New Books, a Family Tree and a Flag

A bit of miscellany for this post.

The Spring 2009 catalogue for the UBC Press is out and contains three new publications of particular interest to students of Canadian military history:

Bennett, Y.A. (Ed.), Kiss the kids for dad, Don't forget to write: The Wartime Letters of George Timmins, 1916-18 (July 2009);

"Between 1916 and 1918, Lance-Corporal George Timmins, a British-born soldier who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, wrote faithfully to his wife and children. Sixty-three letters and four fragments survived.

These letters tell the compelling story of a man who, while helping his fellow Canadians make history at Vimy, Lens, Passchendaele, and Amiens, used letters home to remain a presence in the lives of his wife and children, and who drew strength from his family to appreciate life's simple pleasures. Timmin's letters offer a rare glimpse into the experiences and relationships and the quiet heroism of ordinary soldiers on the Western Front."

Carroll, Michael K., Pearson's Peacekeepers: Canada and the United Nations Emergency Force, 1956-67 (May 2009):

"In 1957 Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize for creating the United Nations Emergency Force during the Suez Crisis. The award launched Canada's love affair with, and reputation for, peacekeeping. Pearson's Peacekeepers explores the reality behind the rhetoric by offering a detailed account of the UNEF's decade-long effort to keep peace along the Egyptian-Israeli border. The operation was a tremendous achievement, yet the UNEF also encountered formidable challenges and problems. This nuanced account of Canada's participation in the UNEF not only challenges received notions of Canadian identity and history but will also help students, policy makers, and concerned citizens to accurately evaluate international peacekeeping efforts in the present."

Shaw, Amy J., Crisis of Conscience: Conscientious Objection in Canada during the First World War (November 2008):

"The First World War's appalling death toll and the need for a sense of equality of sacrifice on the home front led to Canada's first experience of overseas conscription. While historians have focused on resistance to enforced military service in Quebec, this has obscured the important role of those who saw military service as incompatible with their religious or ethical beliefs. Crisis of Conscience is the first and only book about the Canadian pacifists who refused to fight in the Great War. The experience of these conscientious objectors offers insight into evolving attitudes about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship during a key period of Canadian nation building.

This book will appeal to readers interested in Canadian military and peace history. The book is also relevant to those concerned with questions of voluntarism and obligation in a democratic society, and issues of gender history and minority freedom and identity."

I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Bennett's book on George Timmins. I often find the thoughts of an "other rank" to be particularly insightful and the First World War is easily my favourite period of Canadian military history.

This past Wednesday, The Globe and Mail ran an obituary piece by Buzz Bourdon on the late Jean-Antoine de Lotbinière Panet. Talk about Canada's military heritage being wrapped up in one family. In general, the story of the Panet family isn't completely unknown, Jacques Gouin and Lucien Brault having written Les Panet de Québec : histoire d'une lignée militaire in 1984 (translated as Legacy of Honour: The Panets, Canada's foremost military family in 1985).

Finally, I've been holding onto the reference for a story from yourbarrhaven.com (Barrhaven is a suburb of Ottawa) since February. Titled "Algonquin students preserve Canadian history", the article describes how two Algonquin College museum studies students - Michelle Hunter and Meredith Thompson - were working on preserving a Royal Union Flag (Union Jack) and a Red Cross flag belonging to the Prince Edward Island Regimental Museum in Charlottetown. It appears both flags were flown by No. 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital (the first Canadian unit to serve on the continent during the First World War) in France. I'd love to know how things worked out with the preservation process. Très cool.

A Thought on Archival Collections

I recently sent off an electronic resources piece to Mike Bechthold at Canadian Military History for the next issue on the archival catalogue for the Canadian War Museum archives. In the course of researching the piece I noticed a finding aid for their General Currie papers, and in it was the mention of two Currie items re the 38th Battalion, CEF. Now, I've been researching the history of the 38th for a long time now, and am well into writing the battalion's history, but here were two items I hadn't seen yet, even though I've been to the CWM archives a few times now. Makes me wonder what else I've missed. Even more problematic, it makes me wonder what else is out there that is relevant that I don't even know about. At the same time, if such concerns gain the upper hand, then an historian would never finish a project.

This and That

First, the science. I've just finished reading Bill Bryson's 2003 A Short History of Nearly Everything, a history of science and scientists aimed decidedly at the non-scientist. It's pretty much intended as an overview of scientific accomplishments in fields ranging from astronomy to quantum physics to molecular biology. It's written in a popular tone, no particular scientific foreknowledge needed (thankfully, otherwise I'd never get through it with my Grade 10 science (I only took Physics after that). A very enjoyable and informative read.

