Gegenangriff zum Fresnoy – 8 May 1917

The genesis of the second Battle of Fresnoy began on 5 May 1917. Orders were received by the 5^th Bavarian Division to prepare for a counterattack (Gegenangriff zum Fresnoy). Fresnoy and surrounding wooded area was an integral piece of the Oppy-Mericourt defence line. After the successful capture of the village, the British and Canadians were in possession of a minor salient that had the potential to breech the fortress that was the Hindenburg Line. The German High Command knew that in a worst case scenario, if the defence network was overcame, then the allies would have a opportunity to change the nature of the conflict from trenches to a war of rapid mobile warfare. Fresnoy had to be recaptured.

German Prisoners captured by Canadians in the Arras Sector, May 1917
Credit: Veterans Affairs Canada

The two prior attempts to re-take Fresnoy on May 3rd were repulsed with artillery and defensive fire; the attacks were hastily planned and were aimed to simply overwhelm the battle fatigued Canadians. The renewed attack by the 5^th Bavarian Division was planned to be a more organized push, involving a heavy reliance on artillery and additional soldiers. The Germans planned to launch their assault only after weakening the lines with artillery, identifying defence strongpoints, and isolating routes where re-enforcements could be brought into the battle. Starting on May 6th the Germans began to shell the vicinity around the objective. In a span of two days, German artillery fired over 100,000 shells into British and Canadian sector. 

German Photograph of the Arras
Sector. Credit: GreatWarPhotos.com, Paul Reed

To the north of the German objective was the 6^th Canadian Infantry Brigade. They were stationed north of Fresnoy Wood and were scheduled to be relieved by the 4^th Brigade on the night of May 7/8. The British 95^th Brigade, 12^th Battalion Gloucester Regiment occupied the shelled out remains of the town of Fresnoy. The British had constructed gun pits, dugouts, and 2 lines of trenches. The landscape of the village had changed drastically in the previous month. The town had been shelled on a  consistent basis since mid-April. Famous German author Ernst Junger was stationed in Fresnoy before it was turned into a rubble heap. Junger wrote: “As I entered the village at the end of one of these ordeals by fire - as that's what they were - I saw a basement flattened. All we could recover from the scorched space were the three bodies. Next to the entrance one man lay on his belly in a shredded uniform.” From the 6th of May to the 8th it was the Tommy's turn cower in the ruins of village.

On the rainy evening of 7 May reports were received and 2^nd Canadian Division’s HQ at 7:20 pm that the German bombardment had intensified, with heavy calibre shells hitting positions between Acheville in the north and Oppy in the south. Around the same time, the German artillery began firing gas shells at suspected targets where Anglo-Canadian artillery guns were located. Gun crews were forced to wear gas masks to minimize the effects of the chlorine gas. The masks saved the lungs of the artillerymen, but it greatly reduced efficiency and ability to rapidly fire the guns.

Map of Canadian Corps Operations,
Fresnoy located on right. Credit: WFA

As the Canadian units were finishing their rotation to the front, all hell broke loose. At 3:45 am, the German attack began. German artillery launched a terrific final bombardment on the town, and then began gassing all nearby road junctions. The rain and mist that night made for very limited visibility for the British defenders. The German commanders picked the most opportune time to attack. They had launched their counter-attack when the weather favoured an assault with poor visibility. Many of the Canadian defenders that were at the front were unfamiliar with their new trenches. The Canucks were unacquainted with this new section of the line. To make matters worse, roughly 1/3 of all the Canadians that were in the trenches that night were fresh faced re-enforcements. They had just come over to France in the days after the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and now these green soldiers would face their first fight.

The Bavarian 7th, 19^th, and 21st Regiments launched their attack primarily on the British lines and were able to infiltrate the British trenches on the north east section of the line. As the Germans approached the British lines, the rain soaked Lewis Gunner Sgt. Henry Civil went into action. He saw enemy running towards his line in mass formation and he opened fire. Sgt. Civil recalls hitting plenty of Germans that dark early morning, but his efforts could not stem the tide of the attack. The Germans poured down the trenches tossing grenades and firing upon opposition that they encountered. Civil soon realized he was alone, he had held up a platoons of enemy, but he was running low on ammunition and his gun had been damaged beyond repair. He withdrew to the sunken road, which lay to the west of the village (near Arleux).

