The Cannon's Mouth / Par la Bouche de nos Canons

This, that and some other things

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:24:00 +0000

I've been a little busy with work of late, so haven't had much time to be blogging. I have been gathering together some material, however, and here's what I have.

Over at The Ottawa Citizen on October 25, Richard Helm published "Chronicles of combat: Canadian veterans tell their 'rough stories'". This is a book review of freelance journalist Ted Barris' latest tome, titled Breaking the Silence: Untold Veterans' Stories from the Great War to Afghanistan. Helm describes the book as Barris' "most personal work to date, exploring the heart of wartime experience with an intimate reflection on his own encounters over the years with close to 3,000 Canadian veterans. From classroom talks with Second World War vets to deeply moving private conversations with those who served in Korea and Afghanistan, he strives to unlock the terrible silence of combat."

Likewise, Michael-Allan Marion at Brantford's The Expositor has published a review of historian James Elliott's latest, Strange Fatality: The Battle of Stoney Creek, 1813. Marion writes that the book is the "first detailed account of the little-known battle [and] is all the more worthy of being named in literary dispatches, considering that most Ontarians grow up knowing little about one of the most important battles ever fought on the soil of their province."

In another vein, Clara War, archivist for the Cobourg and District Historical Society Archives, has written for Northumberland Today about a photo exhibit being presented at the archives on Cobourg's military history, in particular the Cobourg (or 10th) Heavy Battery of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. Full contact information is available in the article.

Likewise, the Dufferin County Museum and Archives, in Orangeville, Ontario, has opened an exhibit on Dufferin County's military history, including photographs, documents and objects which highlight "the service of local veterans".

Finally, the Royal Ontario Museum has issued a news release concerning the "Director's Signature Series: Battle on the Plains of Abraham", will be held at the museum on Wednesday, November 11, from 1830 hours. This presentation will take the form of a debate between politician Bernard Landry and historian Jack Granatstein concerning the "impact of one of Canada's most significant battles" and will examine "whether Britain's victory over France on the Plains of Abraham in 1759 was ultimately good for New France, its inhabitants and their descendants." Further details are provided at the link above.

New Books list from Library and Archives Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:31:00 +0000

Sorry, tout le monde, I've been sick for a few days and so haven't posted in a while.

Library and Archives Canada has posted its New Books list for October 2009, and it contains quite a few items of interest to readers of Canadian military history, including the following:

Alan J. Buick, The Little Coat: The Bob and Sue Elliott Story (Regina, 2009);

Frank Gogos, Known unto God: In Honour of Newfoundland's Missing during the Great War (St. John's, NL, 2009);

John A. Griffith and Anthony L. Stachiw, Early Canadian Military Aircraft: Acquisitions, Dispositions, Colour Schemes and Markings, volume 1: Aircraft taken on strength through 1920 (Kitchener, ON, 2009);

Tony Maxwell, Searching for the Queen's Cowboys: Travels in South Africa filming a Documentary on Strathcona's Horse and the Anglo-Boer War (Red Deer, AB, 2009);

Michael Palmer, Dark Side of the Sun: George Palmer and Canadian POWs in Hong Kong and the Omine Camp (Ottawa, 2009);

William J. Patterson, Soldiers of the Queen: The Canadian Grenadier Guards of Montreal, 1859-2009 (Montreal, 2009);

Aaron Plamondon, The Politics of Procurement: Military Acquisition in Canada and the Sea King Helicopter (Vancouver, 2010);

Gary H. Rice, A Sketch of Military Medicine in Canada, 1867-2009 (Carleton Place, ON, 2009); and

Marion Swinton, A Duffle Bag, Close Friends, and a Lot of Memories: The Photo Diary of Marion Swinton, W.R.C.N.S. (Waterloo, ON, 2009).

Audio Archive from Veteran Affairs Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:01:00 +0000

Among the many items of historical interest within the Canada Remembers pages of the Veterans Affairs Canada website, the visitor can find the First World War Audio Archive, where you can "listen to Veterans as they recall their life and times during the war years." Under the Recollections tab, "Learn about Canada's participation in the First World War by listening to these first hand accounts. These interviews represent events, emotions and observations of how these Canadians and Newfoundlanders lived through the war years."

