Mount Archibald was named for Ronald Earl Archibald through the efforts of the Rosedale Athletic Club. As Archibald had enlisted in England, not Canada, and was a member of the RAF, his name was not included on the Naming Commission’s list (Grainger, 1998).
Ronald Archibald was born in Chilliwack in September 1920 and at school became a prominent athlete. In 1939, he decided to join the Royal Air Force and was trained as a pilot. Ronald served as an instructor after graduation and on one occasion he and his student crashed in a storm and Ronald suffered a fractured spine. Upon recovery he returned to instructing but had applied for a transfer to an operational squadron. He was posted to Bomber Command and served for nine months prior to being reported missing. Before his death Ronald had flown on raids against the German battleships, Prinz Eugen,Gneiseau and Scharnhorst and participated in the “1000 Bomber Raid” against Cologne. On June 4, 1942 when piloting a Lancaster with 61 Squadron, Ronald and his crew were shot down by a German night fighter piloted by Lieutenant Hans-Heinz König. The Lancaster crashed near to the Bad Zwischenahn aerodrome and those killed were originally buried at the Evangelical Friedhof at Bad Zwischenahn. Other crew members were Sergeant P. Holmes R.A.F. (Prisoner of War), and those killed were Flight Lieutenant G.L.C. Beattie, Flight Sergeants D. Lorimer D.F.M., R.A.F., Flight Sergeant M.H. Denison and Sergeants I.F. Pratt R.A.F., J.L. Williis of the R.A.F. (Ferguson, 2009).
Mount Archibald lies west of, and on the same ridge of, Mount Cheam. Mt. Archibald dominates the view from Rosedale.
References:
- Grainger, N. (1998). The Mountain Project.Chilliwack, B.C.: Neil Grainger
- Ferguson, P. (2009). Chilliwack War Memorial. Online exhibit retrieved from http://www.chilliwackmuseum.ca/war-memorial/WW2_a_names.html
Photograph caption: Ronald Archibald. [Chilliwack Museum and Archives photo, P1997 60 2]