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Review Of "The Empire On The Western Front: The British 62nd And Canadian 4th Divisions In Battle" By Geoffrey Jackson, Bradley Shoebottom

Canadian Military History

Review of The Empire on the Western Front: The British 62nd and Canadian 4th Divisions in Battle by Geoffrey Jackson.

Review Of "Dying To Learn: Wartime Lessons From The Western Front" By Michael A. Hunzeker, Tim Cook

Canadian Military History

Review of Dying to Learn: Wartime Lessons from the Western Front by Michael A. Hunzeker.

Pursuit To Valenciennes 1918: The Fate Of Soldiers At The Point Of Capture, Brian Pascas

Canadian Military History

This article tracks the Canadian Corps’ pursuit of the retreating German army in the last weeks of the First World War. As French hamlets, villages and towns were liberated, the war-weary troops—nursing grudges after almost four years of war—encountered civilians who had endured poor and sometimes brutal treatment under the yoke of the cruel invader. During the Battle of Valenciennes hundreds of German soldiers were killed; the vast majority perished under immense artillery barrages. But a number who survived the onslaught of shells and bullets succumbed to Canadians’ rifles while or after surrendering. Motives are identified that drove frontline soldiers …

The Lives And Afterlives Of Material Culture: New First World War Artifacts At The Canadian War Museum, Laura Brown, Tim Cook

Canadian Military History

This article presents a selection of First World War artifacts that have been acquired by the Canadian War Museum since its opening in 2005. Each object is infused with multiple stories. Some were treasured mementos handed down through families, while others were nearly forgotten over time. Once at the museum, they acquired new narratives as these objects, artifacts and material culture are integrated into exhibitions, educational and digital products or accessed by researchers. The artifacts tell stories, contribute to our understanding of the diversity of Canadian experiences during the war and demonstrate the central role of the artifact in the …

Review Of "Pulp Empire: The Secret History Of Comic Book Imperialism" By Paul S. Hirsch, Mark Klobas

Canadian Military History

Review of Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism by Paul S. Hirsch.

Review Of "It Can’T Last Forever: The 19th Battalion And The Canadian Corps In The First World War" By David Campbell, Peter L. Belmonte

Canadian Military History

Review of It Can’t Last Forever: The 19th Battalion and the Canadian Corps in the First World War by David Campbell.

Failure To Launch: Canadian Federal Government Attempts At Memorialising The Second World War, 1945-1967, Thomas M. Littlewood

Canadian Military History

Between the end of the Second World War and the mid-1960s, the Canadian federal government made several attempts to commemorate and memorialise those who died during the war. Despite strong government support and advocacy from the Royal Canadian Legion, the Canadian population did not believe that building a new memorial was a wise expenditure of taxpayer money. This article uses newspaper records, The Legionary and government documents to examine how successive federal governments tried and failed to commemorate and memorialise the Second World War with a national war memorial. This article also problematises the current understanding of how the Second …

Doctrine, Training And Education In The Development Of Canadian Brigadiers: A Study Of Brigadiers Robert Moncel And James Jefferson, Nicholas Wheeler

Canadian Military History

This paper argues that Anglo-Canadian doctrine had a greater influence on how Brigadiers Robert Moncel and James Jefferson commanded their brigades than the experience they gained along two different career paths. The rapid expansion of the Canadian Army during the Second World War prevented Canadian infantry and armoured brigade commanders from gaining experience in both staff and command billets. As junior or senior officers, future brigade commanders normally attended either a condensed version of Staff College or Senior Officers’ School. Here they developed two distinct skill sets before they assumed command of brigades. Despite the differing purposes of these course, …

Z Force On The Ground: The Canadian Deployment To Iceland, 1940-41, Steven J. Bright

Canadian Military History

The date of 10 May 1940 is well known for the start of the German blitzkrieg and the end of Neville Chamberlain’s tenure as British Prime Minister. That fateful day also opened a chapter in Canada’s war story that, in the end, saw more than 2,600 Canadian servicemen deployed to far-away but strategic Iceland. The Canadian commitment to that remote island from June 1940 to April 1941 was a metaphoric stepping-stone in the long Allied struggle against the Axis powers in the North Atlantic, building what ultimately became a secure strategic bridge for the deployment of the forces that liberated …

“Resigned To My Sad Fate:” Arthur Nantel And The Prisoner Of War Experience, Tim Cook, Mélanie Morin-Pelletier

Canadian Military History

In September 1914, forty-one-year-old artist Arthur Nantel, from Montreal, Quebec, enlisted as a private in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Travelling overseas with the First Contingent, his trial by fire came during the Second Battle of Ypres, in April 1915. Captured during the battle, Private Nantel spent the rest of the war as a prisoner in Germany. During his captivity, Nantel left a unique visual legacy of his experiences. Based on several documents written by Nantel in 1919 and on thirty-one of his works of art held at the Canadian War Museum, this article explores his war service and works of …

“Long And Strenuous Duties In France:” Neurasthenia And Nervous Debility Among Canadian Nursing Sisters During The First World War, Ariane Gauthier

Canadian Military History

This article endeavours to understand the strenuous circumstances which caused neurasthenia and nervous debility in Canadian nursing sisters during the First World War. By examining the treatment they received for their condition at the Canadian Red Cross X Special Hospital and at Northwood Hospital for Sick Sisters in Buxton, this article also explores how Canadian medical authorities handled the nurses’ treatment and momentarily challenged previous conceptions concerning mental illness in women.