Hansen makes the Governor General's Literary Awards finalists

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Christopher Moore, over at his blog, "Christopher Moore's Canadian History", has posted about the finalists for the Governor General's Literary Awards in the non-fiction category. Said finalists include Randall Hansen, for his Fire and Fury: The Allied Bombing of Germany, 1942-45. The press release from the Canada Council for the Arts describes Hansen's books as follows:

A brave re-examination of a controversial episode in World War II history. Randall Hansen combines meticulous research with an eye for telling human detail to make his case that the Allied bombing campaign didn't help to win the war, and actually prolonged it. A book that offers lessons for today.

Guelph Civic Museum Lecture Series

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:23:00 +0000

The Guelph Civic Museum, 6 Dublin Street South, Guelph, Ontario, is hosting a lecture series in Canadian military history this fall and into 2010 in partnership with the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies. The speakers include:

Jonathan Vance, University of Western Ontario, "Spies Like Us: Canadians in Nazi-Occupied France", Thursday, 15 October 2009, 1930 hours;

Eric McGeer, St. Clement's School, "'The war of the poor relations': The Canadians at the Lamone, December 1944", Thursday, 19 November 2009, 1930 hours;

Roger Sarty, Wilfrid Laurier University, "U-boats in the St. Lawrence, 1942-1944: A Most Uniquely Canadian Battle", Thursday, 21 January 2010, 1930 hours;

Geoff Keelan, Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies, "The Search for a Hero: Talbot Mercer Papineau and the Great War", Thursday, 18 February 2010, 1930 hours; and

Mike Bechthold, Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies, "'A brilliant success': The Canadian Capture of Fresnoy, 3 May 1917", Thursday, 25 March 2010, 1930 hours.

For more information, contact the Guelph Civic Museum at (519) 836-1221, on the web at guelph.ca/museum, or by e-mail at museum@guelph.ca.

Symposium on Niagara's Military Past and Present

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:01:00 +0000

The Lincoln and Welland Regiment, along with the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies, and Brock University and University of Waterloo history departments, are hosting the 3rd Annual Symposium on "Niagara's Military Past & Present" on 6 and 7 November 2009 at the Lake Street Armouries, 81 Lake Street, St. Catharines, Ontario.

There is a very extensive programme of speakers laid out, including:

Mike Bechthold, "The Canadian Corps after Vimy: Fresnoy, May 1917";

Terry Copp, "The Last Great Battle: The Canadians in the Rhineland, February - March 1945";

James E. Elliott, "Strange Fatality: The Battle of Stoney Creek, 1813";

Geoffrey Hayes, "'The Lincs' Third Generation: The Rhineland";

Heather Moran, "200 Years of Peace: Celebrating the 1812 Bi-Centennial through Public History";

David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, "Robert Rogers: The Original Ranger";

Elizabeth Vlossak, "Versailles 100 Years Later: Why it is Still Important for Canadians";

Lee Windsor, "Winters in Kandahar: High Season for Canadian Reconstruction, 2006-09"; and

James Wood, "The Good Neighbours and their 'Undefended' Fence: Canadian Militia Visits to the US before the First World War".

For further information, contact Captain R. Bruce Mair, at 9663@nrps.on.ca or by phone at (905) 321-4082 or Geoffrey Hayes, at ghayes@uwaterloo.ca or by phone at (519) 888-4567 ext. 35138.

Historical items from The Canadian Air Force Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:27:00 +0000

I don't think I've ever posted about The Canadian Air Force Journal, "an official publication of the Chief of the Air Staff" with the goal of being "a forum for discussing concepts, issues and ideas that are both crucial and central to aerospace power." The six issues published to date include a handful of articles of direct interest to readers of Canadian military history, including:

A/V/M C.L. Annis, "The Evolution of Air Materiel Command", vol.1, no.2 (Summer 2008) [reprint from The Roundel, 1962];

Lieut Steven Dieter, "Through Adversity and More: Looking Ahead towards the Canadian Centennial of Flight", vol.1, no.3 (Fall 2008);

2nd Lieut Nicolas Fortin, "Raymond Collishaw: The Royal Naval Air Services Lead Ace", vol.2, no.1 (Winter 2009);

Maj Andrew B. Godefroy, "From Gentleman Cadet to No Known Grave: The Life and Death of Lieutenant (Observer/Gunner) Franklin Sharp Rankin, 1894-1916", vol.1, no.3 (Fall 2008);

