Bert Hoffmeister
Encyclopedia
Major General
Bertram Meryl (Bert) Hoffmeister, OC
, CB
, CBE
, DSO
and Bar
, ED
(15 May 1907 – 4 December 1999) was a Canadian
Army officer, businessman, and conservationist.
(NPAM, the Canadian Army Reserve Force) in 1927. He was promoted Captain in 1934. After he was promoted to Major, in 1939, he was made officer commanding a company of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
who went to England in 1939.
He attended the Canadian Junior War Staff courses at the Royal Military College of Canada
in Kingston, Ontario
.
In 1942, he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel
. In 1943, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
while fighting in Sicily
. He received a bar to the DSO the following year
In October 1943, promoted to Brigadier General
, he was named commanding officer of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, who fought in the Italian Campaign
. In March 1944, he was promoted to Major General and made General Officer Commanding the 5th Canadian Armoured Division. After VE-Day, he was made General Officer Commanding the 6th Canadian Division
(Canadian Army Pacific Force) which disbanded after the atomic bombings of Japan. Hoffmeister retired from active service in September 1945. That same year, he was made a Grand Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau with swords as well as a Companion of the Order of the Bath
and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
. In 1947, he was made a Commander of the Legion of Merit
.
After the war, in 1949 he became President of MacMillan Bloedel Limited
and was its Chairman from 1956 to 1958. From 1958 to 1961, he was British Columbia's Agent General in London. From 1961 to 1968, he was Chairman of the Council of Forest Industries of British Columbia, an association for the British Columbia interior forest industry. From 1971 to 1991 he was the founding Chairman of the Nature Trust of British Columbia, a non-profit land conservation organization.
In 1982, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
, Canada's highest civilian honour.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Bertram Meryl (Bert) Hoffmeister, OC
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
, ED
Canadian Efficiency Decoration
The Canadian Efficiency Decoration was a Canadian military award given to officers of the non-permanent active militia, RCAF Auxiliary and Reserve who completed twenty years of meritorious military service. Similar Efficiency Decorations were also awarded by other Commonwealth countries. A bar...
(15 May 1907 – 4 December 1999) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Army officer, businessman, and conservationist.
Biography
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he was a sales manager with the Canadian White Pine Co. Ltd. in Vancouver. He enlisted with the Non-Permanent Active MilitiaNon-Permanent Active Militia
The Non-Permanent Active Militia was the name of Canada's part-time volunteer military force from the time of Confederation to 1940. The NPAM was composed of several dozen infantry battalions and cavalry regiments...
(NPAM, the Canadian Army Reserve Force) in 1927. He was promoted Captain in 1934. After he was promoted to Major, in 1939, he was made officer commanding a company of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada is a light infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The regiment is subordinate to 39 Canadian Brigade Group, Land Forces Western Area...
who went to England in 1939.
He attended the Canadian Junior War Staff courses at the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
.
In 1942, he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. In 1943, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
while fighting in Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. He received a bar to the DSO the following year
In October 1943, promoted to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
, he was named commanding officer of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, who fought in the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
. In March 1944, he was promoted to Major General and made General Officer Commanding the 5th Canadian Armoured Division. After VE-Day, he was made General Officer Commanding the 6th Canadian Division
6th Canadian Infantry Division
The 6th Canadian Infantry Division was a Canadian infantry division formed in 1942 during the Second World War. It was attached to Pacific Command. The division had a brigade sent to the Aleutian Islands Campaign, particularly at Kiska, but never saw action...
(Canadian Army Pacific Force) which disbanded after the atomic bombings of Japan. Hoffmeister retired from active service in September 1945. That same year, he was made a Grand Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau with swords as well as a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. In 1947, he was made a Commander of the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
.
After the war, in 1949 he became President of MacMillan Bloedel Limited
MacMillan Bloedel Limited
MacMillan Bloedel Limited, sometimes referred to as "MacBlo", was a Canadian forestry company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was formed through the merger of three smaller forestry companies in 1951 and 1959. Those were the Powell River Company, the Bloedel Stewart Welch Company,...
and was its Chairman from 1956 to 1958. From 1958 to 1961, he was British Columbia's Agent General in London. From 1961 to 1968, he was Chairman of the Council of Forest Industries of British Columbia, an association for the British Columbia interior forest industry. From 1971 to 1991 he was the founding Chairman of the Nature Trust of British Columbia, a non-profit land conservation organization.
In 1982, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, Canada's highest civilian honour.