Map of the German Attack. 8 May 1917
Credit: Google Earth

The Canadians on the left of the British line encountered the Germans at roughly 4:00 am. The enemy had snaked their way up through the British trenches, and were now starting to flank the Canadians. As the flares lit up the night sky, survivors of the battle recall hearing comrades shouting  “there they are!” The Canadians watched the Germans head westward (toward Arleux) in a bunched formation. Private Deward Barnes was Lewis Gun re-enforcement  that arrived in France after the battle of Vimy Ridge with the 19^th Battalion. He was ordered to put the Lewis Gun on the parados (on top of the trench) and fire into the backs of the Germans. Eventually Pvt. Barnes was ordered to withdraw to a more defendable position, but after a while the enemy was on the cusp of over running their new line. The officer in-charge of the remains of Barnes' company said, “well boys, we are done, do your duty and fight to the finish.” The Germans entered the trench, and after fierce hand to hand combat and bayonetting, the surviving men were able to retreat further back to a position known as Winnipeg Road where they met up with other men and formed a more stable defence line.

Germans Marching British Prisoners.Survivors of
Fresnoy may be in marching in this group.
 Credit: GreatWarPhotos.com, Paul Reed

By mid-day it was obvious that Fresnoy was lost. The 12^th Battalion Gloucester Regiment lost 288 men, and the 19^th Battalion (Central Ontario) lost 236 men, plus another 16 were taken as POWs.  In the aftermath of the battle, several theories were put forth as explanations for the loss of ground. In the 12^th Gloucs Official Records, they list several factors such as: “Lack of artillery support of any kind, Lack of aeroplanes, bad weather. . . visibility being NIL, Attempting to hold an impossible salient as a defensive position.” In the Canadian Official History of First World War, the blame falls squarely in the lap of the British artillery. The British narrative assigns guilt to the poor quality of British re-enforcements, noting that the Canadians had men in better physical condition.

Ultimately, the blame for the poor defence should be attached to the commanders, from brigade up to the divisional level. The 2^nd Division commander, Gen. Burstall, made the mistake of not launching an immediate counter attack. The wet and muddy conditions on May 8^th were advantageous for a counter attack. In a post-battle report, the 5^th Bavarian Division noted that almost all machine guns were inoperable due to mud clogging the barrels. Even greater than the mistake of not launching a rapid counter attack, was the pre-battle deployment of nearby units and poor coordination between neighbouring artillery batteries. The 2^nd Division held several brigades and batteries behind the relative safety of Farbus Wood. Once the German attack on Fresnoy began, they shelled all routes leading to Fresnoy, cutting off the potential for any substantial reinforcement and counter battery fire. Without reinforcement, the under strength 19th Battalion (at the time of attack it had 687 men - at full strength it was supposed to have roughly 1,000 men) was forced to try and save Fresnoy, which was an near impossible task.

Links: 

http://greatwarphotos.com                     

Sgt. Civil's story - 12th Gloucs Regiment - May 8 1917

Click here to read of Canadian attack on Fresnoy of 3 May 1917.

3 May 1917, Fresnoy - 3rd Battle of the Scarpe

Photograph of Vimy Ridge monument
with battlefield in the foreground.
Credit: Anglo-celtic-connections

2012 marks the 95^th anniversary of the Battle of Arras. The British led offensive started on the 9^th of April and concluded on the 16^th of May 1917. Historians predominately from the United Kingdom have led the charge in commemorating the anniversary of the Arras campaign.  As for my fellow Canadians, our interest in the campaign starts and ends with the battle of Vimy Ridge (9 – 12th April 1917).Vimy’s importance to the psyche of Canadians is measured by our national First World War monument that was constructed on Vimy Ridge. As for the 3^rd Battle of the Scarpe or the other 34 days of the Arras offensive? Canadians know very little if anything at all; even Canadian Historians have very little interest in studying or writing about the Arras Campaign after the Canadian victory at Vimy.

Another View of Vimy Ridge Memorial.
Credit: Google Images

Many English tourists that travel by ferry over the English Channel often make their first rest stop at Canada’s monument at Vimy Ridge. Even the most uninterested of visitor, laden with sandwiches in the French countryside cannot help but be amazed at the representation of Mother Canada mourning her sons. Vimy is a tempting subject for historians; it was an overwhelming surprise victory that took place on Easter Monday, with Canadian Corps losing 10,602 men (3598 KIA).  The battles that followed on the Douai plain like Fresnoy seem like an operational maneuver compared to Vimy. In my view, the Battle of Fresnoy, is just as important as Vimy. The attack and defence of Fresnoy demonstrates that the Canadian victory at Vimy was not luck or a one off victory. By May 1917 the Canadian Corps had become one of the premier fighting forces on the Western Front, comparable with the ANZACs and our British counterparts.

