Remembrance Day | John Harold Becker

Scroll down for a January, 2023 Update!

Today we at the Backus-Page House Museum would like to take some time to honor those who served in the line of duty in order to keep us safe. While we would like to share the stories of the many heroes of Elgin County, today’s post will be specifically about West Lorne native John Harold Becker.

We are fortunate enough to have a well documented account of Becker’s time serving in the 75^th Canadian infantry battalion, as he later compiled his story into one cohesive memoir in 1930, which was later published in 2001 under the name “Silhouettes of the Great War”.

John Harold Becker was born in West Lorne, Ontario, Canada on November 2, 1894. Before the Great War broke out, Becker spent his days going to school in Dutton and eventually working as a clerk-stenographer for the trainmaster in St. Thomas.

Like many Canadians, John Becker was swept up in the strange air of excitement that came with the outbreak of the Great War. After the Boer war, many believed that military service would be a way to experience adventure and that the Great War would be quickly resolved.

Leaving the comfort of his previous life to serve his country in 1915, John Harold Becker became a Sergeant in the reserves, and later joined Elgin County’s own 91^st Overseas Battalion, which trained in London England.

Though he was recognized as an officer while serving in the reserves, in 1917 Becker was stationed in France, where his title was not recognized, instead serving as a private.

Soon after, John participated in a trench raid, an encounter that wiped out half of his battalion, and was so devastating for both sides that a temporary ceasefire followed in order to allow time for the wounded to be recovered.

Over the next six months, Becker experienced the worst of trench warfare, the awful conditions, the loss of friends, and even saw one soldier, who he refers to only as “X” commit war crimes. Though in an incredibly stressful situation, Becker continued to fight for his country, and earned the rank of Corporal by 1918.

In August of 1918 during the Battle of Amiens, Becker was wounded in the left shoulder and was sent back to England to recover.

Over the course of the Great War, brave soldiers like John Harold Becker suffered for the protection of their homes. Whether they sacrificed their wellbeing or their lives, Canadian soldiers deserve to be remembered always, but especially today.

For those interested in learning about John Harold Becker’s story in more detail, copies of “Silhouettes of the Great War”, are available at the Backus-Page House Museum’s gift shop.

 January, 2023 Notes via email from Rev Dr Allan Miller, CD     

Please check on this man.  This site Remembrance Day – John Harold Becker – Backus Page House Museum

Says he was qualified as an Officer?  Where did you get that?  From the Militia Quarterly?  His service record indicates he was a Provisional Sergeant and the November 24, 1915 Journal has him listed as completing the non-commissioned officer course.  The December record in his file says he reverted to Private.  He missed training in January and February 1916.

Looking at the 25^th Regiment listing of officers July 1, 1915 there is no John Harold Becker listed.  In his attestation he said he had a year with the 25^th. Do the finger count.   

Please update your story. Correct it. It demonstrates lack of investigation.  The 1930 Biography seems to boosterism for himself.

On BECKER.  He trained in LONDON ONTARIO with the 70th and back to St Thomas to be briefly a Sergeant with the 91st!  If you look at the Embarkation Roll for the 91^st  you will see that he went over on the SS OLYMPIC as a Sergeant.  The Battalion Orderly Room was operated by Sgt Wright.

I have seen many, many inaccuracies in the pers files of the men of the 91st.  The pay card for Becker is an example where the promotion and reversion dates do not make sense with date given.  A Private cannot revert back to Private.  He was a Sgt and reverted back to Private.  He was a private with the 70^th and promoted to Sgt but when transferred to the 91^st he reverted to Private.  Then with the 91^st back to Sgt.  Why? Two different commanded officers.  Rank was based on establishment level.  Off to the 75^th and he was back to Private.  Later Lance Corporal and still later Corporal. 

With due regard for the Museum,

 Rev Dr Allan Miller, CD       

Swiss Training at the Museum

 A group of WWI Swiss Army reenactors trained in the fields behind BPHM today. While Switzerland remained neutral during the Great War, that didn't stop these reenactors from bringing their A game!

World War Wednesdays: SS Caledonia

Advertising card for the ship, Norway Heritage

     For those who remember the series of posts from a few weeks back about local First World War hero Maj. George Stirrett, this week's edition ties in as a bit of a spin-off. On June 9, 1915, Stirrett and the rest of his squadron, including Lieut. Billy Bishop, sailed for England on the SS Caledonia. I decided to investigate further into the history of that ship, a la the traditional WWW boat stories that seem to be a trend, and the results were quite interesting!

 Photograph of Caledonia dated 1904, possibly shortly after being launched, but it probably was actually taken in 1905 around the time of the ship’s maiden voyage on 25 March. Courtesy of the Peabody Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.

     The SS Caledonia was a 9,223-ton British passenger ship built for the Anchor Line by David and William Henderson and Company at Glasgow, Scotland. She was approximately 500 feet wide and could reach a top speed of 16 knots. Launched 22 October, 1904, her maiden voyage was 25 March, 1905. Primarily used for trips between Glasgow, Scotland and New York City, she could accommodate roughly 250 first class passengers, 350 second class passengers, and 850 third class passengers.

Main staircase and lift, Gjenvik-Gjønvik Archives

Italian veranda cafe, Gjenvik-Gjønvik Archives

Corridor Lounge, Gjenvik-Gjønvik Archives

Another view of the Corridor Lounge, Gjenvik-Gjønvik Archives

Italian smoking room, Gjenvik-Gjønvik Archives

An alcove in the Caledonia smoking room, Gjenvik-Gjønvik Archives

Caledonia stateroom with private bath, Gjenvik-Gjønvik Archives

     Between 1905 and 1914, the Caledonia was "one of the premier passenger liners that steamed between Glasgow and New York City on a weekly basis," and her fastest time between the two cities was 6 days and 20 hours. A 1911 travel brochure printed by the Anchor Line boasted of the Caledonia's amenities:
     "First Cabin passengers are furnished with a liberal table, including all the delicacies of the season, and everything necessary on the voyage. Wines and liquors pf the finest quality can be had on board at moderate prices. The Dining Saloons, Music Hall, Ladies' Boudoir Promenade Decks, and by means of electric bells, are in communication with the Steward's department. Every steamer carries a duly qualified Surgeon and experienced Stewardesses, and is provided with a select Library, including all the latest Guide Books of European travel. Staterooms are located on the Main and Upper Decks, are large, have electric lights, and are perfectly ventilated and elegantly furnished, accommodating two, three, and four passengers each. All Staterooms are provided with electric bells connected with Steward's department."

