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Robert
James Manion, MD, MC
 
Robert James Manion (November
19, 1881 Pembroke, Ontario - July 2, 1943 Ottawa, Ontario) was a physician and Canadian
politician. He was leader of the Canadian Conservative Party 1938-1940.
Of Irish descent, Manion studied medicine
at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario and at Edinburgh before settling in his hometown
of Fort William, Ontario where his parents had lived since 1888. In 1915 he enrolled with
the Canadian Army Medical Corps. Attached to the 21st Canadian Battalion, he was awarded
the Military Cross for heroism at the battle of Vimy Ridge
He was elected to the Canadian House of
Commons during the conscription election of 1917 as a Liberal-Unionist MP for Fort
William, Ontario. A member of the Liberal Party before the war, Manion remained with the
Conservative Party after the war. The new Prime minister Arthur Meighen appointed him Minister
of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment in 1921. He spent most of the 1920's on the
opposition benches , except for a few months in 1926 when he served as a minister in the
second Meighen administration, including the position of Postmaster-General.
Following the federal election of 1930, the
new Conservative Prime minister R. B. Bennett appointed Manion Minister of Railways and
Canals. However, the economic crisis of the Great Depression destroyed the Bennett
government, and Manion, with many others, lost his seat in the 1935 election. According to
historian Roy Piovesana, Manion's loss was partly attributable to his failure to cultivate
his Fort William riding. Despite not having a seat, Manion won the 1938 Conservative
leadership convention in hopes that his Catholicism and marriage to a French-Canadian,
Yvonne Desaulniers, would help the party in Quebec where the perception of the Tories as
being anti-French and anti-Catholic Orangemen hurt their prospects. Manion entered the
House of Commons through a by-election in 1938. He subsequently campaigned against
conscription despite the fact that he had joined the Unionists in 1917 because he favoured
the draft.
The defeat of the government of Maurice
Duplessis in Quebec hurt Manion's hopes of building an electoral alliance with the
conservative Premier. As well, his stance against conscription turned much of the Tory
base in Ontario against the leader. In the March 1940 general election Manion's Tories
campaigned under the name National Government with the platform of forming a wartime
coalition government but the renamed Tories were unable to make any gains from their 1935
result and Manion failed to win his seat leading to his resignation as party leader two
months later. He would die three years later, sick and disillusioned.
References
· Manion, R.J. A surgeon in arms.
Toronto : McClelland, Goodchild & Stewart, 1918.
· Manion, R.J. Life is an adventure.
Toronto : Ryerson Press, 1936.
· Naugler, Harold Adelbert. R.J. Manion
and the Conservative Party 1938-1940. M.A. thesis 1966, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont.
· Piovesana, Roy H. Robert J. Manion
member of Parliament for Fort William 1917-1935. Thunder Bay : Thunder Bay Historical
Museum Society, 1990.
The above document is made available under
the GNU Free Documentation License, and as such, may be freely copied.
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Summary of Service Record
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Nov 19, 1881
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Born at Pembroke Ontario
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Mar 16, 1916
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Accepted into the CAMC (Canadian Army Medical
Corps) at Ottawa Ontario with rank of Lieutenant
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Mar 21, 1916
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Commission and rank confirmed in CEF
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Apr 1, 1916
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To be Captain as per London Gazette #29578
Note that this was not posted until May 12
Posted to CAMC Training School “with
effect”
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Apr 5, 1916
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Embarked the SS Olympic at Halifax with the
Ontario Hospital contingent
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Apr 11, 1916
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Disembarked at Liverpool
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May 10, 1916
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Detailed for duty to Heaton Park, Manchester,
for course of instruction on Physical Training
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May 15, 1916
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Returned from Heaton Park
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May 27, 1916
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Detailed for duty at Canterbury Military
Hospital
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Jun 10, 1916
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TOS No 7 Stationary Hospital
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Jun 18, 1916
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TOS the Military Hospital at Shorncliffe
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Jun 26, 1916
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Officer’s Declaration signed at CAMC,
Shorncliffe England
Ø Rank of Captain
Ø Next of kin given as Yvonne D Manion (wife) of 300 Wilbrod St, Ottawa
Ontario
Ø Although not stated, he was a physician
Ø No previous military experience given
Ø On the medical portion he stated that he had been examined twice in
Canada and was declared fit.
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Oct 12, 1916
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Returned from duty at Canterbury
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Oct 13, 1916
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TOS CAMC Training School and attached to
Standing Medical Board
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Oct 17, 1916
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TOS CAMC Training School Cheriton
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Oct 21, 1916
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Attached to ADMS (Assistant Director of
Medical Services) London Area and posted to
Standing Medical Board at Shoreham by Sea
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Nov 19, 1916
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Transferred to ADMS, Brighton area
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Nov 20, 1916
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Attached to A/D ADMS, Seaford
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Nov 30, 1916
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TOS No 1 Canadian General Hospital on arrival
in France
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Dec 13, 1916
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Attached to No 6 CFA (Canadian Field
Ambulance)
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Dec 22, 1916
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Attached to 22nd Battalion but
retained at 6 CFA
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Dec 23, 1916
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Posted to No 6 CFA
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Jan 4, 1917
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Attached to 25th Battalion for
Temporary Duty
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Jan 16, 1917
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Attached to 21st Battalion as MO
(Medical Officer)
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Jun 5, 1917
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Admitted to No 7 Stationary Hospital,
Boulogne, with a hernia of left testicle
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Jun 7, 1917
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Invalided to England aboard the HS St Patrick
Admitted to the Royal Free Hospital, Grays
Inn Rd, London
Posted to CAMC Depot
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Jun 9, 1917
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Discharged from hospital
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Jul 10, 1917
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Granted special leave to Canada until
September 10, 1917
Ø Address while in Canada, Fort William Ontario
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Jul 18, 1917
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Awarded the Military Cross, London Gazette
#30188
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Jul 21, 1917
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Disembarked at Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Sep 10, 1917
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Leave extended to September 15, 1917
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Sep 15, 1917
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SOS OMFC (Overseas Military Force of Canada)
on being retained in Canada
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Sep 16, 1917
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Attended at Military Hospital Convalescent
Centre and sent to Deer Lodge Hospital as an out patient, both in Winnipeg, Manitoba
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Oct 31, 1917
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TOS MD 10 (Military District 10, Winnipeg
Manitoba)
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Dec 17, 1917
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Elected to Parliament as a Unionist MP for the
riding of Fort William Ontario
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Jan 26, 1918
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Medical Board at Port Arthur Ontario records:
Ø Current address 433 Syndicate Ave., S., Fort William Ontario
Ø Disability noted as “pain in left scrotum”
Ø Caused by a fall from a horse in March of 1917
Ø Declared to be a 25% permanent disability
Ø Board recommends he be discharged from the CEF as medically unfit
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Feb 8, 1918
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Discharged from the CEF as medically unfit
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Nov 2, 1922
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British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to
433 South Syndicate Ave., Fort William Ontario
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