Fun Behind The Wire?: Francis “Huck” O’Neill And The Canadian Pow Experience In Hong Kong, 1941-1945, Michael B. Pass

Canadian Military History

Many prior studies of Canadian POWs during the Pacific War have focused on the sadism and mistreatment of their Japanese jailors, helping to make this a dominant image of the conflict. This article moderates this view by discrediting the notion that Japanese soldiers were motivated by an omnipresent belief in “bushido,” as well as by studying newly discovered documents produced in captivity by Canadian Auxiliary Services Officer Francis O’Neill. It argues that Japanese conduct towards POWs was more variable than previously recognised and highlights moments of levity and fun as O’Neill and his fellow prisoners organised sporting events, games and …

Review Of “The Craft Of Wargaming: A Detailed Planning Guide For Defense Planners And Analysts” By Jeff Appleget, David Stubbs

Canadian Military History

Review of The Craft of Wargaming: A Detailed Planning Guide for Defense Planners and Analysts by Jeff Appleget

Review Of “The Imperial Army Project: Britain And The Land Forces Of The Dominions And India, 1902-1945” By Douglas E. Delaney, Brad St. Croix

Canadian Military History

Review of The Imperial Army Project: Britain and the Land Forces of the Dominions and India, 1902-1945 by Douglas E. Delaney

Review Of “Forging The Shield: The U.S. Army In Europe, 1951-1962 (U.S. Army In The Cold War)” By Donald A. Carter, Mark Klobas

Canadian Military History

Review of Forging the Shield: The U.S. Army in Europe, 1951-1962 (U.S. Army in the Cold War) by Donald A. Carter

Cinderella’S Star: The Cp 140 Aurora And The Evolution Of The Royal Canadian Air Force’S Modern Long Range Patrol Capability, 1939-2015, Richard Mayne

Canadian Military History

This article traces the story of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s maritime air capability and the incredible ups and downs it has experienced throughout its service to the nation. Whether it was the stunning highs that it enjoyed during the Second World War and Cold War eras as well as the recovery it has made during recent overseas operations on the one hand, or the extreme lows it faced after the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of the Soviet Union on the other, the maritime air community has led a life of boom and bust. Its story therefore …

“He Would Be Expected To Crack:” Battle Exhaustion, Desertion And The Court Martial Of Lieutenant R. J. Woods, Matthew Barrett

Canadian Military History

This article examines psychological breakdown, combat stress and military justice through the 1945 general court martial of Lieutenant Reginald James Woods. During his first day in combat with the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) on 17 August 1944, the twenty-five-year-old platoon leader disappeared. Woods remerged nearly two months later in London where he claimed to suffer from amnesia. The subsequent medical investigation and legal proceedings forced Canadian authorities to grapple with assumptions about combat leadership, mental responsibility and criminal culpability. This article adopts a graphic history approach to illustrate the subjective and contingent nature of memory and truth through the fog …

Review Of "Hodges’ Scout: A Lost Patrol Of The French And Indian War" By Len Travers, Evan C. Rothera

Canadian Military History

Review of Hodges’ Scout: A Lost Patrol of the French and Indian War by Len Travers.

Review Of "The Secret History Of Soldiers: How Canadians Survived The Great War" By Tim Cook, David Borys

Canadian Military History

Review of The Secret History of Soldiers: How Canadians Survived the Great War by Tim Cook.

Review Of "Toronto’S Fighting 75th In The Great War, 1915-1919" By Timothy J. Stewart, Peter L. Belmonte

Canadian Military History

Review of Toronto’s Fighting 75th in the Great War, 1915-1919 by Timothy J. Stewart.

