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| Sgt. Fred Bailey [Source: RCMP Veterans Association, Vancouver Division] |
Let me introduce you to an ordinary man who happened to make a bit of local history by just doing what many in his day did - living life, making choices, taking risks.
"This I believe is the diary of Frederick Bagley when he enlisted in the North-West Mounted Police as a trumpeteer at 15 years of age; They left Fort Dufferin in 1874 to secure the Medicine Line!"
- J. Rempel
I will be sharing portions of that diary here on this blog at a later time. But for now, let us learn a bit about Sub-Constable Fred Bagley, Trumpeteer ...
According to a fascinating online biography (which I quote here in-full since so many such pages seem to disappear):
Fred Bagley’s musical talents and leadership provided a major contribution to the Force and to the communities he served in.
With regarding setting records, he was first in the following areas:
a) being the youngest member to be sworn into the Force;
b) first Trumpeteer in the Force;
c) present to guard and witness the first person to be hung in the North-West Territories at Fort Saskatchewan; and
d) first member to lead a musical performance before Royalty.