Aerial view of the Hindenberg Line and
Bullecourt, taken in 1920. Two years after
war had ended, the line was still a powerful
defensive position. Credit: Wikipedia

Before proceeding, a brief overview of situation on the ground is needed. By late April 1917, the British Arras offensive had almost run out of steam. On the other side of no man’s land, the Germans had moved to the vicinity of the Hindenburg line, and refused to give more ground. The Hindenburg Line was an impressive constructed network of German defensive fortifications, tunnels, trenches, barbed wire and bunkers. In the north, the Canadians had captured Vimy Ridge overlooking Douai Plain and the German lines. Allied artillery now had observation of enemy movements, trenches, and supply columns for several kilometres. In the centre, the British had launched two separate offensives with very limited results. At the southern flank, the Australians were stuck in pitched struggle at Bullecourt and Lagnicourt.

Happy Canadians who captured Vimy Ridge
returning to rest billets on motor lorries, May 1917
Credit: Library and Archives

On 3 May 1917, the 3^rd and final Battle of the Scarpe began. After the war, a British military historian wrote that the first day of combat as “a day which many who witnessed it considered it to be the blackest day of the war.” The British continued their attack in the centre, with minimal results, and the Australians resumed the near suicidal battle of Bullecourt. The Canadian objective on 3 May was to capture a village of Fresnoy, a 1000 yards to east of Arleux.

Map of the Battle of Fresnoy, 3 May 1917.
Credit: Official History of the Canadian
Army in the First Word War: Canadian
 Expeditionary Force 1914-1919, G.W.L. Nicholson

The red-roofed village of Fresnoy was positioned between two wood lands. The 1^st Canadian Brigade (Ontario) was assigned the objective. The 2^nd Battalion (Eastern Ontario) was to capture the town, and the 1^st and 3^rd Battalions were to secure the wooded areas located on the sides of the town. The Canadians rehearsed the assault for two days on mock enemy positions, akin to the operational preparation to the attack on Vimy Ridge.

 In the German trenches, soldiers were on a high state of alert after nearly a month of combat. German intelligence sensed another push after witnessing a build-up of troops along the Allied lines. At roughly the time as the British offensive began, the Germans began to shell the British and Canadian lines. A duel between the German and British heavy and medium artillery commenced.

As both sides shelled each other, the signal was given to launch the attack. The Canadian rolling barrage hit Fresnoy at 3:45am, cutting much of the enemy wire. Many Germans from the 25^th Reserve Division were forced to seek shelter from the inferno of shells and shrapnel. The artillery pounded and careened into the trench network that surrounded the French village. Following behind the screen of exploding earth and sandbags was the attacking Canadians. In effort to repulse the attack, German machine gun fire raked the approaches to the village; luckily the darkness hid the Canadians as they approached Fresnoy.

Examining a Skull found on a battlefield
of Vimy Ridge. Credit: Library and Archives

Once the Canadians had breached the wire in front of the village, the 3^rd Battalion swung south, clearing out the German trenches with enfilading fire. The 3^rd Battalion had captured 500 yards beyond their objective (support lines), but in the process they had sustained high losses, losing 1 of their 3 assault companies, roughly 200 men. In the northern sector of the attack, the 1^st Battalion quickly overcame the enemy wire, and advanced upon the trenches parallel to the woods known as Fresnoy Park. The 1^st Battalion had the easiest task of the 3 units on 3 May, their assigned objective was lightly held and quickly taken.

Canadian writing home from the line, May 1917
Credit: Library and Archives

In the centre of the attack, the 2^nd Battalion’s attack was carried out with surgical pin-point accuracy. The three machine gun posts that guarded the town had been silenced within minutes with the use of rifle grenades and covering fire as the assault squads advanced upon the German guns. After cleaning out the trench network, the battalion proceeded to secure the town, neutralizing any remaining resistance that they encountered in buildings. By 6am, the battalion was consolidating their newly won position and digging new defences 250 yards east of Fresnoy.

British Stokes Mortar Crew, 1918.

Once enemy commanders realized the nature of the rupture of their line at Fresnoy, two rapid counter-attacks were ordered. Around 10am, the Canadians received a peppering of high explosive shells on Fresnoy. After the shelling had subsided, units from the German 15^th Reserve Division were spotted advancing upon the village from the north east. The enemy counter attack was quickly broken up after the British and Canadian artillery unleashed a torrent of shells and machine gun fire among the attacking infantry. In the early afternoon two more units, the German 4^th Guard Division and 185 Infantry Division, were ordered into the fray. The second German attack was able to enter into the Canadian lines, but after the arrival of a stokes mortar crew and a liberal use of grenades, the enemy attack could not advance any further and withdrew.

