Upcoming activities at the Canadian War Museum

The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa has a couple of upcoming activities of interest to those looking for events in Canadian military history, including:

Richard O. Mayne, author of Betrayed: Scandal, Politics and Canadian Naval Leadership, speaking on his book for the "CWM book club" on Thursday, 10 April, at 6.00 p.m.; and

the book launch of Michael Petrou's Renegades: Canadians in the Spanish Civil War (UBC Press, 2008) on Thursday, 17 April, at 7.00 p.m.

Military History Speakers' Series at WLU for Winter 2008

Note: Whitney Lackenbauer's presentation below has been delayed and will be rescheduled at a later date.

The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and the Department of History at the University of Waterloo are co-sponsoring their Military History Speakers' Series for Winter 2008. The presentations in Canadian military history include:

Dr. Roger Sarty, Wilfrid Laurier University, "Forgotten Battles: Recovering the Story of Canada's Fight Against the U-Boats in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1942-1944", 31 January, 7.00 p.m., University of Waterloo, Centre for Environmental and Information Technology, Room 1015;

Dr. Whitney Lackenbauer, St. Jerome's University, University of Waterloo, "Battlegrounds: The Canadian Military and Aboriginal Lands", 4 March, 7.00 p.m., Laurier Military Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, 232 King Street;

Major Brent Beardsley, Canadian Forces Leadership Institute, "Lessons Learned from the Rwandan Genocide", 26 March, 7.00 p.m., University of Waterloo, exact location TBD.

Upcoming Canadian Museum of Civilization Lecture

The next presentation in the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation Internal Brown Bag Speaker Series will feature Pamela Peacock, from Queen's University, speaking on "Redcoats and Petticoats: Interpreting the Lives and Work of Women within a British Garrison at Fort Henry National Historic Site". The talk will take place on Thursday, 13 March 2008, at 12.00-1.00 p.m., in the Cascades Salon, Canadian Museum of Civilization, 100, rue Laurier, Gatineau, Quebec. For further information you can contact Rhonda Hinther, Curator, Western Canadian History, at rhonda.hinther@civilization.ca

Lectures at The Military Museums (in Calgary)

Calgary's The Military Museums continues its series of lectures in the early months of 2008 including (each talk begins at 7.30 p.m., preceded by a cocktail reception one hour earlier):

Stephane Guevremont, "Shipbusters" [404 Squadron, RCAF], 21 February 2008;

Christine Leppard, "Task Forces and Tactical Innovations: Re-thinking the Liri Valley Campaign, Italy 1944", 20 March 2008;

Alison Mercer, "Evaluating the Soldier's General: An Analytical and Comparative Study of Bert Hoffmeister's Command Approach", 27 March 2008;

Norman Leach, "The Making of Passchendaele" [the movie], 3 April 2008; and

Russell Benneweis, "Training of the Canadian Army", 17 April 2008.

Annual Meeting of the National Council on Public History

I recently received the programme for the Annual Meeting of the National Council on Public History, titled "Public Histories of Union and Disunion", to be held at The Brown Hotel, in Louisville, Kentucky, from 10 to 13 April 2008. It's an interesting gathering, particularly to someone like me who works in the public history field. Usually, however, I wouldn't mention it on this blog, except that this year there will actually be a presentation involving Canadian military history. In the session labeled "Contested History: Museum Presentations and Controversy" one of the speakers will be Dean Oliver of the Canadian War Museum, speaking on "Strategic Bombing and the Canadian War Museum".

McCrae House Lecture Series for 2008

This year's McCrae House Lecture Series is titled "1917-1918: Looking Back on the Decisive Years of World War One after Ninety Years" and includes three presentations:

24 January at 7.30 p.m., Andrew Iarocci, Canadian War Museum, presenting "The Hundred Days: Ordinary Soldiers in the 1918 Victory Offensives";

21 February at 7.30 p.m., Terry Copp, Wilfrid Laurier University, presenting "Robert Borden, Arthur Currie and Canada's War 1916-1918"; and

27 March at 7.30 p.m., Mark Humphries, University of Western Ontario,
presenting "Canadians and the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918: Myths and Reality".

All three presentations will be held at McCrae House, 108 Water Street, Guelph, Ontario.

