Denis Whitaker
Encyclopedia
Brigadier-General William Denis Whitaker, (February 27, 1915 – May 30, 2001) was a Canadian
soldier
, business man, and author
.
, Alberta and raised in Toronto
, Ontario, Whitaker was educated at the University of Toronto
School and later at the Royal Military College of Canada
, student # 2357 in Kingston, Ontario
. He graduated in 1933. He was a quarterback
for the Hamilton Tigers, a predecessor of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
of today's Canadian Football League
.
He accepted a commission, as a lieutenant
, with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry in 1937.
at the rank of captain for his achievement in the Battle of Dieppe
in 1942. He was the only one of the 100 officers who landed on the beach to fight his way into town and escape unwounded. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Whitaker commanded the 1st Battalion The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry - Canadian Army Active from February 17, 1944 until July 17, 1944 and from September 15, 1944 until March 29, 1945, throughout most of the fighting in northwest Europe.
At the end of the war, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General. Whitaker left the army in 1951, but returned as Honorary Colonel of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry from 1972 to 1992.
and soon became the President. He was also the president of Major Market Advertising and a financial consultant with Nesbitt Burns
.
ice hockey
and Canadian football
teams. He led the Hamilton Tigers in 1938 and was named all-eastern quarterback
. He was named to the Canadian Forces Sports Honour Roll and was a national senior squash
champion. He chaired the Canadian Equestrian
Team for 20 years, and under his guidance the team won two Olympics, 15 Pan-American Games and two World Championship gold medals. He was also chef-de-mission for the 1980 Canadian Olympic Team in Moscow
, which the Canadians eventually boycotted, along with the Americans due to the Soviets invading Afghanistan. He was a founder and member of the Olympic Trust of Canada. In 1990, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, business man, and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Early life
Born in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta and raised in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario, Whitaker was educated at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
School and later at the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
, student # 2357 in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
. He graduated in 1933. He was a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Hamilton Tigers, a predecessor of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
of today's Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
He accepted a commission, as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry in 1937.
Military career
During the Second World War, Whitaker was awarded the DSODistinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
at the rank of captain for his achievement in the Battle of Dieppe
Dieppe Raid
The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter or later on Operation Jubilee, during the Second World War, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 AM and by 10:50 AM the Allied...
in 1942. He was the only one of the 100 officers who landed on the beach to fight his way into town and escape unwounded. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Whitaker commanded the 1st Battalion The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry - Canadian Army Active from February 17, 1944 until July 17, 1944 and from September 15, 1944 until March 29, 1945, throughout most of the fighting in northwest Europe.
At the end of the war, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General. Whitaker left the army in 1951, but returned as Honorary Colonel of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry from 1972 to 1992.
Business career
After his military service, he was a commercial manager of radio station CHML. In 1962, he was named vice-president of O'Keefe Brewing Co.Carling O'Keefe
Carling O'Keefe originated from Canadian Breweries Limited which was the first brewing conglomerate in Canada and is now owned by Molson Coors Brewing Company.-Carling 1840-1930:...
and soon became the President. He was also the president of Major Market Advertising and a financial consultant with Nesbitt Burns
BMO Nesbitt Burns
BMO Nesbitt Burns is a Canadian investment firm. Since its formation in 1912, BMO Nesbitt Burns and its predecessor companies have offered aid to investors in meeting their financial goals. In August 1987 the Bank of Montreal took advantage of new banking regulations to acquire Nesbitt Thomson,...
.
Sports career
Whitaker's sports career was equally illustrious, beginning with captaincy of the RMCRoyal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
teams. He led the Hamilton Tigers in 1938 and was named all-eastern quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He was named to the Canadian Forces Sports Honour Roll and was a national senior squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
champion. He chaired the Canadian Equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
Team for 20 years, and under his guidance the team won two Olympics, 15 Pan-American Games and two World Championship gold medals. He was also chef-de-mission for the 1980 Canadian Olympic Team in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, which the Canadians eventually boycotted, along with the Americans due to the Soviets invading Afghanistan. He was a founder and member of the Olympic Trust of Canada. In 1990, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
.
Decorations and honours
- DSODistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
- Efficiency DecorationCanadian Efficiency DecorationThe Canadian Efficiency Decoration was a Canadian military award given to officers of the non-permanent active militia, RCAF Auxiliary and Reserve who completed twenty years of meritorious military service. Similar Efficiency Decorations were also awarded by other Commonwealth countries. A bar...
(E.D.) - Commander of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)Order of the Crown (Belgium)The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
- In 1989, he was named a Member of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. - In April 1995, the French government awarded Whitaker the Order of the Legion of Honour for his role in the liberation of France.
- Dennis Whitaker was recognized by the Royal Military College of CanadaRoyal Military College of CanadaThe Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
with an Award bearing his name. "The Whitaker Cup" is awarded each year to the top Team Captain of a college varsity sports team.
Selected works
- Normandy: The Real Story of How Ordinary Allied Soldiers Defeated Hitler by Denis Whitaker, Shelagh Whitaker, and Terry Copp
- Victory at Falaise: The Soldier's Story by Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker with Terry Copp
- Tug of War: The Allied Victory That Opened Antwerp by Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker
- Dieppe: Tragedy to Triumph by Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker
- Rhineland: The Battle to End the War by Denis Whitaker and Shelagh Whitaker
- The Battle of the Scheldt by Denis Whitaker