Lambert “Monty” Marsden sits comfortably in his chair, holding his maroon beret and telling stories about how he joined the Canadian military in 1944.
The 93-year-old resident of Mission’s Chartwell Carrington House said he earned the nickname Monty because of a special talent. “Monty is my nickname that I picked up during the war when I used to imitate Montgomery.”
It must have been a good imitation of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, as the name stuck with Marsden for the rest of his life.
Born in Longford Mills, Ont., Monty spent the first 18 years of his life in the small town before deciding to join the army. He spent the next 25 years in the service.
“I was looking for excitement, and my cousin came home from the parachute school and he had fancy boots on and a beret and all that stuff. I said, ‘That’s for me.'”
He joined the Canadian military in 1944 in order to fight in the Second World War.
“It was exciting for me. You’re a teenager, looking for adventure.”
He joined the paratroopers in the Canadian army, but the unit was too small to be by itself so it was attached to the British 6th airborne army.
That’s where he became a maroon beret.
“I’ve never regretted it,” Monty said.
He explained that maroon berets are members of the airborne unit and received plenty of training.
“We did 25-mile runs and quick marches. One of the punishments is if you didn’t get up at 6 a.m. within five minutes, you went out for a five-mile jog in the morning, as a reminder to get up. That was a lesson in itself.”
Monty participated in Operation Varsity, a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops that took place toward the end of the Second World War (March 24, 1945). It involved more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft. It was the largest airborne operation in history to be conducted on a single day and in one location.
It was also the operation during which Monty was wounded. He was shot in the thigh.
Because he was wounded, Monty stayed an extra year in England, where he was stationed at Trafalgar Square.
After the war, he returned home for a month on leave. Uncertain what to do next, Monty happened to meet two fellow officers who suggested that he stay in the military.
Twenty-five years later, he was still there.
“I looked after parachutes for the Canadian army. There were 5,000 parachutes to look after. There were no mistakes allowed.”
Working at the parachute training centre in Rivers, Man., Monty completed 271 jumps in his career.
He said military life suited him; after all, he had a strict upbringing as a child.
He was 43 when he left the armed forces. His wife, who he affectionately refers to as “the boss,” told him she wanted to go to B.C., where she had family.
Once in Maple Ridge, Monty changed careers and became part of the correctional service. He worked in corrections for 17 years before finally retiring.
In 1985, his wife made another decision.
“My boss said, ‘We are going to go to Mission. It’s nice and quiet and only four blocks long, a little village.’ But now…”
For the past year and a half, Monty has been living at Chartwell Carrington House. Much to his surprise, he discovered another resident there was also a maroon beret.
“We talk quite a bit,” Monty said.
They share stories and have a collection of old photos and memorabilia.
According to Monty, there were only about 600 Canadian maroon berets, so the chance of running into one was pretty slim.
