Col. Douglas Barrie, HLI of C / HF of C

[RHFC_piper]

The Regimental family of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada is mourning the loss of a great man; the last commanding officer of the Highland Light Infantry of Canada (the units predecessor), the first commanding officer of the Highland Fusiliers of Canada, and a thrice-wounded veteran of WW2, Colonel Douglas Barrie.

Doug Barrie, a decorated military veteran who devoted his life to telling the stories of Waterloo Region’s Highland Light Infantry, has died.

Barrie, 87, died Saturday night of a heart attack following a presentation to members of the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada, the regiment’s modern incarnation. He was surrounded by family and about 170 guests at the Feast of St. Andrew dinner at the Cambridge armoury, where he was given a standing ovation.

Article Link

Here are a few other articles;

Call of duty
Being wounded in action couldn’t keep Waterloo’s Doug Barrie from his men...

A lot more on link.
Article Link


The last I spoke to Col. Barrie was at the Kitchener Rangers hockey game, the Saturday before remembrance day, where he and the remaining HLI of C veterans received commemorative jerseys from the Kitchener Rangers bearing the HLI of C crest and their names.  They were treated to refreshments, as well as the game, from the Kitchener Rangers booth.  It was good to see them all together and being treated so well.

Col. Barrie will be missed by all who knew him.

 

[wildfong]

We've lost another old soldier.  So long Colonel...

 

[Rick Goebel]

He was CO when I joined.  A real gentleman and a real soldier.

I've got to say that this would be a pretty horrible way to wind up a mess dinner.

 

[RHFC_piper]

I've got to say that this would be a pretty horrible way to wind up a mess dinner.

You could also look at it like this;  he had one last visit with his regimental family...

 

[wildfong]

Col Barrie's son said it best...here's the link to the record
http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/636744

 

[RHFC_piper]

Veteran preserved the stories of the regiment he loved

He took bullets and shrapnel, crawled on his belly through France and preserved the memories of the men who never made it back home.

And when it was time to go, Doug Barrie spent his final night just the way he would have wanted. Telling the stories of his beloved Highland Light Infantry, surrounded by family, fellow infantrymen and the aging soldiers he led into battle so many decades ago...

... “If you had to write a movie script, he wouldn’t have done it any differently,” said his son Brian Barrie, an Owen Sound lawyer. “It was as if Dad had saved all his energy for this, and when it was done, it was time to go.”

Article Link


Another good write up.