The Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-10-30, Page 6-
Advance -Times Iltur_z_ October 30, 1075
the oldest ColdOrectmer in tit*
Y MAItiou 1. Duke
ViV000— Even if you di 't
WOW anykhiikg. about Frederick
kie'Orlte Allfria Farrow of Atwood,
ygted PeSS he's a military man.
$911,etilnes instead of just talk-
ingto you. he tends to sound like
hesissuing orders. And with his
ttprlight bearing, piercing, direct
eyes -and full upper lip mustache,
FIV1. Woks the epitome of an old
soldier.
And Fred is an old soldier, a
very old soldier indeed. And not
just any old soldier.
At 101 years of age, Fred
Farrow is the oldest living veter-
an of the Coldstream Guards in
the world. That's official. The
information was checked by the
Coldstreamers Association of
Canada earlier this year and con-
firmed by the English head-
quarters of the association.
Fred, as he is affectionately
called it?y his friends, wasn't all
that impressed with Kis birthday
this year on Oct. 10.
"It was a day just like any
other day," he observed matter
of factly.
But Sunday, Oct. 19 was some-
thing else.
On Sunday Fred was in his
glory. Dressed in his best suit,
complete with military medals
and a beret bearing the Garter
star of the Coldstreamers, he
accepted a miniature replica of a
Coldttream Guard drum from a
delegation representing the Cold -
streamers' Association of
/ Canada.
Fred was a drummer in the
Colstream Guards and served in
the tber War. His father waS a
Coldstreamer before him and
served .in the Crimean War. On
Sunday Fred wore his own medal
from the Boer War and two
medals which.his father received
for active service in the Crimea,
one dated 1854 and the other 1855.
Fred's, unusual third given
name of Alma was given to him in
honor of the Battle of Alma in the
Crimean War. His eldest brother
received the „given name of
Inkermann, after another battle
from the Crimean conflict.
Honored This Year
Since his military history
caught up with him earlier this
year, Fred has been honored on
two occasions by the., Cold -
streamers' Association of
Canada.
.0.1e,....hoid.pivision Din-
ne-SA:11111 :917,41ki-Pn May, 3, he
received 'a- rimed picture of
Coldstream Guard drummer boy
and was a guest of honor of the
Association. The occasicn
marked the 325th anniversary of
the Coldstreamers.
Then on Aug. 16, on Veteran's
Day at the Canadian national
Exhibition in Toronto, Fred was
given the honor ot taking the
salute on the grandstand for the
Coldstreamers. ,
"It's been quite a Year for him
S've money!
Cut taxes!
with a
Registered Retirement
Savings Plan
accumulating at
Member Canada Deposit
Insurance Corporation
VICIORM and
GREY
VG
TRuSt COMVANY SNC F ItIF/9
Mrs. Sharon E. Scott, Manager
Main Street, Listowel
• AN UNUSUAL GIFT — Members of the Coldstreamers
Association of Canada had an unusual gift for Fred Farrow
of Atwood on Sunday. In honor of his 101st birthday which he
celebrated on Oct. 16, the Association presented him with a
minature Coldstream Guard drum. Mr. Farrow was a
drummer with the Coldstreamers in the Boer War. Above,
wearing his medal from the Boer War and two medals
'earned by his father, a Coldstreamer in the Crimean War,
he accepts the gift from William McDowell of Burlington,
chairman of the Canadian Association. (Staff Photo)
and he relishes it—he come alive.
at these occasions," observed his
daughter Mrs. Eva Gormley of
Scarborough . during the
presentation on Sunday.
The presentation was made at
the home of another daughter,
Mrs. W. F. (Grace) Hewitt of At-
wood with whom Fred has made
his home since the death of his
wife, the former, Agnes Anne
Reynolds of England, at the age '
oL82 in 1960.
ige..Vdes members of the Cold -
streamers, the presentation was
attended by representatives of
the Scots Guards and the Welsh
Guards.
