War Medals Come Home to Markham

MARKHAM, ON – July 25, 2008 – Medals given to local World War I soldier Pte. Matthew Rae are coming home to Markham and will be displayed at the Markham Museum.

The two WW I medals and two letters, offered for auction on eBay, were purchased with the help of local benefactors Harold N. and Arlajean Everett, who read about the Museum’s desire to purchase the medals in the local paper.

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti said, “Pte. Rae died a very young man in the service of his country. We wanted to honour his sacrifice by ensuring his medals and correspondence were brought back to Markham and put on display for future generations.”

Pte. Rae was a signal corpsman with the 4th Mounted Rifles Battalion. The son of the Presbyterian Church of Unionville minister Reverend Frank Rae, he died a prisoner of war in Belgium, in 1917, at age 24. Pte. Rae, who attended Markham High School, is buried in Kortrijk (St. Jan) Communal Cemetery in Belgium.

Markham Museum Board Chair John Buie said, “Once we knew about the availability of the medals, we went to work to see how we could obtain them. Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Everett, they are now part of the Museum’s collection.”

The grouping of medals and letters from Pte. Rae include a World War I Canada British War Medal, a Canadian Memorial Cross, an original 1917 letter from a fellow prisoner of war written to Pte. Rae’s father and a 1928 letter about his burial location from the Canadian Department of National Defence.

“We did receive a number of offers of support and thank everyone who came forward. This purchase could be the start of an enhanced collection of medals and other memorabilia for the Museum,” said Mayor Scarpitti. “This would be a tangible expression of Markham’s motto Leading While Remembering.”

More than 100 veterans reside in Markham today and 68 Markham residents gave their lives during World War I and World War II.

The medals will be displayed at the Markham Civic Centre before becoming part of the Museum’s permanent collection.