By GLENDA McCARTHY,
the Georgian
Eighty-five-year old Percy Pieroway may not be quite as active in the community as he was when he first arrived in 1946, but he hasn't slowed down very much at all.
Considered a jack-of-all-trades by anyone who knows him, his projects range from recreation to art to community development.
Percy Pieroway's involvement with the community began when he decided to settle in Stephenville after the closure of World War II.
A native of St. George's, his war career began in 1940 when he was accepted into England's Royal Navy where he trained as a telegraphist. Because he was not seeing real action, he wrote the Royal Admiralty and stated that if he was not assigned to a warship, he would cross the Atlantic and volunteer for the Canadian Navy. Within two days of sending the letter, Mr. Pieroway received a letter calling him to active duty.
The following year he went to Inverary, Scotland where he trained in the Special Navy Training Unit and became certified as a para-trooper with the Navy Airmen. He then proceeded to the Isle of Wight in the English Channel where he embarked on special, top secret training to prepare for the raid on Dieppe. He says there were spies in their midst and they knew it.
Learning the facts
During a recent interview, Mr. Pieroway told Graham Oliver the story of the battle of Dieppe. Mr. Oliver says that because of Mr. Pieroway's modesty, few are privileged to hear his first hand accounts of the battles.
"Recently I spent an evening with Percy Pieroway extracting information about his life," says Mr. Oliver.
"Upon entering his house, which I had entered many times before, I was certain that I knew Percy quite well. However, I soon realized that I knew very little about this quiet, sincere, humble man. Only after pointed questions could I gather information about a very courageous past. Percy is an extremely humble man and he is not a person who tells 'war stories' about personal heroics.
"I felt privileged to be in his presence while he answered my questions about his involvement in the war. For one of the first times in my life I learned from a man who was there about the pain, suffering and tragedy of war. Percy has a remarkable mind with a memory of which I am envious. He is truly a distinguished war veteran who fought valiantly for his country and for the freedom we all have today. I feel honoured to have him as a friend, although he is 30 years my senior."
[Editor's Note: The sections that follow in italics are excerpts from a document by Mr. Oliver in support of the nomination of Mr. Pieroway for the Town of Stephenville's recent special lifetime achievement award.]
On the front lines
On Aug. 19, 1942, Mr. Pieroway steamed towards the beach in Dieppe with the advance Forward Operation Bombardment Division, whose job was to secure the beach and village at Dieppe. Before getting close to the shore, incoming tracer fire started as the Vichy French started firing from their boats which were coming up the coast. The gunfire ruined the element of surprise so when they hit the beach the firepower coming from the hills was horrendous as the Germans cut the British to pieces. After crossing the gravel beach they made their way to a vacated pill box which they entered and immediately had access to the village. Little did they know that the pill box they passed through was booby-trapped and would later explode shortly after Mr. Pieroway and his comrades passed through.
Once in the village Mr. Pieroway's company could not advance as their men were once again cut down by machine gun fire as they tried to cross a bridge in the village. After hours of sustained gun fire, they began to retreat to the sea wall, shrouded in razor wire. Forced to face death from the rapid staccato of the German machine gun from behind, they jumped over the wire onto the rocky beach below and ran for the water in a dire effort to save their lives. Safety would only come after a two mile swim off shore where the rescue boats awaited.
As Mr. Pieroway crossed the beach amidst sustained gunfire he was struck in the head with a stunning blow. A bullet had gone through his helmet, cut the inside support straps on the helmet, but narrowly missed his skull. Fortunately, for Mr. Pieroway, he was an excellent swimmer and he managed to make it to the somewhat dubious safety of the boats waiting off shore.
Mr. Pieroway did much traveling for the rest of his war days. After going back to active duty in Nov. 1942 he sailed to join the North Africa campaign, then to South Africa, Egypt and Syria. He also participated in the invasion of Sicily, and moved on after it was brought under control. He went back to Africa for another campaign, then on to Salerno, Italy to fight another battle and Yugoslavia to participate in gunboat warfare. Mr. Pieroway went on to Corsica and continued to stay in active duty until the end of the war.
