Valcartier Grenade Incident - July 30, 1974

[CADPAT SOLDIER]

First off for those not in the know I am making this post in regard to the post found here, I did not feel it appropriate to post it in the personnel locator:

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/65821/post-610253.html#msg610253

In July 1974 a grenade, apparently mistaken for inert exploded taking the lives of 6 cadets and wounding 40 more, I know the incident happened, I know there was an inquest that tried to place blame on cadets, and thats all I'm able to find. there is almost no information of this incident anywhere and it has almost been completely forgotten, lost to history outside the men involved and perhaps a few select units associated with the event. Some would prefer it this way and go to lengths to insure that.

I'm sorry if it upsets the persons involved and if I'm am taken as too blunt or curt, but this isn't the type of thing that should be left to die in the annals of history, from what I've been able to gather from the personal posts on the blackwatch forum this was an extremely tragic event in Canadian history, unfortunately, when I learned about it during my days as a cadet Sargent it is viewed by most as an urban legend including the officers. If this had happened to Reserve or Regular forces members there would be a more transparent and full discloser of the events that had occured. I think it does not do service to the memories of the fallen cadets to let time and the military forget them. Unfortunately if we do not learn from history it tends to repeat itself. I propose that we use this site and the combined historic knowledge of it's members to keep this incident alive and perhaps submit an article to wikipedia or the Army.ca equivalent. This is all I'm able to find on the internet.

http://www.blackwatchcanada.com/dcforum/DCForumID1/226.html#

If the moderators do not agree with me I have no doubt that this post will only been seen by the eyes of very few before it is wisked off to the staging area.

 

[Michael OLeary]

First of all, do not presume a conspiracy where you have no proof of one.  Second, there's no-one scanning and uploading DND Board of Inquiry documents from the 1970s, so what exactly did you expect to find on line or elsewhere?  Third, step back from assumptions of the staff trying to stomp out discussion of this matter.  If you or someone else has FACTS to offer, fine, but there's NO advantage to allowing a senseless spiral of speculation.  If you're really interested, submit an Access to Information Request.

 

[CADPAT SOLDIER]

I feel I was taken the wrong way, perhaps I was a little aggressive or passionate?
I'm not send accusations around, I'm not wearing a tin foil hat. But the taking it to the PMs for discussion is counter productive to the full story being accessible to people not directly involved in the incident. Maybe I'm in the wrong and this is stupid to bring something that happened so long ago to the internet is not a good idea. If anyone feels this way feel free to time me.

 

[Michael OLeary]

That other thread was specifically posted looking to make contact with those who were there, to connect then with family members of the deceased.  That invited the sharing of names and personal contact details, which did not need to be placed in open forums by those who may not be sensitive to internet privacy hazards.  Recceguy's posts explain that issue, in the other thread.

 

[midget-boyd91]

I do remember hearing from my father that while he was posted in Shilo there was an incident that is eerily similar to this (if not the same one). He was telling me that while an instructor was teachin a class he was supposed to use a training grenade as a demonstration, but somewhere through the line, whether it was in supply giving a live grenade (although a raining one and a live one are completely different in appearance) or the instructor not noticing that the grenade was live, the incident occured. The grenade which was apparently mistaken for a training one was actually live and used for deomnstration purposes during a class killing several people.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

We're not going to deal with any kind of speculation or rumour on this. If you have specific historical information, you feel you just have to post, contact a Mod. Make sure you back it up with verifiable reasearch and links. For now it'll be locked.