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The Royal City At War: The Military Mobilization Of Guelph, Ontario During The First 18 Months Of The Second World War, Jason R.H. Braida

Canadian Military History

The story of a country at war can be told at various levels. Traditional histories speak of generals and statesmen, of decisions made in cabinet rooms, war rooms, and dimly-lit clubs. Others choose to concentrate upon particular instances or groups, such as the impact of the war upon women, a particular military unit, or even a specific family. This article seeks to combine those two traditions by examining the manner in which international events and political decisions made at the national level affected the way in which the nation’s military mobilization was carried out in one particular Canadian community.

Army Supplies In The Forward Area And The Tumpline System: A First World War Canadian Logistical Innovation, F.R. Phelan

Canadian Military History

Editor’s Note: In British Logistics on the Western Front, 1914–1919 (Praeger, 1998), Ian M. Brown documents the problems of maintaining an army in the field; throughout that war, supply lines were strained to get food, equipment and ammunition forward. Early problems of adequate supplies were replaced by an inability to get the items from depots to where they were required. Some of these latter problems were blamed on “establishments” and other force-structure problems caused by stripping logistical-support units to meet the manpower needs of the fighting units. The decision to dramatically reduce the size of the BEF divisions in France …

James Peters, Military Photography And The Northwest Campaign, 1885, Owen Cooke

Canadian Military History

In June 1884, the noted buffalo hunter Gabriel Dumont led a delegation of Métis from the Batoche settlement, in what is now Saskatchewan, to Montana in the United States to search out Louis Riel. He hoped to persuade Riel to lead them as he had in 1869–70 in their demands for the Canadian government to recognize their land claims and other grievances. Riel reluctantly returned to Canada. The situation worsened until March 1885, when a skirmish between Métis and North West Mounted Police at Duck Lake, near Prince Albert, cost seventeen dead on both sides. The government feared a general …

“A Question Of Relevance”: The Establishment Of A Canadian Parachute Capability, 1942–1945, Bernd Horn

Canadian Military History

“The great trouble with starting anything new,” argued Brigadier-General William Mitchell, “is to break away from the conservative policy of those who have gone before.” His observation was born from his own experience as a result of the inertia which existed in the interwar years. Not surprisingly, Canada did little during this period to ensure that it was capable of participating in a modern war. The vacuum of peace was insufficient to overcome the vacillation of military and political decision makers. It was only the stunning German victories of 1939–1940, which provided the catalyst for change and a template of …

The Gardeners Of Vimy: Canadian Corps’ Farming Operations During The German Offensives Of 1918, S.F. Wise

Canadian Military History

“The Gardeners of Salonika” was Georges Clemenceau’s jibe at the French and British divisions tied down in entrenchments round the Greek port for a good part of the First World War, because all they seemed to do was dig, rather than launch a Balkan offensive. The Canadian Corps, from Field Marshal Haig’s perspective, was similarly removed from the war when Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie, strongly supported by the Canadian government, refused to accept the piecemeal breakup of the Corps to help shore up the British line during the great German offensive which began in March 1918. Haig never forgave this …

The Canadian Role In Operation “Charnwood,” 8 July 1944: A Case Study In Tank/Infantry Doctrine And Practice, David A. Wilson

Canadian Military History

On the morning of 8 July 1944, soldiers of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade (9 CIB) left their startlines near the Norman village of Vieux Cairon heading for Buron and Gruchy; two villages nearly 2,000 yards across open ground to the south. Their advance was part of Operation “Charnwood,” British I Corps’ final assault on Caen. By the end of the day most objectives were secured, and on 9 July Caen north of the Orne River and Canal was captured. General Dempsey, General Officer Commanding (GOC) British 2nd Army expressed his satisfaction, saying that the operations of 8 and 9 …

The Franks Flying Suit In Canadian Aviation Medicine History, 1939–1945, George Smith

Canadian Military History

It is not widely appreciated that Canadians were active during the war in the field of aviation medicine. Aviation medicine research in Canada during the Second World War involved a significant commitment of personnel and resources. However, there has been little historical investigation of this and that which has occurred is misleading. In 1947 C.B. Stewart argued that Canadian research was boosted by an early start and achieved unsurpassed results; the most prominent of which was the work of Wilbur Franks. In the years since 1947, Stewart's conclusions have never been challenged. In fact, historians have ultimately judged the entire …

A Lesson In Success: The Calonne Trench Raid, 17 January 1917, Andrew B. Godefroy

Canadian Military History

The Allied armies slugged it out on the Western front for nearly four years before finally achieving the breakout sought since November 1914. The four-division strong Canadian Corps led this “spearhead to victory.” Its commander was Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie, and his corps was commonly referred to as the “shock troops” of the British Expeditionary Force and as “the enemy’s elite soldiers” by the German high command. This reputation stemmed from the Canadians’ impressive record of success in raiding the German lines throughout the war. The Canadian Corps’ flexibility, and initiative, the aggressiveness of its soldiers, and their ever improving …

