Citations

And then there are the top two [propaganda posters] in the cringe-inducing category. N.d. Recovering Sociopath. Web. 7 Dec. 2010. <http://recoveringsociopath.blogspot.com/‌2009/‌01/‌wwi-canadian-propaganda-posters.html>.

Birth of the Navy (1910-1914). N.d. Canadian War Museum. Canadian War Museum. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. <http://www.civilization.ca/‌cwm/‌exhibitions/‌navy/‌galery-e.aspx?section=2-B-1&id=13#zoom>.

“Canada during the First World War, 1914-1918.” History Study Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2010. <http://www.historystudycenter.com/‌search/‌displayMultiResultStudyunitItem.do?Multi=yes&ResultsID=12C2AE497F4&fromPage=search&ItemNumber=1&QueryName=studyunit>.

Canadians Advance. N.d. George Metcalf Archival Collection. Canadian War Museum. Web. 7 Dec. 2010. <http://www.civilization.ca/‌cwm/‌exhibitions/‌guerre/‌pdf/‌4-b-4-a-resources-photographs_e.pdf>.

“Exhibit # 6 (MEMORIES FOR THE FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS).” The Soldier’s Room for the First World War . N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <https://sites.google.com/‌a/‌adamscott.ca/‌world-war-i-museum-feb-2010/‌the-soldier-s-room>.

Falk, Jerry, et al. Socials Studies Eleven Student Workbook Second Edition. Surrey, B.C.: Hazelmere Publishing, 2006. Print.

A flooded trench, c 1917. . N.d. Science and Society Museum/‌ Universal Images Group. Encyclopaedia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. <http://quest.eb.com/‌media/‌image.htm?hidJob=&searchKeyword=trenches&pageNumber=1&resultsPerPage=15&subjectId=0&collectionId=0&mediaId=102_559451>.

MEMORIES FOR THE FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS. N.d. World War I Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://sites.google.com/‌a/‌adamscott.ca/‌world-war-i-museum-feb-2010/‌the-soldier-s-room>. Description of Photograph: When a soldier left for war, they had a professional photograph taken in their uniform and framed for their immediate family. The pictures were given to the family because if the soldier did not return home due to a casualty, they would have the last ever taken photo of them and something to be proud of if they did return home. This happened for every Canadian soldier and anyone else who had a role in World War 1.

Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) in Oxfordshire, England. . N.d. Encyclopaedia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 5 Dec. 2010. <http://quest.eb.com/‌media/‌image.htm?hidJob=&searchKeyword=poppy&pageNumber=1&resultsPerPage=15&subjectId=0&collectionId=0&mediaId=139_1916571>.

WWI Canadian Propaganda Posters . N.d. Recovering Sociopath. Web. 7 Dec. 2010. <http://recoveringsociopath.blogspot.com/‌2009/‌01/‌wwi-canadian-propaganda-posters.html>.

At Vimy Ridge

April 19^th 1917

We’re still at Vimy Ridge right now and the battles are growing long and tiring. We are doing very well but I sometimes wonder if we really will win. Vimy Ridge was taken by the Germans almost two years ago and we’re still trying to get it back. This definitely is a battle of attrition. There’s no quick, easy, clear win. Each of us, are fighting to survive. Not just with the guns but with the weather, sickness, and ourselves. I’ve seen men kill themselves. They couldn’t take it anymore. To be honest, I have thought of it. But I couldn’t. I thought of my little Lucy and I knew I couldn’t leave her. I promised to go back and marry her. I know she’s still there, waiting for my return. She must be. But I knew that I also wasn’t that brave. It was an easy way out, but to do it to myself was hard. So I just keep fighting. The machine guns, that can fire 100 rounds a minuet, means instant death if we step out of the safety of the trenches. But by staying in the trenchers we could die of all the parasites, diseases, malnutrition, and hunger. 150,000 men before us has already died here but we are prepared. We know the numbers of the men who died and we all witnessed it many times before. All of our preparations now are very thorough. But because of this, I’ve gotten to know a lot of the men better. It is dangerous to make close friends here I always thought. Fore if one of us died, it’ll be a lot harder for the other. More painful. But now I realize that by making these friends, it is more of a reason for me to survive. I must not give up and I must keep the spirit. I can not fall behind. I must fight with our troops for Britain and for Canada.

All the Trickery

These are the tricks they used to get men to sign up for the war. I first fell for these too but when I was at the battle field I began to hear about how it just got worse and worse. I don’t remember writing a specific journal entry for this but it’s still very clear in my mind. men who came to fight along side me in the battles weren’t as patriotic and excited as I was when I first joined the war. I wanted it for the glory that was always displayed on posters. But now they’ve gone to an extent where it’s almost threatening. Or playing on your conscious. I got to see them for myself after my treatment at the hospital. I got back to the city for about two months to rest a bit and then I went back to the war. I knew I had to, it was something I was set to do and I will not rest till it ends.

This is one of the propaganda posters on the streets. The amount of racism in it is terrifying! The nightmares are only on the battle field but back at home as well. I wanted to go to war so that there may be peace in my home. But everywhere you go; there are images of the war. Sometimes there were even scenes of people fighting and dead men. Some said to buy victory bonds, some said to give to the Canadian Patriotic Fund and other funds, and others said to join the Armed Forces. The newspapers were censored as well. There was no news of the horrifying amount of men dying at the trenches. Or the cruelty of the shells. The government was controlling everything. The land, the people, and the war.