Upcoming lecture on the latest tour of HMCS TORONTO

The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies is hosting a talk by Commander Stephen Virgin, commanding officer of HMCS Toronto, titled "Recent Deployments of HMCS Toronto and Canada's Naval Activities Overseas", on Wednesday, 16 January 2008, at 7.00 p.m., at the Laurier Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, 232 King Street, Kitchener, Ontario. HMCS Toronto recently returned to Canada after five months deployed on anti-terrorism duties in the Mediterranean Sea and having conducted a circumnavigation of Africa with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1.

Western Front Association Pacific Coast Branch's AGM and Seminar

This past week Peter Broznitsky announced on the Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group the programme for the the Western Front Association Pacific Coast Branch's Annual General Meeting and Seminar, 7-9 March 2008, to be held at the Officers' Mess, The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's), Bay Street Armoury, Victoria, British Columbia.

The programme begins with a social function at the mess, before proceeding to the annual general meeting. Papers on Canadian military history (there are also several non-Canadian subject lectures) to be presented include: Peter Broznitsky's "Forestry, Pioneer, and Railway Troops in the C.E.F." and Yvonne van Ruskenveld's "Canadian Women on Active Service in the Great War". In addition, the keynote speaker is Norman Leach, who will speak on "The Making of 'Passchendaele': The Movie". There will also be a mess dinner, a silent auction, and other opportunities for discussion.

Upcoming military history in museums lecture

Dr. Steve Muhlberger, history professor at Nipissing University (and a former prof of mine at Trent University nearly twenty years ago - I'm feeling kinda old all of a sudden), has posted notice for an upcoming lecture on his blog "Muhlberger's Early History", the information courtesy of Dr. Robin Gendron. On Thursday, 22 November, Dr. Dean Oliver, chief historian at the Canadian War Museum, will present "Bloodless Wars? Military History in Museums" at Nipissing history department's annual keynote address. Steve notes that Dean "...will be speaking about the challenges involved in presenting history and historical research at public institutions, a particularly germane topic given the controversy at the museum this past summer about its portrayal of the strategic bombing campaign against German during the Second World War." Admission to the talk is free, is open to the public, and will take place at 6.30 p.m. in room H106.

Upcoming presentation by Paul Dickson on General Crerar

Paul Dickson, with the Centre for Operational Research and Analysis, Department of National Defence, author of A Thoroughly Canadian General: A Biography of General H.D.G. Crerar (discussed here on 10 October) will be speaking about "General H.D.G. Crerar and an Army for Strategic Effect" on Thursday, 22 November, at 1900 hours, at the Laurier Military Centre, 232 King Street, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. For more information, visit www.canadianmilitaryhistory.com or contact Mike Bechthold at (519) 884-0710 ext 4594 or mbechthold@wlu.ca.

Symposium on Niagara's Military Past and Present

The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies is advertising a symposium on "Niagara's Military Past & Present" to be held on 9-10 November 2007 at the Lake Street Armouries, 81 Lake Street, St. Catharines, Ontario. Scheduled speakers include:

Terry Copp, Wilfrid Laurier University, "Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe, 1944-45";

John Grodzinski, The Royal Military College of Canada, "Men of Good Character and Intelligence: The Lincoln Militia in the War of 1812";

Russell Johnston and Michael Ripmeester, Brock University, "A Monument's Work is Never Done: The Watson Memorial, Memory and Forgetting in a Small Canadian City";

Mark Humphries, University of Western Ontario, "The Tunnels of Vimy"; and

Geoffrey Hayes, University of Waterloo, "The Battle for Bergen-op-Zoom, October 1944".

Further information can be requested from Geoffrey Hayes, (519)-888-4567 ext. 35138 and ghayes@uwaterloo.ca or Captain Chris White, (905)-685-6777 ext. 3531 and white.fcu@forces.gc.ca.

Upcoming lecture on the Bomber Command Controversy at the CWM

The Brigadier Milton F. Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society has announced an upcoming Remembrance Week Public Lecture by Dr. Serge Durflinger, Department of History, University of Ottawa, and former Second World War Gallery Manager at the Canadian War Museum, entitled "Bomber Campaign Controversy at the Canadian War Museum: Context and Perspective". This talk will take place in Tilley Hall, Room 102, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, at 7.30 p.m. on 7 November 2007. For further information, contact the centre at (506)-453-4587 or greggcentre@unb.ca.

