Second World War veteran and advocate for war and child amputees, Cliff Chadderton, has had a lake named in his honour.
“Let us also never forget those who fought for our country and for our freedoms,” said Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox. “Extraordinary Manitoban, Cliff Chadderton, lost his right leg in battle and spent the majority of his post-war life advocating for amputees and veterans. We are eternally grateful and pleased to honour his sacrifice in this way.”
Chadderton Lake is located in the Duck Mountains in southwest Manitoba.
Chadderton was born in Fort William, Ont., attended the University of Manitoba, worked for the Winnipeg Free Press and played hockey with the Winnipeg Rangers. At just 20 years of age, Chadderton enlisted with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when war broke out in 1939, rising to the rank of major during his service.
Stationed in Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands throughout the war, Chadderton was wounded twice, once by a bullet in Normandy and once by a grenade near the Leopold Canal in northern Belgium. The injury from the grenade cost him his right leg, prompting him to devote much of his post-war life to helping veterans through War Amps, an organization that became synonymous with Chadderton himself. Under his direction, the War Amps cause expanded to include child amputees, known as ‘Champs’.
Chadderton retired from the War Amps in 2010 at 90 years of age and passed away three years later, in November 2013.
Throughout his life he received many honours including recognition as a Member of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and an Officer Brother of the Order of St. John.
Following the end of the Second World War, the Geographic Board of Canada established a policy to use the names of decorated casualties to identify unnamed geographical features. Manitoba has expanded the commemorative naming of geographical features to honour those who lost their lives in the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, U.N. peacekeeping and Afghanistan.
Manitoba has named geographical features in honour of 44 First World War, 4,206 Second World War, 37 Korean War, one U.N. peacekeeping, and seven Afghanistan fatal casualties as well as all of Manitoba’s 15 Victoria Cross recipients.
