For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar 

BEARD, Charles Taschereau - age 59, who died November 21 in Victoria, was buried with full naval honors in the naval cemetery at Esquimalt on November 25. Cdr. Beard was Coalition member for Esquimalt in the British Columbia Legislature at the time of his death. He was serving his second term. Born in Ottawa and educated at Ottawa College and Ashbury College, he entered the two-year old Royal Canadian Navy in 1910. He obtained his early training in ships and establishments of the Royal Navy and served throughout the First World War with the RN. Cdr. Beard returned to Canada late in 1920 as commanding officer of the destroyer "Patriot," and later commanded HMCS "Naden," the RCN Barracks at Esquimalt. In 1925 he returned to the U.K. for service with the Royal Navy. In February 1928, he came back to Canada and was appointed in command of the destroyer "Champlain." For the next eight years Cdr. Beard served mainly at Headquarters, holding at various times the posts of Director of Naval Reserves and Director of Naval Operations and Training. In 1936, he was appointed commanding officer of "Naden" for the second time, holding in addition, the appointment of Commander of the Dockyard. Cdr. Beard retired on pension in April 1939 but re-entered the Service on the outbreak of the Second World War. He was appointed to HMCS "Stadacona," Halifax, but returned to the West Coast in April 1940 to commission, as commanding officer, the auxiliary cruiser "Prince Robert". Later that year the "Prince Robert" captured the valuable German motor ship "Weser," which was attempting to escape from a Mexican port. For his part in this action he was Mentioned in Despatches on January 1, 1943. Cdr. Beard retired from the Service in January, 1941. The funeral service was held in St. Andrew's Cathedral, Victoria, following which the funeral cortege formed in HMCS "Naden." Headed by a firing party, guard and bank; flanked by six chief petty officers serving as pallbearers, and followed by the honorary pallbearers and two parties of officers and men, the gun carriage bearing the casket was drawn by hand to the cemetery. Honorary pallbearers were Rear-Admiral V.G. Brodeur, RCN, Ret'd; Vice-Admiral H.E. Reid, RCN, Ret'd; W.T. Straith, B.C. Minister of Education; Andrew Motherwell, Dr. Eric Boak, Norman yarrow, J.C. Thow and Captain Eustace Brock, RCN(R), Ret'd. In attendance at the graveside were Read-Admiral W.B. Creery, Flag Officer Pacific Coast, and Commodore G.R. Miles, Commodore of the RCN Barracks, Esquimalt. (CROWSNEST Magazine Jan 1950)

HMCS PATRIOT - 1st Commanding Officer

HMCS CHAMPLAIN - 2nd Commanding Officer

HMCS PRINCE ROBERT - Appointed to Prince Robert 02 Apr 1940 as a Cdr, RCN (Standby). 1st Commanding Officer

HM P-17