Meeting Our Royal Zoomers Since 1977

By Richard Rohmer

Confession time. I’m a huge fan of Canada’s most famous Zoomer. We’ve met four times over the years and tomorrow July 6th will be yet another few minutes (two?) of togetherness.

Who’s our most famous Zoomer? It’s none other than our incredible, vivacious wearer of a different hat every day, the Queen of Canada, Queen Elizabeth the Second. She’s a Zoomer and when she’s in here Canada she is Canadian!

I met her for the first time way back in 1977, yes, thirty-three years ago when I was Brigadier-General Rohmer, commander of Canada’s Air Reserve Group – also practicing law and writing books. It was the Queen’s first Jubilee year, twenty-five years on the throne.

Early in the year I received a telephone call from my old friend Brigadier-General Bill Draper, by that time a resident of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. A professional engineer by trade, Bill had somehow been attracted to Tortola, where he was running a bare-bottom rental boat business for an entrepreneur.

Bill’s request was straightforward: Her Majesty was coming to visit Tortola, and the people of Tortola needed a new ambulance. Through my connections with St. John Ambulance (I was on the board of the Ontario Council at the time) and in the name of St. John, Bill asked, “Please raise the money to buy the ambulance and get it down here to Tortola in time for Her Majesty to present the keys to the Chief Minister during her visit.”

What could I say to this challenge?” I said, “I’ll do my best.”

I raised the necessary money, then found an ambulance fabricator in Ontario and placed the order for the much-needed vehicle. The next step was to have transportation for the ambulance down to Tortola. Time before the delivery date promised and the Queen’s arrival in Tortola was getting short.

In Winnipeg, I approached my Air Force boss, the Commander of Air Command, Lieutenant-General Bill Carr, and told him what was happening with the ambulance. Bill ordered that two days in advance of the Queen’s arrival a Hercules transport aircraft out of Canadian Forces Base Trenton would perform a training mission to Tortola and that it would carry the ambulance.

Seventeen years later, in 1994, I had an unexpected opportunity to remind Her Majesty of the locked ambulance door incident at Tortola. And she remembered.

It was June 3rd, the unveiling by Her Majesty of the new Canadian War Monument in Green Park near the Canada Gates across from Buckingham Palace. As part of the organization that had raised the money and built the Monument I had a front row seat with Mary-O. In the RAF Club (where we stayed overnight) I met for the first time a distinguished gentleman in his full regalia as marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir Michael Beetham. Sir Michael had retired from the Royal Air Force but was also in full uniform, as we ancient airmen (he was a wartime contemporary) are wont to do if our uniforms still fit and it is appropriate to wear them. As it happened, we were seated together in the front row, next to the monument. Sir Michael’s wife, Patricia, was in the row immediately behind him and, next to her, behind me, was Mary-O at the ready with an umbrella because there where showers skittering cross the sky. The front row start to finish was populated with Second World War veterans, with their wives and caregivers immediately behind them. This was appropriate for the Queen’s walkabout.

With great fanfare Her Majesty arrived. She mounted the covered platform adjacent to the monument. When the speeches were over and she was ready she pulled the rope that unveiled the monument with a great clatter that startled her. That was followed by her walkabout. In the twenty minutes before her arrival at Green Park, Sir Michael and I had talked incessantly and had found out a great deal about each other. So he was in the position to be able to introduce me to Her Majesty when she arrived in front of us, followed by all of the appropriate dignitaries.

When she stopped, Sir Michael said, “This is General Rohmer for Canada, a D-Day veteran,” all that sort of thing. I then said, “Your Majesty. I met you in Tortola in 1977 on your Jubilee tour. It was a St. John’s ambulance in front of the hospital. I asked you to present the keys to the Chief Minister. Then you wanted to see inside because you had driven an ambulance during the war. We went up to the ambulance and someone had locked the doors.” Astonishingly she remembered, and the expression on her face is seen in a photograph of Sir Michael introducing me, followed by her laugh as she recalled the event. Then on she went.

The third time of being with Her Majesty was during the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of D-Day held at the Juno Beach Centre, Corseuilles sur Mer in Normandy on the morning of June 6th, 2004.

I was chair of the national advisory committee organizing the celebrations across Canada and at Juno Beach where our army with Canadian navy and air force support had successfully landed with heavy losses on D-Day.

I then led Her Majesty up the path. I was on her left. We went straight up to the saluting base, which she mounted, the ever-present purse on her left arm. The Royal Salute was played, she then came back down, and I led her to her seat on the platform. I am accused from time to time of having touched her on the back as she was mounting the two steps to the platform. From the videos there is no doubt that I am rightfully accused. I was just trying to be helpful. When Her Majesty was in place in her chair I then went to the microphone, where in both official languages I identified myself to the crowd. Then on behalf of all of the D-Day and Battle of Normandy veterans I welcomed Her Majesty, the Duke, the Governor-General, John Ralston Saul (whose late father had been a D-Day veteran), the Prime Minister, and Mrs. Martin. At the conclusion of my two-minute talk I invited the Queen back to speak, which she did with her usual grace and fluidity. Garth Webb introduced the Prime Minister whose speech was appropriate and in the time allotted. Finally, our Navy veterans invited Her Excellency to say a few words, which she did with her usual thoughtful elegance.

Exactly on time, just slightly ahead of Her Majesty’s and Her Excellency’s walkabout, the three magnificent aircraft of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew over a low level, the great Lancaster Bomber with a Spitfire V on one wing and a Spit IX on the other. Wonderful, very impressive. And offshore, HMCS Charlottetown fired a royal salute of twenty-one rounds.

Next was the ceremony of the laying of the wreaths, which was done in the agreed to sequence of Her Majesty, Her Excellency, and then the Prime Minister followed by us three old crocks, the Veterans Welcoming Party, putting our own in place, all assisted by designated young Canadians, cadets from various units.

The final activity was that specified by Her Majesty as being extremely important to her, namely her walkabout among the veterans. I had been informed that as a compromise the Queen was willing to let the Governor-General get off the platform first. However, as soon as the master of ceremonies announced that the walkabout would begin, both the Queen and the Governor-General stood up at the same time. I was right behind the Queen and Madame Clarkson. As soon as they were off the platform and walking toward the veterans they began chatting. Finally, I could see that they were heading for the same aisle, still talking away to each other. I had no choice; I stepped between them and said, “Ladies, you cannot go up the same aisle, you’re going to have to split,” which they immediately did, the Governor-General going to the right and Her Majesty up the centre followed closely by me, one of her security ladies, and behind me Her Majesty’s lady-in-waiting. Ahead of Her Majesty was her head of security, dressed formally but not in uniform.

We came into near collision with the Duke and his party just when the Queen had finished her walkabout. She and I had a brief chat, at which time I reminded her of our meeting in Tortola and the locked ambulance. I’m not sure that she remembered, but she certainly let on that she did. It was time for Her Majesty and her party to leave. The Governor-General, the Chief of the Defence Staff and I had the privilege of escorting her to her car with the Duke close behind. With the shaking of hands and salutes and waves Her Majesty and His Royal Highness and their entourage were gone.

The fourth time of talking with the Queen was at the magnificent ceremony for the rededication of Canada’s superb World War I monument at Vimy Ridge in 2007.