Reverend Major M.J. “Mike” Dalton

Black and Gray Portrait of Father Dalton.

Reverend-Major Michael Joseph Dalton, otherwise known as “Father Dalton,” was a highly regarded figure in the Essex Scottish Regiment during the Second World War. Father Dalton was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in May 1932 and continued to serve for 75 years until his death in 2009. He possesses the record for the longest period of service among Ontario priests.

Born and raised in Goderich, Ontario, Dalton had a Roman Catholic upbringing, which directed his attention to Assumption College in Windsor, Ontario. Father Dalton proceeded to Western University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts. It would not be until 1932 that Father Dalton graduated from St. Peter’s Seminary earning his way into priesthood in the order of the Catholic Church.

In June 1940, Dalton was appointed Roman Catholic Chaplain in the rank of Major of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division which included the Essex Scottish, the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, and the Royal Regiment of Canada. But he seemed to have a special connection to the officers and men of The Essex Scottish during the war and long after. Father Dalton served not only as a priest in the traditional sense, but also as a social worker, psychologist and friend. Father Dalton was often found leading a Catholic Mass in the morning of a new day or before a battle. He was considered an inspiring individual, as he acted in a selfless manner to support his men. In order to keep the comfort of religion in the troop’s lives during the war, Dalton created a “collapsible cathedral,” as described in his personal war diary. Father Dalton recorded in his diary that many men would come to him for confession and when they needed prayer. After the war he published his own personal diary that recorded his thoughts of the moment that became a cherished keepsake by all whom he served.

Father Dalton was not authorized to follow his troops on Operation JUBILEE, the Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942. Rather, he was sent to a chaplain’s meeting on the same date. Although Father Dalton did not attend the raid, he aided the injured troops who returned to England. He provided pastoral care and guidance to the remaining 51 of the 553 Essex Scottish officers and men who returned from Dieppe.

Father Dalton was dedicated to addressing the welfare of the troops. As stated in his Personal Diary, "If the solider is a good Christian and keeps his oath of loyalty to our Lord, then he will keep his oath to the Flag.” With that ideology in the forefront of Father Dalton’s mind, he tended to the spiritual needs of the injured troops. Dalton firmly believed it was his duty as a chaplain to provide spiritual and life guidance.

In July 1943, Father Dalton was appointed a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by King George VI. It was said of Father Dalton: “The chaplains were directed by Division Headquarters, to cease unnecessarily exposing themselves to enemy fire, but Father Mike plainly saw his duty was with his soldiers during battle. As with other padres, his relentless devotion to duty was rewarded.”

After Father Dalton’s service in the Second World War, he travelled with a group of American and Canadian Roman Catholic priests to Rome in 1945. Each of the padres were granted a papal medal by Pope Pius XII.

It was not until 1970 that Father Dalton retired from his military service. For the next 30 years, Dalton dedicated his time to helping priests in Sacred Heart Villa in Courtland, Ontario. Father Dalton served a long, successful priesthood between his time with the Essex Scottish Regiment and his service in Courtland. After the war the Essex Scottish/Essex and Kent Scottish held a reunion in Windsor every two years.

On April 6, 2009, Falter Dalton passed away at the age of 106. Father Mike was one of the most decorated war chaplains in Canadian history. He is remembered for being awarded a Chaplaincy 4th Patriotic Degree in the Order of the Knights of Columbus. Additionally, he was also inducted into the Catholic Order of Alhambra for his volunteer work with the developmentally challenged.

Story by Taylor Blackmere, Canada Summer Jobs 2022 participant
with The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment Association

Sources

• Duty Nobly Done, The History of The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment by Sandy Antal and Kevin R. Shackleton, 2006 – Chapter 12
• Rev. Major Mike Dalton. Personal War Diary 1939-1946
• The Padre’s War Diary, Diary of Father Dalton, edited and illustrated by Brian Dalton. 2017.

Father Dalton giving the last mass prior to Essex Scottish on a hood of a Jeep before the D-Day invasion by the Essex Scottish. Photo was taken in June 1944.

Father Dalton was well-known for his journaling habits. Dalton’s personal war diaries were infamously doodled in with sidenotes and prayer excerpts. Additionally, Father Dalton kept newspaper clippings and pasted them on to the diary pages with added comments and detailed explanations. As exemplified in the following photographs of Father Dalton’s diary, after each one of his publications, a new comment was added.