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Arms and The Maple Leaf

SiteAdmin — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 22:14:36 +0000

The Memoir of Wilfred Kerr.

"Arms and The Maple Leaf" records Wilfred Kerr's second year of war, 1918. This was the year of Canada's greatest victories: at Amiens, Arras and Cambrai. With a scholar's eye Kerr observes the dramatic change in attitude that success brought to the men of the Canadian Corps, a new, unique sense of National pride he calls Canadianism. A compelling read, originally published in 1943.

by Wilfrid Kerr

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Scouting Thrills

SiteAdmin — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 22:10:52 +0000

LIMITED EDITION REPRINT SERIES - No.1
George Burdon McKean, VC, MC, MM, was one of Canada’s most decorated heroes of the First World War. McKean enlisted in Alberta in 1915 and joined the 14th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Royal Montreal Regiment) on the Western Front in 1916. He won his Military Medal on the Vimy Sector in the Fall of that year, and his Victoria Cross during a Trench Raid near Gavrelle in April 1918. McKean’s Military Cross was awarded for bravery on September 2nd, 1918 when, although wounded, he single-handedly captured the village of Cagincourt during the storming of the notorious Drocourt-Queant line. Many thought his actions deserved a second award of the Victoria Cross. "Scouting Thrills" is George McKean’s unique memoir of his life in the trenches during the Great War. He tells his story in a detached, almost playful style, indicating a man who fought without fear.

by Captain George B. McKean, VC, MC, MM

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Only This

SiteAdmin — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 09:05:10 +0000

James Pedley served as a Lieutenant in the 4th Canadian Infantry from late 1917 to the end of the war. He was wounded at Amiens and awarded a Military Cross in the same action. Originally published in 1927, the book is unique in its detail about life behind the lines, and the infighting in a battalion.

His descriptions of his trench tours at Lens, Hill 70, the Quarry, Telegraph Hill, and Feuchy are without comparison. Mostly Pedley names names, he holds no punches in his views on his comrades and the war in general. This rare collector’s book is now back in print, with a biography and new footnotes.

by James H. Pedley, MC

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Vol. 7 – The Canadians At Amiens, August, 1918

SiteAdmin — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 08:58:07 +0000

For King & Empire, Vol. 7

The Battle of Amiens was the first major victory for the Canadians in what became ‘The Last Hundred Days.’ On the first day of battle the Canadians advanced 12 km, and smashed the German Army. Over the next four days they pushed on another 6 km. It was bloody revenge as the Germans paid dearly for sinking a Canadian Hospital Ship and killing 14 Canadian nurses. Arthur Currie considered Amiens the greatest Canadian victory of the war.

This volume includes an historical Overview of the Battle; a Battlefield Tour of 9 Points (plus a tour of the Charge of Flowerdew’s Squadron at Moreuil); a list of 29 Cemeteries and memorials where the Canadians killed in Battle are commemorated or buried. Asides in the book include: The Llandovery Castle, the Charge at Moreuil Wood, Andy Mynarski VC, and The German Offensive 1918. Profusely illustrated with maps, photos and drawings, and includes a fold-out Tour map at the back of the book.

This volume was included in the TV series, For King & Empire, Eps 5. The DVD covers the battle like the book, and is literally a walking tour.

by Norm Christie

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Vol. 5 – The Canadians At Arras, August – September, 1918

SiteAdmin — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 08:01:56 +0000

For King & Empire, Vol. 5 (Revised Edition 2005)

Only two weeks after striking a crushing blow on the German Army at Amiens, the Canadian Corps struck again against one of the most crucial German positions on the Western Front. Four German Lines blocked the Canadian advance towards Cambrai, including the formidable Drocourt-Queant Line, the northern extension of the infamous Hindenburg Line. In one the most superbly coordinated and executed attacks the Canadians broke through each successive line, launching the decisive attack on the D-Q Line when still fighting for their jump-off positions. It was a stunning victory against the very best the Germans had.

This volume includes an historical Overview of the Battle; a Battlefield Tour of 11 Points; a list of 21 Cemeteries and memorials where the Canadians killed in Battle are commemorated or buried. Asides in the book include: Capturing a Village, The Dawn of Peace and many Biographies. Profusely illustrated with maps, photos and drawings, and includes a fold-out Tour map at the back of the book.

This volume was included in the TV series, For King & Empire, Eps 5. The DVD covers the battle like the book, and is literally a walking tour.

by Norm Christie

The post Vol. 5 – The Canadians At Arras, August – September, 1918 first appeared on Battlefields.ca.