A stateroom on board Caledonia. Photograph taken from an Anchor Line travel brochure dated 1911, Naval Warfare Blog. 

First class dining saloon aboard Caledonia. Photograph taken from an Anchor Line travel brochure dated 1911, Naval Warfare Blog.

 First class music saloon aboard Caledonia. Photograph taken from an Anchor Line travel brochure dated 1911, Naval Warfare Blog. 

Anchor Line dinner menu from S.S. Caledonia on 4 July 1905, during a trip from Glasgow, Scotland, to New York City, Naval Warfare Blog.

     Rates for adult passage ranged from $67.50 to $125 depending on the accommodations, children between the ages of 1 and 10 traveled for a half fare, and infants under one year made the trip for only $5. 
_________________________________________________________________________________

     When the First World War began in August 1914, the British government requisitioned the Caledonia and converted the elegant liner into a troopship with the capacity to carry 3,074 troops and 212 horses. For over two years, the ship carried soldiers and their equipment to France, as well as to various locations around the Mediterranean. 
For
     On 5 December, 1916 (a year and a half after Maj. Stirrett's voyage), while on a trip carrying mail  but no troops from Salonica, Greece to Marseille, France, Caledonia was attacked by the German submarine U-65 under the command of Cpt. Hermann von Fischel. She was torpedoed without warning approximately 125 miles east of Malta. Although his ship was sinking, Caledonia's commanding officer, Captain James Blaikie, steered the troopship towards the U-Boat and tried to ram her. Caledonia actually managed to hit the submarine, causing severe damage, but the U-Boat stayed afloat as Caledonia sank, with the loss of only one life, and there was evidently enough time for the rest of the crew to abandon ship and make it to the lifeboats before Caledonia went down. Fortunately, the absence of troops on board the ship helped keep the number of fatalities low.

     Captain Fischel of U-65 was so enraged by being rammed that he took Captain Blaikie prisoner from one of the lifeboats. For a time, Germany threatened to execute Captain Blaikie for trying to sink U-65. But, the British government made it known to the German government (through the US ambassador in Berlin, since the US was still neutral at that time) that a German officer would be shot in retribution. Ultimately, Captain Blaikie was sent to an officer prisoner-of-war camp at Freidburg, Germany. 

     I came across two different news reports from two very different newspapers that covered the sinking of the Caledonia: 

From the Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW, Australia, Tuesday, 12 December, 1916 (courtesy of the National Library of Australia)

Sinking of the Caledonia

German Official Report

(Reuter's Message)

Washington, Monday

     The German Embassy has received an official message from Berlin that the British Anchor liner Caledonia was sunk by a U submarine on December 4 after she had tried to ram a submarine and that the captain was made a prisoner.

From the Cornell Daily Sun, Ithaca, New York, Sunday, 11 December, 1916 (courtesy of the Cornell University Library)

Sinking of Caledonia Officially Announced

By The Associated Press

     Berlin, Dec. 10- The British steamer Caledonia was sunk by a German submarine on December 4 after she had tried to ram the undersea boat, it was officially announced today. Her captain was taken prisoner.

     Information this week is courtesy of the Naval Warfare Blog. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse inside and overview of a ship with a fascinating story!

      Thanks for reading, 

Delany (@DLeitchHistory on Twitter)

     

World War Wednesdays: Third Battle of Ypres 100th Anniversary

Stretcher-bearers thread through shell holes to carry the wounded to aid posts close behind the front, Canadian War Museum George Metcalf Archival Collection, CWM 19930013-464

     July 31, 2017 is being observed as the beginning of the Third Battle of Ypres centenary, popularly known as the Battle of Passchendaele. This infamous series of events was especially significant for Canadians, and has important connections to the Western Elgin area in particular since many of our local 91st Battalion veterans served there. Read on for an overview of the battles and list of local soldiers who are known to have been present at the 'Battle of Mud.'

Memorial Tablet

Squire nagged and bullied till I went to fight,

(Under Lord Derby's Scheme). I died in hell-

(They called it Passchendaele). My wound was slight,

And I was hobbling back; and then a shell

Burst slick upon the duck-boards: so I fell

Into the bottomless mud, and lost the light.

At sermon-time, while Squire is in his pew,

He gives my gilded name a thoughtful stare;

For, low down upon the list, I'm there;

'In proud and glorious memory'... that's  my due.

Two bleeding years I fought in France, for Squire:

I suffered anguish that he's never guessed.

Once I came home on leave: and then went west...

What greater glory could a man desire?

-Siegfried Sassoon

Overview

     By spring 2017, the Western Front was in a dismal state of affairs: British Admiral Jellicoe had warned the War Cabinet in London that shipping losses caused by the German U-Boats were so great that Britain might not be able to continue the fight into 1918; Czarist Russia was on the brink of revolution, and if it fell, one million additional German troops would be freed to fight on the Western Front; the recent French offensive on the Chemin des Dames under General Robert Nivelle had lost 200,000 men, resulting in mutinies that threatened the very existence of a French Army. In short, there was a desperate need for an Allied victory.

Black Powder Games blog

     As Norman S. Leach writes, "British Field-Marshall Sir Douglas Haig and French General Philippe Pétain both viewed the war in Europe as a succession of battles that had started with the Somme Offensive in 1916. In attempting to keep pressure upon the Imperial German Army under the command of General Erich Ludendorff, Haig planned for a sweeping breakthrough in Flanders that would result in the Germans being driven back, the submarine bases in Belgium being captured, and the French armies being given a chance to recover their morale. Haig's plan pivoted around the Belgian town of Ypres. The only part of Belgium in Allied hands, the Ypres Salient, was open to attack at any time. A ridge, the only high ground in the entire region, ran through Passchendaele, and it was occupied by the German army. With the Germans firmly established upon the high ground, the Allies were vulnerable to constant artillery bombardment. Haig's plan was to make a general breakout along the entire front. If the ridge at Passchendaele could be taken and the town itself liberated, the British could turn north and the Belgian coast would be open to them. However, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and Haig were both personal and political enemies. Lloyd George did all he could to oppose Haig's plans in Flanders, suggesting an alternative offensive in Italy. The Prime Minister was convinced that Haig would not be able to break through to Belgium, and Lloyd George would then be left to explain to the citizens of Great Britian why, yet again, their sons were forfeiting their lives to little effect. However, Haig and his supporters eventually won the day, and Lloyd George felt obliged to sanction the plan."