A new home
Mr. Pieroway moved to Stephenville shortly after returning home from the war. He began his career as an accountant with the Harmon Air Force Base. When the base eventually closed, he decided to stay here because he loves this area.
"I haven't seen all of the world but I've seen a good bit of it because I was overseas for five years, and I always liked to come back to Stephenville. I was born here in St. George's and it's a nice place in the summer but it's terrible in the winter so I prefer it in Stephenville... I even prefer Stephenville to anywhere in Newfoundland."
He has seen many changes during those years.
"Since I came to the town in 1946, the town has changed considerably. On Main Street, there was no pavement, it was all dirt roads, also there was no sidewalks, and there were very few houses - there was none of the streets (you see today) so there were no houses. On Main Street there were a few little stores, so it has changed considerably."
When the base closed in 1966, he was hired as an accountant by the Harmon Corporation that took over most of the base's assets. He worked in this capacity until he retired in 1982 at the age of 65.
Responding to a crisis
Mr. Pieroway foresaw the effect the closure of the base would have on Stephenville's economy. Along with a dozen fellow employees, he formed the Harmon Employees Committee of which he was elected chairman. The work commenced to strive for the welfare of his fellow employees at the base.
The first thing they tried for was severance pay but unfortunately it was not in the original agreement and they were unable to obtain it. They then moved on to improving the education of the laid-off Harmon employees so they could gain entry into vocational school programs. After much debate, they finally won, and an Adult Educational Centre was opened in Stephenville.
Mr. Pieroway also worked for a co-op store to come to Stephenville. Along with some of his friends, he began a committee to start the co-op. To get members to join, Mr. Pieroway went around to the clergy, who had a great deal of influence at that time, to urge them to support the concept. Before long, they had dedicated members.
"Stephenville was an ideal place for a co-op store after the base closed," says Mr. Pieroway.
"There were large families in the area and times were tough. Unemployment was high, wages were low, and the co-op provided us with the spirit of co-operation that was so necessary to bring the people of Stephenville together to get us through those turbulent times. As could be expected, there was a great deal of opposition from business establishments in town, but we got it going despite the resistance."
Working for leisure
Shortly after being elected to the town council in 1966, Mr. Pieroway began serving on the Stephenville Recreation Committee which he has been an active member of throughout the years. He is also a director with the Stephenville Leisure Council and is considered to be its most active member.
Considered the Grandfather of Skiing in Stephenville, Mr. Pieroway was a founding executive member of the Stephenville Ski Club which lasted from 1967-1983 and the Whaleback Nordic Ski Club which is still in existence. Amazingly, he has been the treasurer of this ski club since 1967.
The Stephenville Ski Club, after being established as a full-fledged downhill ski hill, included a lodge which was once used for radio and television production by the Americans. The life span of the ski hill was short-lived due to the increase of the cost of electricity.
Before long, Mr. Pieroway steered skiers towards cross-country skiing and began laying out a ski trail from Port au Port to Dhoon Lodge. The trail was constantly extended to make access for skiers from Port au Port, Kippens, Stephenville, Cold Brook and Noel's Pond.
Mr. Pieroway marked every metre of the trail himself, looked after the projects and often led work parties into cut sections. Today, parts of the trail system are still used by cross country skiers.
Build, build, build
Dan Rumbolt is a member of the Whaleback Nordic Ski Club and believes the ski club wouldn't exist without Mr. Pieroway.
"It is only through Percy Pieroway's tenacious guidance that a ski club of Whaleback Nordic's stature exists in Stephenville today," says Mr. Rumbolt.
"Without Percy's leadership, Whaleback Nordic would not have attained the distinction of being one of Canada's most prominent Nordic ski clubs with over 350 active members and a trail system that other communities can only dream of."