Fall 2007 sessions of the Military History Speakers' Series

The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies of Wilfrid Laurier University and the Department of History of the University of Waterloo have cooperated to announce a handful of sessions for this fall in their Military History Speakers' Series.

Katharine McGowan, University of Waterloo, will speak on Thursday, 18 October, at 7.00 p.m., on "Rethinking the Boer War: Sam Steele and the Strathcona's Horse in South Africa." This presentation will be held at 232 King Street at Wilfrid Laurier University (across the from the Athletic Complex).

At 7.00 p.m. on Thursday, 1 November, MGen Tim Grant, Deputy Commander, CEFCOM HQ, will speak at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (formerly the Seagram Museum), 57 Erb St. W., Waterloo, on "Reflections of a Senior Commander in Afghanistan".

Paul Dickson, Centre for Operational Research and Analysis, Department of National Defence, will speak on Thursday, 22 November, at 7.00 p.m., at 232 King Street, on "General HDG Crerar and an Army for Strategic Effect".

On Thursday, 6 December, at 7.00 p.m. at the same location Tim Cook, Canadian War Museum, will speak on "Storm Troops: The Canadian Corps and the 1917 Battles".

For more information on this series contact Geoffrey Hayes (ghayes@uwaterloo.ca) or Mike Bechthold (mbechthold@wlu.ca).

Vimy, Vimy, Vimy

Not surprisingly, as the 90th anniversary of the Canadian attack on Vimy Ridge approaches, news about publications and ceremonies are coming fast and furious. Here are some of those I know of:

The book, Vimy Ridge: A Canadian Reassessment, edited by Geoffrey Hayes, Andrew Iarocci and Mike Bechthold has been published. The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies is inviting anyone interested to the official book launch on Monday, 9 April, at 7.00 p.m., in the Senate and Board Chamber, Wilfrid Laurier University. As the press release notes, the book "began with the premise that there was still much more to learn about the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The collection offers new insights on the battle with articles by" Mike Bechthold, Michael Boire, Patrick Brennan, David Campbell, Tim Cook, Serge Durflinger, Paul Dickson, Andrew Godefroy, Jacqueline Hucker, Mark Humphries, Andrew Iarocci, Heather Moran, Bill Rawling, Gary Sheffield and Jonathan Vance. The launch will also incorporate brief presentations by Bechthold, Hayes, Humphries, Iarocci and Moran.

The Department of History, University of Regina, and the Humanities Research Institute are presenting "Vimy Ridge: Interpreting the Battle 90 Years Later" on Monday, 9 April, at 7.30 p.m., in the Language Institute Theatre (LI 215), University of Regina. As the release states: "The Canadian Corps captured Vimy Ridge on Easter Monday 9 April 1917. This coming Easter Monday, the 90th anniversary of the battle, two historians examine the significance of this pivotal event in the evolution of Canada as a nation." Dr. Ian Germani will speak on "The Military Significance of Vimy Ridge" and Dr. James M. Pitsula on "The Cultural Significance of Vimy Ridge".

The media is reporting that a special ceremony marking the 90th anniversary will be held at Queen's Park, the Ontario legislature in Toronto, beginning at 9.45 a.m. at the Veterans' Memorial Wall, located in front of the legislature. The event will include two minutes of silence, the playing of the last post and speeches by Premiere Dalton McGuinty and others.

Amongst all of the various activities going on in Ottawa on Easter weekend (see the Veterans Affairs Canada and Canadian War Museum websites) one seemingly unique ceremony will take place on the evening of Sunday, 8 April. The media is reporting that at 7.30 p.m. the lights surrounding the National War Memorial will be turned off and an overnight vigil will be mounted to honour those who served at Vimy. The names of the nearly 3,600 men killed in the battle will be projected in light on the walls of the memorial until sunrise the next morning and photographs of at least eighty soldiers who survived the Vimy battle will also be projected on the side of the memorial. A simulcast of the event will be hosted on the project's website.