Canadian War Museum

     The German Fourth Army was holding the line at Ypres, and noticed the buildup of Allied troops in the area early on. Leach reflects that "The First Battle of Ypres in 1914 and the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915 had consisted of the Germans attacking the Allies. In 1917, however, it would be the Allies who would be attacking a strongly entrenched enemy- one that was ready and waiting for them." In late May 1917, Allied artillery bombarded the German defenses on Messines Ridge (southeast of Ypres), followed by an abrupt ceasefire. The latter caused the Germans to move their reinforcements into place to prepare for an Allied infantry assault and a counterattack while the British detonated the nineteen enormous mines engineers had dug and placed under the ridge. The Battle of Messines Ridge was a complete Allied success, and considered a good omen of things to come at Passchendaele. It also convinced Lloyd George that Haig's plan for a breakthrough just might work. 

     Other preludes to Passchendaele included Pilckem Ridge, which saw massive Allied casualties for only 2,000 yards of ground gained; Langemarck, which brought about another round of heavy casualties for minimal gain, prompted a change of plan to concentrating on small gains rather than pushing for one large breakthrough; Menin Road and Polygon Wood, which cost an additional 30,000 casualties, and placed the British directly under Passchendaele Ridge- and German artillery fire- making it imperative that the ridge be captured quickly; and Broodseinde, a high point for the Allies in Fladers but followed quickly by total failure at Poelkapelle, which lost all Allied advances to German counterattacks.

Ruins of Langemaarck, World War One Battlefields

     Haig knew that the 100,000 casualties the Allies had suffered in the campaign would be wasted if Passchendaele was not captured, and decided that the British, Australian, and New Zealand troops upon whom he had relied were exhausted. His solution, then, was to turn to the Canadians: "He knew that the troops of the Canadian Corps had well earned their reputation as an elite force ready to take on the toughest jobs. With successes at Vimy Ridge and the Battle of Hill 70 behind them, Haig ordered two divisions of the corps to Passchendaele." However, the Canadian General Sir Arthur Currie (Strathroy, Ontario's own) strongly objected to the idea because he felt the Canadians had not yet recovered for a new, pivotal battle.

Mud at Passchendaele, Australian War Memorial

     The main challenge of the impending battle was mud, but the German-reinforced concrete pillboxes also posed a significant threat. Currie personally inspected the battlefield and predicted that the Canadians would be successful, but that it would cost 16,000 casualties. Ultimately, he ordered his officers to prepare to take Passchendaele. Preparations included rebuilding the transportation system, draining swamps, laying deeper telephone wires, and the Canadians specifically built replica German pillboxes and trenches for practice and provided all soldiers with maps of the area. In the preparatory phase alone, 1,500 Canadians lost their lives. Leach describes Currie's pre-battle arrangements: "Sir Arthur Currie had laid out a simple and straightforward plan to take Passchendaele. The Canadians would attack in a series of coordinated operations, each with a limited objective, until the village itself and a defensible position upon the Passchendaele ridge had been gained. The overall goal was to drive a thin wedge into the German positions."

     During the preparatory bombardment between 21 and 25 October, 587 field guns shelled German positions and placed the element of surprise on the Canadians' side. At 0540 hours on 26 October 1917, Canadian heavy machine guns opened fire. Two minutes later, every gun in the Canadian batteries was simultaneously firing. Seven distinct lines of bombardment were utilized: "In all, 20,000 Canadian foot soldiers crawled out of dugouts and trenches, advancing under a mist that quickly turned to rain. The rolling barrage provided some protection, but it moved so quickly and was so complex that it permitted German gunners to target the advancing Canadians."

General Sir Arthur Currie, GOC Canadian Corps (pointing), and General MacBrien with other officers during a training exercise, September 1917. Photo by William Rider-Rider (Imperial War Museum, CO1970)

     Leach reflects that "Currie's strategy of taking and then holding small gains was working. Together with two British divisions, the Canadians moved toward the village of Passchendaele. Under the cover of a driving rainstorm, they quickly reached the outskirts of the now-ruined municipality. For five days, often immersed up to their waists in mud and under intense German artillery fire, these troops held on, waiting for relief. And by the time the 1st and 2nd Divisions relieved these embattled troops, 80 percent of the 3rd and 4th Divisions had become casualties."

     By November 6 the Canadians were ready to begin the advance toward their third and final objective: to capture the high ground north of the town and to secure positions on the eastern side of Passchendaele ridge. Fortunately, this went the most smoothly of all operations to date. The final Canadian action began at 0605 hours on November 10, when Currie used the opportunity to make adjustments to the line and strengthen his defensive positions.

Conclusion

     "The Canadians had done the impossible. After just 14 days of combat, they had driven the German army out of Passchendaele and off the ridge. There was almost nothing left of the village to hold. Altogether, the Canadian Corps had fired a total of 1,453,056 shells, containing 40,908 tons of high explosive. Aerial photographs verified approximately 36,500 Australians and 3,596 New Zealanders. German casualties totaled 260,000 troops. For the Canadians, Currie's words were prophetic. He had told Haig it would cost Canada 16,000 casualties to take Passchendaele- and in truth, the final total was 15,654, many of whom had been killed. One thousand Canadian bodies were never recovered, trapped forever in the mud of Flanders. Nine Canadians won the Victoria Cross during the battles for Passchendaele.

Local Passchendaele Veterans

William Doolittle, Dutton

William McNernie, Dutton

William Henderson Lodge, Iona

Leonard Archibald Munn, Dutton

Alexander Selkirk Stillwell, Iona

David Gill, Rodney

Frank Winifield Janaway, Rodney

George Henry Sayer, Rodney

John Harold Becker, West Lorne

Reuben Byfield, West Lorne

John Henry Gray, West Lorne

John Gyde, West Lorne

Roy H. Kew, West Lorne

Local Veterans Wounded at Passchendaele

Frederick Edwards, West Lorne

Leon Russell Auckland, Rodney

Walter Goodman, West Lorne

     

     Thanks so much for taking the time to observe this momentous occasion and reflecting on the immense contributions of our veterans, both local and nationwide. Information is courtesy of "Passchendaele: Canada's Other Vimy Ridge" by Norman Leach for www.journal.forces.gc.ca.

