Throughout history, the world has been either on the brink of war or heavily engaged in war. The periods of peace seem to have been few and far between. It has been written that every day somewhere in the world, war rages. Is war necessary? Today, in early November 2002, terrorism has upstaged Mankind's idea of warfare in which one side pits itself against another side in an attempt to gain ground or to deliver freedom to an oppressed citizenry, or both.
Throughout Canada's history, war has 'consumed' far too many of this country's valiant as their government opted to fight rather than talk. There were times when fighting seemed to be the better course of action. Thirty-two years after the colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were joined in 1867 to become Canada, Canadian soldiers were kitted up and readied for action in a far-off land not many had heard about. On October 30, 1899, 1061 volunteers [included in the number were four nurses, four reporters and 23 surplus officers] boarded SS Sardinian and sailed out of Quebec City for South Africa. A month later they arrived in Cape Town. The ship's name had been unofficially changed to 'Sardine' to reflect the crowed quarters all endured.
In A Military History of Canada, Desmond Morton writes, "In the week-long battle at Paardeberg, February 18-27, the Canadians performed well under fire. On their first day, the battalion lost eighty-two casualties, most of them because an over-strained British colonel insisted on leading his men and the Canadians in a hopeless charge. A night attack on February 26 collapsed in confusion, with most Canadians racing back to their trenches, but a handful held their ground and at dawn they overlooked the Boer positions. By coincidence it was the very moment Piet Cronje had already chosen to surrender. Journalists gave the Canadians the credit. On both sides, February 27 was remembered as Majuba Day, the anniversary of a Boer victory over the British in 1880. The notion that gallant colonials had avenged Britain's humiliation was irresistible to Imperial orators."
By the end of the Boer War, 8,300 Canadians had enlisted, 242 died and three earned the coveted Victoria Cross. "The South African War did much to encourage a naïve military enthusiasm in Canada." [ibid.]
That enthusiasm did not wane when but a few years later, Canada was again called upon by its British mentor to 'lend a hand in Europe.' Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier's famous words from 1910, "When Britain is at war, Canada is at war," rang true.
Recruiting was easy: it was in the days when war was seen to be 'heroic' when young, handsome [and some not so handsome] Canadian lads rushed off to recruiting stations in order to join the fray. What better way to impress impressionable young ladies than to wear a uniform and think of dashing exploits atop a white charger; or so many thought. Many soon realised the folly of that thinking. From start to finish, Canada contributed 619,636 of her sons; of that number, 66,655 gave their lives. In France and Belgium, Canada has 13 battlefield memorials commemorating the exploits of Canadian and Newfoundland troops in World War One. Of these, perhaps the most well known is 'Vimy,' commemorating the capture of Vimy Ridge by the Canadian Corps on April 9, 1917. [A sidebar: one of my uncles was a hero of Vimy and was selected to receive a suitable medal from King George V on behalf of his unit.] None of these Canadian lads saw the glory in riding a white stallion into battle. For them, there were no white stallions.
The 'War to end all wars,' ended on November 11, 1918 and the world thought a lasting peace had arrived. Within two decades that thought was dashed when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. At the same time the Soviets, as previously agreed with Germany, entered Poland from the east and the Poles were caught in a squeeze. Two days later, Britain and France, honouring pledges to Poland, declared war on Germany. Canada entered the war on September 10. Parliament had met in special session on September 7 and on September 9 approved support for Britain and France. King George VI made the announcement that Canada had declared war on September 10, 1939.
Throughout the war, Canada's army proved to be rather formidable despite times when leadership was questionable, when training seemed to be endless, when Hong Kong fell [Christmas Day, 1941] when Canadian demands for action ended in disaster [Dieppe, 1942], when morale was at a low point and when the British seemed to think of Canadians as nothing more than 'bloody colonials with a volunteer army not up to Imperial army standards.' From start to finish, from Sicily to Normandy, through the Battle in the Liri Valley and the Road to Rimini and the Battle of the Scheldt and the Liberation of Holland, Canada's army proved its worth.
A quote from Valour Remembered: Canada and the Second World War, Veterans Affairs Canada. "It would be a mistake to over estimate Canada's contribution to the defeat of the Axis Powers, but for a country of 11 million people it was remarkable, and was such as to win the respect of other nations. With the third largest navy, the fourth largest air force and an army of six divisions, Canada became a significant military power.
"Canada as a nation matured through the ordeal of war and was now ready to assume new responsibilities as a member of the world community.
"In all, over one million men and women enlisted in Canada's armed forces. Of these, more than 45,000 gave their lives in the cause of peace and freedom."
Next instalment will focus on Canada's army during the Korean War, 1950-53.
Bob Orrick is a private tutor of English grammar, literature, poetry and Canadian history to off-shore youngsters. His pupils hail from such places as Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Venezuela. He was previously in international marketing, was a ministerial assistant to a provincial cabinet minister, spent a few years as a reporter then editor of a community newspaper and enjoyed a career in the Royal Canadian Navy.
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