Aaron P. Jackson, "The Emergence of a 'Doctrinal Culture' within the Canadian Air Force: Where it Came From, Where it's at and Where to from Here?: Part 1: Doctrine and Canadian Air Force Culture prior to the End of the Cold War", vol.2, no.2 (Summer 2009);

Maj Paul Johnston, "Staff Systems and the Canadian Air Force: Part 1 - History of the Western Staff System", vol.1, no.2 (Summer 2008);

Maj Paul Johnston, "Staff Systems and the Canadian Air Force: Part 2 - A Convoluted Evolution", vol.1, no.3 (Fall 2008);

MCpl René Paquet, "Supermarine Spitfire - The Famous Elliptical Wing Fighter", vol.1, no.1 (Spring 2008);

Col Randall Wakelam, "A Fine Mess: How Our Tactical Helicopter Force came to be What it is", vol.1, no.3 (Fall 2008);

plus numerous book reviews of interest.

A Canadian medical doctor in Afghanistan

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Recently, I've been on a bit of a personal reading spree with respect to Canada's activities in Afghanistan. One of the most interesting of the publications that I've read has been Captain Ray Wiss, MD's, memoirs of his first roto in Afghanistan titled FOB Doc: A Doctor on the Front Lines in Afghanistan: A War Diary (also here). It seems someone else has taken notice of this book, Nancy J. White interviewing the good doctor for The Toronto Star this past weekend. The National Review of Medicine also published an article on Captain Wiss in April 2008. My thanks to the Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs for this pick.

Laurier Centre's Fall Speakers' Series

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:15:00 +0000

(This post is an update to a previously-published one, specifically with updates to Delaney's presentation and the addition of that of Winegard).

The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies has posted its fall speakers' series line-up. Each of the following lectures (and the presentations yet to be confirmed) will take place at the Centre, on 232 King Street North in Waterloo, Ontario.

The series begins on Wednesday, 16 September, at 1900 hours, with Dr. Alistair Edgar, Wilfrid Laurier University, on "Kosovo: 10 Years After":

Dr. Alistair Edgar researches issues of justice and reconciliation as elements of war-to-peace transition and peacebuilding in post-conflict societies. In February-March 2009 Dr. Edgar conducted interviews with government, academic, religious and civil society leaders, activists and other representatives in Belgrade and throughout Kosovo & Metohija to examine the current conditions of, and attitudes towards, justice and peacebuilding there on the 10th anniversary of the NATO air campaign and the first anniversary of the controversial Declaration of Independence by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo.

On Wednesday, 30 September, at 1900 hours, Dr. Randall T. Wakelam, Research Associate, LCMSDS, will speak on "The Science of Bombing: Operational Research in RAF Bomber Command":

Dr. Randall Wakelam is a former air force pilot who commanded 408 Squadron in the early 1990s (the unit was originally activated as Canada's first Bomber Command squadron in 1941). A long serving faculy member at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto he has studied and written about air force leadership and culture for two decades. In The Science of Bombing he dispels many of the myths about Bomber Harris's bloody-minded city smashing tactics, showing that Harris, his subordinates and the scientists of his operational research section were focused

On Wednesday, 14 October, at 1900 hours, Dr. Douglas Delaney, The Royal Military College of Canada, will speak on "Acting and Generalship: Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Horrocks":

Most people know Brian Horrocks from film or television - the worry-free corps commander of A Bridge Too Far, driving his own jeep, dolling out direction to his passenger, and exchanging jokes with soldiers; or the BBC television personality who conveyed the stories of the great campaigns and the great men of his wars with clarity and grace. These images belie the reality of a man who, like most people, had his share of insecurity and self-doubt. He just hid them better than most. He was also a much more deliberate planner than he let on, certainly more so than historians or film producers have acknowledged. Horrocks believed that every general had to be a bit of an actor, and he often slipped into the character of the cheery and self-assured corps commander - for all the right reasons.

On Wednesday, 28 October, at 1900 hours, Col. (ret'd) Patrick M. Dennis, OMM, CD, Wilfrid Laurier University, will speak on "NATO AWACS in Peace and War: From the Fulda Gap to Afghanistan":

Between 1990 and 1999, the NATO alliance transformed itself from a collective self-defence organization focused exclusively on the threats and challenges posed by the "cold war", to a collective security organization engaged in multiple military operations beyond its borders. Key to this extraordinary transition into "out of area" operations was the crucial role played by NATO AWACS - the only multinational flying unit in the world, the activities of which arguably laid the foundation for NATO's eventual decision to take over responsibilities for ISAF in 2003. From the first Gulf War to Afghanistan, this lecture will review key events during this historic period and consider how NATO AWACS continues to play an important role, both as a vital element of the NATO Response Force (NRF) and as a key instrument for decision makers during crisis management."