German Prisoners of War helping a
wounded Canadian, Arleux 1917.
Credit: Library and Archive

As the sun set on 3 May 1917, the Canadians had been involved in nearly 16 hours of strenuous defense and assault. They had lost 1,269 men taking Fresnoy. On the German side, the first day of the 3^rd Battle of the Scarpe, official records list their deepest losses occurring at Fresnoy. The loss of Fresnoy did not sit well with the German High Command. One German regimental historian wrote that the Canadians had knocked Fresnoy, “out of the German defensive wall which had to be replaced without delay.” The Allies occupying the town had a commanding sight over sections of German trenches in the Oppy-Méricourt line and the Hindenberg Line (Wotan Stellung).

Canadian identifying a deceased
 German soldier, Arras Sector 1917.
Credit: Library and Archives

 In my next entry, I will look at the second major German attack to re-capture Fresnoy on 8 May 1917 and its impact on the Canadian and British lines.

Major Bennett, Peterborough's first war casualty

Credit: Major Bennett Bus, Flickr.com, VB5215

The white and green buses operated by Peterborough Transit are on nearly every major arterial road in the city. The Major Bennett #12 bus is a familiar sight on Aylmer Street and near the newly renovated Lansdowne Place Mall. The commuters that use the Major Bennett route likely haven’t considered the origin of the name. Major Bennett Drive was named after Peterborough’s first casualty of the First World War, Major George Bennett.

Photograph of Major G.W. Bennett,
Credit: Peterborough Examiner, 1915

George Bennett was a prominent resident of the small city of 18,000 people. He was born in 1864 in North Monaghan Township and worked a civil servant for the Government of Ontario. He rose to the prestigious rank of Superintendent of the Department of Public Works overseeing provincial roads in Northern Ontario.  The tall dark haired 49 year old bachelor had served with the local Peterborough militia for over 25 years. After many nights at the Peterborough Armouries on George Street, Bennett received his officer’s commission with the 57^th "Peterborough Rangers" Regiment.

Picture of troops in Ypres in June 1915 with bayonets.
Note how the Belgian countryside still had
 trees - not yet mud and siege warfare.
Credit: Wikipedia Commons

When Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914, 115 soldiers from Peterborough’s 57^th Regiment rushed to volunteer for overseas service. The eager Peterborough volunteers that were selected for service were to be led by Peterborough’s own Major Bennett. The first batch of Peterborough recruits were assigned to the 1 Company, 2^nd Battalion (Eastern Ontario) in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. After months of training in Quebec, and in England, they took their place in the front line against the Germans.

Route of 2nd Battalion on 22 April 1915
Credit: The History of the 2nd Canadian Battalion
(Eastern Ontario Regiment), C.E.F., 1947

At 7pm on 22 April 1915, the Bennett’s battalion witnessed the first use of chlorine gas in warfare. Click here to read about the attack. Bennett and his men were stationed in reserve in rest billets (huts) in the town of Vlameringhe, Belgium. Witnesses from the 2^nd Battalion recall watching French troops stagger past the Canadian lines in full retreat; some soldiers “dropping into ditches in convulsions of vomiting.” By 8:30pm, the commander of 3^rd Brigade, war hero and holder of the Victoria Cross, Richard Turner was in a complete panic. He ordered immediate assistance to help launch an attack that would get the Germans out of Kitcheners’ Wood. It would take several hours of marching on Belgian roads, stopping intermittently to let ambulances with wounded soldiers pass, before the 2^nd Battalion arrived at the designated rendezvous point.

Photograph of the remains of
 Kitcheners' Wood, taken in 1918.
Credit: Great War Forum

Photograph of Kitcheners' Wood,
 June 1917.
Credit: Greatwar.co.uk

At roughly 10 pm, the first two Canadian units attempted to retake Kitcheners’ Wood. Attacking from southerly direction, the 16^th Battalion and 10^th Battalions made a 200 yard running charge over open ground, facing fire from the chattering German machine guns as they entered into the woods. Within minutes the attack had stalled, the commander of the 10^th Battalion lay bleeding to death after receiving 5 bullets to the groin. His men were now engaged in hand-to-hand fighting with Germans in the east, west and in the interior of the wooded area. By the time roll call came next morning, the 16^th Battalion only had 193 men out of 813. The 10^th Battalion’s casualties were much worse, in a report made three days after the battle; an officer wrote that the unit only has “a small party of men” left.

Location of Kitcheners' Wood and
 Canadian Monument.
Credit: Google Maps

By 1:30am on the morning of 23 April 1915, the 2^nd Battalion reported for duty at Mouse Trap Farm. After a quick debriefing of the situation in the woods, it was decided that 2^nd Battalion would link up with the units that were already in Kitcheners’ Wood and revive the faltering attack. Three of the four companies of the 2^nd Battalion were assigned roles in the attack. No. 3 Company to take the left flank, and No. 2 Company was to swing to the north east (on the right) and link with the men already in the forest and help defend the line.  Following in support was Major Bennett’s No. 1 Company. Bennett’s unit was assigned the task of following the other units (down the middle) of the battalion and act as fire support.