The three regiments along with
The Life guards, The Blues and
Royals, The Grenadier Guards
and the Irish Guards comprise
the Household divisions who have
the distinction of serving as the
personal guards of the British
sovereign. These are the regi-
ments who thrill natives and
tourists alike at the Changing of
the Gard and Trooping the Color
ceremonies at Buckingham
Palace and other royal house-
holds. They are also in charge of
the Queen's Keys at the Tower of
London.
But quite apart from their
ceremonial duties, the soldiers of
the seven regiments of the
Household Divisions are among
the most reipected military
troops in the world.
Formed in 100
• For example, the Coldstream
Guards which were formed in
1650 on orders of Oliver Cromwell
to be Col. and later Gen. Monck's
regiment of foot and finally took
• up arms as King's men on Feb.
14, 1661, marched and fought
under the Duke of Marlborough,
in Wellington's famous Peninsula
battles and the Battle of Water-
• loo, in the South African velt, in
Flanders and in World War Two.
While the regiments look very
similar in their ceremonial uni-
forms of scarlet tunics and bear-
skin hats. each has its own in-
signia and other distinguishing
details.
The Coldstream Guards have
the buttons on their tunics spaced
in pairs, have a white rose on
their collar. wear a red plume on
the right side of their bearskins
and in regular uniform have a
white band on the soldier's forage
cap. hence the nickname "The
11/4 CLIP
1 AND REDEEM AT YOUR LOCAL i
GROCERY STORE
20t off
&wig
Ipeell and Cherries(l
8AYLMER HAS APPEAL ts
4. .4morraim.
Liiywhiles". Their motto read
"Nulli .Secundus" — "Second to
None".
By comparison, for example,
the Scots Guards have the but -
boos of their tunics spaced in
threes and because they are
placed in the centre of the line,
wear no plume on their bear-
skins. Their collar insignia is the
thistle and the band on the sol-
dier's forage cap is of a diced red,
white and blue design. Their
motto iS "Nemo Me Impune
-Lacessit" or "Let no one provoke
me with Impunity".
‘According to Fred, "You
wouldn't belieVe how strict they
Were. It was the' corporals and
the sergeants you had to watch
out for.!'
Being a drummer and "just one
of the ordinary folk", Fred
noticed other details that have
stuck With him.
"If you were in 'the `Big Band'
then you got your music supplied
but if you were just in the little
band then you had to memorize it
and it was a lot of work."
Flies and Heat
Still he got through the Boer
'War without incident.
"I never fired a shot," he says.
What he remembers most
about the conflict now is how hot
the country was and the flies.
"The flies were something
awful. They were everywhere —
S() thick they'd carry the food
right off your plate."
While in South Africa as a
young man of 25 years he kept a
diary during the war which he
has until this day. It is locked
away in a box with his medal for
the war, his father's medals and
a small metal box containing a
pieture of Queen Victoria on the
lid.
The little metal box brings
back memories for Fred. On New
Years of 1900 all British soldiers
serving in the Boer War received
a small box of chocolates from
Her Majesty as a gift.
While some "just gobbled up
the chocolates and pitched the
box away." Fred saved his. His
daughter Grace can recall eating
a small piece of soft chocolate
from the box as a child and even
today when the lid of the box is
lifted the bottom is seen to con-
tain a quantity of chocolate dust
and the red. white and blue
striped ribbon which decorated
the box.
The old Queen died in 1901
while Fred was still in South
Constipated?
Chew Feen-A-Mint It's a chewing
-gum laxative that's gently effective
And pleasant tasting It's one laxative
everyone can take So don't suffer
from irregularity Reach for a
gentle laxative.
Teen -A -Ma Nature
Feezia:mint
LAXATIVIII
04 OW000 Gm tad
ri cows ortoos /
Mkh. • imreak.mtaso, 1#.°14
Africa and he can recall attli44
ing a "memorial servIcc
sorts."
After the war, Fred Sailed
home for England but he dick't
stay there long. By Christma80f
1902 he was in Toronto, Canada
and had a job with a firm for
which he was to work for almost
53 years.
Asked why he decided to leave
his native land, Fred didn't hesi,
tate in answering.
"You've got to use your head in
these things. When the war Was
over all that army was let loose to
flood the labor market. All the
people in the munitions factorleS
were let loose at the same time
and I didn't hear anybody saying
to me that they'd find me a job."
