It was an act that upset many Saultites, especially veterans and others who appreciate the city’s rich military history.
A casting of the citation that Sault Ste. Marie First World War hero William Merrifield received when he was awarded the Victoria Cross — the British Empire's highest military honour — was stolen in June 2024.
SooToday informed Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 that the casting was missing.
It stood on the courtyard facing the main Cenotaph where the city's war dead are commemorated.
The casting, to date, has not been found and the culprit (or culprits) have not been apprehended.
Now, a year after the theft, Branch 25 is preparing to mount a replica of the casting in place at that same spot in front of the Cenotaph.
United Steelworkers Union Local 2251 has paid for the production of the replica by Phoenix Foundry in Uralla, Australia as well as the cost of shipping it to Branch 25 in the Sault.
“Local 2251 covered the entire cost and that was a significant cost,” Pierre Breckenridge, Branch 25 president, told SooToday.
The replica cost $1,500 to produce. The total cost, after shipping and taxes, came to just over $2,000.
“At first we investigated whether we could get it back but nothing materialized after the theft,” Breckenridge said.
“We looked at different replacement options and then finally we told our friends at Local 2251 and they provided the cost to have it replaced. We sourced it and we have the new casting with Merrifield’s citation done and now we're in the process of trying to secure it back on the podium.”
War hero William Merrifield was the only Sault veteran to ever be awarded the Victoria Cross, which he earned by single-handedly taking out a pair of enemy machine gun posts in 1918.
Merrifield's Victoria Cross citation on the casting reads:
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during the attack near Abancourt on the 1st October, 1918. When his men were held up by an intense fire from two machine-gun emplacements, he attacked them both single-handed. Dashing from shell-hole to shell-hole he killed the occupants of the first post, and, although wounded, continued to attack the second post, and with a bomb killed the occupants. He refused to be evacuated, and led his platoon until again severely wounded. Sgt. Merrifield has served with exceptional distinction on many former occasions, and throughout the action of the 1st October showed the highest qualities of valour and leadership.
“It’s very valuable to the Merrifield family, to the veteran community and to the community at large," Breckenridge said. "The fact of the matter is we couldn't leave that space where the casting was unfilled. It was apparent to us that we were going to have to replace it. The Victoria Cross is not something that was handed out lightly. It is definitely something that is worthy of being noted, not only in honour of Merrifield but also his descendants and all the soldiers that served at that time."
Branch 25 officials began their mission to have a replica of the casting made last fall.
Clyde Healey, 49th (Sault Ste. Marie) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery Honourary Lieutenant-Colonel, discovered Australia’s Phoenix Foundry through contacts at the Sault Ste. Marie Armoury.
“I wrote a couple of letters and Local 2251 was right on the ball right away without hesitation and they supported it 100 per cent," Breckenridge said. "I'm very relieved to get this fixed and done. It was concerning to us. We wanted to be able to get a product similar to what was there already and it turned out beautifully."
"We are incredibly grateful for the kindness and generosity of USW Local 2251 and to our Legion Branch 25 for their support and dedication on getting this replacement completed. This plaque explains how William Merrifield was awarded his Victoria Cross in WWI and is an important part of history for the city of Sault Ste. Marie," said the Merrifield family in an email.