On Wednesday, 11 November, at 1900 hours, Professor Terry Copp, Wilfrid Laurier University, will speak on "There are many things to remember: Nijmegen, March 1944 to February 1945":

The Dutch city of Nijmegen was accidentally bombed in March 1944, "liberated" in September 1944 and became a front line city with the Canadians until March 1945. Professor Copp will explore the story of a city at war.

The speaker and subject for the 25 November session will be confirmed at a later date.

On Wednesday, 9 December, at 1900 hours, Captain Timothy C. Winegard, University of Oxford, will speak on "And Death Shall Have No Dominion: Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the First World War":

Capt. Timothy C. Winegard is currently completing his PhD at the University of Oxford, and will soon take up a postdoctoral fellow position at the LCMSDS. He is currently teaching First Nations Studies at WLU and UWO. Tim recently published a book on the Oka Crisis and the role of the Canadian Forces. His talk continues with the theme of First Nations and military interaction by comparing the capricious and racially motivated policies concerning, and participation of, the Indigenous Peoples of the Dominions - Canada, Australia, Newfoundland, New Zealand and South Africa - during the First World War.

For further information, etc., contact Mike Bechthold at mbechthold@wlu.ca or 519-884-0710 ext 4594.

Latest issues of the Canadian Naval Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:44:00 +0000

During my absence, I'd gotten behind on my mentions of the articles in Canadian military history in the Canadian Naval Review (specifically issues vol.4, no.3; vol.5, no.1 and vol.5, no.2) from the good folks at Dalhousie University's Centre for Foreign Policy Studies. Relevant articles (there hasn't been a whole lot purely in the realm of history of later - although this is an incredibly interesting periodical) include:

Pat Jessup, "Kriegsgefangenenlager: A POW's Account of the Loss of Afghanistan in 1944", vol.5, no.2 (Summer 2009): 22-27;

Peter Hayden, "Our Faltering Grasp on Canadian Naval History", vol.5, no.2 (Summer 2009): 30-31; and

Jacqui Good, "Sackville and the Battle of the Atlantic", vol.5, no.2 (Summer 2009): 44.

Article on Canadians in the British Army

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:26:00 +0000

Major Andrew Godefroy, editor of The Canadian Army Journal, has kindly sent me an e-mail mentioning his latest article. Andrew has published "For King, Queen, and Empire: Canadians Recruited into the British Army, 1858-1944" in the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research (volume 87, number 350 (Summer 2009): 135-150). I'm particularly glad for this information, as I'm away from work right now and so haven't had the chance to see this issue. Thanks again, Andrew.

New Books list from Library and Archives Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:46:00 +0000

The New Books list for September 2009 from Library and Archives Canada has been posted. Unfortunately, it only contains one item of interest for readers of Canadian military history, namely:

L. Mel McConaghy, The Stoker: Ten Years Fighting Red Aggression and Other Social Diseases in the Service of One's Country: A Memoir (Vancouver: N.O.N. Canada, 2009).

Latest issues of The Northern Mariner

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:43:00 +0000

I'm a bit behind on posting information on The Northern Mariner, so here are the items of direct interest to readers of Canadian military history:

Haydon, Peter T., "Canadian Involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis Re-Considered", vol.xvii, no.2 (2007);

Maloney, Sean M., "Parry and Thrust: Canadian Maritime Forces and the Defence of North America, 1954-62";

plus various books reviewed in these issues.

Toronto Military Studies Conference next week

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:03:00 +0000

Don Graves has passed on to me (thanks Don) the lineup for the latest Toronto Military Studies Conference, to be held at Moss Park Armour, 130 Queen Street East, in Toronto on Friday, 18 September, and Saturday, 19 September. The schedule is as follows:

Friday, 1845-1900 hours - registration;

Friday, 1900-2100 hours - Keynote Address by Professor Terry Copp, "The Consequences of Combat in the Second World War";

(followed by a performance of the 48th Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums);

Saturday, 0900-0910 hours - opening remarks;

Saturday, 0910-0950 hours - Dr. Geoffrey Hayes, "From Kingston to Vimy Ridge";

