-in and day-out bringing with it laughter, periods of happiness and the question at times of what am I doing here. On top of this was the Regina weather ranging from October to August – cold, snow and ice, rain, sunshine, pleasant temperatures and prairie heat. There were thunder storms like artillery barrages and lightning that turned night into day. All of this led to a camaraderie, a bonding and a band of brothers being created that exists to this day.

As for me, I was transferred to K Division (Alberta), and upon seeing the Commanding Officer in Edmonton, was immediately sent to Lethbridge Sub-Division, where the Officer Commanding sent me via Highway Patrol to Blairmore Detachment in the Crows Nest. I was in Heaven spending a year at this five man later to become a four man detachment. I was next sent briefly to the one man Vauxhall Detachment to cover for the Constable while on leave. A serious traffic accident involving a police car suddenly resulted in my transfer to Pincher Creek Highway Patrol. At his point in my career I had met my future wife, Arlene, a Blairmore girl. Given our pending marriage and lack of private accommodation in Pincher Creek I was transferred to Lethbridge Highway Patrol in December 1961. My first two sons, Scott and Stuart, were born there in 1962 and 1964 respectively.

Having applied to join the Security and Intelligence Directorate of the Force, later to become the Security Service, I was transferred to Edmonton in April, 1965. Spending a year there, I knew I found my niche in the Force. Next, I was sent back to Lethbridge Sub-Division and its two man S & I Section. This was to last three years and during this period my third son, Spencer aka Tag, was born in 1967.

In 1969 I returned to the S & I Section in Edmonton. It was here I was promoted to Corporal in 1970 and my first marriage ended in 1974. Meanwhile, from 1974 to 1976, the RCMP put me through the University of Alberta, where I majored in History and minored in Political Science with concentration in Asian Studies. Receiving my Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1976, I was transferred to the RCMP Security Service HQ in Ottawa. It was there while working in H Operations (Chinese) that it was suggested I apply for the Foreign Services component of Security Service . This I did and in 1976 was posted to the RCMP Liaison Office In Hong Kong as an Assistant Liaison Officer.

Owing to the influx of Vietnamese refugees in Southeast Asia and Canada’s commitment to accept many of them for resettlement, I was sent to Singapore in April 1979 to open the RCMP Liaison Office with responsibility for Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. The LO program consisted of security screening of the refugees and other potential immigrants along with having a drug enforcement, commercial crime, counterintelligence, counterterrorism and liaison role with the regional host agencies.

It was during my tour in Singapore in late 1979 that I married my second wife, Mary, who had been with Canada External Affairs in Bangkok when we first met. She was later to receive the RCMP Unpaid Second Man Award for her role in assisting the LO’s Foreign Service program in Singapore. Also, our son Stephen, was born there in 1982. In addition, I was promoted to Sergeant and then Staff Sergeant, which subsequently led to my being selected for the officer candidate program in 1983. However, owing to our posting to Ottawa HQ in mid-1983 I asked for a deferment until 1984.

Because of my career with over 19 years in security and intelligence I, along with the other Security Service members, were transitioned into the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) on July 15th, 1984. This resulted in my leaving the RCMP and spending the next nine and a half years with CSIS in Ottawa, New Delhi, Islamabad, Pakistan and Vancouver before retiring from the Federal Government with 35 years service.
I could not have asked for a more satisfying and wonderful career, and to think it all resulted from a boyhood dream.

In closing I would like to commemorate my following brothers of G Troop: 21131 Ron Nice – North Vancouver, BC; 21134 Art Blakley – Indian Head, SK; 21137 Lloyd Cosens – Vancouver, BC; 21153 Jim Fitzpatrick – Toronto, ON; and, 21138 Duane Halliday – Napanee,ON.