Brother
Theodore Vincent Sandys-Wunsch
(1892-1966)
Temple Lodge, No. 33
Here is a brief biographical sketch of Brother Theodore Vincent Sandys-Wunsch taken from his obituary in the Cowichan Leader newspaper:
“Col. Theodore Vincent Sandys-Wunsch, RCMP, retired, died Monday in King’s Daughters’ Hospital.
          The  funeral will be held today at 2 p.m. in St. Peter’s Anglican Church, with Rev.  Neil Robinson officiating.
          Col.  Sandys-Wunsch was born January 9, 1892 in Knotsford, Cheshire, England and came  to Winnipeg, Canada in 1910. For a year, he drove a team for W. Gorman of Birds  Hill.
          In 1911 he  joined the RNWMP as a trumpeter and at the start of World War 1 bought his way  out of the force and sailed for England where he attempted to enlist in the  British Army.
          Problems  with his eyesight at that time made this impossible and he went to Brussels where  he joined the 3rd Lancers Belgian cavalry as a volunteer.
          He fought  through the retreat to Ypres, was wounded and decorated with the Yser Cross by  King Albert, for capturing prisoners and saving the regimental flag.
          In 1915 he  was made a temporary captain in the Royal Scots by the British Army and in the  same year was wounded while serving in western Egypt during the Senusi revolt.
          After  graduating from staff college he served on General Allenby’s staff and during  this time also served on the staff of the Fourth Command, met Lawrence of  Arabia and Wavell and made a patrol with the Camel Corps to the Dead Sea before  the attack on Jerusalem.
          He later  received a permanent commission as a reward.
          In 1919  Col. Sandys-Wunsch returned to Canada after resigning his commission and  rejoined the RNWMP as a sergeant. A few months later he was promoted inspector.
          During the  next 27 years he served the RCMP both behind the desk and trekking through  every province as well as the eastern Arctic and the Yukon. Prior to his  retirement he was the third senior officer in the entire force, while located  at Winnipeg.
        He was in charge of  escorts in the Duke of Windsor (the Prince of Wales), the King of Siam and  President Roosevelt on their visits to Canada. He was a member of the Bisley  rifle team in 1923 and adjutant in 1928.
        In 1921 he established a  world’s record – that still stands – when he fired 19 consecutive hits in a  one-inch bulls eye with a .45 Colt service revolver. He set a Canadian  rapid-fire record in 1923 that has been tied once, but not beaten.
        Another record, never  equalled, was travelling 75 miles alone on foot in 27 hours in the Liard River  district of northern B.C., when Asst. -Comm. Sandys-Wunsch and two constables  trekked 600 miles north to find and bring to justice five Indians who had  killed another Indian. 
        In 1937 he was shot in the  head by an insane trapper after an attempted arrest.
        He was promoted to  superintendent in 1935 and assistant commissioner in 1941 when he went to  Winnipeg as head of D Division. He was awarded the OBE in 1946 and was a  serving brother in the Order of St. John.
        Asst. – Comm.  Sandys-Wunsch was a president of the Boy Scouts’ Association here for several  years. He was a member of Temple Lodge, No. 33, A.F. and A.M.
        He is survived by his  wife, Jean, at Maple Bay Road residence; a son, Rev. John Sandys-Wunsch,  Victoria; two grandsons, Michael and Donald; a sister in Abersoch, North Wales,  and an elder brother, Donald, in New Plymouth, New Zealand; two nephews and a  neice.”
          Source: Cowichan  Leader, 27 July 1966 
Here is the RCMP Veterans Association history of Superintendant Theodore Sandy-Wunsch.

The gravestone of Brother Theodore Vincent Sandys-Wunsch in St. Peter's Quamichan, Anglican Cemetery.
The GPS location of the grave is: N 48⁰ 46.901’ W 123⁰ 40.032’
- Vancouver Island Masonic History Project -
St. Peter's Quamichan, Anglican Church and Cemetery
- Deceased Brethren -
--------------------------
--------------------------
Vancouver Island Masonic History Project Home Page
--------------------------
Cowichan Valley Cemeteries - Masonic Interments
-------------------------
St. Peter's Quamichan Anglican Cemetery - Masonic Interments
-------------------------