The Fog Of War: Large-Scale Smoke Screening Operations Of First Canadian Army In Northwest Europe, James C. Bond

Canadian Military History

Smoke screens have been employed in sea and land warfare for many centuries for a variety of purposes. They have been used to conceal troop movements, to deceive the enemy as to combat strengths, point of attack, and preparations for offensive operations. During the Second World War all armies made use of smoke screns in their operations to a greater or lesser extent. Canada was no exception and was considered to be extremely innovative in the use of smoke equipment in ways for which it was not designed. The First Canadian Army first employed large-scale non-artillery-projected smoke screens during the …

The Fighter-Bomber In The Normandy Campaign: The Role Of 83 Group, Christopher Evans

Canadian Military History

The dichotomy between popular and academic history is, for most historians, and readers, an uncomfortable one. A book that appeals to a mass audience risks the scorn of academia, whereas a scholarly work may never reach beyond the confines of the university. While there are exceptions to this rule, John Keegan’s The Face of Battle being perhaps the most famous, by and large academic study runs parallel with popular accounts and rarely the twain meet. No where is this more prevalent in the study of military history than the question of the role played by tactical air power in the …

What Is Tank Country?, William Murphy

Canadian Military History

There are certain principles that evolved during the past war that should be applicable to future operations, and one of these principles, it is suggested, is the answer to the question of what is and what is not tank country. Many serving and former members of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps will recollect how eagerly they perused reports from the western desert during the years they sat in England awaiting their turn. They realized that in all probability when they saw action it would be with a better vehicle and in totally different country. But the only reports available, so …

“Batty Mac”: Portrait Of A Brigade Commander Of The Great War, 1915–1917, Ian Mcculloch

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

The “Dorothy Medal” And The Dominion Rifle Association, Kyle Mcintyre

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

Confronting Technological And Tactical Change: Allied Anti-Submarine Warfare In The Last Year Of The Battle For The Atlantic, Douglas M. Mclean

Canadian Military History

The recall of German U-boat wolfpacks from the central north Atlantic at the end of May 1943 ended the most costly phase of the shipping war for the Allies. Never again would the German U-boats inflict dangerously high shipping losses. The naval war remained bitter, nonetheless, for the U-boats refused to give up, turning instead to new technology and new tactics. Right to the end, they continued to present a plausible threat that caused concern in high Allied circles. Indeed, in January 1945 the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty was moved to warn that, “The high shipping losses which …

Fighting The Defensive Battle On The Jamestown Line: The Canadians In Korea, November 1951, David J. Bercuson

Canadian Military History

Barbed wire. Artillery duels. Patrolling in “no-man’s land.” Static warfare from fixed defensive positions. This description could easily fit the western front in 1916. In fact, however, it also depicts the Jamestown Line in central Korea from the beginning of the static phase of the Korean war in late October 1951 to the cease-fire of July 1953. The apparent similarity of this static war to the Western Front from late 1914 to early 1918 has obscured the importance and uniqueness of the Korean experience to recent military history. For while stalemate on the Western Front derived from fundamental military problems, …

“Within Ourselves”: The Development Of British Light Infantry In North America During The Seven Years’ War, Ian Mcculloch

Canadian Military History

The first British regulars to appear in North America were those accompanying a small British expedition to wrest Manhattan from the Dutch in 1664. Colonel Richard Nicolls’ troops landed on Long Island 25 August 1664 at the exact site where General William Howe’s troops would disembark over a century later. After a swift Dutch capitulation, Nicolls’ redcoats and subsequent garrisons of British regulars would maintain a solid presence in New York for a virtually uninterrupted period of 119 years.

It has been suggested by one American historian that this factual record has been conveniently overlooked by most of his colleagues …

Loyalist Lieutenant Jeremiah French And His Uniform, René Chartrand

Canadian Military History

There are many unique and remarkable uniforms in the collections of the Canadian War Museum, some of which go back quite far into our history. One of these, probably the oldest presently known uniform that can be assigned to a unit raised in Canada, is that of Lieutenant Jeremiah French of the King’s Royal Regiment of New York.

