Fonds Fonds 49 - Roderick Middleton fonds

Roderick Morrison Middleton was born in Calgary, Alberta 23 January 1929. He served in the Calgary Highlanders (militia) from 1948 to 1950 and joined 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry as a Lieutenant, September 1950. He served as a Platoon Commander in Korea and was wounded 7 March 1951 during the assault on Hill 532. He returned to Canada for parachute training September 1951 and served at the Airborne and Offensive Air Support Schools at the Canadian Joint Air Training Centre at Rivers, Manitoba from 1952 to 1958. He was posted to 1st Battalion PPCLI in Victoria and served as second in command of A Company and was Regimental Adjutant, June 1960 to May 1963. He attended Defense Services Staff College in Wellington, India until December 1963. He was appointed General Staff Officer Grade 2, Special Operations, in the Directorate of Military Training at Army Headquarters in Ottawa. He attended United States Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, August 1965. Rejoining 2PPCLI in Edmonton, January 1966, he commanded the last Army Junior NCO School in Wainwright. He proceeded to Germany in May 1966 where he was in command of Headquarters Company and became Battalion Operations Officer of 1PPCLI then 2PPCLI. He was appointed General Staff Officer 2 Tactical Air Operations at the Joint Warfare establishment at Old Sarum, England, July 1967 and was appointed Staff Officer 2 in the Special Warfare Section of the Directorate of Land Operational Readiness in Ottawa in August 1969. He was posted to Calgary as Senior Staff Officer, Southern Alberta Militia District in March 1973. He retired from the Military July 1975. Following his military career Rod was manager of the Officer's Mess at Mewata Armouries, Calgary, Alberta until 1987 and Acting Director, Museum of the Regiments, May 2000-September 2000. He was active in the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Association and served as National President from 1985 to 1989. He was the Chairman of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Heritage Committee from 1999-2001 and still served on that Committee in 2002. Rod was directly involved in the planning and organization of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 75th Anniversary celebrations in Calgary, 1989, and the Regimental History Book Project, 1999-2001. Rod worked as a volunteer at the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regimental Museum and Archives beginning in 1988 and was involved in the planning and design of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regimental Museum Gallery. He completed the first draft of the inventory of the papers of Brig. A. Hamilton Gault in 2004. He married Laurine Strabel of Edmonton in 1952, and they had four children, Geoffrey, Gary, Janice, and David. He died in Calgary on March 28, 2007.