Trenches of Sickly Mud

We lived in the mud. Days in the trenches were long and seemed to never come to an end. They were terrible and cold.

January 22^nd 1915

I’m back in the trenches today. This one isn’t so bad though, it’s a bit more elaborate than some of the other ones I’ve been in before, which is just a hole with build up of mud around it. It smells terrible. There’s a strong stench of rotting bodies that are all over the trench, reminding us how easily it is to be killed if we don’t pay attention for more than a second. There were also rats everywhere, scurrying in the mud and water. Fighting and searching us for food. It’s very cold at this time of the year. Quiet a few men have trench foot. I do too, but it’s not as bad as some others. Their feet are so swollen that I swear it’s about the size of their heads. We get it from these poor conditions. When it’s all wet and cold. This will be my home for the next few days, where I will be writing down my thoughts, eating, sleeping, and fighting.  I’ll be here till we all shuffle to the second line of trenches. Then hopefully, I’ll soon be able to get back to the reserve and get some sleep. I don’t get much there either but it’s better than here. It isn’t very comfortable anywhere. The cold, damp muddy conditions with rats aren’t all of it. There are also some horrible diseases and cooties. I can feel the lice on me. It’s such a pain. Oh, the pounding headache I have right now. It doesn’t help that the gun fires are so loud as well. The sun’s almost set and thank God that there hasn’t been any shell attacks so far. Those are the worst. The gas spreading everywhere and there’s no where to escape to. I only pray that if one happens, my gasmask will be working or that could be the end. So far, the officers hasn’t ordered an advance. That’s something many of us fear. It’s when we travel up to no man’s land. There, we are in the open and can easily be killed. Especially with all the new machine guns. Going to no man’s land is almost a certain death for everyone. Even if you were at a very high rank.

In My Hands

Here’s something I wrote about the weapons. The tools we carry with us all the time. Without them, many of us surivors would be long dead. This was written later on in the war. Almost two years after I joined. Those were terrible days. Days that seemed to last forever and even at night we could barely sleep.

July 17^th 1916

We replaced the Ross Rifle today. Thank God, fore these new British guns , the Lee-Enfield, are a lot better for the trench war-fares. The Ross Rifle was very accurate. It’s actually a very nice gun that I learned to use well but it was constantly getting jammed. With these new guns, it’ll be easier to quickly shoot the enemies but I wish I’m starting to wish I could be home now. With my dear Lucy. I wonder how she’s doing… is she still waiting for me? I don’t want to admit this, but I sometimes wonder if being a hero is worth the risk or losing her. The battles keep getting worse. Almost army is using machine guns now. And so many lives are taken every hour. The poison gas is becoming more popular and frequent too. We have gas masks now, unlike the brothers at the battle of Ypres last year in April. But they don’t always work. The gas will come and there’s no avoiding it. It spreads quickly, like death. It is death. If we breath too much in we can die instantly. If we just getting a little, then we’ll die slowly. I wonder what’s better. Have the pain be quick or having the opportunity to see all my brothers at arms one last time. The chlorine and mustard gas were horrible. I’ve seen men choking and drowning where you can’t see water. Their arms, reaching out for my help, is something I think about all the time. That image is so clear, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it. Sometimes, we can even hear the sounds of the planes along with all the running, yelling, screaming, crying, and gun powder. There are dogfights that happen in the air. Where the two planes try to get the other one down first. This has become my daily life. It shouldn’t come as a shock when a comrade dies. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the battle field but watching them die still brings me pain. Even if I didn’t know them that well. We were all fighting for the same things. For our country, our families, and even our own lives. Every breath we take is a gift. That’s something I learned and I value it dearly.

The Lee-Enfield

Why...?

          Well, here's the beginning of my story. Our story. For many of our stories started out the same. We all wanted to join the war for the glory and honour. My boys and I all signed up together. This is an insert from a journal I kept. This is one of my first entries, I tried to write in it often, especially when I was in the war. I originally kept it so I would never forget the adventures I went on….but soon it became my only true friend that stayed with me all the way and kept the stories and memories of the horrible things we all went through.

September 27^th 1914

          Today, I finally enlisted with Eric, Sam, and Billy. How exciting this will be! To leave this old town and go out and see the world! The people I could meet and the stories they can tell. Soon I will have interesting stories to tell little Lucy too. Oh the adventures I will go on and what a hero I’ll become!
          My training will begin soon I hope…I must do well! For my family and for my country. I hope the training will be fast. I want to get onto the battle field as soon as possible! This is a short war after all. I want to be like Sir Sam Hughes. He is a very admirable man. I wonder if I’d get the chance to meet him when I get to the training camp in Valcartier, Quebec. I hope so. I am sure we would be quick to become friends. I wonder what it would be like to hold the gun in my hands. I must look handsome. Lucy would like that.
          Oh Lucy…how I’ll miss her. She’s so beautiful. But I will marry her when I get back. When I’m back I’ll be true man. A hero with great honour and dignity.