John Terrane: A Study Of A First World War Revisionist, Christopher M. Hand

Canadian Military History

Of all the British military historians who started writing about the First World War during the "boom" of the sixties, perhaps no one has had greater influence or generated more controversy than John Alfred Terraine. As G.F. Elliot wrote in a 1965 review, "John Terraine is one of the younger generation of British military analysts who are now proving, with brilliance and vigour, the value of the long view in putting World War I in proper perspective." It is this idea of perspective, trying to bring balance to the historical arguments concerning the British contribution to the First World War, …

“The Battle Of Moyland Wood”: The Regina Rifle Regiment, 16–19 February 1945, Gordon Brown

Canadian Military History

Although I have written accounts about the D-Day Landings in Normandy and several costly battles from the beaches to Falaise, I have always been reluctant to write about the tragic events at Moyland Wood in Germany. My reluctance stems from the fact that this operation was the most traumatic for me personally and, I think, for our commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Allan Gregory, DSO, during the fighting in Western Europe. I take no pride in telling this story because my own performance in battle was inadequate. Further, I don’t wish to offend anyone by resurrecting memories that might better be forgotten, …

To The Sound Of The Guns: Canadians And Combat Surgery, 1938–1953, Bill Rawling

Canadian Military History

Combat surgery is almost as old as battle itself. The Iliad contains many an example of surgical intervention to heal wounds--and in the modern era, the surgeon has become an almost saintly figure in the public imagination, especially in a context where human beings are actively engaged in killing one another. Myth is not far removed from fact, and there is no doubt as to the dedication of these men (women did not enter the field until very recently), but that still begs a few questions: how did they operate (in both the military and medical senses of the word) …

A Sense Of Purpose: Ottawa Students And The Second World War, Christine Hamelin

Canadian Military History

The outbreak of war in September 1939 altered the lives of Canadian high school students. A study of two Ottawa schools, Lisgar Collegiate and Glebe Collegiate, reveals the extent to which students, too young to enlist and yet old enough to grasp the severity of the war, were affected by world events. Despite the anxiety and hardships brought about by war, young people growing up during the Second World War took on serious responsibilities and acquired a remarkable sense of purpose.

“Miniature Set-Piece Battles”: Infantry Patrolling Ops In Korea, Christopher Doary

Canadian Military History

During the summer of 1942 the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) destroyed five German U-boats in the space of six weeks. It was a remarkable feat for a small, inexperienced navy. Canadian warships had sunk only two enemy submarines during the first three years of the war, and had not sunk one in ten months. The surprising success of the summer of 1942 was not sustained: after the fifth sinking the RCN did not sink another U-boat for four months. Thus, the summer U-boat kills were an unusual phenomenon which has been remarked upon by Canadian naval historians. Historians have not, …

The Corps Of Guides, 1903–1914, Dan Jenkins

Canadian Military History

The Canadian Corps of Guides was created in April 1903 by General Order 61, and fell under the purview of the Intelligence Department at Militia Headquarters in Ottawa. However, as the Guides were a service of the Active Militia, and not of the Permanent Force, they were not a full-time formation. The Corps was designed to fulfil both a peacetime and wartime role. During active operations it was to act as a combat intelligence force for Canadian armies in the field, and provide commanders with operational and tactical level intelligence. During peacetime it was to prepare for this eventuality, but …

Landscape As Memorial: A.Y. Jackson And The Landscape Of The Western Front, 1917–1918, Susan Butlin

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

Filip Konowal, Vc: The Rebirth Of A Canadian Hero, Ron Sorobey

Canadian Military History

More than most people’s, Filip Konowa’s life was a complex mixture of hope, frustration, disappointment, and glory. On an August day in 1917, this corporal from Ottawa proved to be one of the world’s bravest men. In peacetime faith, courage, and devoation would help this forgotten hero overcome tragedy and personal loss until he became once again the recipient of the esteem that he earned as a serving soldier.

Colonel John Mccrae: From Guelph, Ontario To Flanders Fields, Bev Dietrich

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

The U-Boat Hunters: The Royal Canadian Navy And The Offensive Against Germany’S Submarines By Marc Milner [Review], Rob Bromley

Canadian Military History

Review of Marc Milner, The U-Boar Hunters: The Royal Canadian Navy and the Offensive Against Germany's Submarines. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1994.

Peacekeeping, 1965: The Canadian Military’S Viewpoint, David A. Lenarcic

Canadian Military History

Peacekeeping has become a growth industry over the last few years, both in terms of the proliferation of missions and the numerous academic analyses of them. However, the historical context in which contemporary developments are unfolding is often lost in the shuffle. This certainly seems to be true in Canada, where the past apparently holds little relevance for the present when it comes to peacekeeping.

Rich Relations: The American Occupation Of Britain, 1942–1945 By David Reynolds [Review], J.L. Granatstein

Canadian Military History

Review of David Reynolds, Rich Relations: The American Occupation of Britain, 1942-1945. New York and Toronto: Random House, 1995.

Book Excerpt: Loyola, The Wars: In Remembrance Of “Men For Others”, Gil Drolet

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.