He travelled second class to
'Canada and can still recall the
deplorable conditions for the
passengers travelling steerage.
"You really had to hold yoqr
nose when you went below; ir
really stunk."
With the assistance of a friend
in Toronto he went to work with
the J & J Taylor Safe Works, a
firm that manufactured safes for
banks, cell for jails, etc. The firm
later was absorbed by Mosely &
Mosley of London, England and
today is know as Chubb Security
Systems. -
Riel Veteran
Fred got his first pay cheque on
Dec. 19, 1902, just a week before
Christmas. In those days he
worked 10 hours a day for five
days a week and another five
hours on Saturday at a rate of
121/2 cents an hour.
He had a lot of respect for his
first general foreman _st the safe
.works.
"His name was Danny Cox and
he spotted me right away and
wanted to know all about me
when he heard I'd served in the
Coldstream Guards. Danny had
served with the English Canada
troops in the Riel Rebellion,"
In the demanding task of filing
Jocks "down to One -one thousands
of an inch',' Fred lost the two last
fingers on his right hand.
It happened in 1939 while he
was working on a round door safe
when a horseshoe clamp slipped
while he was using the emery
wheel. He spent about a week in
St. Michael's Hospital.
"I did get some small wages
during the time I was off, but it
'wasn't much."
Apong his countless assig0.,z,„
merits at the safe works. Fred re -
Today
could have been
the day you sold
that extra living
room furniture
IF YOU HAD
PLACED A
WANT AD
MONDAY
CALL 357-2320
We will be glad to
help you to sell
it next week
•
It
calls *Orittng,ott the celltSe for The
winnipeg atI. I'Vhen he retired
from the fi-rM ile reeeiVed an en-
graved sillier tray.
"But I haven't got a pension
yet," he Observes,
orn on Qct, 16, 1874 in a
thatched roof Cottage In Bur/ SI*
Edmunds, SUffelk, England,
Fred has never bft back tot his
homeland since be left for
Canada.
"I can't say they treated Me
bad, but. you know there was no
unemployment to help you but.
And back when I was growing up
in England, you know the land
belonged to the gentry. The
common folk didn't own any-
thing. They just worked for the
gentry."
Today Fred Farrow 60 y. his
quiet 1teij the Village of Atwoo4
where Ia. and MP. Hewitt
m9ved a year ago, Prior to; that
tho ,firmed for SOM years
the' Ethel area.
40,Fstner really loved the
farm," his dat*hter noted. °And
on /4,01 days, he still enjoys get*
ting out for a walk if be has some,
body to go with lkimin
Willie his hearing isWiling and
he can't see as well aa he'd like
to, Fred enjoys relatively good
health. He has the apPearallee Of
a man at least 2,5 years younger
and he doesn't hestitate to 4peak
his mind.
He is quick to tell t),)u how
privileged you are to be Akin to
him and gets a laugh out of people
telling him to take care of hint -
self. .
"Now why is it that all. you
young people are telling me to
take care of myself?" he won-
ders. "I think I have taken care of
myself. It's you who should take
care."
CHART
John C. Won),
g. uptwomit., c.A.
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IDTORONTODOMINION
the bank where people make the difference
CaAl [Nail II,
Sal, it.
The Royal Commission on Violence in
the Communications Industry has a toll-
free. 24-hour telephone number.
If you plan to submit a brief. vant
to tell us how you feel about violence in
the media or want information about
submitting a brief, call us.
Well send you all the vital
information You need via Bus Parcel
Express. Anci if you're planning to make
a $tibmission. take it to your local bus
•
depot and send it by Bus Parcel Express,
collect.
Whatever you do...come to your
community's public hearings. During the
strike, we'll listen to summaries of every
brief. with or without advance notice.
Public participation in the Royal
Commission on Violence in the
Communications Industry is important
...to all of us.
1 000 261
01
The Royal Commission on Violence
in the Communications Industry,
MI Moor Street West, Room 810,
emmikemire." Toronto, Ontario MS 2V5
The Hon. Judy La Marsh, His Honour Judge LA. Beaulieu, Scott Young,
Commissioners.
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