     Thanks for reading,

Delany (@DLeitchHistory on Twitter)

World War Wednesdays: He Served his Country: Maj. George Stirrett, M.C. D.C.M. Part Three

     Thanks so much for staying tuned for the third and final edition of Maj. Stirrett's First World War reflections. This will be a marathon wrap-up of his experiences, which are absolutely incredible and touching to be able to read from his own perspective. I've heard it said before that a person is only truly dead when those still living stop speaking their name, so I am doing my best to keep Mr. Stirrett's memory alive!

     "We always figured we were not being used properly but knew our time would come. We were often formed up and waiting to act as cavalry but our time never came. We were a second line of defense. Finally, in March, 1917, we were to be used in an offensive role as cavalry. The Canadian Light Horse was concentrated near Divisional Headquarters, given a couple of weeks refresher training in mounted work, and ordered to recce the Vimy front. This was done in anticipation of a breakthrough planned for sometime early in April.

     During the early part of April, the Canadian Light Horse reconnoitered, established and maintained communications with forward infantry posts. The Regiment was finally doing real cavalry work. One troop advanced six miles in a week and got in behind the Germans. One patrol of 12 men got themselves surrounded but were able to hide in a farmhouse till dark. This patrol, under command of a Sergeant Poynton, were too far into German territory and didn't know much about the area. When night fell, Poynton got his men together and told them that he thought his horse was more sensible than any of them. He said that he would tell his horse to go home and then he would take hold of the horse's tail. If any of the men wanted to go with Poynton and his horse, each could take hold of his hand and they would form a string in the dark. The horse would then take them home. Not another word was spoken. They went through the German lines. When they began to hear English voices, they knew that they were safe and spoke up. They had followed the horse about five miles to get back to their lines.

     The big attack the Canadians made was the 8th of August - everybody who was in the war remembers the 8th of August. It was the first time the Allies surprised the Germans and were successful in an initial assault. We had to move at night and on the road for the cavalry that I was with, I put a man on each corner from start to finish. We covered 12 miles each night and anybody from the 3rd Canadian Division who came along our road was given directions on where to go. It was very dark and nobody could have a light - you couldn't even smoke a cigarette. You couldn't be seen as a unit in daytime, no more than three men together in daylight. On the night of the 8th, everything was ready and, around two o'clock, one big gun a the back fired and that was the signal for everything to open up. Where I was I heard this great big boom and we were all standing to from then on. We looked back and it looked like everything was on fire - every gun we had was firing and then we'd turn and look the other way and see them breaking. It was the most exciting thing that ever was. There were three bridges in front of us over a creek that was no more than 8 feet across and my men had to gallop down to see if they could be crossed or if they'd been blown up. They were all intact so they had to go to each unit in 3 Division and tell them it was OK to go. By late morning our guys were playing baseball and kicking footballs around behind what had been the German's 3rd line of defence. There was no one left to fight. A train load of Germans who were just returning from leave was surrounded by a British Cavalry unit and the entire train load was taken prisoner without a shot being fired.

A patrol of 'C' Squadron crosses Vimy Ridge

     Following the action in the Vimy area, the Regiment was quartered until mid-summer near Corps Headquarters. I came down with a fever of 103 so Major McEwen wouldn't let me go out. He sent me to a nearby field hospital were they said I had typhoid fever and was sent back to England for three months. When I returned fit for duty, I was at the Cavalry Depot in England where I met the RCD who had just been put in charge of the Depot. He wanted to make me the Depot's Sergeant Major, saying I would not have to go back to the lines for the rest of the war. That night I talked it over with other wounded members of the 1st Hussars who were also returning from England. We all decided we'd go back to the Regiment. When I told this to the Depot Commander he said that he had a letter from my Commanding Officer saying that I was to become an Officer. The rest of the Hussars went back to the Regiment but I had to stay behind and take an Officer Training Course. I was promoted to Lieutenant and when I returned to the outfit was given the same Troop I had been in as a Sergeant. Gordon Cockshutt was promoted to Captain. McEwen, who had been so important in recruiting us, became our Major. Billy Patterson, another officer with us, had been wounded trying to find a weak spot in the enemy lines. He came home and later became the premier of Saskatchewan.

     I was sent up to join the 3rd Army Engineers with 30 of our men to assist the Engineers in running a pipeline for water supply from the heights of Vimy Ridge up to the front lines so nobody would have to go back for water. I believe they ran 6 miles of this water line. Each night we would lay about 40 feet of line, each man would have 3 feet to dig, and we had to carry the pipe up with us. Then we would cover it over and it had to be covered over so that the Germans couldn't detect a line being put in. We had to bring the ground back so it looked natural again and had to be very, very careful about that. We would put a small stake or something else to mark the place where we had finished up so we would know where to start the next night. So I would go up there with me men and we were only 3 miles from the Germans so nobody could go in front of the building in daytime because you'd be in view of the Germans, especially their balloons. We had that job for over a month and we stayed in an old mine that had been broken down but it had walls that were six foot thick, a swell place to be. I lost five men, 1 killed and 4 wounded on that job.

Canadian Light Horse at Complain Abbey, the Canadian Corps's HQ near Vimy Ridge

     Soon after being promoted to Lieutenant, I had a very unusual experience. My troop competed in a competition in which we would travel about half a mile, then set up a machine gun and engage a pre-determined target. We had a Trooper named Scott in our Troop who could get a bulls eye no matter where we laid down our machine gun. Scott won the championship as the best shot in the Canadian Corps. Because of Scott's shooting ability, we won the troop competition and were to compete against an English Troop. When we arrived for the competition, an English Officer, a stranger, introduced himself and asked me what was going on. When I told him, he invited me to stay with him and let the men use my tent. I agreed since he was living only a few hundred feet away. He had been all his life connected with the military and the secret service. He gave me a knowledge of what was actually going on. As an example, he took the newspaper and showed me an ad which said a house with so many rooms was able to be rented at a certain time for a certain amount. He said that this was all secret service work, and this ad would be picked up by someone in Holland, Norway, or some other place and decoded. He said there wasn't an issue of the London Times that didn't have at least a dozen coded messages in it. He went on to say that German Secret Service were being touted as superior to the British. However, the policy of the British Secret Service was to underrate themselves and look stupid, while saying how smart everyone else was. He said that in England every square mile in the country and every city block in the city had a secret service man on it. He said that nobody could move anyplace in England without the secret service knowing where and why.

