S. S. Stephen Leacock to be dedicated at ceremony Thursday

Posted By SARA ROSS, THE PACKET AND TIMES

Posted 3 months ago

Before this year, the story of the S. S. Stephen Leacock -- a U. S. Merchant Marine ship that sailed during the First World War -- was an untold tale in Leacock's legacy; one that museum curator Fred Addis has always been curious about.

"It's a story we always wanted to do here at the museum and things finally came together," he said.

"It's part of the Leacock story that has been untold to date and I think it's a great one."

The liberty ship was christened with Leacock's name in July of 1944, four months after the writer's death.

It sailed in seven Atlantic convoys to Europe and made two voyages above the Arctic Circle with supplies for Russia.

The cargo vessel was capable of carrying 10,000 tonnes of supplies.

There were 2,700 liberty ships built from 1941 to 1945. The ships were instrumental in maintaining the allied supply lines, particularly in Russia when the Germans shut off most of their supply lines, Addis said.

"Ships like this came from North America just absolutely loaded with supplies, everything from ammunitions to food and clothing but also things like railroad locomotives, airplanes all carried on the decks," he said. "They were work horses and what inevitably broke the back of the Germans during World War Two."

Leacock was just one of two Canadians who had a liberty ship named after them, Addis said.

"It just magnifies the legacy," he said. "Some people often think of Stephen Leacock as just a local historical figure, but it really does provide a base for his greater appreciation on an international level."

The history of the S. S. Stephen Leacock began to unfold last January when Addis hired a Quebec model maker to create a model of the ship.

After Leacock died, a number of dedications were made to honour him: the Leacock Medal of Humour, a stamp issued on the centenary of birth, a mountain was named after him, and a ship.

"We never knew to much about the ship," Addis said. "But this year... I think we've found out about everything we wanted to know about it, including having found a surviving crew member who sailed on the ship," he said.

John Calvin Graves, 84, of Fayette County, Georgia, is believed to be the last surviving sailor who served on the S. S. Stephen Leacock.

"It really does close the loop on another aspect of the Stephen Leacock legacy," Addis said. "And it magnifies his admiration for the men and women of our navy and merchant navy."

Model maker Joseph Vella in Quebec customized the S. S. Stephen Leacock model from a kit of a Second World War liberty ship, he said.

"He's done a great job in customizing it to make it look every bit like the S. S. Stephen Leacock," Addis said. "They're not vastly different, but he did some work with the cargo hatches and some of the work with the guns and he put his own effects like the radio antenna. It has his name on it, of course."

The 27-and-a-half inch long model will be a permanent fixture in the museum's library and will include a plaque with information about the ship, Addis said.

It will be officially dedicated during a ceremony tomorrow at the Stephen Leacock Museum.

"We're dedicating the ship model to the men and women of our navy and merchant navy that have served in both wartime and in peace," Addis said.

One of the last publications Stephen Leacock worked on before his death wasCanada's War at Sea,the book was completed by a colleague of his.

"His admiration for the men and women of our Canadian navy and merchant navy was well founded in that publication," Addis said.

"I think this is a continuation of that and an opportunity for us to extend that goodwill and admiration by dedicating the model in their name."

The dedication ceremony will take place tomorrow at 11 a. m. in Swanmore Hall of the Leacock Museum on Museum Drive on Orillia. A light lunch will be served and excerpts from Canada's War at Seawill be read. R. S. V. P. by calling 329-1908.

sross@orilliapacket.com