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Sacred Places Complete 3-Volume Bundle

SiteAdmin — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 18:14:32 +0000

Sacred Places; Volume I; Belgium, tells the stories of the 168 cemeteries that contain the graves of Canadians who died in Belgium during the Great War. As no bodies could be repatriated, the men rest among their comrades in the war cemeteries that dot the countryside, freezing history, and revealing the true story of the War. The Canadians buried in these immaculate cemeteries in the fields around Ypres, the infamous Ypres Salient, died in great battles, such as Second Ypres, Mount Sorrel, or Passchendaele, or in the quiet times, when death was never far away. More than 16,000 Canadians died near Ypres, 1915-1918. This book tells the history of the cemeteries and of the Canadian buried in them and is the companion series to For King & Empire.

Sacred Places; Volume II; In this Volume the details of 240 Great War cemeteries in France are explained, giving location, historical background and stories of the Canadians buried there. Covers all CWGC cemeteries that contain one or more Canadian burials, including the large sites to the small churchyards. Covers all units with hundreds of entries for Canadians in the RFC, RNAS, and RAF. It contains at detailed explanation of the Science of The Cemeteries, how to interpret the headstones, the layouts, and the Special memories that are found in most cemeteries. Plus The History of the Canadian Corps in France, Battalions of the Canadian Corps, Timeline, etc. Includes hundreds of photos. The Companion series to For King & Empire.

Sacred Places; Volume III; Covers all CWGC cemeteries that contain one or more Canadian burials, including the large sites to the small churchyards. Covers all units with hundreds of entries for Canadians in the RFC, RNAS, and RAF. It contains at detailed explanation of the Science of The Cemeteries, how to interpret the headstones, the layouts, and the Special memories that are found in most cemeteries. Plus The History of the Canadian Corps in France, Battalions of the Canadian Corps, Timeline, etc. Includes hundreds of photos. The Companion series to For King & Empire.

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Sacred Places Volume 3: Canadian Cemetaries of The Great War, France L thru Z

SiteAdmin — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 19:04:43 +0000

Sacred Places; Volume III; France L-Z:

In this Volume the details of 241 Great War cemeteries in France and explained, giving location, historical background and stories of the Canadians buried there.

Covers all CWGC cemeteries that contain one or more Canadian burials, including the large sites to the small churchyards. Covers all units with hundreds of entries for Canadians in the RFC, RNAS, and RAF. It contains at detailed explanation of the Science of The Cemeteries, how to interpret the headstones, the layouts, and the Special memories that are found in most cemeteries.

Plus The History of the Canadian Corps in France, Battalions of the Canadian Corps, Timeline, etc. Includes hundreds of photos. The Companion series to For King & Empire.

Two Examples:

Lampaul Churchyard, S9E

Lampaul is on the Ile D’Ouessant, 25 km off the French Coast, 60 km west of Brest. It contains five Commonwealth graves of men whose remains washed ashore. One is an identified Canadian.

The Reverend Donald McPhail of Perth, Ontario, was the Padre on the HMHS Llandovery Castle. It was sunk by a German U-boat on June 27th, 1918, drowning most of the medical staff, including 14 Canadian Nursing Sisters (Halifax Memorial). Three of those lost later washed up along the Atlantic coast, including Reverend McPhail (SE Corner). See also Les Baraques.

Parentis-En-Born Communal Cemetery

Parentis-en-Born is 34 km south Arcachon, which is 30 km SW of Bordeux, along the Atlantic coast. The cemetery is on the east side of the village. It contains one Canadian burial.

William Heaslip serving with the 57th Coy, CFC, was found dead, January 12th, 1919. There was no investigation as to how he died (NE Corner).

By Norm Christie

The post Sacred Places Volume 3: Canadian Cemetaries of The Great War, France L thru Z first appeared on Battlefields.ca.

Battery Action

SiteAdmin — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 21:31:18 +0000

There cannot be a book with a more tragic history than Battery Action! It was started by Hugh Kay at Christmas, 1916, to serve as a record of the 43rd Howitzer Battery, Canadian Field Artillery. Kay recorded the characters in the unit, and the entertainments of The Boys. Unfortunately Kay was killed at Passchendaele in 1917. His manuscript was found in his backpack, and the project was continued by George Magee. Magee died of wounds in September 1918. Once again others continued the work, and in 1920 the book was finally finished.

Yet the book is far from tragic. It is full of humourous anecdotes, details of daily life, and serves as a testament to the character and courage of the men of the 43rd Howitzer Battery. There is no indication the authors were working with the shadow of death hanging over them. Battery Action! gives an exceptional view into the lives of the artilleryman on the Western Front, and is a unique contribution to the literature of the period.

The post Battery Action first appeared on Battlefields.ca.

Unknown Soldiers by One Of Them

SiteAdmin — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 20:56:06 +0000

Unknown Soldiers by One of Them was published anonymously by Vantage Press, NY, in 1959. It is a uniquely Canadian story, and unusual in several ways. It is the only memoir by a Canadian Engineer, and one of very few that cover the war period completely from Valcartier in 1914 until demobilization in 1919.

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Lost Battlefields: The Battles of Mount Sorrel and Hill 70

SiteAdmin — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 21:10:35 +0000

Historian, Norm Christie, examines the old battlefields, visiting the cemeteries and memorials that hold the secrets to the legacy and sacrifices of the Canadians in the Battles of Mount Sorrel and Hill 70. These two battles (not covered in For King & Empire) cost Canada 5,000 dead, but few remember what their names. They were two vital battles that contributed to the ongoing development of the Canadian Corps. The first, Mount Sorrel, was fought near the Belgian city of Ypres in June 1916. Initially it was a catastrophic defeat and an embarrassment for the Canadians who were driven from their positions with staggering loses. But under a new General, Julian Byng, and with proper organization and execution the Canadians are able to win back their positions with a stunning night attack, and redeem their tarnished reputation, and learn, if they do it right, they can beat anyone.

The second part of the show covers the Battle of Hill 70, just north of Lens. It is the first battle with the Canadian, Arthur Currie in charge. Really Hill 70 was a diversionary attack, meant to draw German troops down from Ypres, but Currie thought it was an opportunity to inflict terrible losses on the Germans, who he knew would counter-attack to win back Hill 70, which dominated the coal mines of Lens. Currie orchestrated a brilliant set-piece battle that cost the Germans an estimated 30,000 casualties. It was a brilliant victory for the new General.

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