Saturday, 0950-1030 hours - Professor Mike Bechthold, "Learning from Vimy: The Canadian Corps at Arleux and Fresnoy";

Saturday, 1030-1100 hours - coffee break;

Saturday, 1100-1145 hours - Dr. Doug Delaney, "Contrasting Styles of Command: Some Canadian Examples from the Second World War";

Saturday, 1145-1230 hours - Dr. Eric McGeer, "The War of the Poor Relations: The Lamone, December 1944";

Saturday, 1230-1330 hours - lunch (featuring a performance by the 48th Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums);

Saturday, 1330-1500 hours - "The Reentry of Today's Canadian Reserves in Society" ("This panel discussion will feature soldiers returned from recent tours to Afghanistan and Bosnia.")

Saturday, 1500- hours - closing remarks

Cost of the conference is $10, including lunch, but is free for students with identification and for veterans. For more information contact Mike Bechthold at mbechthold@wlu.ca or 519-884-0710 ext 4594.

CFP from University of Victoria

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:52:00 +0000

A Call for Papers from the History Department of the University of Victoria has been issued for "The Second Military Oral History Conference: Between Memory and History", to be held at the university from 5 to 7 May 2010. As the release notes:

The intention of the conference is to bring together senior undergraduate and graduate students, academics and veterans working in a variety of fields in military history in order to foster discussion in a multi-disciplinary environment. Papers addressing all facets of military history which rely heavily upon oral history will be considered. This includes, but is not limited to, the writing of popular military history, official history, operational history, military families and the home front, First Nations, Military Medicine, records management and archival preservation. We encourage a broad interpretation of the conference theme from a variety of fields and backgrounds.

The deadline for paper submissions (it's not clear, but this must be the deadline for paper proposals) is 15 January 2010. Proposals should be less than 250 words, should explain how the paper relates to the conference theme, with an additional bio sketch. For questions, etc., contact Dr. David Zimmerman, Department of History, University of Victoria, PO Box 3045, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P4 or by e-mail at dzimmerm@uvic.ca.

Latest issue of the Canadian Military Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:53:00 +0000

The latest issue (vol.9, no.4) of the Canadian Military Journal is now online, and contains a couple of items of direct interest to readers of Canadian military history:

Bill Dalke, "Canada's Greatest Contribution: National Identity and the Role of Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King in Negotiating the BCATP Agreement";

Craig Leslie Mantle and Lieutenant-Colonel Larry Zaporzan, "The Leadership of S.V. Radley-Walters: Enlistment to D-Day (Part 1 of 2)";

as well as several reviews of military history publications.

Norman Leach's new book

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:53:00 +0000

Norman Leach, the Calgary-based military historian, freelance writer and professional speaker, has a new book out from Folklore Publishing called Canadian Battles - Canada's Role in Major World Conflicts.

As the book's description notes:

Canadian soldiers, sailors and pilots have fought consistently above their weight class in the forefront of the world's major conflicts. And it was a Canadian, Lester B. Pearson, whose idea of a peacekeeping force defined Canada's world role in a new way, drawing respect and recognition from countries around the world: Afghanistan - Operation Medusa, an attempt to retake the Panjwavi District in Kandahar Province from the Taliban, turned into a deadly battle for Canadian troops. Croatia - Sent as peacekeepers, Canadian soldiers engaged in fierce action and were respected for their role in quelling the civil war and genocide. Korea - Members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry repelled a massive Chinese attack and won the only U.S. Presidential Citation ever awarded to a Canadian battalion. World War II - In some of the fiercest battles of the war, Canadian forces were in the forefront during the Dieppe Raid, D-Day and the Battle of the Atlantic. Siberia - Who knew that Canadians fought the Bolsheviks in eastern Russia at the end of World War I? War of 1812 - Les Canadiens and the British troops fought to defend Canada, while Laura Secord was walking into history. Seven Years' War - During a naval blockade of the Restigouche River, a French fleet was destroyed at the cost of only 24 British casualties. And more...

McGill-Queen's University Press last three catalogues

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:30:00 +0000

The Fall 2008, Spring 2009 and Fall 2009 catalogues for the McGill-Queen's University Press are online, and include the following items of interest (either already published or to come in the next few months) to readers of Canadian military history:

Engen, Robert, Canadians Under Fire: Infantry Effectiveness in the Second World War (October 2009);

Heath, Gordon L., A War with a Silver Lining: Canadian Protestant Churches and the South African War, 1899-1902 (March 2009);

MacFarlane, John, Triquet's Cross: A Study of Military Heroism (September 2009);

Manning, Stephen, Quebec: The Story of Three Sieges: A Military History (September 2009); and

McMahon, Patricia I., Essence of Indecision: Diefenbaker's Nuclear Policy, 1957-1963 (May 2009).

