Fonds Fonds 29 - Murray C. Edwards fonds

Murray Edwards was born 16 January 1920 in Cambridge, England. He grew up in New Jersey but was granted permission by the United States to join the Canadian Army in June 1942. He joined the Queen's Own Rifles at Toronto and trained at Niagara-On-The-Lake. He was quickly promoted to Corporal (August 1942) and attended the Junior Non Commissioned Officers' Course at Borden, Ontario in November. Posted to the First Battalion, Queen's Own Rifles in England in December, he was then transferred to D Group, Officer's Refresher School in Crookham, England in April 1943. Promoted to Sergeant in June 1943, Edwards under went Officer Selection in July at Aldershot and was then sent to Blackdown, England for pre-officer cadet training. He returned to Canada for further officer cadet training at Brockville, Ontario in December and was promoted to Lieutenant in February 1944, serving as an instructor for a few months. He attended the Vernon Battle School in April 1944 and joined the Staff there before volunteering for the Pacific Brigade as an Intelligence Officer in April 1945. Lieutenant Edwards was discharged and transferred to the Reserves in March 1946. He joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 1 September 1950 as a Lieutenant with the Second Battalion. He was the Platoon Commander with #4 Platoon, B Company in November 1950 and joined the Active Force in Korea in March 1951. Promoted to Acting Captain just prior to the Battle of KapYong in April 1951, he served with the Battalion in Korea from March 1951 until November and returned with the Rear Party in December. He reverted to Lieutenant in February 1952 and was appointed Adjutant of the Second Battalion in October. After undergoing jump (parachute) training, Edwards was promoted to Captain in January 1953, and went with the Second Battalion to Germany from 1953 to 1955, as Company Second in Command, serving on the Board of Courts-Martial there. Upon returning to Canada, Captain Edwards was posted to Western Command Intelligence in December 1955 and then to the School of Infantry at Borden, Ontario as Second in Command of the User Trials Section in June 1958. Following his appointment as Officer in Command of the Civil Defence Rescue School in April 1960, he was promoted to Major in September 1961. He served in Cyprus as a General Staff Officer with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in 1964 and was then attached to United Nations Headquarters, New York as Senior Economics and Welfare Officer for Cyprus in June 1964. Following an appointment on the British Columbia Instructional Staff for the Militia, Major Edwards was posted to the United Nations Supervisory Organization in Palestine in September 1967. He was released from the Regular Forces in January 1969. After qualifying for a British Columbia Teachers' Licence in June 1971, Edwards obtained employment as the Administration and or Log Officer with the Cadet Training Division at Esquimalt from June 1971 until retirement to Victoria, BC in February 1984. In 1954 he married Morfydd (Morrie) Edwards (d. 2005).