John (Arnold) Bedard was born April 19, 1924 in Montreal, and much of his early life was spent in the city’s NDG neighbourhood. His father was a Great War veteran who had been in the Royal Flying Corps, and he continued to serve as an RCAF officer in World War Two. The family had some tough times during the Great Depression, and they were on the move between Montreal and Toronto. That impacted Arnold’s schooling, and he ended up leaving school after Grade 8 when he was taken on as an apprentice: the money was needed to help out the family. When the war came Arnold knew he’d be doing his part. At age 18 he joined the reserve army through the Royal Canadian Hussars, and when he was 19 he opted to join the navy. He was sent to HMCS Cornwallis in Nova Scotia for training, followed by a stint in Toronto. But Arnold longed to get on a ship and go to sea. That chance did come eventually of course, though not in the usual RCN manner. Arnold was sent to Britain via troopship – The Empress of Scotland – and once there he was assigned to HMCS Ribble, a frigate. His first duty was as a quartermaster and later he worked in the ship’s ward room. Ribble was based in Londonderry, and the ship’s main task was to patrol the Channel for U-boats. On one occasion Ribble and HMCS Montreal sank a U-boat and rescued German prisoners, and Arnold stood guard duty on deck as they were brought on board. Ribble also did some convoy duty, escorting ships through the Irish Sea en route to their ports. Arnold was in the Channel when they heard the news the war had ended: they “spliced the main brace” and within a short period of time he was on a corvette bound for Canada, ready to return to his job and the new wife and family that would come a few years later. Arnold Bedard was interviewed by Scott Masters at his home in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec in October 2025.
