A local World War II airmen and former POW was honoured by becoming a member of France’s highest national order.
Richmond “Dick” Deck, now 103, was presented with the insignia of “Knight of the Legion of Honour” July 18 by Nicolas Baudouin, Consul General of France in Vancouver.
Baudouin said the decoration was to honour Deck for his “unfathomable bravery” at such a young age and to recognize the “inextinguishable debt” France owed Deck and his fellow airmen for helping to “break Europe free” from the Nazi grasp. He said they helped change the course of history with their bravery.
“What you and your comrades, vos amis, vos frères d’armes, decided to do, your absolute courage, it goes beyond words,” Baudouin said. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you … merci Monsieur Deck. Our gratitude is everlasting.”
Baudouin also thanked Deck’s family and those present from the Cloverdale Legion. He said it was important to recognize people like Deck both for his service and as a reminder to younger generations of what France owes to Canada and to “exceptional” citizens like Deck.
Deck has been laying wreaths at the Cloverdale Cenotaph over the past few years and plans to do it “for years to come,” he told the Cloverdale Reporter in 2022.
The medal presentation took place at Deck’s home in Langley alongside his family members and members of the Cloverdale Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
“It was 80 years ago, and yet it feels so real to be in front of you today,” Baudouin continued. “You are someone important, someone who made a difference, someone who made the bravest decision someone can make, that is to join a fight for freedom and values you cared about.”
Baudouin added that history should always be viewed as a lesson for the future.
“The page you’ve written will never be turned,” he said. “It’s etched forever in our lives.”
PAGES OF HISTORY
The incredible pages Deck and his brothers-in-arms penned began when he joined the air force.
Deck told the Reporter in 2022, he joined “to help stop Hitler.” He signed up in 1942 and wanted to be a pilot. After getting washed out of pilot school, Deck decided to become a bomb aimer. He criss-crossed Canada for training and was sent to England in 1944. Deck flew his first mission in the summer of ’44 when his crew, nicknamed Easy, bombed enemy troops in Falaise, France.
Deck’s service ended on his last mission (his 31st), but not the way he’d planned it. It was the night of Jan. 16, 1945. Easy had dropped its bombs over Magdeburg and the plane was heading back to England. The mission had gone well and their target was “bombed accurately.” That night the RAF had launched a massive bombing mission against Magdeburg. The bombing raid, which was reported in the papers the next day, destroyed much of the city and around 2,500 people died.
Deck said Easy was several minutes west of Magdeburg when the gunner spotted a German Junker crossing their path. Things had been quiet for several minutes after that until they heard four massive bangs on one side of the plane. Soon one of their wings was ablaze.
“When we got shot, the flight engineer told the pilot on the intercom the plane was on fire and it was going to explode,” Deck remembered. “So the pilot told us all to get out.”
Deck ran to an escape hatch and was sucked out into the battle-ravaged night sky.
After floating back to earth, Deck was eventually captured. He spent the rest of the war in a German prison camp.
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
As for Deck’s award, Baudouin said France’s Legion of Honour was created in 1802 by French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and is the country's highest order. The award recognizes people for their merit and service to France, irrespective of their country of birth.
More than 1,200 Canadian veterans have been awarded the Legion of Honour medal, including 241 British Columbians.
“Since the Second World War, and especially since 2014, there’s been a huge effort to identify veterans of the Second World War, form Canada, to recognize their contribution to the liberation of France and to award them the Legion of Honour,” explained Baudouin. “That’s why we’re here today.”
Read more: Former POW Richmond Deck spent several months in German prison camps
