13 Facts About Victor Odlum

Major General Victor Wentworth Odlum, CB, CMG, DSO was a Canadian journalist, soldier, and diplomat.

Victor Odlum was a prominent member of the business and political elite of Vancouver, British Columbia from the 1920s until his death in 1971.

Victor Odlum fought in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II.

When Victor Odlum was 6, his family moved to Japan for four years before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1889.

At age 19, Victor Odlum fought in the Boer War with The Royal Canadian Regiment; upon his return, he became a newspaperman, serving as a reporter and then editor-in-chief of the Daily World.

Victor Odlum's battalion moved into the front lines in April 1915, and only days later was subjected to the first gas attacks on the Western Front that heralded the Second Battle of Ypres.

Victor Odlum's battalion was almost immediately transferred to the 3rd Brigade under Brigadier-General Richard Turner and moved to the vicinity of St Julien.

Victor Odlum eventually was forced to withdraw his brigade before it was completely overwhelmed, but organized the withdrawal so well that his men suffered minimal losses.

Victor Odlum was later awarded the Distinguished Service Order, the citation for which reads:.

Victor Odlum often was in the front lines with his men, personally led several attacks with pistol drawn, and was wounded three times during the war.

Victor Odlum was virulently anti-Bolshevik and anti-union, and shut down the Star rather than give in to his employees, who had unionized and refused to accept a pay cut.

However, instead of preparing his forces for modern warfare, Victor Odlum devoted much time to "extraneous matters" such as regimental brass bands and arm patches.

Victor Odlum was a zealous reader, and in 1963, he donated his collection of 10,000 books to the library at the University of British Columbia.