     This Officer came over to my troop and took the Lee-Enfield rifle and gave about an hour's lecture on the rifle. He told whit it could do, the history of its development, and what improvements had been made. He made a most interesting lecture out of nothing. Then he told us all about the German rifles, the French rifles, and improvements they had been making. He had been all his life at this sort of thing and seemed to know about everything and everyplace. He even knew where Sarnia and Petrolia were, that there were refineries, and that there was a tunnel under one of the refineries. He was very helpful and informative about things that counted. I had much more faith in the British system after hearing this Officer tell me about it. Before the competition got started, the Germans started a big offensive and we were called back to our Regiment. The competition never did occur.

     We were told the plans to take Cambrai, a big city that was there. They'd have all the fast moving stuff, the cyclists, the cavalry, and the mortar and machine guns, put under one command into a brigade that was to operate independently. They had a plan to cross this creek and then take this hill that stretched back towards us almost 6 miles. The Germans were defending the ridge of course. We went over the plan to organize this attack for almost two weeks. The first thing that was to go was the tanks to crush the barbed wire and the next to go was my troop of cavalry, followed by the motorcycle gang. We would then all proceed down this road to a town called Ewi. We were called to a meeting with a General and, as I was to lead the attack, he told me to come up and explain the plan. I explained about following the tanks and then going down the road to Ewi but I also pointed out that a little dot on the map of Ewi was really a red brick grocery store which I intended to capture and make into the R. Stirrett Company store. By the time the rest of the guys got to Ewi, I'd be ready to sell stuff to everyone. This brought a good laugh from the group and the General wished me well.

     The infantry got through the lines one night, which wasn't part of the plan, and we got the message about two in the morning to get going. When we got to Cambrai, just at dawn, we proceeded down this street, with firing still going on in the town, and there was perfectly open territory and about a mile ahead was a hill. Major McEwen said to me, "go take that hill - take the highest point". I had the troops get rid of everything except swords, rifles and ammunition and we started out at the trot. As we entered the field we found it full of German infantry who had been in hiding and it startled us somewhat. We managed to handle most of them and even took over a couple of their machine guns. I told my men to wait, there was only about 25 of them now, and I went forward to reconnoitre. I only gone about 50 yards and came to high ground overlooking a road chuck full of Germans getting their fires going to make their breakfast. I got up on my horse to get a better look down and I figured there was a thousand of them, a whole damned battalion at least. Major McEwen had given me to flare pistols, one to shoot a red flare if I need reinforcements and one to shoot a white flare if I succeeded in taking the hill. I didn't know what the hell to do as I only had 25 men but I brought them up on horseback and scattered out. The Germans surrendered as they didn't know there only a few of us. I fired the red flare and about three in the afternoon they sent up about 60 cyclists who took over the prisoners. I took my troop back to pick up our saddlery and stuff we'd dumped before the charge.

     They tried a charge again the next day with 2 of our troops and the Germans, whose machine guns were set up for infantry, killed every horse in both troops. The men hid behind their dead horses, waited for darkness and then made it back to our lines. They never got replacement horses and walked with us for the rest of the war - they walked into Germany. They never used horses in the next war so I guess they didn't think a hell of a lot about what we did as cavalry. During the fall of 1917, the Regiment moved back to the vicinity of Ypres. Mud and bad weather made mounted operations impossible. As a result, all men and officers who were available went forward with the infantry, carrying ammunition to the artillery, and manning observation posts. Casualties were heavy both in the front lines and in the rear since the whole area was subjected to heavy artillery shelling.

     The winter of 1917-1918 was spent near the Corps Headquarters on the Lens front, preparing for an expected German attack in the spring of 1918. During this time, many of us went away on courses which lasted from two weeks to a month. I was sent to one on the French coast at Comte-sur-la-Mer during December, 1917. This school was for riding and horsemanship and included 48 Officers divided into four groups. All but myself were from famous old British Cavalry Regiments. To become an Officer in one of these famous Regiments someone, usually the family, had to guarantee as much as 10,000 pounds against your getting into trouble. Our group of 12 included officers from the Household Cavalry, the Scots Greys, the 17th Lancers, the Bays, and the Royal Horse Artillery. I was the only one who did not fit into this caste system which had been in England for hundreds of years.

The soldier in the center and the officer are 1st Hussars of the Canadian Light Horse

     I started things off wrong the first night by not dressing for dinner. Even though I assured them that the reason was simple - I had no other clothes to dress in - it took some explaining and many laughs. The second big difference was that I had attended a Public School, with girls attending the same classes. Then they discovered that I had worked in a store and stood behind a counter taking money for goods. I was nothing but a common tradesman. Things really got bad when they discovered that the Cavalry Regiment that I belonged to had never been engaged in combat (as the First Hussars) and that I had never been on a fox hunt. The worst thing though was that I had a decoration that showed that I had been in the ranks. They wondered what kind of an army I belonged to. My groom and batman both realized this. They were named Fartar and Bradley. They came up to my room the second night I was there and asked me to bawl them out whenever any of my classmates were around and to do it properly. They said that they would know that I didn't mean it, but would accept it because the other officers would not think that I was a good officer if I didn't bawl them out.

