Colonel Douglas George Leopold Cunnington (April 20, 1885 – May 9, 1973) was a farmer, advertising agent, insurance salesman, soldier and a politician at the federal and municipal levels in Canada.

Early life

Cunnington for a time lived in

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies. It was located on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first known Europeans to encounter Guia ...

, he moved to Canada in 1910 settling in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, a year later he moved east to the

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

region and set up a dairy farm.

Military career

Cunnington joined the

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

in 1915 during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He rose through the ranks to become a Colonel. He was shot and believed killed in action at Battle of Amiens. He was instead taken prisoner, and his wounds were treated by the Germans. He remained a Prisoner of War until the cessation of hostilities. (In a curious incident that received attention in the press, the German troops who took him prisoner left behind some of his effects. These were subsequently found, and identified, by Canadian troops who happened upon the scene. Presuming the colonel to be dead, the items were interred under a marker inscribed with his name, and a photograph taken of the grave was forwarded to Cunnington's wife. Thus, the Cunnington family possessed a photograph of what was believed to be Col. Cunnington's grave several decades before his actual death.) After being released by the Germans in 1919 Cunnington got a job as an advertising agent with the

Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The C ...

. He left that position in 1926 to establish an insurance business.

Political career

Cunnington was elected to Calgary City Council for the first time in 1935 he served as an Alderman until 1939 when he made the jump to federal politics. Cunnington ran for the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

in the

Calgary West Calgary West was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1917 to 1953, and from 1979 to 2015. It was in the western part of the City of Calgary. The electoral district was or ...

electoral district in a by-election held on January 28, 1939. He would replace former Prime Minister Richard Bennett as the representative for that district, by acclamation as the Liberal candidate withdrew. After his acclimation Cunnington moved his family to

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

he took his seat in the House of Commons of Canada on January 25, 1940 the same day that parliament was dissolved. Cunnington would return to Calgary to contest the election be defeated by Manley Edwards a candidate from the Liberals in the 1940 Canadian federal election. In that election Cunnington ran under the National Government banner. He would not return to federal politics.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cunnington, Douglas 1885 births 1973 deaths Canadian Expeditionary Force officers Calgary city councillors Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta Canadian prisoners of war in World War I World War I prisoners of war held by Germany People from Bridgnorth English emigrants to Canada British Guiana people Canadian expatriates in England 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada