World War Wednesdays: Leading Dogs of WWII

     After watching Patton recently, it dawned on me that a lot of major Second World War leaders kept four-legged friends during the most crucial time of their careers. I decided it would be interesting to introduce you to some of these dogs and discuss their role in the lives of their famous owners!

1. General George S. Patton , Jr. and Willie (USA)

     A young tank commander shortly after the First World War, Patton acquired his first bull terrier as a family pet and quickly fell in love with the breed. Willie was the last of his line and was by his master's side as his famous tank corps raced across Europe to liberate Nazi-held territory in 1944. He was named for William the Conqueror, and Patton's officers wondered if the eccentric general believed the gun-shy pup to have been the courageous warrior in a former life. Being the character that Patton was, he let them wonder. As the Allies closed in on Berlin, Patton boasted, “I will personally shoot that [highly descriptive profanity] Hitler, and Willie hopes the little [more of the same] comes back as a fire hydrant!” The ultimate alpha dog, General Patton was surprisingly doting to Willie. He had special G.I. tags made for the dog and even hosted a birthday party for his "second in command." He continued to spoil Willie until his death in December 1945 following a car accident, and the dog suffered separation anxiety for several months afterward. (woofipedia.com)

2. William Lyon Mackenzie King and Pat (Canada)

     Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King was given an Irish terrier in July 1924 by his good friends, the Pattesons. He named the dog Pat and quickly became extremely fond of him, as evidenced by the fact that he mentioned Pat in his diary almost every day for seventeen years. A close companion, the two shared morning walks on the grounds at Kingsmere and evening snacks of oatmeal cookies and Ovaltine. On the 25th anniversary of his becoming leader of the Liberal party, King was presented with a statuette of himself and Pat. As the dog grew older, he developed several health problems and died on July 15, 1941. King buried him among the ruins at Kingsmere. Looking back on the events of 1941 in his diary, his most significant reflection was not in regard to Canada's involvement in the Second World War, but to the death of his beloved pet:
"As I think it all over tonight, the event that touched me most deeply of all was perhaps the death of little Pat. Our years together, and particularly our months in the early spring and summer, have been a true spiritual pilgrimage. That little dog has taught me how to live, and also how to look forward, without concern, to the arms that will be around me when I, too, pass away. We shall all be together in the Beyond. Of that I am perfectly sure." (Diary, December 31, 1941) (collectionscanada.gc.ca)

3. Adolf Hitler and Blondi (Germany)

     Hitler's beloved German Shepard was given to him as a gift in 1941 from Martin Bormann. He had previously owned a Shepard during his years of poverty in the 1920s but was forced to lodge the dog elsewhere. When it managed to escape and return to him, he developed a great liking for the loyalty and obedience of the breed. Blondi played a great role in Nazi propaganda, as photographs of her were used to show Hitler as an animal lover. Dogs like her were considered germanischer Urhund, being close to the wolf, and were highly fashionable during the Third Reich. Blondi stayed with Hitler even when he moved into the Fuehrerbunker under the Reich Chancellory on January 16, 1945. By April 29, Hitler had become strong in his resolve not to have himself or his new wife, Eva Braun captured by the advancing Russians. That afternoon, he expressed doubts about the potency of cyanide capsules given to him by Heinrich Himmler's SS, and ordered them to be tested on Blondi. She died immediately and Hitler became completely inconsolable. In 2005, Hitler's nurse said that Blondi's death had affected the people in the bunker more than Eva Braun's suicide. (Wikipedia)

4. General Dwight Eisenhower and Telek (USA)

     While planning for Operation Torch in 1942, General Eisenhower decided that a dog would complete the unofficial family he had started through an extramarital affair with his driver and assistant, Kay Summersby. Having never owned a dog during his military career, he allowed her to choose the breed, and she presented him with two Scotties. Ike chose one and named it Telek, which he told others was a military secret but to Kay he said, "it's a combination of Telegraph Cottage and Kay, two parts of my life that make me very happy." To his wife, Mamie, he wrote: "I'm trying to get me a little dog-- Scottie by preference. You can't talk war to a dog, and I'd like to have someone or something to talk to, occasionally, that does not know what the word means! A dog is my only hope." (Jean Edward Smith, Eisenhower: In War and Peace)

5. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Fala (USA)

     Originally named "Big Boy," the black Scottie went to live in the White House with FDR in 1940. He renamed the dog "Murray the Outlaw of Falahill," after a Scottish ancestor, with the nickname Fala. Every morning the dog had a bone brought up with the president's breakfast tray, and he was given a full dinner every night. A constant companion to the president, he enjoyed travelling and performing tricks for guests. The dog was present at the Atlantic Charter Conference with Winston Churchill in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, in August 1941, toured defense plants and met the Mexican President in 1942-43, and attended both Quebec Conferences. During a 1944 sea trip to the Aleutian Islands, it was rumored that Fala had been forgotten and the president spent millions of taxpayers' dollars to get him back. The president responded with his famous "Fala Speech," in which he said, "These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my sons. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala. Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family doesn't resent attacks, but Fala does resent them." When FDR died in April 1945, Fala attended the funeral but seemed lost without his master. He went on to live with Mrs. Roosevelt, and died on April 5, 1952. (fdrlibrary.marist.edu)