I'm sure there's much more to come.

Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War

I had an opportunity today, fortunate that I am to live in Ottawa (you don't hear that phrase too often), to visit the Canadian War Museum. The main purpose of my visit was to take a look at the new "Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War" exhibit. As the CWM's brochure puts it: "This powerful exhibition goes beyond the headlines to capture Canada's participation in the international security mission in Afghanistan. Detailing Canada's efforts to help Afghans rebuild a country shattered by years of war, this exhibition uncovers personal stories drawn from the chaos of battle and the struggle for peace."

The exhibition was interesting, although not particularly informative for me. In the CWM's defence on that count - I'm sure I'm not their target audience, i.e. someone keeping up with Canadian Forces' operations in Afghanistan as much as time will allow. The exhibition does a good job of outlining Canada's involvement in Afghanistan since 9/11 and would, therefore, be excellent for the visitor who is interested, but hasn't kept up with the news on Canadian activities there.

It is artefact minimal, in the sense that there isn't a lot on display aside from newspaper pages, video clips, and graphic artwork. That is partly a reflection, in my opinion, of modern museum style (a style that goes way beyond the CWM), and undoubtedly a reflection of the difficulty in coming up with many items from a conflict so recent (and ongoing). That said, it was very interesting to see the .50 calibre sniper rifle Canadian troops are currently using to such great effect (it's a very impressive piece of kit) and a destroyed G-Wagen.

All in all, a very interesting display, and one well worth seeing.

A few of the events coming up at the Canadian War Museum in April and May include:

Terry Copp speaking on "The Art of Command", "...the challenges faced in 1944-45 by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, best known for his role in the liberation of Northwest Europe", at 7.00 p.m. on April 26 in the Barney Danson Theatre;

A performance of "No Man's Land: On July 1, 1916, a generation of Newfoundland's best and brightest was virtually wiped out at the battle of Beaumont Hamel. Witness this moving play and discover why this July morning will never be forgotten", at 8.00 p.m. on both April 27 and 28 in the Barney Danson Theatre;

Mark Ward speaking on "Honouring an Unlucky Lady: HMCS Athabaskan", recounting his 2003 scuba dive "in the English Channel to his grandfather's submerged gravesite. He will discuss the mysterious Second World War sinking of Canada's HMCS Athabaskan", at 7.00 p.m. on May 10 in the Barney Danson Theatre; and

Stephen Thorne speaking on "War Stories from Afghanistan", discussing how he "photographed Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2004. His work reveals his encounters with human stories of loss, conflict and reconstruction in Canada's most recent chapter of military history", at 7.00 p.m. on May 24 in the Barney Danson Theatre.

Military History Speaker Series at Laurier Centre

Mike Bechthold at The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies, Wilfried Laurier University, has sent me the dates and titles for the Military History Speaker Series for Winter 2007, sponsored by the centre and the Department of History, University of Waterloo. The first is Colonel Mike Capstick (ret'd), speaking on "Canada and Afghanistan: A Military Perspective", on Thursday, 1 February 2007, at 4.00 p.m., in Room NC104, Wilfrid Laurier University, Northdale Campus.

The next speaker is Terry Copp, Wilfried Laurier University, speaking on "Dieppe: An Interactive Decision-Making Exercise", on Thursday, 8 February 2007 at 7.00 p.m., in Room 1015, of the Centre for Environmental and Information Technology, University of Waterloo.

The third speaker is James Wood, Wilfrid Laurier University, speaking on "The Devil's Brigade: First Special Service Force in Italy, 1943-1944", on Thursday, 1 March 2007, at 7.00 p.m., in the same location as Copp's presentation.
UPDATE: This presentation has been moved in date and location to Wednesday, 21 March 2007, at 7.00 p.m., at Wilfrid Laurier University, Science Building, Room N1044.

Admission for all of the presentations is free.

Grant Dawson's new book on Somalia

Grant Dawson, a sessional lecturer in history at the University of Ottawa and sessional lecturer in political science at Carleton University, has recently published "Here is Hell": Canada's Engagement in Somalia with the University of British Columbia Press. Part political science, part history, the publisher describes the book as follows:

"For many Canadians, events during the mission ot Somalia in the early 1990s remain a stain on our reputation as one of the world's most respected peacekeeping nations. Grant Dawson's analysis of political, diplomatic, and military decision making avoids a narrow focus on the shocking offences of a few Canadian soldiers, deftly investigating the broader context of the deployment.