Major-General Roger Rowley And The Failure Of Military Reform, 1958-1969, Peter Kasurak

Canadian Military History

Many consider the pre-Unification Canadian Army to have achieved the apogee of professionalism, but long-term progress did not result. Major-General Roger Rowley led three major reforms of the Canadian Army and the Canadian Forces during the 1958-1969 period: the reform of the Canadian Army Staff College, the restructuring of the Army through the Army Tactics and Organization Board and the reform of the military profession and officer development through the Officer Development Board. The failure of Rowley’s initiatives reveals the limits of knowledge-based professionalism, collegial decision making and the development of a national strategic perspective in the armed forces of …

Connecting The Dots And Dashes: Wireless Telegraphy Communication In The Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914–1918, Brian Pascas

Canadian Military History

This article seeks to explain wireless telegraphy (W/T) equipment, its development and use over the course of the First World War and how W/T performed in conjunction with the established landline network. W/T deployment during Canadian Expeditionary Force battles is evaluated to determine whether W/T was viewed as an alternative battlefield communication medium or simply as a standby for emergency situations. The analysis discloses that the Canadian infantry was unable to take advantage of continuous wave, a superior form of wireless that the artillery relied upon. This article contends that by war’s end W/T had become a viable substitute for …

Between Fact And Fiction: The 26th Battalion, The “Crater Fight,” And The “Myth Of The War Experience”, Curt Mainville

Canadian Military History

In October 1915, during only their second tour of the front line, New Brunswick’s 26th Battalion conducted a reconnaissance-in-force upon a recently detonated German mine in front of their firing trench. The “crater fight,” as it has come to be known, resulted in twenty-one dead and thirty-six wounded but was portrayed as a success. But how much of what was printed in local newspapers was true? Official reports and personal accounts were engaging, idealistic and emotive. They were also highly exaggerated. This was the genesis of the “myth of the war experience”—a marriage of both fact and fiction that reflected …

First World War Internment In Canada: Enemy Aliens And The Blurring Of The Military/Civilian Distinction, Bohdan S. Kordan

Canadian Military History

In Canada during the First World War, where aliens of enemy origin were increasingly without work and destitute, internment offered a solution. Interned as prisoners of war (POWs)—a designation that sanctioned voluntary work unrelated to the war—such individuals were sent to frontier labour camps. Their POW designation, however, afforded them certain protections under the laws of war while their status as civilian prisoners suggested they were entitled to even greater consideration than captured combatants. Yet it was precisely their status as civilians that obviated any such consideration. They were not POWs as was conventionally understood. They were interned civilians without …

“Reticent As The Sphinx As To His Own Valour:” The War Experience Of Lieutenant Samuel Honey, Vc, Dcm, Mm, Tim Cook, Jessica Parsons

Canadian Military History

Lieutenant Samuel Honey, VC, DCM, MM served in the Canadian Corps from 1916 to his death on 30 September 1918 during the Hundred Days campaign. Based on Honey’s letters and correspondence, this article offers a new perspective into his wartime experiences, the challenge of leadership, and his own insight into his role as a hero.

Le lieutenant Samuel Honey, VC, DCM, M.M. a servi dans le Corps canadien de 1916 à sa mort le 30 septembre 1918 pendant la campagne des Cent Jours. Inspiré des lettres et de la correspondance du lieutenant Honey, cet article apporte un nouveau regard sur …

Strategic Parasitism, Professional Strategists And Policy Choices: The Influence Of George Lindsey And Robert Sutherland On Canadian Denuclearisation, 1962-1972, John Keess

Canadian Military History

Between 1957 and 1963, Canada acquired numerous nuclear delivery systems to fulfill commitments to the defence of North America and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). In 1972, Pierre Trudeau’s government divested most of these systems. Much of the literature ascribes Trudeau’s decision to purely political reasons. By examining the contributions of two operational researchers from the Defence Research Board, Dr. R.J. Sutherland and Dr. George Lindsey, this article assesses the influence of professional advice on denuclearisation. This research has found that Lindsey and Sutherland provided a strategic grammar which helped shape the nature and timing of partial denuclearisation.

Review Of "Progressives In Navy Blue: Maritime Strategy, American Empire, And The Transformation Of U.S. Naval Identity, 1873-1898" By Scott Mobley, Heather Venable

Canadian Military History

Review of Progressives in Navy Blue: Maritime Strategy, American Empire, and the Transformation of U.S. Naval Identity, 1873-1898 by Scott Mobley

Review Of "Morale And Discipline In The Royal Navy During The First World War" By Laura Rowe, Alexander Maavara

Canadian Military History

Review of Morale and Discipline in the Royal Navy during the First World War by Laura Rowe

Review Of "42nd Regiment – Gallipoli 1915" By Ahmet Diriker, Translated By Ebru Diriker, Edward J. Erickson

Canadian Military History

Review of 42nd Regiment – Gallipoli 1915 by Ahmet Diriker, translated by Ebru Diriker

Review Of "Roots Of Entanglement: Essays In The History Of Native-Newcomer Relations" Edited By Myra Rutherdale, Kerry Abel And P. Whitney Lackenbauer, Isabel Campbell

Canadian Military History

Review of Roots of Entanglement: Essays in the History of Native-Newcomer Relations edited by Myra Rutherdale, Kerry Abel and P. Whitney Lackenbauer