‘A Grand Day’: Dominion Day 1918
Monday, July 1st, 1918 represented a major confluence of minor blessings for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Unable to predict that the war would be over before the closing of the year, military leaders were taking steps to ensure their forces were trained, equipped, and rested for the battles ahead. For the CEF, this meant a […]
The Liberation of Mons and the Signing of the Armistice
The hundred days campaign had forced the German army into full retreat. German morale hit a new low as death, starvation, and sickness eroded motivation to carry on. Nevertheless, German rear-guards continued to show strong pockets of resistance as it retreated towards the city of Mons. On 7 November, the Canadian Corps crossed into Belgium […]
Crossing the Canal du Nord: the ‘linchpin’ of the Hindenburg Line
After crashing the Drocourt-Quéant Line on 2 September, the Canadian Corps could take a well-deserved rest and begin preparations for their next obstacle: The Canal du Nord. While allied forces continued their operations throughout September, Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Currie needed to develop a strategy to cross the heavily fortified canal where enemy positions were […]
“In this wilderness of flooded shell holes:” Canadians remember Passchendaele
“After a march all night, losing our way, falling in shell holes, slipping, and losing our tin hats in them, and having to fish them out, and the odd shells dropping around us. We were getting nearer to where we were supposed to dig in and hold the line. We couldn’t see much in the […]
Hill 70: Our Forgotten Battle
August 15th marked the centenary of the Battle of Hill 70, the Canadian Corps’ next large engagement after their success at Vimy Ridge in April 1917, and their second victory of the year. It is also distinct in that it was the first Canadian battle planned exclusively by Arthur Currie, now the commander of the […]