"Dawson draws on interviews with key participants and documents made available under the Access to Information Act. He shows how media pressure, government optimism about the United Nations, and the Canadian traditions of multilateralism and peacekeeping all helped to determine the level, length, and tenor of the country's operations in Somalia. His findings will undoubtedly play a seminal role in informing scholarly debate about this important period in Canadian diplomacy and military engagement.

"One of the first scholarly examinations of the Somalia operation, Here is Hell will interest military and Canadian historians, policy analysts, political scientists, and those concerned with Canadian foreign, defence, and diplomatic history."

For those of you in Ottawa, Grant will be speaking on his book at the Centre for Security and Defence Studies at Carleton University on Monday, January 8. RSVPs were requested by today (perhaps there's still room) at csds@carleton.ca or 613-520-2600 ext. 6671.

Upcoming lectures at The Military Museums

The Military Museums (formerly The Museum of the Regiments) in Calgary has a series of military history lectures coming up in January and February 2007 of potential interest to readers of The Cannon's Mouth. Details on the exact timings and locations for each of these can be found on the museum's website.

On Thursday, January 11, the museums' new senior curator, Rory Cory, will speak on the subject of "British Light Infantry in the Seven Years War in North America". As the release notes, this was "saw tactical developments in many armies. The particular focus of this talk will be the influence of the North American battlefield on the British Army, with an emphasis on the development of light infantry. [...] Lessons learned during this conflict would continue to be expanded in the years to come and in later manifestations would form the theoretical basis for certain Canadian units such as Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry."

Two weeks later, on Thursday, January 25, folk singer, song-writer and poet Phyllis Wheaton will present a "story, song and slide-show presentation" titled "The Stones of Signal Hill". Using letters written by a First World War soldier (David Argo) to his wife and other museum material, she will introduce stories on the local Calgary landmark.

On Thursday, February 8, Nancy Townshend, an historian and content special for the Virtual Museum of Canada, will present "Maxwell Bates: The expression of an artist's prisoner of war experience". Her talk will focus on the "effect of Maxwell Bates' POW experience in a German salt mine in Stalag ICX 1940-1945 on his notable art."

Finally, on February 22, Captain Hub Gray (ret'd), former officer in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, will discuss "his exploits as being part of the first Canadian unit sent to Korea. The Battle of Kapyong is examined while shedding light on the valiant actions of several comrades, the effect of the poorly led South Korean army, details about unreported biological mass murders and the unrelenting will of the people of Korea to live in freedom."

Some talks coming up....really soon

Late notice on these ones. Terry Copp, from Wilfrid Laurier University, will speak on "From Courcelette to Kandahar: The Canadian Infantryman at War" at the University of Waterloo, Centre for Environmental and Information Technology, room 1015 (off Phillip Street), on Wednesday, 8 November, at 7.00 p.m. The following evening, Thursday, 9 November, at 7.00 p.m., Mike Bechthold, Communications Director at the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies, will speak at the Main Library, Auditorium, Waterloo Public Library, on the subject of "Vimy Ridge". A little further into the future, Lieutenant-Commander Albert Wong, of the Canadian Forces, will speak on "Reflections on a Year in Afghanistan" at the University of Waterloo, Centre for Environmental and Information Technology, room 1015 (off Phillip Street), on Wednesay, 22 November at 7.00 p.m.

Laurier military history speakers' series

The Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and the history department at the University of Waterloo will hold their first talk of their 2007 Military History Speakers' Series on Wednesday, 20 September. Dr. Stephen Hart, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK, will speak on "The Battles for Tilly-la-Campagne: Normandy 1944", in particular the Canadian and British attempts to capture that village in July and August 1944. The talk will begin at 7.00 p.m. in the U of W's Centre for Environmental and Information Technology, Room 1015. Anyone looking for further information can contact Mike Bechthold (mbechthold@wlu.ca) or Geoff Hayes (ghayes@uwaterloo.ca).