Map of 2nd Battalion Advance. Includes location of No. 1 Coy
attack. Credit: Google Maps

As Major Bennett and his men felt their way forward in the dark, they could see and hear the muzzle flashes and sound of gun fire on their left flank. They knew that their comrades in No. 3 Company needed assistance. After reaching cover of a hill, Bennett ordered a scout to report on the developing situation. After examining the terrain and referencing his position on a map, Major Bennett crawled back to his men. The battalion’s commander, Lt. Col. Watson, approached Bennett’s lagging troops.  Watson bellowed to his subordinate that an attack must be carried out before morning. Major Bennett lay on his stomach on the side of a hill with his men awaiting orders, he may have thought of the irony of being in a farm field similar to his own, only thousands of miles away from North Monaghan. Bennett was told to attack, and as a good soldier he would follow that order.

 As dawn began to break the night sky over Langemarck, Major Bennett prepared to meet his destiny. Bennett put his whistle to his lips, grabbed his service revolver out of the holster, and ordered his men to fix bayonets. After the 15 inch steel blades snapped onto the rifles, the Major stood up and ordered the men to get up. He inhaled.  Waving his arm forward he blew his whistle and charged over the hill.

The German troops in Kitcheners’ Wood saw the soldiers from Peterborough as they descended down the sloping hill. Within seconds, the Germans unleashed a storm of bullets against the Canadians as they ran directly at the German line. As a leader of infantry charge, Major Bennett was one of the first men to be hit. Survivors of the failed attack on Kitcheners’ Wood wrote back to family in Peterborough that Major Bennett was killed instantly when he was hit in the head and stomach with a burst of machine gun fire. Private James Bills of Sherbrooke Street, who was wounded in the charge, wrote back home: “The Canadians did grandly the past few weeks, but our company lost every officer in one day. . . He [Bennett] was loved by all men in the company, and, believe me, they would follow him anywhere.”

             Photograph of George Bennett and No. 1 Company, 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion.
         The picture taken 3 days before the attack, 19 - 20th April 1915 in Belgium. Major
               Bennett is identified by his crouched stance in the front-centre of the photo.                    
Credit: Personal Collection published in Examiner, May 1915

The 2^nd Battalion attack on Kitcheners’ Wood failed. Almost all of the soldiers No. 1 Company were killed or wounded in the charge.  After two days of fighting, the battalion had 494 soldiers at roll call; 540 of the 1,034 men in the unit had died, been wounded or captured. On April 25^th 1914, the first news of the battle arrived in Peterborough. Initially, the news reported that the Canadians had succeeded; eventually word came to prepare for large numbers of causalities. On April 28^th came the news of Bennett’s death. Letters of condolence poured in from the premier, Prime Minister, and city councillors. In early May a large Anglican memorial service was held in Bennett’s honour. The service included a solemn prayer for all the families in Peterborough that were in mourning or waiting to hear information of their relatives in Ypres. His death represented the war coming to Peterborough. For residents of the city, the Great War was no longer a European side show that they read about in the paper. 

First Gas Attack, 22 April 1915, Second Battle of Ypres

Credit: Canadian War Museum,
Second Battle of Ypres, 22nd  April to May 1915
 by Richard Jack

Public myth is strongly associated with the Second Battle of Ypres in Canada. Generations of school children have heard of the stories of how the plucky Canadians stood firm during the first use of deadly gas in warfare. When I mentioned that today (22 April) is the anniversary of the gas attack to my wife, she recalls hearing of soldiers running around with urine soaked cloth around their face during the battle. My aim of this article is not to “deconstruct” or ruin the myths and legends of the battle, there are plenty of books that already do that, but rather to tell factually what happened to the Canadians during          the first successful chlorine gas attack.                                                                                                                                                                     

Credit: Library and Archives Canada,
Soldier with Gas Mask, 1917

Before beginning, I want to touch base on the history of use of asphyxiating chemical agents in warfare in the modern age.  The Hague Convention of 1899 and 1907 restricted the use of “poison or poisoned weapons.” All major powers in Europe had agreed to the Hague Conventions including Germany. However, as the war progressed the use of non-lethal gas began to appear in the arsenals of armies on the Western Front.  In October 1914, German artillerymen started to fire teargas artillery shells on French soldiers. French armies replied in kind with smoke and teargas grenades. Eventually the German High Command approved the use of chlorine based on the rationale that the gas would only incapacitate the enemy rather than killing or poison them.

Credit: Library and Archives Canada, 92nd  Battalion,
 Gas Mask Drill, 15 August 1916

The 1914 German war plan called for the immediate capture of Belgium; yet the French and British had held the German army on the outskirts of Ypres. Over 90 percent of Belgium had been captured by Germany, but Britain would not let the last large city in Belgium fall, even if it cost thousands of British soldiers’ lives. In mid April 1915, the Canadians arrived in Ypres and took over the neglected French trenches north east of the city. One officer wrote of the condition of trenches: “trench bottom were just one mass of bodies that were covered over with a far too thin layer of earth, arms, legs, sticking out whenever a rainstorm occurred.” Army engineers wrote in a report, “the ground where the men stand in the firing position is paved with rotting bodies and human excreta.” The defence networks were without shell-proof dugouts, and the trenches were very shallow due to the low water table in the vicinity.  It is obvious that Canadian trenches in Belgian farm fields had much to be desired. 

Troop Dispositions, 22 April 1915.
Credit: Shoestring Soldiers

According to Canadian eye-witness reports, at 5pm (17:00 hours) the Germans began to heavily shell and fire upon the French and British trenches located to the left of the Canadians. The colonial French soldiers from Algeria faced the brunt of the initial gas cloud. Witnesses across the Yser Canal describe seeing a yellowish green cloud creep over the Belgian countryside and hear gun fire get closer. Simultaneously, the Germans opened up their long range heavy artillery, hitting targets around Ypres. French soldiers began to flee, running towards the city of Ypres and choking up the roads leading to the Canadian trenches. One Canadian soldier describes the scene as:

Gas Cloud, 22 April 1915. Credit: Shoestring Soldiers

“A steady tide of humanity – the most mixed and miserable lot of people I had ever seen moved by us in the direction of Ypres, leaving us barely room to squeeze through in the direction of the enemy . . . and of course there were the wounded – hundreds of them – and the main body of French colonial troops in retreat, some of whom had been gassed with yellow faces and gasping for breath.”

Painting Second Battle of Ypres.
 Credit: Canadian War Museum

The  Canadian soldiers that witnessed the destruction of Algerian 45^th Division must have felt anxious knowing that they would have to confront the mysterious chlorine cloud. Canadian employed a number of rudimentary tactics to survive the gas attack. Some men simply left their fixed positions, others were told to hold their breath or cover their mouths with cloth. After a few hours of battle, the situation became critical for the Canadians. One battalion, the 13^th faced complete encirclement and destruction because of the German breakthrough on their left flank.  The German assault was so rapid that units in reserve several kilometres behind the front line began to fire upon advancing enemy. The Germans had blasted such a large gap in the French line and had advanced so quickly that Canadian artillery guns were able to fire shrapnel shells at point blank range on German infantry that were within 300 metres of gun positions. By the end of the first day of the Battle of Second Ypres, the Canadians soldiers were on the ropes. Several Canadian companies from the 13^th Battalion and 15^th battalions were isolated, low on ammo, and facing compete destruction. The officers of the 2^nd and 3^rd Canadian Infantry Brigades were planning a counter attack to retake Kitchener Woods.

Photo of the location of 13th Battalion's
 trenches, now occupied by cattle.
Credit: Matt Ferguson, 2009

It would take two days before Canadians at home heard of the German attack. The initial press reports warned Canadians “to expect many casualties.” In the following weeks, cities and towns across Canada would receive the casualty list of 5,592 of the Canadians that died, went missing, captured or were wounded in the defence of Ypres. Canada would never be the same after Ypres. It was the first time that Canada had collectively lost so many sons. Never before was there so much collective grief and mourning.

In my next entry, I will look at Peterborough’s involvement at Second Ypres.

Click Here to Read the Article

July 1914: the Summer Before the Storm

For anyone interested in modern European history or the First World War, July 25th represents the collapse of the house of cards that was European diplomacy in 1914. Germany’s first Chancellor, Otto von Bismark once remarked, “If there is ever another war in Europe, it will come out of some damned silly thing in the Balkans.” He couldn’t have been more correct. Before proceeding, here is brief re-cap of the events leading up to 25^th of July:  the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, Austria-Hungary retaliates by demanding the extradition of the leaders of the Black Hand (organizers of the assassination), Serbia turns up the ante by requesting assistance from the Russian empire, and finally, Austria’s delivers an ultimatum to Serbia. Austria had given Serbia very few options, either humiliation or fight.

Modris Eksteins’ classic book, The Rites of Spring, paints an excellent picture how July 1914 was an abnormal summer. Conventionally, European politicians put international and domestic issues on hold. Typically men in suits fled the soot ridden capital cities of Paris, London and Berlin for coastal towns like Blackpool or Marseilles. Yet the summer of 1914 was different. The Kaiser cut short his annual yacht cruise of the Rhine. British politicians in bowler hats stayed in the London. Ordinary Germans also avoided the seaside, preferring to await military mobilization orders.

