Military History Commons^™

“No Dead Wood”: Henry Lamb And The Canadians, Brian Foss

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

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 Vast Experiment”: The New Brunswick Militia’S 1865 Camp Of Instruction, J. Brent Wilson

Canadian Military History

In July 1865, almost 1,000 New Brunswick militiamen assembled in Fredericton for a twenty-four day Camp of Instruction. This was the first time peacetime militia training on this scale was ever attempted in British North America. At the time, and since, the camp was praised as a notable achievement. New Brunswick’s lieutenant-governor and provincial commander-in-chief, Arthur Hamilton Gordon, wrote: “The entire success of this experiment is admitted with an unanimity which is remarkable, because rare in this Province.” Although the uniqueness of the camp has been the subject of some interest, it has never been subjected to more in-depth analysis. …

“The Dashing Subaltern”: Sir Richard Turner In Retrospect, Thomas P. Leppard

Canadian Military History

When war came to Canada in August 1914, thousands rallied to the call to arms. Colonel Sam Huges the charismatic and controversial Minister of Militia and Defence scrapped his department’s meticulous plans for mobilizing the nation’s militia and assumed control with amazing, almost fortuitous, results. By September, 33,000 recruits were training at a hastily constructed Camp Valcartier, Quebec. A month later the first contingent of the legendary Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) sailed for England (the largest military force ever to cross the Atlantic up to that time).

“Failure Is Not Acceptable”: The Recollections Of A Canadian In French Foreign Legion, William Mitchell

Canadian Military History

I remember the day very well, a cold Tuesday in January 1989, and Pearson International Airport was bustling with travellers. I was amongst them, an inconspicuous 18-year-old middle-class Canadian boarding the plane as if it was a frequent occurrence. A seven-day vacation in France, that was the plan. I often wonder if I had known then what I do now—would I have boarded that plane? The trip lasted five years and it was no vacation, for within 24 hours of boarding the plane, I had become a member of the infamous French Foreign Legion. Life would never be the same …

Escape Of The German Army Across The Westerscheldt, September 1944, S.J. Degroot

Canadian Military History

The writing of this article was made possible by Mr. K. Schacht (Steinkirchen), former officer of the Bundesmarine, who gave me the unpublished script of Mr. F. Roher. Mr. Roher belonged to the Kriegsmarine and took part in operations in the Dutch waters in 1944. He put together a captivating document. Some additional research had to be done to put it in a clear and complete perspective. The fact that a specially formed unit of the Kriegsmarine was able, in 15 days, to ferry across the Westerscheldt 100,000 men, 6,000 vehicles, 6,000 horse-drawn wagons and 750 pieces of artillery, …

“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, …

“Sons Of Good Western Stock”: The South African War Artefacts Of Private Alexander W. Stewart, Kyle Mcintyre

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

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, …

Hector Fraser Dougall, Rfc: A Pilot’S Account Of The Great War, Timothy Dubé

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

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.

A Tough Little Boat: The Pogo-Hmcs Labrador’S Hydrographic Survey Launch, Eric Fernberg

Canadian Military History

In the summer of 1995 the Canadian War Museum accepted delivery of the Pogo, the 36-foot aluminum sounding boat which had accompanied the voyages of HMCS Labrador, Canada’s first and last Arctic Patrol vessel. One of the considerations that led to its acquisition lies in the CWM’s mission statement, to document “Canada’s commitment to peacekeeping and maintenance of international security.” We have a tendency to speak of international security as a concept symptomatic of the Nuclear Age because, prior to the Second World War, countries could afford to take an isolationist stance and dismiss the tension between belligerents …

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.

Book Excerpt: The Guns Of Normandy: A Soldier’S Eye View Of France, George G. Blackburn

Canadian Military History

Editor’s Note: Everyone who studies the land battles of the Second World War knows that artillery was the principle weapon employed by the Allied armies, but the gunners rarely receive the attention they deserve in narratives of the campaign. George Blackburn has written a book, The Guns of Normandy which restores the gunners to their rightful place. CMH is proud to publish two chapters from this book to announce that our Autumn issue will include an excerption from Mr. Blackburn’s forthcoming sequel. Chapter 15 takes up the story on 12 July 1944 as 4th Field Regiment is committed to support …

Photo Essay: Hmcs Haida, Carla Morse

Canadian Military History

In Canada, historic naval ships are not as plentiful as in the United States but their history is just as rich. Although Canada’s naval tradition is a young one, officially starting with the Naval Act in 1910, the legacy is a lasting one that continues to thrive up to the present with the commissioning of the new City Class Frigates. Canadians have chosen to preserve three of the many ships that saw service in WWII. Two of them, the corvette HMCS Sackville and COS Acadia are in Halifax and the other, the destroyer HMCS Haid, is in Toronto. The …

The 107th “Timber Wolf” Battalion At Hill 70, Steven A. Bell

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

Recent Additions To The Canadian War Museum’S Vehicle Collection, James Whitman

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

Making Bricks Without Straws: The Development Of The Korean War Exhibit At The Canadian War Museum, Mark Reid

Canadian Military History

Established a scant half century ago, the Canadian War Museum has a mandate to document, examine and present our national military heritage to the people of Canada, about 200,000 of whom grace its halls annually. If the Museum is to be anything more than a collection of trophies or a veterans’ touchstone, this story must be interestingly told with historical balance, accuracy and dignity. It is hoped that the following brief account of a recent exhibit will illustrate how this goal is sought and, occasionally, accomplished.

The lack of a Korea Gallery in the national military museum was not an …

Women Making Shells: Marking Women’S Presence In The Munitions Work 1914–1918: The Art Of Frances Loring, Florence Wyle, Mabel May, And Dorothy Stevens, Susan Butlin

Canadian Military History

In 1915, while working as a volunteer in a munitions factory canteen, Canadian artist Florence Carlyle described the munitions factory in letters to her family as a “systematized hell.” However, the atmosphere of the factory made a deep impression on her, for she continued; “what a picture for an artist...an artist with a fifty foot canvas and tubs of paint.”

This paper will focus on the art commissioned from Canadian women artists during the First World War by the Canadian War Memorials Fund (CWMF), and specifically upon art which depicts the subject of women working in Canadian munitions factories. These …

“Three Cheers For Earl Haig”: Canadian Veterans And The Visit Of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig To Canada In The Summer Of 1925, John Scott

Canadian Military History

No abstract provided.

“I Will Never Forget The Sound Of Those Engines Going Away”: A Re-Examination Of The Sinking Of Hmcs Athabaskan, 29 April 1944, Peter A. Dixon

Canadian Military History

On the morning of 29 April 1944 the Canadian Tribal Class Destroyer HMCS Athabaskan was sunk in the English Channel after an engagement with the German Elbing Class Destroyers T-24 and T-27. The official explanation from the “inquiry into the Loss of HMCS Athabaskan” claimed that Athabaskan sank because of two explosions, the first at 0417 hours, and the second at 0427 hours. The first explosion was attributed to a torpedo from T-24. The second explosion was believed to have occurred when fuel fires, caused by the first explosion, ignited the 4-inch magazine. While this may seem …

Ocean Bridge: The History Of Raf Ferry Command By Carl Christie [Review], Laurie Peloquin

Canadian Military History

Review of Carl A. Christie, Ocean Bridge: The History of the RAF Ferry Command. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1995.