Latest New Books List at Library and Archives Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:01:00 +0000

The August 2009 "New This Month" list is up on the Library and Archives Canada website, contains some new publications of interest to students of Canadian military history, including:

Caccia, Ivana, Managing the Canadian Mosaic in Wartime: Shaping Citizenship Policy, 1939-1945 (Montreal, 2010);

Courtois, Charles-Philippe (Comp.), La Conquête : une anthologie (Montréal, 2009);

Faryon, Cynthia J., Mysteries, Legends and Myths of the First World War: Canadian Soldiers in the Trenches and in the Air (Amazing Stories) (Toronto, 2009);

Horn, Bernd, No Ordinary Men: Special Operations Forces Missions in Afghanistan (Toronto, 2009);

Humphries, Mark Osborne and John Maker (Eds.), Germany's Western Front: Translations from the German Official History of the Great War, Volume II: 1915 (Waterloo, ON, 2009);

Mole, Rich, The Chilcotin War: A Tale of of Death and Reprisal (Surrey, BC, 2009); and

Naftel, William D., Wartime Halifax: The Photo History of a Canadian City at War, 1939-1945 (Halifax, 2009).

Latest issues of The Canadian Army Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:29:00 +0000

Volume 11, Numbers 2 and 3 (Summer and Fall 2008) and Volume 12, Number 1 (Spring 2009) of The Canadian Army Journal are available online since my last posting about this journal. In addition to a very interesting collection of articles and material on recent operations, these issues also contain some material of particular interest to students of Canadian military history, including:

Robert Engen, "Army Biography: Lieutenant-General Samuel Findlay Clark, CBE, CD";

T. Robert Fowler, "Courage and Reward in the War of 1812";

T. Robert Fowler, "Army Biography: Private Leo Major, DCM and Bar";

Major Andrew B. Godefroy, "Army Biography: The First 'Chief of Land Staff': Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Selby Smyth, KCMG";

Chris Manoukian, "The Canadian Rangers, 1947-1952: Canada's Arctic Defenders?"; and

LCol Ian McCulloch, "'A War of Machines' - A Re-Assessment of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps: Innocation or Tactical Expedient?".

Parks Canada's "This Week in History"

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:28:00 +0000

Did you know that Parks Canada has a whole section on their website devoted to "This Week in History"? Several of the long list of stories are directly related to Canadian military history, including:

"American Forces Take Fort George";

"An Elite Canadian Corps: Samuel Steele and the Strathcona's Horse Regiment in South Africa";

"Canada and the Korean War";

"Canadians Join the Fight at Passchendaele";

"'Loud roared the dreadful thunder...': HMCS Haida;

"St. Joseph...the Military Siberia of Upper Canada";

and many, many more.

They may not be the most in-depth discussions of the topic at hand, but they certainly do qualify as honest-to-goodness attempts to educate Canadians about our collective history and that's what really matters.

Many thanks to Christopher Moore for blogging about this source.

We won that war, didn't we?

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Issues 10 (October 2008) and 11 (June 2009) of the War of 1812 Magazine have been published online, free for the taking. Articles include (and there's a lot more material on the website):

"A North Country Treasure - Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site";

Sandy Antal, "Remember the Raisin! Anatomy of a Demon Myth";

Robert Burnham and Ron McGuigan, "The Impeccable Timing of Sir George Brown";

Don Graves, "'Every Horror was committed with impunity...and not a man was punished!': Reflections on British Military Law and the Atrocities at Hampton in 1813"; and

David Curtis Skaggs, "The Making of a Major-Genera: The Politics of Command of the North West Army, 1812-13".

The blog as commemorative / historical tool

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:29:00 +0000

In a very interesting series, Christopher Moore, over at Christopher Moore's Canadian History blog, has been "live-blogging the siege of Quebec + 250" since July 3. Each day he provides a narrative on the day's events in 1759 pertinent to the subject. In these narratives he quotes famous and the not-so-famous participants of the conflict, provides contextual text and sometimes adds extra material, such as book recommendations.