Credit: Peterborough Examiner, 1914

But what was life like in Peterborough during these anxious days of July 1914? What were the average resident’s thoughts on the crisis of European alliances? If newspapers are a reflection of popular public opinion, then we can safely assume that war was not on the minds of locals. After looking at the 25 July 1914 edition of the Examiner, it becomes evident that picnics, church sermons, local camping excursions to Stoney lake with school children from Pennsylvania were more pressing issues. Internationally, Peterborough was more concerned with the crisis of Irish rebellion and Home Rule than some “damned silly thing in the Balkans.” A big local stories for press included the report of the removal of a gang of local Gypsies and dodgy fortune tellers from the city's streets. Only at the bottom of the front page was there any mention of how Europe stood on the brink of war caused by Austria’s ultimatum to tiny Serbia.

It is almost bittersweet to look back at this pre-war period. They didn't see it coming. It is the end of the Edwardian period and the birth of the modern age. In 2 weeks’ time, the Dominion of Canada would be at war, and the local Armouries would send off hundreds of men overseas, many of the enlisted recruits would never return, and many of those who did come back, did not come back mentally whole.

The British Statesman Sir Edward Grey, said it best when overlooking London after it had been resolved that Britain would declare war on Germany. As he watched the last night that the gas lights were being lit in peacetime, he wrote: “The lights are going out all over Europe: we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."

Another Peterboro' Boy Lays Down his Life at the Front

Another Peterboro' Boy Lays Down his Life at the Front

Credit: Peterborough Examiner, 2 May 1916

Another Peterborough boy has given his life for the Empire in the great struggle in Europe. This morning J.W. Edwards, 485 Sherbrooke Street, received the sad news that her son, Corp. Herbert Simon Wesley Edwards,  4^th Canadian Infantry Brigade is officially reported to have died of wounds at No. 10 Casualty Clearing Station on April 26^th.

Corp. Edwards is a native son of Peterborough, having been born in this city in September 1895. His Father, Pioneer Sgt.  J. Wes  Edwards, who is at West Sandling Camp, England with the 39^th Battalion, is one of the best known Peterborough men who has gone overseas. Having been a member of 57^th Regiment for over 25 years. His son, Corporal Edwards, now reported died of wounds enlisted here in January 1915 with the 39^th Battalion, after having tried in vain to go with the first contingent. He became a member of the of the Machine Gun section of the 39^th and after training in England, was drafted into a 4^th Brigade Infantry Battalion and went to the front. His letters home have been bright, cheery nature, showing that he was taking the hardships at the front philosophically as a soldier should. In a recent letter to his father in England, he had expressed hope that they might be able to arrange to Mrs. Edwards come over England to visit her husband and son.

Corp. Edwards last visit home in Peterborough of Pte. Nicholls funeral of the 39^th Battalion who died at Belleville Camp. Edwards was a member of the firing party on that occasion.

In addition to his sorrowing parents he is survived by a younger brother, Reginald and two younger sisters, Mrs. Elliot wife of Lance Corp. Elliot of 93^rd Battalion, and Mrs. C. E. Hemalt of Toronto.

The young soldier was a bright likable boy and was very popular in the city and among members of the 39^th Battalion. 

-- Grave Inscription:  Corp. H.S.W. Edwards, Age 21, Canadian Machine Gun Corps. "He gave his life for us so that we might live." [Ed. - It is interesting to note that his mother, Lizzie, is listed as living 182 Strachan Ave, Toronto.]

Peterborough in 1914

Times (London, UK) Newspaper Headline - 5 August 1914

Every year in late August, news agencies and radio stations across Canada and the United States discuss the latest edition of the Beloit College Mindset List. The list consists of a comparison between the world that new university students (roughly 17 – 18 years old) grew up in, compared to our generation. Basically, it’s a study that makes everyone over the age of 18 feel ancient and irrelevant. For example: the study might say: “New students in 2012 never knew who shot JR on Dallas” or “Students going into university this year never had to change a typewriter ribbon.” 

With that spirit in mind, I am going to attempt to show what life was like in Peterborough in 1914 before the outbreak of war.

1. Price of an automobile in 1914 was roughly $550 -$ 1050. Some automobiles cost as much as $4,000  Average Canadian wage for a worker in 1914? $417. 

2. Transportation: Many residents in Peterborough got around town in streetcars (yes, we had tracks down main thoroughfares), train or bicycle. Some die-hard citizens still used horses to get around, mostly in the country side. There was also a daily horse drawn buggies that would commute back and forth from Ennismore to Peterborough, and Havelock every day.