     I had taken a mare with me on this course. She was a good mare physically, but she had a peculiarity in that she wouldn't lead. She would follow or go beside other horses, but she would never lead. Major McEwen suggested that since this was a riding school, I should take this horse, called Daisy, with me. On the first day, I was on Daisy and all the English boys were on their own hunters taking the jumps. When my turn came, Daisy, instead of getting over to the right, pushed the whole line out of control. Here I was, with a big Stetson on, looking like a cowboy, and unable to keep control of my horse. The man in charge, a Major in the Scots Greys, said, "Can't you control that horse, Canada?" I said, "No sir, do you want to try it?" He got on and put the spurs and whip to this horse, but instead of going ahead as he expected her to, Daisy just backed off and acted worse for him that she had for me. Well, here was a Scots Grey major, the pride of his Regiment, in front of officers from all the best cavalry regiments, unable to control a good looking horse. He was humiliated. He got off Daisy and said, "Where in the hell did you get this thing?" When I said that she had come off the Canadian prairies, he said, "Can't you send her back?" From then on, everyone in the class wanted to ride Daisy, and I was called Daisy for the rest of the course.

     I never did get accepted into the class because I was the odd ball. The only thing that redeemed me was on the last day when we had a shooting competition. We took all the empty whiskey bottles, put them about a yard apart on the coast side, and then drew a line about 30 feet away. When the sergeant called your name, you took your revolver and tried to hit as many bottles as you could. I went to the sergeant, who was sympathetic towards me because he knew I had been a sergeant, and asked what we were shooting for. He said that each time you hit a bottle, everyone in the class would have to pay you ten francs, which was bout $2 Canadian. That meant every shot could be worth almost $100.00. I seemed to be the only one who took my time and aimed my revolver. I came out the best shot and was able to clear up all of my mess bills and still come out ahead. I was using my issue weapon, a Smith and Wesson . 45 pistol.

     At the end of July, 1918, in preparation for the Battle of Amiens (August, 1918), the Canadian Light Horse was ordered to move by night to Saleux, south of Amiens. Here we were broken up and a squadron attached to each of the attacking infantry brigades. LCol Leonard took command of the Hotchkiss Gun Detachment (18 guns) which worked along the Amiens-Roye Road and helped to maintain liaison with the French on the right. 

     During the early part of August, I was attached, with my troop, to the Canadian Third Divisional Headquarters. As the attack started on August 8th, the Brigade Major came to me and said that the first thing that they had to do was to get over a small creek about ten feet wide. There were three bridges in Third Division sector. Our job was to determine as soon as possible after the attack started, whether or not these bridges had been destroyed. As soon as this was determined, my troop would have to deliver messages to the advancing elements of Third Division. This was done right at dawn.

     By 9:00 A.M., the Brigade Major came to me and said, "Stirrett, we've got so far that they have passed their objectives. Now we have lost our troops and haven't any communications with them." He said that I was to take all the men I had and send them out. They were to try and contact anyone from the Third Division and bring back a message telling where they were and what they were doing. There were not yet any radios and the signals had not yet had time to get our their signals wire. We spent the rest of the day trying to contact advancing elements. My troop was with Third Division Headquarters for over three months, usually being used to deliver messages. From this time on, it was just one attack after another.

Royal Scots Greys entering a French village

     During this time, we got a report that a German artillery unit had disappeared into a hollow about a mile away. A squadron of the Scots Greys was in this area and was asked if they wanted to go after these Germans, who were to the right, on the French side of the road. The Scots Greys officer said that he could not go. Lieutenant Freddy Taylor, a First Hussars Officer, and a bit tight at the time, commanding the 1st Troop, took five men and headed out towards where the Germans had been seen. They found the Germans about 2000 yards ahead of the advancing French infantry. It was a German artillery ammunition column, hidden in an excavation, and their horses had nose bags on as they were on a rest stop. One man held the horses while Taylor and the others moved forward with their rifles to the edge of the bank. From there, they were able to shoot every horse and a few men so that the German column couldn't move. Then Taylor said every man for himself, and to get back they best way you can. They went back, losing one man while two were wounded. LCol Leonard asked me to determine exactly what had happened and to determine whether or not Taylor should get a decoration. After I turned in the full story, Taylor was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and the surviving men were awarded Military Medals (MM). When I had talked to the men involved, each had told a different story, as if they had not all been in the same place at the same time. They all said they had never seen anything so ridiculous or so foolish in the whole war. I concluded that I thought the whole action quite reckless.

     In mid-August the Canadian Light Horse was again broken up and attached to the forward infantry brigades, since the trench systems were too involved to permit any large scale cavalry action. Later, the Canadian Light Horse was again concentrated and formed part of an independent force of Cavalry and motor machine guns whose task was to push out along the Arras-Cambrai Road during the operation against Drocourt Switch (2 September, 1918). Unfortunately, the German defence was too stubborn and the breakthrough never came. 

     From Arras, the Canadian Light Horse moved forward the night of 26 September. About noon the following day, we crossed the Canal du Nord. From here the Regiment stood to each day waiting for the German resistance to weaken sufficiently to permit cavalry action. Each day we conducted hazardous recces in order to keep closely in touch with the front line situation and have lines of advance clear of wire and suitable for forward cavalry action. Casualties were heavy. During this time, in late September, I was awarded a Military Cross (MC). This decoration was given to me as a result of a reconnaissance action carried out by my troop on 26 September, 1918, north of Sailly and again on 01 October, 1918, east of Tilloy. By this time I had been promoted to Captain.

     At last, on 9 October, 1918, the long awaited chance for offensive cavalry action came. Our Squadron, under command of Major McEwen, crossed the only unblown bridge of L'Escaut Canal at Escamdoeuvres just north-east of Cambrai and seized and held a piece of high ground until relieved by the infantry that night. This action greatly assisted the advance of the day but resulted in 2 Officers, 24 men and every horse in one troop being killed. Many of the enemy were taken prisoner.

     It was about this time that we first saw German tanks in action. One of my men, when asked what they were, replied, "Why it's the Irish Navy, can't you tell." The Regiment, now considerably reduced in strength, stood to for the next few days while it was refitted and brought back up to strength. A squadron of Royal Northwest Mounted Police, which had just arrived from England, was added to the Canadian Light Horse as 'D' Squadron. After Cambrai, the Canadian Corps shifted its front north to the Senee Canal and advanced on Douai and Valenciennes. The Canadian Light Horse kept contact in front of the infantry and gained considerable cavalry experience in open warfare. During this advance wherever possible, our patrols entered small villages ahead of our infantry, enabling the infantry to continue their advance without deploying. Our squadron would move with Major McEwen to the north taking a sector about a mile wide and myself to the south taking a similar sector.

