Superintendent A. Stirling McNeil, OStJ, RCMP, Ret’d  (Wing Commander -RCAF)

A staunch Canadian, an intrepid policeman and a pioneer flyer with the RCMP and the wartime RCAF, Supt. A. Stirling McNeil died in Langley, BC on Jun. 23. He was 95 years of age.

A long-time resident of Brentwood Bay, Sterling and his beloved wife Carolyn moved to Langley several years ago to be near their daughter Barbara. Son Cam resides in Ottawa. Carolyn passed away last year.

Stirling McNeil was a Life member of RUSI of VI, serving as president in 1972 and 1973.

During his watch, our Institute was granted its “Royal” designation.

He was born in Winnipeg in 1908 and joined the Mounted Police in 1931. He served for 35 years and was witness to much of 20^th century Canada: opening the Northern wilderness, playing pro football, doing key intelligence work during the Second World War and guiding the Queen around P.E.I.

He retired in the rank of superintendent after commanding L Division in P.E.I. where he helped organize security for the 1964 Royal Visit.   

Stirling McNeil, who criss-crossed the North on 1,200-kilometre dogsled patrols, earning $2 a day, “plus food, uniform, underwear and toothbrushes.” As a young Mountie in rural Saskatchewan, he arrested the legendary Grey Owl for chasing a man with a meat cleaver while in a drunken rage.

While posted in Saskatchewan, he played for the Roughriders when not on duty. The RCMP insisted he couldn’t be paid, but the team had to cover medical expenses. He broke some ribs once, but didn’t dare tell his bosses. McNeil missed his one chance to play in the Grey Cup game in Toronto – he had to work.

An aviation pioneer, he was the last living original of the RCMP Air Division and flew the first RCMP aircraft in the north. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was loaned to the RCAF, initially flying out of Pat Bay near Victoria. He joined Air Force intelligence in Vancouver where he was on a committee dealing with the Japanese-Canadian problem. Wing Commander McNeil – still only 33 years old – and the RCMP representative, argued fruitlessly against internment. “There were no signs of disloyalty. They were good citizens. But the public’s mind was made up.” he said.

He returned to the RCMP after the war. In 1952, he led the Musical Ride on a U.S. tour. He went to the high Arctic with the first Americans building the DEW line to make sure they didn’t decimate the animals.”

After retiring to Victoria, he led the RCMP veterans association, the RCAF Officers’ Association and the Royal United Services Institute – at one point holding all three jobs at once. At age 80, he was knighted by the Order of St. John and was a board member of the Central Saanich Police Board, Central Saanich Hospital Board & the Corps of Commissionaires.

Funeral services were at Fort Langley on Jun. 29. His ashes were interred at the RCMP cemetery in Regina. _