3. The city of Peterborough only had the population of 18,360. Today, our population is 

78,000.

4. Peterborough was known as the Electric City, thanks in part due to the large General Electric factory that employed roughly 2000 people. The pride of Peterborough, our Lift lock was only 10 years old in 1914.

5. Women in Peterborough could not vote. Women fought for suffrage and liquor/alcohol prohibition in the years leading up to the Great War. The Prohibition movement had taken a foothold in the Peterborough area; many Women’s Institutes advertised meetings on prohibition in the local papers in 1914.

6. Our Prime Minister was the dapper mustached Conservative Robert Borden.  Peterborough was a Blue Tory city. Both ridings of Peterborough East and West elected Conservatives in the 1911 federal election. The results were not surprising, given Peterborough’s close proximity to the town of Lindsay, Ontario, home of the popular fire-brand  Orange Order conservative and Minister of Militia Sam Hughes.

7. Peterborough was in the throes of a deep economic recession from 1913. The Peterborough examiner of 1914 attests to the unemployment problem, with many reports of ‘vagrants’ and ‘delinquents’ on the court docket. One advertisement in an April 1914 edition of the Examiner mentions that the Salvation Army was looking for donations for the 4,000 families in Peterborough that were in need of 'relief'

8. Workman’s Compensation Act was enacted in 1914. Workplace injury was very common in 1914. The Peterborough Examiner is filled with reports of workers losing limbs in factory machines, and reports of men falling to death at the Quaker Oats Factory at the grain elevator.

9. Divorce – was next to impossible in 1914 to get a divorce in Peterborough. Couples needed to petition to Parliament for a statutory divorce. The most couples that sought separation prior to WWI simply deserted their spouse or filed for legal separation.  There was no such thing as Child support.

10. Residents did not pay income tax in Peterborough in 1914. The “temporary” income tax was introduced in 1917 by Finance minister Thomas White. 

11. School children in Peterborough would sing Rule Britannia, God Save the King, and Maple Leaf Forever in schools. Children of Peterborough were often reminded that they were a part of the world’s largest empire, ruled by King George V  in 1914. Popular children's books in 1914 included the Boy's Own series, Chums, and books by the author Ralph Connor. Novels by Ralph Connor sold like hot cakes in Canada, which often exposed young Canadian boys to the ideal of a 'masculine Christianity.'  

12. Infrastructure in Peterborough: many areas of Peterborough still had dirt roads in 1914 (and you think driving on the washboard on Charlotte Street now is bad…) and city council was still debating the cost and merit of installing electricity to all areas of the city in 1914. Prior to the Great War, only major roads in downtown Peterborough were paved. Maps and Pictures from 1913 show only the roads from Aylmer to Hunter as paved. Charlotte Street was only paved in 1915.

13. Mass communication in Peterborough: Want to send e-mail in 1914? Forget it. The closest thing to instant communication was the telegram. Want to call a friend in 1914? Pick up the phone and dial three numbers to connect to the operator. Don’t forget to tell the operator which residence you wished to be connected with. According to records, only a 1000 people in Peterborough had phones in 1914.

14. Movies and Music: Forget Ipods, Itunes, and Radios. Peterborough had 3 record stores in 1914. If you want to hear the newest version of It’s a Long Way to Tipperary before buying it, you had to go into the store and sit in the booth to hear the song. Remember, radio was still in it infancy in 1914, radio stations only began to receive licences in 1919. Wanted to go to the movies in 1914?  Peterborough had 2 moving picture shows in 1914. In June 1916 the Peterborough Examiner advertised two films:  a Charlie Chaplin film called the Floorwalker, or the British propaganda film entitled Britain Prepared. Remember, they were silent films.

15. Canada in 1914:  In 1914, we had roughly 7.8 million people. If you walked in almost any street in Canada in 1914, you would have heard a foreign accent. In the period between 1900 - 1914, 2.9 million immigrants came to Canada. That means that 37.75% of Canada's population had arrived in Canada in the previous 14 years leading up to the Great War. Amazing.

16. Immigration: Canada had accepted 2.9 million new immigrants to Canada in the period between 1900 - 1914, but that is not to say that we were a tolerant society in 1914. Immigrants of British/Anglo-Saxon heritage were preferred. Immigrants from Asia were almost excluded to Canada with the enactment of the Chinese Head Tax in 1903 (it cost roughly $500 to come to Canada, an astronomical sum for Asian immigrants). In the summer of 1914, as Europe stood on the brink of war, the politicians in British Columbia were busy with the Komagata Maru affair. In 1914, a ship from India carrying mostly Sikh immigrants tried to dock in Vancouver, after a heated standoff, the ship of 376 potential Indian immigrants were sent back to India.