     Gordon Cockshutt went to visit some friends of his at 1st Brigade HQ and mentioned to them that they should have a troop of cavalry to do reconnaissance as they needed to find the Germans. They sent for me to come up and McEwen said, "You aren't going without me" so we both went, me first and McEwen followed the next day. My Troop arrived about dawn and the Brigade Major sent us right out saying, "I want you and your troop to ride out there until somebody shoots at you. I've no idea where the damned Germans are." We did this for seven days from Deayi to Valenciennes. We'd pick a place a half a mile to three quarters of a mile away where we thought the Germans might be - a little house or a clump of trees. I'd go straight at it and two troopers would come in from each side, form like that, and when we got about 100 yards from it we'd get up in our saddles, hold the horse up, look over, then turn the horse and go the other way at the gallop. We knew they'd never shoot as us when we were going towards them as they would want to take us prisoner. They would shoot at you with machine guns if they thought they'd been spotted. If we didn't get shot at, we'd go back to that clump of trees or house and rest our horses for a half hour or so and pick out the next objective. As soon as we were fired on, we would retire and the infantry would take charge. The third day at this, on 21 October, 1918, Major McEwen was killed while on personal reconnaissance at Hesnon. On the first day, my diary states "started contact patrols at Montagny. Lost Bliss, Clark, and Thompson, all wounded by machine guns. Not bad as an infantry attack would have lost a hundred.

French civilians with various gas masks at Marbache

     The fourth day, we ran into civilians whom the Germans had not had time to clear out. As we rode into a village, we trotted down the cobblestone streets. All windows for 300 yards to the village square were drawn and covered. As we reached the village square at the Catholic church, we looked to see the road full of women, older men, and children, filling the road with anything they could wave. We dismounted and the old pries took me by the ears and kissed me. This started things. The priest kissed the three men with me. Then they all seemed to go crazy at once. They even kissed our horses. Then the priest called for prayer and the entire village went to their knees at once, including my men and myself. We had a very similar experience in every village from then on. We were first into at least twenty villages with the infantry about a mile behind following us in column of route. 

     Open warfare continued. Valenciennes was captured and the Germans fell back to Mons. The Canadian Light Horse pursued the retreating Germans and was among the first units to enter Mons which had been under German occupation for fifty-two months. Armistice came on 11 November, 1918. The infantry formed a static line and the Canadian Light Horse was reassembled as a Regiment. Following reorganization, the Canadian Corps advanced from the Mons line to the Rhine.The Canadian Light Horse provided the advanced cavalry screens for the Canadian Corps. In the triumphal march over the bridge at Bonn, the Guard of Honour to the Corps Commander was commanded by Lieutenant F. A. Taylor, D.S.O. of the First Hussars.

     I didn't come back with the unit. When we got up into Germany we had Christmas dinners and things like that and everyone started wondering about how and when they were going to get home to Canada. Discipline became a big thing as everything was going haywire - discipline was disappearing so I took my men aside and told them I didn't care what they did as long as they looked after their horses every day, acted like gentlemen and let me know where they were. I woke up one morning with an awful tooth ache so I went to see our dentist and he filled my tooth. That night I could hardly sleep because of the pain in the tooth so I went back the next morning and asked him what he had done to me and told him about the pain. The dentist started laughing and said that was the best story he'd heard for the last month so I was to keep it up and he'd send me home as a stretcher case on the afternoon train. I never saw the Regiment again until much later in my life. I was also told that I should have the tooth re-filled when I arrived in England so I went to London and a dentist there filled it with gold - it didn't hurt anymore. I got home three months ahead of the Regiment.

     Thanks again for following through to the end with this one. I hope you'll agree that it was well worth the wait and extra scrolling! Many thanks again to Petrolia Heritage for the information and images. We'll be changing gears next week with some new material so continue staying tuned!
     Thanks for reading,
Delany (@DLeitchHistory on Twitter)

World War Wednesdays: He Served His Country: Maj. George Stirrett, M.C. D.C.M Part Two

     Welcome back to part two of Maj. George Stirrett's incredible memoirs. You'll recall that at the end of last week's post, George, Lt. Billy Bishop, and the rest of the Second Canadian Divisional Cavalry Squadron embarked for England aboard the S.S. Caledonia on June 9, 1915. Read on for the rest of the story!

      ”On the Caledonia, with three decks of horses underneath, our main duty was to feed and water the horses. There were no kitchens on board and the cooks had to prepare our meals on the open deck. It was awful food. It was the worst conditions I had ever seen. The ship wasn't designed for this kind of duty and there wasn't even a doctor on board. Fortunately we had good weather and were able to set out hay and sleep on the deck. There were hammocks below but the air was too foul to sleep there. The next day, the hay we had used for our beds would be fed to the horses. We swung wide to the south while sailing across the Atlantic and still thought that we were going to Egypt. However, we landed at Devonport, England. We had crossed the Atlantic without any escort ships, without even a machine-gun on our own ship. It was not until later on in the war that shipping was being attacked by the enemy, creating a need for escort ships.

SS Caledonia, navalwarfare.blogspot.ca

     We landed at South Hampton and moved to Devonport. From Devonport, our squadron entrained for Canterbury where the Cavalry Headquarters for England was located. The 2nd Division was scattered all over the south coast of England. Two days later we rejoined the Second Canadian Division at Dibgate Plains (near F o l k e s t o n e) where we went under canvas. At Dibgate Plains the squadron was issued 168 riding and light draught horses, new Lee-Enfield rifles and swords. Training was continued at an accelerated pace. However, the area was very heavy clay and after every rain the horse lines became almost impossible. One day when the mud was very bad, two Royal Air Force planes went over. While Bishop, who hated to be dirty, and I stood in the mud watching them, only a few hundred feet high, Bishop turned to me and said, "It's clean up there George. And if you were killed, at least you would be clean. Imagine being killed in this mix of mud and horse manure." Lieutenant Billy Bishop joined the Air Force that afternoon and was replaced in the troop by Lt. C. G. Cockshutt, a member of the family that owned the Cockshutt Plough Company. Lt. Bishop hadn't told anyone in the Hussars where he was going or what he was going to do so we didn't know where he was for about two weeks.

