Petty Officer Patrolman Joseph Sydney Wheatley
August 15th 2024
Petty Officer Patrolman Joseph Sydney Wheatley
The commemoration of the Centennial of the Naval Reserve in 2023 led to the creation of commemorative plaques being installed at the Naval Museum of Alberta, containing the names of those who were lost from HMCS Tecumseh and HMCS Nonsuch. The team researching those names discovered many former sailors whose stories are a valuable resource to the Museum. One of those commemorated is Petty Officer Patrolman Joseph Sydney (Syd) Wheatley. PO Wheatley not only served as a Calgary Policeman but also took his experiences to the RCNVR.
Syd Wheatley was born in Horsley, England in 1905, the youngest of ten children. Five of the ten siblings, four brothers and one sister found their way to Calgary. They all served in either the Canadian or British military.
His brother Thomas came to Calgary in about 1912. He served as a staff Sergeant in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) Siberia force in 1919. He was also a police officer from 1920 to 1923. His Brother Samuel also came to Calgary in about 1912. He worked as a brewer when he joined the CEF in 1915. He was killed in action on 8 April 1917 in France. His sister Agnes served in the British Army Auxiliary Corps in WW1. In 1921 she too came to Calgary. His brother Arthur joined the CEF in 1914 and served with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in France until 1919. His brother Harold joined the Royal Navy in WW1 as a collier (shovelling coal into the boiler). He came to Calgary in 1926, later moved to New Westminster BC and then went back to England.
Syd came to Calgary in 1926 at the age of 21. He joined the Calgary Police Department (now the Calgary Police Service). In 1935 he married Marion Hegan in Calgary who was originally from Wetaskiwin. Marian was a Registered Nurse who worked at the Calgary General Hospital until her retirement in 1971 and was the first neurological nurse in Alberta. They had three children.
The Second World War
Throughout much of the Second World War, the RCN did not have a single police branch as did the Army and Air Force. Policing on shore was carried out under several organizations such as the Naval Permanent Patrol, Naval Shore Patrol Service, Naval Provost Marshals Corps, and the Shore Patrol.
In 1943, Constable Wheatley took a leave of absence from the police department and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) at HMCS Tecumseh on 24 March 1943 as an Able Seaman (Shore Patrol) RCNVR. He had just turned 37. In June 1943 he was sent to HMCS Stadacona for the Shore Patrolman course. He completed the course at the end of July and was promoted to Leading Patrolman. He worked as a Shore Patrolman at HMCS Stadacona until December 1943 and was then transferred to HMCS Burrard in Vancouver. HMCS Burrard was an administrative command set up in Vancouver. It was headed by the Naval Officer in Charge Vancouver and was co-located with the Army and RCAF commands at the Jericho Beach Joint Services Headquarters.
In December 1944 Syd was promoted to Petty Officer Patrolman. He continued his work as a Shore Patrolman in Vancouver until February 1945 when he was transferred to HMCS Avalon - the Navy shore establishment in St John’s, Newfoundland. He served as a Shore Patrolman here until May 1945, when he was sent to HMCS Peregrine in Halifax, and was then posted back to HMCS Tecumseh in Calgary.
On 26 June 1945 Petty Officer Patrolman Wheatley was discharged from the Navy, having been declared “Medically Unfit”. He had developed a Duodenal Ulcer, which was attributed to his Naval service.
Despite being declared medically unfit by the Navy; Syd rejoined the Calgary Police Department in July 1945. In December 1945 Constable Wheatley was promoted to Patrol Sergeant.
His medical condition continued to deteriorate, causing him to be hospitalized for several weeks in early 1946. He was released from the hospital and returned to his police duties. His condition necessitated his return to the hospital in early May and he did not return to duty. Sergeant Wheatley died on 25 June 1946 at the age of 41.
For his Naval service, Petty Officer Wheatley was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, and the War Medal. His wife Marion was presented with the Memorial Cross.
As his death was considered to have been attributed to his military service, he is commemorated Second World War Book of Remembrance, p.591, at the Centre Block of the Houses of Parliament, Ottawa, the Calgary Field of Crosses, and the memorial plaque at the Naval Museum of Alberta.
References:
Canadian Military Police Virtual Museum website: http://mpmuseum.org/rcn.html.
Maine Military Network, Pejepscot History Center. Available at: https://www.mainememory.net/record/17516 (Accessed 11 March 2024).
Mitchell, David (2022) Petty Officer Patrolman Joseph Sydney Wheatley V-57235. HMCS Tecumseh Citizen Sailors Virtual Cenotaph Research team.
Special Thanks to Jason Hiscock, Regimental Sergeant Major 3731, Calgary Police Service.
Thanks also to the researchers for the commemorative plaque project: David Mitchell, Pat Nichol, SLT Ross Anderson, LCDR Steve Perron, LCDR Derek Carroll, Lt. John Idiens, LCDR Liz Woodliffe, and those who brought the plaques into existence: CDR (Ret’d) Greg McKenzie, Mike Gervais, and Mike Potter.