     Is your dog more spoiled than Willie and Fala? Do you think of them as your children, like Ike and Kay Summersby did with Telek? Do you believe in the eternal connection between pet and owner like Mackenzie King? Would you be devastated to have to test your cyanide capsules on your beloved pet?? (Okay, that one is slightly less relatable)

Thanks for reading!
Delany (@DLeitchHistory on Twitter)

World War Wednesdays: Elgin County's Own: The 91st Battalion

The 91st Battalion colours

      It's come to my attention recently that there's a 100th anniversary coming up for Elgin County's own 91st Battalion, so I decided to make a post in honor of this amazing group of local heroes! Information is courtesy of a lovely project by James L. McCallum, which you can read in full here: http://www.elginogs.ca/Home/ancestor-indexes/military/age-shall-not-weary-them and photos are thanks to Elgin County Archives.

An assembly of the battalion, including their goat mascot, outside the barracks opposite the Wilson St. Armory, St. Thomas

     Elgin County's overseas battalion was formed on 25 October 1915, a year after Great Britain declared war on Germany. 940 men were trained for service under the command of Lt.-Col. Green, and it received its colours on 24 May 1916 after a parade through St. Thomas which ended at Pinafore Park.

Marching west on Talbot Street, St. Thomas

     A month later on 25 June 1916, the battalion was dispatched overseas after a march down Talbot Street that was witnessed by a crowd of 20,000 people. They traveled by train to Halifax, where on 28 June they set sail on the ship Olympic, arriving in Liverpool, England on 5 July.

Departing for deployment at the Michigan Central Railway Station, St. Thomas

     After ten days at Otterpool Camp, the battalion was transferred to the 3rd Canadian Training Brigade and split up in order to provide reinforcement to other units that had been depleted of manpower. Meanwhile, recruiting still continued in Elgin County, and over 2,400 men from the area volunteered their service during the course of the Great War.

Some interesting tidbits:

Recruitment Article from the Aylmer Express, 10 September 1914:

FIRST RECRUIT DRILL OF THE 30TH BATTERY

Will be Tomorrow Night at 7:30 p.m.

Names are Coming in Fast.  Get Your Name in Before Tomorrow Night

Have you joined the 30th Battery?  This is the question for every able bodied man in East Elgin. This is our own militia unit and is being raised by the people of this county for the defense of our own borders. No man who values his home or his loved ones, who believes in his country or honors his King will refuse to join.  The task before our own people here in Canada and possibly in Elgin may be very serious before this war is over.  If our shores were invaded by a hostile army every man would be a soldier if he could; but he would be no use without training.  This is the point.  The time to get the training is now. The 30th Battery Canadian Field Artillery requires at once one hundred men. The battery roll is at Mr. Wm. Warnock’s office in Aylmer. The young men of East Elgin should enlist. They should do it at once.

The first recruit drill will be held at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11. The men will form up on Talbot St. in front of the new post office. The elements of infantry drill will be taught. Every man should be on hand for the first drill.  Lt.-Col. Walter James Brown will be in charge.

So far as Canadians and Britishers are concerned military service is no longer optional.  It is a duty that no true man will shirk.  Only those who have the necessary physical qualifications will be asked to go on duty; but the obligation of working and fighting for our country is on the shoulders of every man.  No one is exempt.  Every man in Canada between 18 and 60 may be called if required.  It would be an outrage if Canadians were forced to use the ballot to fill the ranks of the militia.  Let us have volunteers.  This is your opportunity. The Canadian Militia is a home defense force, organized, trained and maintained for the defense of our own homes and loved one. Every man should be a citizen soldier.  Will you?

Presentation of the 91st Battalion colours at Canterbury Cathedral, England, 1916

Excerpt from a diary entry by Pte. John William Cracknell (from the Kingsmill area) describing the voyage of the 91st Battalion:

     We have been on the boat now about two days.  After arriving in Halifax on June 28, about midnight, we stayed on the train until morning, then we boarded about noon and started to look over the ship.  This is the sister ship to the Titanic.  Is sure some size.  It’s main measurements are 822 feet long, 72 feet wide, height 104 feet from boat deck to keel. The boat deck is the one that the lifeboats are on.  There is another deck above this with a bridge.  No doubt you will be able to form some idea of the size of it from these measurements.  There are four smoke stacks on it and everyone of them is as big as an ordinary silo.  It is about 60 feet from the boat deck to the water level and about forty feet of this canoe is below the water.  By the time we get off this boat we will not have seen one quarter of it.  There are about 7,000 men on the boat, including the crew.  I might say here that I would like to have seen her as a passenger ship. Since being turned into a troopship she has been almost completely remodelled, all the costly fittings have been torn down and all staterooms but a few to accommodate the officers.  The ship is armed, carrying a rapid-firing gun fore and aft, besides a machine gun on the corners of the boat deck.  We had our first meal of hardtack when we came on the boat.  No wonder the government wants every man to have good teeth, until you get used to these biscuits, it is like eating bricks, besides there is scarcely any taste to them...