     Billy Bishop, while with the Royal Flying Corps, became the world's greatest flier during the First World War. He received many decorations including the V.C. and the D.S.O. and the Saturday Evening Post ran a series of articles about him. He told us that they paid him $75,000 for his story. He told Evan Cobb his story in three hours and Cobb made the series run almost two years. Bishop would visit us at least once a month; he was always popular with all ranks. He once invited me to his new lines where he made me stand on a grand piano and have a drink. Around the room on the wall were the names and ranks of Officers and beside each name were women's garters. Some had one or two and some had six or more. Billy told me you could only hang a garter if you'd personally taken it off the woman. Also, there was an indication by some names that this particular Officer had been killed.

A group of despatch riders of the Canadian Signal Corps on Hendee motorcycles (Indian Powerplus) , Camp Valcartier, Quebec, ca 1917.

     The fellows flying the airplanes were given more privileges than we were and almost all of them rode motorcycles. I guess it was because their work was so intense that they wanted them to be able to relax when not training. They had some older airplanes and we watched one day as they drove them all into the hedges to break them up so they could get new ones. They were never disciplined for anything they did. Billy's batman was a guy we called Slim Adams from Alvinston, Ontario. He was a terrible horseman, we used to say he looked like a sack of potatoes riding behind Bishop. One day Billy asked him to send a dozen roses to his girl friend. When Adams tried to do this, they wouldn't extend any credit so he paid for the roses out of his own pocket. When he asked Billy for the money back - he didn't have any to give him.

     In mid-September, the squadron sailed from Southampton and disembarked the next morning at Le Havre in France. The same day the squadron moved up to the front by train and went into billets near Westoutre In Belgium. We took over from "B" Squadron, Surrey Yeomanry Divisional Cavalry of the British 28th Division. On reaching France, I had been made a Sergeant with the second troop. During the fall and winter, our squadron was engaged in frontier patrol duty, trench mapping, classification of water supplies, assisting engineers, artillery spotting, stretcher bearing, and other similar duties under the direct orders of the Divisional Commander. Twenty-five of our men were designated to act as mounted police and to keep order in the camps assisting the Provost Marshall. We were to do very little in a cavalry role for much of the war.

    In January, 1916, through the efforts of Colonel Leonard, authority was granted by the Canadian Government for the Second Canadian Divisional Cavalry Squadron to be known as the Special Service Squadron, First (Canadian) Hussars. Later, in the spring of 1916, the Canadian Corps was formed to include the First Canadian Corps Cavalry Regiment, subsequently known as the Canadian Light Horse. This unit was formed from the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Divisional Cavalry Squadrons. The Canadian Light Horse was formed into three squadrons of four troops each. The total strength was to be 36 Officers, 600 men, and 550 horses. Each troop had a Hotchkiss machine gun mounted, and each squadron carried two extra Hotchkiss Guns in echelon (a total of 18 guns in the Regiment). The three squadrons each retained their own unit identity. They all wore should flashes showing Canadian Light Horse but wore collar dogs and cap badges from their own unit - 'A' Squadron 19th Alberta Dragoons; 'B' Sqn First Hussars; and 'C' Sqn 16th Light Horse (Regina). Colonel Leonard was given command of the Canadian Light Horse. Later a battalion of cyclists, made up of three companies, and the motor machine gun elements were placed under Colonel Leonard's command as well. This whole command was known as the Storm Troopers.

     During this time, even though we were not being used in a cavalry role, our cavalry training continued whenever it was possible. General Haig, who as the senior cavalry officer, believed that there was still a need for cavalry and kept all cavalry units up to strength and well trained. During 1916 and part of 1917, when the war was being fought in the trenches, 100 yards was a major advance. Since there was little opportunity to use cavalry, most of our time was spent in training, looking after the horses, or on duty in various capacities as sub-units attached to the advanced units in the trenches. When on the line we would stand to for two or three hours at a time as there were always rumours about the Germans attacking. Our job was to go forward if the attack came but we knew that with the trenches and barbed wire, our cavalry would do no good.

Mounted Canadian troops heading into action at Vimy Ridge, April 1917, Canada at War

     The RCDs had heard that horses could see in the dark and would be able to jump over trenches and barbed wire in a night assault even if their riders couldn't see. The RCDs made up a series of trenches and barbed wire behind the lines and one night sent a troop of cavalry over them at the gallop believing the horses would jump when necessary. It was an awful mess and all of the horses had to be shot. That's the way you learned. What happened to me then I don't know but all fear was gone, in a trance you might call it. I walked and went any place I wished to that day and night without fear. I came back in about an hour and emptied his pockets. We worked that day, that night, and the next day as stretcher bearers under continuous fire. By the next day, I had only 18 of our 60 men who were able to come home to our own lines. I had been working with four men and told them to wait here while I went forward to see where we should go next. A shell got all of them but only wounded them. They couldn't hear for awhile. Eighteen to twenty had been killed and the rest wounded. It took one man to help a walking wounded back to the line and they could use some cover but it took two men to carry a stretcher and they made good targets. As a result of the good work done by the 1st Hussars, and because of an incident I was involved in, the 8th Battalion recommended I be decorated. I was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM). The incident was when I was with three Officers who were looking for their CO. I could hear a person calling and I said to the three Officers, "There's somebody out there calling for help". They said "We know but the Germans aren't likely no more than 100 yards out there, you can't go" I said, "You just watch me. Just boost me up." So I went out and a Sergeant that was there wanted to go with me. I said, "No, you stay here cause if there's two they'll shoot at us but if I go alone, they won't." So I went out towards where this fellow was yelling for help and, holy Moses, before I got to the shell hole he was in, I got eight of them that were out there wounded and lying waiting for dark. I got them out and pulled them over to our trenches and then waved over at the Germans because I knew they were close enough to see what I was doing. So I just waved at them and dropped down into our trench. These three Officers were there and immediately a bullet came over as if to say, "we saw you and could have killed you but we didn't - we saw what you were doing." So that's what got me the decoration. In my diary for this date I have written, "Whoever it was that said war is HELL is correct."

     Thanks so much for continuing with George's amazing story. I anticipate there being one or two more editions, so stay tuned for those! Credits once again to Petrolia Heritage for making this material accessible.
     Thanks for reading,
Delany (@DLeitchHistory on Twitter)