Edit me :)
The commemoration of the Centennial of the Naval Reserve in 2023 led to the creation of commemorative plaques being installed at the Naval Museum of Alberta, containing the names of those who were lost from HMCS Tecumseh and HMCS Nonsuch. The team researching those names discovered many former sailors whose stories are a valuable resource to the Museum. One of those commemorated is Petty Officer Patrolman Joseph Sydney (Syd) Wheatley. PO Wheatley not only served as a Calgary Policeman but also took his experiences to the RCNVR.
Syd Wheatley was born in Horsley, England in 1905, the youngest of ten children. Five of the ten siblings, four brothers and one sister found their way to Calgary. They all served in either the Canadian or British military.
His brother Thomas came to Calgary in about 1912. He served as a staff Sergeant in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) Siberia force in 1919. He was also a police officer from 1920 to 1923. His Brother Samuel also came to Calgary in about 1912. He worked as a brewer when he joined the CEF in 1915. He was killed in action on 8 April 1917 in France. His sister Agnes served in the British Army Auxiliary Corps in WW1. In 1921 she too came to Calgary. His brother Arthur joined the CEF in 1914 and served with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in France until 1919. His brother Harold joined the Royal Navy in WW1 as a collier (shovelling coal into the boiler). He came to Calgary in 1926, later moved to New Westminster BC and then went back to England.
Syd came to Calgary in 1926 at the age of 21. He joined the Calgary Police Department (now the Calgary Police Service). In 1935 he married Marion Hegan in Calgary who was originally from Wetaskiwin. Marian was a Registered Nurse who worked at the Calgary General Hospital until her retirement in 1971 and was the first neurological nurse in Alberta. They had three children.
The Second World War
Throughout much of the Second World War, the RCN did not have a single police branch as did the Army and Air Force. Policing on shore was carried out under several organizations such as the Naval Permanent Patrol, Naval Shore Patrol Service, Naval Provost Marshals Corps, and the Shore Patrol.
In 1943, Constable Wheatley took a leave of absence from the police department and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) at HMCS Tecumseh on 24 March 1943 as an Able Seaman (Shore Patrol) RCNVR. He had just turned 37. In June 1943 he was sent to HMCS Stadacona for the Shore Patrolman course. He completed the course at the end of July and was promoted to Leading Patrolman. He worked as a Shore Patrolman at HMCS Stadacona until December 1943 and was then transferred to HMCS Burrard in Vancouver. HMCS Burrard was an administrative command set up in Vancouver. It was headed by the Naval Officer in Charge Vancouver and was co-located with the Army and RCAF commands at the Jericho Beach Joint Services Headquarters.
In December 1944 Syd was promoted to Petty Officer Patrolman. He continued his work as a Shore Patrolman in Vancouver until February 1945 when he was transferred to HMCS Avalon - the Navy shore establishment in St John’s, Newfoundland. He served as a Shore Patrolman here until May 1945, when he was sent to HMCS Peregrine in Halifax, and was then posted back to HMCS Tecumseh in Calgary.
On 26 June 1945 Petty Officer Patrolman Wheatley was discharged from the Navy, having been declared “Medically Unfit”. He had developed a Duodenal Ulcer, which was attributed to his Naval service.
Despite being declared medically unfit by the Navy; Syd rejoined the Calgary Police Department in July 1945. In December 1945 Constable Wheatley was promoted to Patrol Sergeant.
His medical condition continued to deteriorate, causing him to be hospitalized for several weeks in early 1946. He was released from the hospital and returned to his police duties. His condition necessitated his return to the hospital in early May and he did not return to duty. Sergeant Wheatley died on 25 June 1946 at the age of 41.
For his Naval service, Petty Officer Wheatley was awarded the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, and the War Medal. His wife Marion was presented with the Memorial Cross.
As his death was considered to have been attributed to his military service, he is commemorated Second World War Book of Remembrance, p.591, at the Centre Block of the Houses of Parliament, Ottawa, the Calgary Field of Crosses, and the memorial plaque at the Naval Museum of Alberta.
References:
Canadian Military Police Virtual Museum website: http://mpmuseum.org/rcn.html.
Maine Military Network, Pejepscot History Center. Available at: https://www.mainememory.net/record/17516 (Accessed 11 March 2024).
Mitchell, David (2022) Petty Officer Patrolman Joseph Sydney Wheatley V-57235. HMCS Tecumseh Citizen Sailors Virtual Cenotaph Research team.
Special Thanks to Jason Hiscock, Regimental Sergeant Major 3731, Calgary Police Service.
Thanks also to the researchers for the commemorative plaque project: David Mitchell, Pat Nichol, SLT Ross Anderson, LCDR Steve Perron, LCDR Derek Carroll, Lt. John Idiens, LCDR Liz Woodliffe, and those who brought the plaques into existence: CDR (Ret’d) Greg McKenzie, Mike Gervais, and Mike Potter.
Edit me :)
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Syd in Police Uniform Courtesy Jennifer Osz and the Wheatley Family.
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