storage -mil a2

autograph from 1937  on slip 200 x 130 mm 

The undermentioned Cadets (ex-Gentlemen Cadets, Royal Military College) from Officer •Cadet Training Unit, Sandhurst, to be 2^nd Lts. 3ist Dec. 1939: —Ronald Croker ELVERSON. (112867) The Queen's R.

Major Charles Ronald Croker 'Punch' died in hospital on the 15th June 2011, aged 90 years.

Major Charles Ronald Croker Elverson married Rosemary Anne Barkworth, daughter of Major Henry Edmund Barkworth and Irene Winifred Sutton, on 23 October 1948.1

ALSO AUDIO FILES AT IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM  COVERING Elverson, Charles Ronald Croker (Oral history)

British officer served with 3rd Bn King's African Rifless in Kenya, 1950- 1952; served with 1st Bn Queen's Royal Regt in Malaya, 1956-1957

Content description

REEL 1 Aspects of period as intelligence officer with 3rd Bn King's African Rifles in Kenya, 1950-1952: background to joining battalion; composition of unit; tribal structure of battalion; attitude towards Askaris; Askaris' opinion of British officers and presence in East Africa; comparison between Askaris and Iban trackers; African customs and religion; attitude of Askaris to foreign service. Recollections of operations as officer with 3rd Bn King's African Rifles in Malaya, 1952-1953: move to Malaya; briefing as intelligence officer. REEL 2 Continues: situation in Malaya, 2/1952; insurgent activity; information from surrendered insurgents; propaganda regarding brutality of African troops; attitude of Askaris' towards insurgents; question of medical problems among Askari; comparison between work of 3rd Bn King's African Rifles, 1952-1953 and 1st Bn Queen's Royal Regt, 1956-1957; operational area; policy towards aboriginal people; opinion of Sir Gerald Templar; memories of Hugh Stockwell; opinion of work of police; and administration. Aspects of period as intelligence officer with 1st Bn Queen's Royal Regt in Malaya, 1956- 1957: attitude of troops to service in Malaya. REEL 3 Continues: prior recollection of murder of adjutant of 3rd Bn King's African Rifles by Askari; arrival of Fijian troops; opinion of insurgents; in action against insurgents in Johore, 2/1957; relations between army and planters.

THE ELVERSON FAMILY

Charles Gordon Lee Elverson was born in England in 1885 and went to Canada in 1904, and started ranching in the Calgary area He later moved to the Maple Bay area of Vancouver Island. In 1910 he married Kathleen Royce, who was the grand daughter of Charles Stanley Monck, 4thViscount Monck the first Governor General of Canada. She died in 1911 as a result of a miscarriage. On the outbreak of war he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force and went with them to Salisbury Plain, where he transferred to the Royal West Kent Regiment, which he had been with when in the Militia for the South African wars. He went with them to Mesopotamia

After the war he returned to Canada where he met Constance Evelyn Nancye Croker who was a 2nd cousin of Kathleen Royce. They were married on 5 January 1920. After a honeymoon on Santa Catalina Island they bought a bungalow in Sturdies Bay on Galiano Island from the Hills family. Charles Ronald Croker (Punch) Elverson was born on 26 November that year having been brought back to England for the birth. Ann Francis Elverson was born on 13 June 1922 in Victoria and Cerise Theodora (Cherry) Elverson was bom on 13 December 1923.

At Nancye's insistence in 1924 the family moved back to England but in 1926 they then moved back to Galiano on condition that he built a more substantial home. Whilst the new two story house "Dunromin" with six bedrooms was being built on the foundations of their old house, they rented the Enke house nearby. "Dunromin" was later destroyed by fire in April 1951, but now provides the site for Galiano Lodge. They employed Mr and Mrs Perry who lived in the Cottage (see pictures)

He was a keen stone mason and used to go on expeditions to carve out stones to take home in his boat "Guess Again". The top of a sundial that he carved still remains in the grounds. Punch went to school at Shawnigan Lake School while Ann and Cherry went to Queen Margaret's School, Duncan. In 1937 they left Galiano and returned to live in England.

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Other Notes:

1. There was a very good Japanese artist who possibly lived on Mayne Island that painted scenes of Galiano as did a Col Fawkes. Three of these paintings are still in the possession of Cherry Elverson.

2. Japanese fishermen caught salmon, whilst Chinese fishermen had boats similar to the Guess Again caught cod which they kept fresh in a tank on the boat.

3. Mail arrived boat on Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Saturdays