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cdngooner wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2024 2:28 pm

Does he appear on the List of Military Figures section in Lists of Canadians on Wikipedia?

Yes.

Hints: He was neither a general nor an admiral. He was in the Canadian army in WWI but achieved his fame elsewhere.

I mean, this gives it away. There's only one person who checks all of the boxes once you say this.

Lawrence Moore Cosgrave?

I mean, this gives it away. There's only one person who checks all of the boxes once you say this.

I don't believe that is true. But give it your best shot.

Lawrence Moore Cosgrave?

No, but he's a very interesting person. When it came time for the surrender, someone noticed at the last minute that there was no one to take the surrender for Canada. Cosgrave was the military attache in Sydney, the closest officer and available. So he signed right among McArthur and Nimitz. Only he didn't have his glasses and signed on the wrong line. When the next official came to sign, he had to sign on the next line down, and so on. The entire Japanese surrender document bears this error.

Was he a rather intrepid sort of chap?

Free Guess: John McCrae, poet of "In Flanders' Fields"

Spartaculous seems to have narrowed it down to William Stephenson, so I'll guess Alan Arnett McLeod, who was in the Canadian army during the Great War but famous for his role in the British army and British air force. He died much too young to be appointed to anything, though.

Was he a rather intrepid sort of chap?

Yes. And to prevent you getting gazumped, I'll give it to you. WILLIAM STEPHENSON, code name Intrepid, subject of the book and TV series "A Man Called Intrepid" and the alleged inspiration for James Bond (Ian Fleming was one of his students). Stephenson was Churchill's most trusted spy at the start of the war and was assigned to Washington where he became Roosevelt's advisor too. Among other things he managed Camp X, a base in Ontario where Britain's and Canada's spies were trained.

Again, I don't know how you do it, Spartaculous. The list of Canadian Military Figures still had many other options that fit all criteria: Canada's top WWI ace Billy Bishop not least among them (he was an Air Marshal, not a general or admiral). Also Roy Brown (who shot down the Red Baron), Darth Porg's guess John McRae (poet of "In Flanders Fields") and several other spies and VC winners.

Well done all. Good game.

None of the alternatives were born in the western half of Canada

Spartaculous wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2024 2:41 pm

cdngooner wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2024 2:28 pm

Does he appear on the List of Military Figures section in Lists of Canadians on Wikipedia?

Yes.

Hints: He was neither a general nor an admiral. He was in the Canadian army in WWI but achieved his fame elsewhere.

I mean, this gives it away. There's only one person who checks all of the boxes once you say this.

cdngooner wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2024 3:50 pm

Again, I don't know how you do it, Spartaculous. The list of Canadian Military Figures still had many other options that fit all criteria: Canada's top WWI ace Billy Bishop not least among them (he was an Air Marshal, not a general or admiral). Also Roy Brown (who shot down the Red Baron), Darth Porg's guess John McRae (poet of "In Flanders Fields") and several other spies and VC winners.

Spartaculous is right, though. Once you eliminate people who were born or died in the wrong century or were born in Eastern Canada or England you are left with just a small handful of individuals from that list. Remove generals, those who didn't serve in WWI, those only famous for WWI and non-white folk and you only have one potential candidate left.

None of the alternatives were born in the western half of Canada

Good point. Didn't even think about that.

cdngooner wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2024 3:50 pm

gazumped

Got to learn a new word today. Thanks!