The Battalion marching along Main Street, Rodney, 18 February 1916

     The 100th Anniversary celebration event will take place from 24-26 June in St. Thomas. Anyone with relatives who served with the 91st Battalion is urged to contact markrobinmorse@bell.net to be a part of the commemoration!

Thanks for reading, 

     Delany (@DLeitchHistory on Twitter)

World War Wednesdays: The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill

     Whew! Were there enough 'W's in that title for you? This week's topic features one of my top two most beloved historical figures: Sir Winston Spencer Churchill. Basically, I'll take every possible opportunity to talk about the iconic British Bulldog, and he has been the topic of much of my own research and writing. I've actually heard on good authority that it is now considered backward in the historical community to favor Churchill when researching and writing on the Second World War, and if that's the case then as per usual I would hate to be forward. If any of my readers this week tend not to favor Churchill, I hope this post causes you to find some place in your heart for him on a personal level. I have tried my best to compile just some of the numerous reasons why he is one of the biggest inspirations in my life, and say what you want about the old bugger but he was never short on inspiration!

     About a year ago, I was in the gift section of Chapters and stumbled upon a book called "The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill" by Dominique Enright. Basically, she had compiled a series of recollections and quotations which featured instances of Winston Churchill's remarkable ability to say the most perfect thing at all the most perfect times. While most people get themselves involved in discussions, leave them, and are struck with the frustration of having thought of the perfect response a day later, Churchill always seemed to be able to strike with a paralyzingly witty remark which nullified any retort the other person could ever think of. I like to think that his almost constant state of drunkenness had only a minimal part to play in this. After combing through the Enright book I've made this compilation of my own favorites of these examples of The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill.

On Politics
     When asked what qualities a politician required, Churchill replied, "The ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen".

     When an Ulster Member shouted 'Contemptible' during an Irish Home Rule debate in the House: "If I valued the honourable gentleman's opinion I might get angry".

On Words
     In one of the many documents that came his way throughout his career, a civil servant had gone out of his way to be grammatically correct, and had clumsily avoided ending a sentence with a preposition. Churchill scribbled in the margin: "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put."

     In September 1943, General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson was selected to take the Greek island of Leros with a small number of troops. Churchill encouraged him, saying, "This is the time to play high. Improvise and dare." Later, he wrote: "He improvose and dore."

     After a march of over a hundred miles during a 1907 tour in Africa, Churchill turned to his private secretary Eddie Marsh and said, "So fari-- so goodi!"

On Himself
     When a woman came up to him and declared that her baby looked just like him, he responded with "Madam, all babies look like me."

     On his seventy-fifth birthday, November 30, 1949: "I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is ready for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter."

     "My idea of a good dinner is, first, to have good food, then discuss good food, and after this good food has been elaborately discussed, to discuss a good topic- with me as chief conversationalist."

On Nations
     At the Yalta Conference in 1945, Churchill was persuaded to follow Roosevelt's tribute to Soviet leader Josef Stalin, objecting all the while "But they do not want peace."He got to his feet and proposed a toast "to Premier Stalin, whose conduct of foreign policy manifests a desire for peace." Then, in a whispered aside out of earshot from the interpreter, "A piece of Poland, a piece of Czechoslovakia, a piece of Romania..."

     In 1943, Churchill sent Anthony Eden on a mission to bring Turkey into the war. After receiving a telegram from Eden reporting "Progress slow. What more can I tell Turkey", Churchill responded with, "Tell them Christmas is coming!"

Churchill and his wife, Clementine Hozier

On Women, Marriage, and Family
     "My wife and I tried two or three times in the last few years to have breakfast together but it was so disagreeable we had to stop."

     At a reception in Richmond, Virginia, in the USA, his hostess, an ample lady, led Churchill, the guest of honour, to the buffet table. When she offered him some cold chicken, he asked if he could have a breast. As she helped him to a particularly succulent-looking piece his hostess informed him genteelly that "We Southern ladies use the term 'white meat.'" The next day a corsage arrived for her with a card from Churchill which read, "I would be most obliged if you would pin this on your 'white meat.'"

     At a reception during a speaking tour in Canada he was seated next to a straight-laced Methodist minister when a young waitress came up to them with a tray of glasses of sherry. Churchill first took a glass, and when she turned to the minister, he was appalled at having been offered alcohol: "Young lady," he announced, "I'd rather commit adultery than take an intoxicating beverage." Churchill then beckoned the girl, "Come back, miss- I didn't know we had a choice."

     Leaving the Commons bar one evening, it is said that Churchill ran into another woman MP, the formidable Bessie Bradddock. "Winston," she said icily, "you're drunk." Churchill drew himself up: "Madam, you're ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober."

Churchill and American General Eisenhower

On Drink
     In reply to Field Marshal Montgomery's smug statement, "I neither drink nor smoke and am a hundred percent fit," Churchill said, "I drink and smoke and I am two hundred percent fit."

     "Always remember, Clemmie (his wife), that I have taken more out of alcohol than it has taken out of me."

     "When I was younger I made it a rule never to take strong drink before lunch. It is now my rule never to do so before breakfast."