Mr. Pieroway held the role of treasurer in the Stephenville Figure Skating Club from 1967-1974.
Besides recreation, he has had many other interests. Along with his friends in 1973, he began the Bay St. George Artists Association for people interested in promoting art and taking lessons. Since its beginning, he has held the president's position and also served as secretary and treasurer.
According to Mr. Oliver, Mr. Pieroway is an internationally renowned artist. His art has toured the region and in 1995 he was one of the select few Newfoundland and Labrador artists chosen to have their paintings tour Ireland. Mr. Pieroway has been featured in Maclean's, in Atlantic Insight in 1980 and has work on display at Memorial University.
Builder and developer
Mr. Pieroway has played a crucial role in the development of a number of recreation and leisure projects. Included are Indian Head Park, the Blanche Brook/Little Port Harmon Fitness Trail, Maryland Drive Downhill Ski Operation and the Whaleback Trail System from Port au Port East to Dhoon Lodge.
He began the Mayfield Soccer Pitch project when the Heavy Equipment school opened in 1967. He arranged for students at the school to get practice by doing work on the soccer pitch.
Mr. Pieroway was just 51 years of age when he commenced this project and at 78 years of age he was personally jumping down in the trenches and covering the joints between drainage pipes with rubber, making sure everything was done right before the excavator backfilled the trench. Today, Mayfield Soccer Field which Mr. Pieroway named after one of the early administrators who worked at the college, is the centre of operations for Stephenville Minor Soccer Program. As usual, few people in this town are aware that Mr. Pieroway, the builder and visionary, almost single-handedly oversaw the work from the start to finish at Mayfield.
Seeking further improvements
Mr. Pieroway says that even after all of the work they have done, Mayfield is still not finished.
"Mayfield is not finished yet," says Mr. Pieroway.
"We still have another regulation soccer pitch to complete at Mayfield and it would be nice to put a running track around it as well. They also need a clubhouse up there. We should really look at that, because you need a clubhouse, especially when you're hosting tournaments."
Pieroway Baseball Park began in 1970 because baseball was a very popular sport and Mr. Pieroway realized the importance of developing a high quality baseball field for local teams.
Although there were several locations around town where baseball was being played in the 50s and 60s, those facilities were of inferior quality and all were negatively affected by the wind.
So, in 1971, Mr. Pieroway went to the Heavy Equipment school once again and proposed his plan for developing what is now known as Pieroway Park. The building of the ball park was another monumental project and the location chosen was extremely swampy and a great deal of fill was required.
Mr. Pieroway is still working on Pieroway Park and because of the construction of the new hospital, has re-designed the access road with construction resuming this month.
Doesn't seek glory
The astonishing thing about Mr. Pieroway's relationship with these facilities is that he is constantly working behind the scenes to improve a number of facilities; however the users of the facilities are usually not ever aware that Mr. Pieroway is the quiet driving force methodically pulling the strings making sure that the project is completed.
Mr. Pieroway was recently honoured with the award from the Town of Stephenville's 50 Anniversary Committee for outstanding service to the community at the annual Stephen Awards.
Mr. Pieroway is very humble when it comes to winning the award.
"I think that was really great and I really appreciate it, not because I did all those projects but it's the recognition for trying to improve the town."
For some people, such an award would mark the culmination or winding-down of their efforts. But Percy Pieroway is obviously not finished working on behalf of the Town of Stephenville yet. His fellow citizens clearly hope that his tremendous contributions go on for a very long time in the future.
Mr. Pieroway's family toured a ship while the Atlantic Fleet was visiting St. George's Bay when he was a child. Mr. Pieroway is front, left.
Mr. Pieroway joined England's Royal Navy in 1940 where he had many amazing experiences during World War II.
Percy Pieroway puts the finishing touches on this untitled painting which he says reminds him of the hunchback of Notre Dame.
At the recent Stephen Awards, Mr. Pieroway was honoured for outstanding long-term service to the community. He and with his wife, Olga, enjoy the special night.