What does it have to do with Canadian military history? Absolutely nothing. I try to force myself on occasion to read material way outside my norm. I find it helps keep my interests a little more balanced, and helps me try to get some other perspectives on my own work. What does Bryson's book do for me as a military historian, other than confirm that Canada's military heritage is extremely recent in the big picture? Well, for one thing, it revealed a pattern of narrative which I'd love to see mimiced by a Canadian military historian. We hear and read lots about how Canadians don't know their own history, including their military history. If there were a Canadian military history text along the narrative patterns of Bryson's work, I think we'd see a few more heads turned. This isn't a shot at any of the existing work, just an observation.

Now for something completely different, as they say.

The July 2009 new books list is out on the Library and Archives Canada website and has, as usual, some interesting new titles to announce, including:

Bercuson, David J., The Fighting Canadians: Our Regimental History from New France to Afghanistan (Toronto, 2009);

Engen, Robert C., Canadians Under Fire: Infantry Effectiveness in the Second World War (Montreal, 2009);

Hillier, Rick, A Soldier First: Bullets, Bureaucrats and the Politics of War (Toronto, 2009);

Inches, Cyrus F., Uncle Cy's War: The First World War Letters of Major Cyrus F. Inches (Fredericton, 2009); and

Vance, Jonathan F., Unlikely Soldiers: How two Canadians fought the Secret War against Nazi Occupation (Toronto, 2009).

From the titles alone, I'm quite interested in reading Engen's book on the infantry during the Second World War. I'll also be curious to see Hillier's memoirs, although as a civil servant I admit to cringing whenever I see "bureaucrat" and its usual negative connotations appear anywhere.

Latest Issue of Canadian Military History

I've received and read the Spring 2009 issue (vol.18, no.2) of Canadian Military History from the good folks at the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. This issue includes the following articles:

Brennan, Patrick, "'Completely Worn Out by Service in France': Combat Stress and Breakdown among Senior Officers in the Canadian Corps";

Brown, Eric and Tim Cook, "The Hendershot Brothers in the Great War";

Evans, Ivor, "Comparison of British and American Areas in Normandy in terms of Fire Support and its Effects (AORG Report No.292);

Manulak, Michael W., "Equal Partners, Though Not of Equal Strength: The Military Diplomacy of General Charles Foulkes and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization";

Ridler, Jason S., "From Nagasaki to Toronto: Omond Solandt and the Defence Research Board's Early Vision of Atomic Warfare, 1945-1947"; and

Sarty, Roger and Bruce Ellis, "Connaught Battery and the Defence of the Atlantic Coast, 1906-1941".

I was particularly interested in Patrick Brennan's piece on combat stress amongst the senior leaders of the Canadian Corps. (This is not a comment on the other articles, just a reflection of my particular myopic interests). Study senior personnel and staff officers long enough and it's often apparent that the effects of war can be just as psychologically damaging to them as to other, more continuously "front line" personnel, even if the opportunities for physical injury are less common. Within my own research on the 38th Battalion, CEF, I've long found it amazing that Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron Macpherson Edwards, commanding officer of the 38th, lasted as long as he did. He took over the reins of the battalion in Canada in January 1915 and commanded the 38th in the field from its deployment in August 1916 to September 1918 (less time wounded, on leave, or acting as brigadier), by which time he was 37 years old. On the other hand, Major Thain Wendell MacDowell, one of Canada's Victoria Cross recipients, did not fare as well psychologically, his war ending in 1917 when battlefield trauma accumulated beyond the breaking point.

Unfortunately, there was no "electronic resources" piece by me in this edition of CMH. That was my fault, as I simply did not get someting submitted in time. I should make the next issue.

Oh, by the way, many thanks for the e-mails I've received since my last post welcoming me back and offering assistance.

Let's Try This Again

I'm back, hopefully for good. I was never happy with giving up The Cannon's Mouth, but I didn't feel I had much of a choice. I've spent some time thinking about how I could resume posting in the limited time I have available. For now, the conclusion I've reached is that I'll try and post once a week or more if possible, on books or articles I've read, on material I've run across, work I'm doing or other projects I've heard of. Given my time restraints I won't be trying to present everything that's new out there, but will focus on what interests me most. After all, it's my blog.

Among the many items of interest in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Military History, there is a very interesting article by Brian Holden Reid, titled "Michael Howard and the Evolution of Modern War Studies". I found this piece to be extremely interesting, helping me to place into a larger context the work of someone that I've always found to be extremely interesting, very well-written and thought provoking. I actually graduated with a PhD in German history and Howard's The Franco-Prussian War still appeals to me as a model of how to write about such a conflict. As a strong proponent of the war studies / war and society school of historical inquiry, as shown by the following excerpt where he writes about the French defeat resulting from problems with command and that nation's military system, his work continues to be of relevance for Canadian military historians: "...and the military system of a nation is not an independent section of the social system but an aspect of it in its totality."

The End

It is with much disappointment that I must make this my final post on The Cannon's Mouth.  Researching and writing this blog has been a great experience for me.  However, increasing work and family committments and responsibilities make it obvious that I no longer have the time available to give to this blog.  I truly wish it were otherwise.  Thank you for reading.

