Remembering World War I in 2009

I've started a tradition here on The Cottage Chronicles....I guess it is a tradition if you do it every year and this being the second year...well...it's a tradition. It's November, a month of remembrance, and a special day, and time, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, when we remember those who have given their lives in honour on behalf of their country. In particular, (and not to forget the veterans from other wars, including our current conflicts) tonight I'd like to remember those who went to war in France between 1914 and 1918, in what is called The Great War, The War To End All Wars, and World War I.....

World War I is often said to have been the war that defined Canada as a nation, and no doubt that is true. Depending on the source, it is estimated 600,000 Canadians fought in World War I, considering the entire population of Canada in 1914 was only 8 million, that is a substantial number.

Of those, some 60,000 -70,000 died, one fourth of that number were wounded, and one in 10 men were killed. Comparitively, about 44,000 Canadians died in World War II.  The conditions endured by those men (and women) on the front lines of the first world war were atrocious to say the least. These men died fighting in muddy trenches, tangled and strangled in barbed wire, in hand to hand combat, shot, bayoneted, blown up, poison gassed, drowned in the mud, and more. In addition to the enemy, towards the end of the war in 1918 the The Spanish Flu, spread throughout the world.  That flu, not unlike the one we are struggling against today, hit many between the ages of 20-40 instead of the very old and very young. Soldiers, their bodies weakened by wounds, fighting, inhaling mustard gas, dsyentry, lack of sleep, and the unclean, filthy conditions of trench life, were prime candidates to catch this disease, and many did. Those....were tough times....and I guess equally tough men on all sides of the battles.

Among my possessions, one of my most cherished, is a small book. I have written about this book before. It is a picture book, actually an old photo album really. It belonged to my Dad's uncle, who fought for Canada in World War I and documented the lives of his friends by saving a photograph of them in this small book. It's touching to look at the pictures and read where he has written their names, and in many cases, the location and date of their death. These soldiers are young, members of the First Canadian Expedition, who volunteered to serve their country, to do their duty. One, J.A. MacDonald, shown below, appears to have been a member of the Canadian Pioneers, who were 'engineers' I believe. He was killed, according to the date in the book, at Mons, Belgium,  on November 10, 1918 a day before the war ended. This handsome young man has the look of someone who has already seen too much for his years. There is a serious and far away look to his eyes and expression, and I cannot help thinking that anyone who knew him would see that in this photograph.

Sadly, the next day, November 11th, the "Armistice" was signed, and the war ended at 11:00, but not before thousands of men died during the last few days leading up to the end of the war. Ironically, or perhaps not, Mons was the scene of the first major battle of WWI and in that fight, the British Expeditionary Force ulimately retreated suffering defeat, outnumbered by the German military, who had some 160,000 men compared to 70,000 British. The retreated, under orders of their commander, but not before they established themselves as a formidable foe. Apparently the British troops of the British Expeditionary Force were tough, veteran soldiers and such good riflemen that the Germans thought they were using machine guns. The could shoot so fast and accurately, they put a huge dent in the larger German force. It was at Mons that the fighting pretty much ended, in 1918, with a far different outcome than the first battle, 4 years before.

Today we have equally brave men and women fighting for their country in the Middle East, fighting an enemy who is perhaps even worse than the German armies of the first war. These men and women need to be respected and supported, because call it what you will, these men and women are at war as well, in tough conditions, away from home, and they too are suffering and dying for their country and for us.

I have one other picture to show you tonight, two young Canadian soldiers, posing for a studio photograph, who didn't make it home from the trenches either. These are J. Curry and J. Duggan. These two young men could just as easily be two young men from 2009, on leave, bravely posing for a photo before going back into action. If you look closely at their faces, you can see the some of the aprehension and strain they are feeling and living.  According to the handwritten caption below the photo in my great-uncle's photo album, they were, "both killed in dugout"

So...on as we come to the close of this post, and one day closer to Remembrance Day,  I will end this post with the words from a small newspaper clipping also found in my great-uncle's book.....

"Fare thee well ! And if forever,

"Still forever, fare thee well."