LIEUTENANT GOLONEL ALBERT COLEMAN GARNER.
 


	Lieutenant Colonel Albert Coleman Garner, D. S. 0., D. L. S., M. E.
I. C., and F. R. G. S., Chief Surveyor of the Land Titles Office, Saskatche-
wan, and veteran of two wars, has lived in the Northwest Territories, in
what is now Saskatchewan, since he was ten years old. The son of Albert
Edward and Susan (Coleman) Garner, both of Warwickshire, England,
he was born at Maxstoke Hall, Warwickshire, on the 6th of September,
1878. He was educated in public and private schools in England, and in
Canada under tutors. In July, 1888, he first came to the Canadian west
and has since spent his life in this region, with the exception of three
years in British Columbia and six and a half years of active military
service in the field.
	Colonel Garner was commissioned as Dominion Land Surveyor in
1907, as Saskatchewan Land Surveyor in 1910 and as Alberta Land Sur-
veyor in 1912. In 1904 he was admitted as a student to the Engineering
Institute of Canada; was elected associate member in 1908 and eight years
later was admitted to full membership. For three years after obtaining
his commission as Dominion Land Surveyor he served as district sur-
veyor and engineer for the Saskatchewan government, following which
he engaged in private practice in surveying and municipal engineering
from 1910 to 1912, having offices at Qu'Appelle and Regina. In April of
the last mentioned year he was appointed Surveyor to the Land Titles
office of Regina and the first of the next year he was made chief surveyor.
In this capacity he took charge of the organization of his department and
has conducted its affairs to the present time. A particularly interesting
piece of work with which he has been identified was the special explora-
tions undertaken in 1920 and 1921 by an exploratory party under his
direction.  The work was commended by the Legislature in its fourtb
session, its commendation being printed in the Fourth Session, page
forty-one of the Sessional Papers, in 1920.
	The military record of Colonel Garner is a long and gallant one. Dur-
ing the Boer war he served as special scout in Lord Strathcona's Horse in
1900 and 1901 and was severely wounded. He was honored by "special
mention in despatches" in the London Gazette, February, 1901, and was
awarded the Queen's medal and four clasps, the medal being presented
by His Majesty the King, Edward VII, on the 10th of February, 1901.
Seven years later this veteran of the Boer war reentered the military
service as lieutenant of the Sixteenth Light Horse. In 1911 he was pro-
moted to captain and served as adjutant from 1912 to 1913. In the latter
year he was transferred as captain, Corps of Guides. He was secretary
of the Regina Garrison from its organization in 1912 until 1914, when he
resigned for active military service in the Great war. Between the years
1908 and 1915 Captain Garner had qualified in cavalry, infantry, horse
and field artillery, engineering, signaling and the Army Service Corps.
	Shortly after the outbreak of the Great war in Europe, Captain Gar-
ner entered on active service.  On the 15th of November, 1914, he was
appointed captain and adjutant of the Thirty-second Battalion, Canadian
Expeditionary Force.  He was promoted to the rank of major on the
26th of the following month and to that of lieutenant colonel on August
13, 1915, at the same time being appointed assistant director of supply
and transport for the overseas Canadian troops in England. In December
of 1915 and January of 1916 Colonel Garner was assigned to special ob-
servation duty for the transportation department of the war office in
France and Belgium. His next duty, to which he was assigned on Feb-
ruary 2, 1916, was to recruit, organize and command the One Hundred
and Ninety-fifth Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, which came
from the city of Regina. He was appointed to organize and command the
Second Canadian Labour Battalion at Seaford, England, on December
20, 1916, and went to France with his command in the following Febru-
ary. The next October he was appointed to organize and command the
Twelfth Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops, in France and retained this.
command until the final demobilization at Regina, on April 23, 1919. At
this time he was placed on the active list of reserve officers, Canadian
Expeditionary Force, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. From March,
1917, to January, 1919, Colonel Garner was engaged on the western front
from Arras to a point opposite St. Quentin. He went into action with the
Third army at Arras and its vicinity, remaining at the front from April
9, to May 3, 1917. With the Third army he took part in the advance on
Cambrai, which began on November 21, 1917, and continued into Decem-
ber, and the following spring he was with the Fifth army during its
retirement on Amiens, from March 21 into April. He was with the Third
and Fourth armies in the general advance along the Amiens front that
was launched against the enemy in August of 1918 and continued until
the signing of the armistice three months later brought an end to hos-
tilities. During this action Colonel Garner conducted himself with brav-
ery and distinction. He was mentioned in despatches of the commander
in chief in the London Gazette on December 28, 1917, and December 31,
1918; awarded the Distinguished Service Order on January 1, 1919: and
decorated by His Majesty the King, George V, on the 13th of February,
1919.
	After the war Colonel Garner acted as district military intelligence
officer for Military District, No. 12, from May, 1920, to August, 1922,
when the duties were taken over by the permanent force.  In 1920 he
was appointed to command the Twelfth Cyclist Company Corps of Guides
and retains the command at present. From its organization until 1912
Colonel Garner belonged to the South African Veterans Association; was
a member of the Imperial Veterans Association from 1912 to 1914, and
honorary assistant organizer for Saskatchewan in 1913 and 1914.  He
has been a member of the Army and Navy Veterans Association for sev-
eral years and is a member of the Regina Branch of the Great war
Veterans Association, having served as first vice president in 1920 and
1921, and as president from November, 1921, to March 15, 1923. Upon
his retirement from this office he was awarded the gold badge of the
association, made honorary president and also a member of the executive.
In keeping with his military activities is Colonel Garner's interest in the
rifle associations. From 1913 to 1919 he was secretary of the Saskatche-
wan Provincial Rifle Association and its president from 1920 to 1922.
When he retired from office he was made a life member.  He has also
belonged to the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association since 1913 and has
represented Saskatchewan on the council since 1914.
	Colonel Garner was married on the 31st of October, 1905, to Miss
Margart Blyth Tait of Montreal. They have four children: Grace Eleanor
Coleman Garner, Lucile Margaret Coleman Garner, Henry Lawrence
Coleman Garner and Donald Alexander Coleman Garner. His member-
ship in the Anglican church indicates Colonel Garner's religious faith.
He is affiliated with the Canadian Club, the United Service Institute of
Regina and a number of local organizations. His support has been given
to a number of civic enterprises, some of which he has been able to assist
greatly by his professional advice. In 1922 and 1923 he served on the
executive council of the Saskatchewan Good Roads Association and was
president of the Regina Town Planning Association in 1923. As town
councillor for the town of Qu'Appelle he served for two terms before the
war, in 1911 and 1912. Along the line of his professional interests, he
was president of the Saskatchewan Land Surveyors Association in 1913
and 1914, resigning that office to leave on active military service.  A
member of the executive for the Regina branch of the Engineering In-
stiute[sic] of Canada since 1922, he was elected chairman of the branch in
March, 1923, for the ensuing year. In 1916 he was elected fellow of the
Royal Colonial Institute of London, England, and fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society, London, in June, 1922, both fellowships being in
recognition of his attainments along scientific and professional lines.


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