New Books at Library and Archives Canada (November and December 2008)

Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.ca) has released its new books lists for November and December 2008. The lists includes the following items of interest (including some not yet released for sale and some which seem to have been out for sale for a while now) with respect to Canadian military history:

Benn, Carl, Mohawks on the Niles: Natives Among the Canadian Voyageurs in Egypt, 1884-1885 (Toronto, 2009);

Duff, R.L. Duane, Waskesiu: Canada's First Frigate (Surrey, BC, 2008);

Mark C. Hunter, To Employ and Uplift Them: The Newfoundland Naval Reserve, 1899-1926 (St. John's, NL, 2009);

McGeer, Eric, The Canadian Battlefields in Italy: Sicily & Southern Italy (Waterloo, ON, 2008);

Tibbs, Brian, They Did Not Return [war dead of St. Catharines, ON] (St. Catharines, ON, 2008); and

Wyse, Robert, Bamboo Cage: The POW Diary of Flight Lieutenant Robert Wyse, 1942-1943 (Fredericton, NB, 2009).

MA theses and PhD dissertations - part 29

More results from the Library and Archives Canada theses portal - MAs and PhDs with specific reference to Canadian military history (some have direct links to their PDFed versions):

 

Dean Andrew Chappelle, "The most brilliant of successes: The Planning and Implementation of the Battle of Amiens, 8-11 August, 1918", MA thesis, University of New Brunswick, 1992;

 

Robert Douglas Day, "The British Army and Sport in Canada: Case Studies of the Garrisons at Halifax, Montreal and Kingston to 1871", PhD dissertation, University of Alberta, 1981;

 

Douglas Edward Delaney, "The Soldiers' General: Bert Hoffmeister as Military Commander", PhD dissertation, The Royal Military College of Canada, 2003;

 

Monique Delaney, "Le Canada est un pais de Bois: Forest Resources and Shipbuilding in New France, 1660-1760", PhD dissertation, McGill University, 2004;

 

Patrick J. Delaney, "The Canadian Decision to Enter NATO: A Case-Study in Bureaucratic Politics", MA thesis, Dalhousie University, 1984;

 

Robert Scott Demill, "The 1928 Cobourg Libel Trial of Sir Arthur Currie and the Port Hope Evening Guide: The Rehabilitation of the Reputation of a Corps Commander", MA thesis, University of Ottawa, 1989;

 

Dean Frederick Oliver, "When the Battle's Won: Military Demobilization in Canada, 1939-1946", PhD dissertation, York University, 1996;

 

Deidré Rowe-Brown, "Public Attitudes towards Canadian Women during and immediately after World War Two", MA thesis, University of Toronto, 1992;

 

Dean C. Ruffilli, "Operational Research and the Royal Canadian Air Force Eastern Air Command's Search for Efficiency in Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare, 1942-1945", MA thesis, Wilfrid Laurier University, 2001 [direct PDF link]; and

 

Amy Dawn George Wheaton, "Canadian-Irish Relations during the Second World War: The Ascension of Canadian Middle Power Diplomacy", MA thesis, University of New Brunswick, 2005.

Latest issue of War in History

The latest issue of the journal War in History - vol.16, no.1 (2009) - is out and includes the following item of interest to readers of Canadian military history: Erica M. Charters, "Disease, Wilderness Warfare, and Imperial Relations: The Battle for Quebec, 1759-1760". The abstract for the article reads as follows:

"During the siege at Quebec, 1759—60, which followed the battle on the Plains of Abraham, high rates of disease contributed to the British defeat by French forces in April 1760. While historians have not previously discussed military medical preventative measures, a detailed examination of the siege demonstrates sophisticated attempts to adapt to a foreign environment and its disease, as well as how disease contributed to the development of American provincial and British antagonism and perceptions of difference."

My Return

I went back to work today after nearly three weeks on post-deployment leave and thought it's also about time I resumed posting on The Cannon's Mouth. While on leave I finished a couple of books on Canadian military history - both on First World War subjects, which I freely admit is my favourite period of study.

The first book I finished was Mark Zuehlke's Brave Battalion: The Remarkable Saga of the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) in the First World War (Mississauga, ON, 2008). Although a useful introduction to the story of the 16th Battalion, CEF, during the war - and a well written text to boot (as Zuehlke's books are) - I came away wondering what it actually added to the story of the 16th Battalion not already covered in more detail in H.M. Urquhart's The History of the 16th Battalion (The Canadian Scottish), Canadian Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1919 (Toronto, 1932).

Next, I finished reading Andrew Iarocci's Shoestring Soldiers: The 1st Canadian Division at War, 1914-1915 (Toronto, 2008). I found this to be a very fresh view of the subject (based on his doctoral dissertation), the author openly wondering whether there was more to the 1st Canadian Division than traditionally it has been credited with during the first year of its existence. The text reflects indepth research and many newer approaches to the study of military history. I'd like to see Iarocci continue with his study of the division, carrying its story forward from late 1915 through to the end of the war.