CWGC appoints Honorary Chaplain
15 August 2012
Padre Dave Kettle has been appointed as Honorary Chaplain to the
Commission. He will act as a point of contact for clergy and
other religious leaders throughout the world who wish to know more
about the Commission and its mission. Padre Kettle will be
available to advise on appropriate commemorative ceremonies at the
Commission's sites by groups or individuals who may be unfamiliar
with commemorative protocol but who wish to conduct a
ceremony. He will provide ceremonial advice and officiate
where appropriate, and will make recommendations to religious
leaders for input to annual commemorative events such as
Remembrance Sunday and for special commemorative events held during
the forthcoming WW1 Centenary.
Padre Dave Kettle was born and educated in Toronto,
Canada. He joined the Canadian Forces as a chaplain in 1981
and served at various forces bases, ultimately reaching the rank of
Brigadier General and appointed Chaplain General to the Canadian
Forces.
Padre Kettle has served in international missions in Croatia,
Bosnia, Rwanda and Afghanistan and in 2000 received the Head of the
Public Service award for his work on the Canadian Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier Project which oversaw the transfer of the remains
of the Unknown Soldier from the Canadian Vimy Memorial, France to
the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
In 2009 Knox College conferred on Padre Kettle a Doctor of
Divinity Degree for significant contributions in ministry and in
2010 he was appointed, with the rank of Commander, to the Order of
Military Merit. A year later he was appointed as a member of
the Order of St. John and has served as the Dean of the Order in
Canada.
Padre Kettle retired from the Canadian Forces in 2011 and joined
the Canadian Agency of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as an
Inspecting Officer in January of that year. He is married,
with one son and lives in Canada.
Padre Kettle's contact details are as follows:-
Telephone +1 613 992 3224
Facsimile +1 613 995 0431
Email: david.kettle@vac-acc.gc.ca