Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that we learned of the death of
one of Canada's most highly decorated second world war veterans, John Patton, who died died yesterday at the age of 80.
He served in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Canadian Engineers. He was one of only three Canadians awarded the George Cross for bravery. This medal, which is almost in every way equivalent to the Victoria Cross, is awarded for acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous circumstances of extreme danger.
After a daylight raid on an aircraft factory in the United Kingdom, John Patton, with no thought for his own safety or any knowledge of German bombs, volunteered to remove an unexploded bomb from the site and so ensured that essential wartime production could be maintained.
We offer our condolences to the members of his family and the deepest respect for a Canadian who was a true hero.