In addition to being quite interesting in and of itself - which it truly is - I wonder if others (myself included) would be capable of doing something similar in other areas of Canadian military history? What do you think?

New Books, a Family Tree and a Flag

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:01:00 +0000

A bit of miscellany for this post.

The Spring 2009 catalogue for the UBC Press is out and contains three new publications of particular interest to students of Canadian military history:

Bennett, Y.A. (Ed.), Kiss the kids for dad, Don't forget to write: The Wartime Letters of George Timmins, 1916-18 (July 2009);

"Between 1916 and 1918, Lance-Corporal George Timmins, a British-born soldier who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, wrote faithfully to his wife and children. Sixty-three letters and four fragments survived.

These letters tell the compelling story of a man who, while helping his fellow Canadians make history at Vimy, Lens, Passchendaele, and Amiens, used letters home to remain a presence in the lives of his wife and children, and who drew strength from his family to appreciate life's simple pleasures. Timmin's letters offer a rare glimpse into the experiences and relationships and the quiet heroism of ordinary soldiers on the Western Front."

Carroll, Michael K., Pearson's Peacekeepers: Canada and the United Nations Emergency Force, 1956-67 (May 2009):

"In 1957 Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize for creating the United Nations Emergency Force during the Suez Crisis. The award launched Canada's love affair with, and reputation for, peacekeeping. Pearson's Peacekeepers explores the reality behind the rhetoric by offering a detailed account of the UNEF's decade-long effort to keep peace along the Egyptian-Israeli border. The operation was a tremendous achievement, yet the UNEF also encountered formidable challenges and problems. This nuanced account of Canada's participation in the UNEF not only challenges received notions of Canadian identity and history but will also help students, policy makers, and concerned citizens to accurately evaluate international peacekeeping efforts in the present."

Shaw, Amy J., Crisis of Conscience: Conscientious Objection in Canada during the First World War (November 2008):

"The First World War's appalling death toll and the need for a sense of equality of sacrifice on the home front led to Canada's first experience of overseas conscription. While historians have focused on resistance to enforced military service in Quebec, this has obscured the important role of those who saw military service as incompatible with their religious or ethical beliefs. Crisis of Conscience is the first and only book about the Canadian pacifists who refused to fight in the Great War. The experience of these conscientious objectors offers insight into evolving attitudes about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship during a key period of Canadian nation building.

This book will appeal to readers interested in Canadian military and peace history. The book is also relevant to those concerned with questions of voluntarism and obligation in a democratic society, and issues of gender history and minority freedom and identity."

I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Bennett's book on George Timmins. I often find the thoughts of an "other rank" to be particularly insightful and the First World War is easily my favourite period of Canadian military history.

This past Wednesday, The Globe and Mail ran an obituary piece by Buzz Bourdon on the late Jean-Antoine de Lotbinière Panet. Talk about Canada's military heritage being wrapped up in one family. In general, the story of the Panet family isn't completely unknown, Jacques Gouin and Lucien Brault having written Les Panet de Québec : histoire d'une lignée militaire in 1984 (translated as Legacy of Honour: The Panets, Canada's foremost military family in 1985).

Finally, I've been holding onto the reference for a story from yourbarrh aven.com (Barrhaven is a suburb of Ottawa) since February. Titled "Algonquin students preser ve Ca nadian history", the article describes how two Algonquin College museum studies students - Michelle Hunter and Meredith Thompson - were working on preserving a Royal Union Flag (Union Jack) and a Red Cross flag belonging to the Prince Edward Island Regimental Museum in Charlottetown. It appears both flags were flown by No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital (the first Canadian unit to serve on the continent during the First World War) in France. I'd love to know how things worked out with the preservation process. Très cool.

A Thought on Archival Collections

noreply@blogger.com (Ken) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:43:00 +0000

I recently sent off an electronic resources piece to Mike Bechthold at Canadian Military History for the next issue on the archival catalogue for the Canadian War Museum archives. In the course of researching the piece I noticed a finding aid for their General Currie papers, and in it was the mention of two Currie items re the 38th Battalion, CEF. Now, I've been researching the history of the 38th for a long time now, and am well into writing the battalion's history, but here were two items I hadn't seen yet, even though I've been to the CWM archives a few times now. Makes me wonder what else I've missed. Even more problematic, it makes me wonder what else is out there that is relevant that I don't even know about. At the same time, if such concerns gain the upper hand, then an historian would never finish a project.