Vimy – Page 2 – Memory and Valour

Vimy Ridge: Birth of a Nation, Cost of a Generation

April 9th, 1917.

Dawn breaks over Vimy Ridge, and with it, a nation steps forward.

For the first time, all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fight together.
What follows becomes legend; built on precision, planning, and unshakable courage.

This is the moment Canada came of age.

🎧 Listen now to my latest episode and experience Vimy like never before.

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Wilfred Chapman was born on April 25, 1898 in Peterborough, England. He came to Canada when he was about 14 years old. He moved to Toronto to live with his brother who had preceded him to this country. He enlisted in the Canadian Army when he was about 16 years old. On his arrival in England, he was assigned to a field engineers company. Mr. Chapman died in Peterborough, Ontario on October 29, 1997. ++++ When asked if it was very bloody being the 1^st wave over the top, he drifts and evades the actual question.

Roy Henley was born in London, Ontario on September 29, 1898. After enlisting in Toronto in 1916 with the 166th Queens Own Rifles, he was discharged with suspected tuberculosis. Mr. Henley re-enlisted, sailed to England aboard the horse transport SS Welshman, and joined the Quebec Regiment. Mr. Henley’s recollections are detailed, sometimes graphic and occasionally humorous. His experiences spanned many battles; the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, Cambrai and Arras.

Alfred Mason was born in Tangier, Nova Scotia on January 4, 1895. After completing his schooling, he worked in the Tangier gold mines before moving to a job at the car works in Trenton, Nova Scotia when he was 17 years old. He would also spend some time at the steel works there and in the coal mines of northern Nova Scotia before going to Halifax in 1915 to enlist. He joined the 66th Battalion and then transferred to the 40th. He spent some time in Quebec in basic training and was then sent to England and, almost immediately, on to France. He arrived there in the Spring of 1916 as reinforcement for the 3rd Division, 8th Brigade of the 5th Battalion of the Canadian Mounted Rifles. He gives a good description of his time in the trenches and then goes on to describe the planning for the Canadian taking of Vimy Ridge.

Whitfield Ganong was born August 1, 1895 at Snider Mountain, New Brunswick. A second cousin to the Ganong chocolatiers of nearby Saint Stephen, he and his family lived on a mixed farm. Mr. Ganong enlisted in the 64th New Brunswick Battalion, having been accepted despite a bad leg and transferred to the 104th Battalion. He then joined the 26th Battalion as a Private and Lance-Corporal, and saw action in three major battles: Vimy, Hill 70 and Passchendaele. Mr. Ganong later worked as a teacher, shopkeeper and accountant, and married Katherine Ellen Herbert in 1924. He took part in a pilgrimage to France, and was shocked by the number of graves, yet awed by the work of the War Graves Commission. Mr. Ganong died on January 5th, 1989. He gives a good account of the weather and the barrage at zero hour.

Mr. Boyce describes the value of tunnels to the eventual success of the Canadian assault on Vimy, and discusses the demoralization of the defeated German prisoners.

Harry Boyce

Harry Boyce was born in Bonshaw, Prince Edward Island on September 4, 1893. After moving to Regina to work as an architect, he returned to P.E.I. to enlist with the 8th Canadian Siege Battery. He trained in Charlottetown then went overseas and continued his training at Aldershot, England, where he specialized on the 8-inch siege gun, which fired a 200 pound shell. In the autumn of 1915 he was sent to France and served during the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Le Preol. He was gassed and repatriated to Canada.

Mr. Smith describes the retaking of Vimy Ridge, and being wounded by shrapnel after reaching the Chalk Pit.

Allan A ‘Spike’ Smith

Allan A ‘Spike’ Smith was born in Minto, Manitoba on May 7, 1894. Mr. Smith enlisted while attending the University of Saskatchewan, joining the 196th Battalion. He did his basic training at Camp Hughes, Manitoba. Once overseas, he was at Camp Seaford in England when he was selected to reinforce the 46th Battalion. He saw his first action just prior to Vimy, and was wounded by shrapnel at the Chalk Pits. He returned to action at Drocourt-Queant, and was again wounded by shrapnel. He later returned to Passchendaele. He received a Military Medal for bravery. After the war, Mr. Smith became a farmer, coached a women’s volleyball team, and became an agriculture inspector. He died on August 12, 1981.

Mr. Conrad describes the fatal wounding of a fellow signaler in the forward trench at Vimy Ridge.

Frank Benjamin Conrad

Frank Benjamin Conrad was born in Sturgeon, Prince Edward Island on July 25, 1894. He enlisted in November 1914 with the 9th Field Ambulance and trained at Valcartier until June, 1915 when he transferred to the 2nd Canadian Siege Battery at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. He sailed to England aboard the S.S. Lapland on November 28, 1915, and arrived in France on June 1, 1916 as a signaler with the rank of Gunner. He saw action at the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and Passchendaele. He was wounded twice, was gassed at Hill 70, and won the Military Medal for maintaining communications under fire. After the war, Mr. Conrad married Florence Jessie Lantz on September 22, 1923 and established a wholesale food company in Charlottetown. He joined #6 Signals Company as Lieutenant, and eventually commanded the Company before retiring in 1938 as a Lieutenant-Colonel. He re-enlisted in 1940 as a Major with 3rd Divisional Signal Regiment, and served in England and Italy, commanding the Canadian Brigade Reinforcement Unit as a Lieutenant-Colonel. After the Second World War he was appointed District Administrator, DVA, for Prince Edward Island. Mr. Conrad died on August 13, 1986.

Mr. Close describes the destruction and death at Vimy Ridge, and details his wounding and eventful return to the first aid post.

John Hamilton Close

John Hamilton Close was born in Mitchell, Ontario on July 4, 1896. After the death of both his parents, he went to work on his uncle’s farm in Garrett, Ontario. On March 15, 1916, Mr. Close enlisted with the 114th Battalion in Hagersville, Ontario. He started training immediately and was sent to Camp Borden. After going overseas to England he was quickly deployed to Le Havre. He was wounded at Vimy Ridge, rehabilitated in England, and returned to France to fight at Amiens and Arras where he won a Military Medal for bravery. Mr. Close ended his service with the rank of Corporal. He died in Hagersville, Ontario in February, 1993.

Mr. Peterson discusses the increasing independence of the Canadian Corps at Vimy, followed by his reflections on the likelihood of survival on the Front.

Robert Peterson

Robert Peterson was born in Edmonton, Alberta on January 7, 1899. He was the eldest son. His father was a paper mill worker, but enlisted at the outbreak of international hostilities in 1914. Despite being repatriated in 1915 due to being wounded, Mr. Peterson’s father did not try to discourage his son from enlisting. Robert Peterson eventually joined the 202 Sportsmans Battalion in Edmonton and describes basic training as little more than “route marching and sore feet”. Aged ninety-nine at the time of his interview, Mr. Peterson still remembers several aspects of his service overseas. He discusses Canada’s maturation as a military force at Vimy, describes being partially blinded in a gas attack, and finishes with a compelling reflection on patriotism. War is thankless.

Canadian history, ww1, ww1 history

Warriors Without Rights: Indigenous Soldiers of the CEF

When the First World War erupted in 1914, Canada answered the call without hesitation. But among those who stepped forward were men who, under Canadian law, were not even recognized as citizens.

In this episode of Memory and Valour, we uncover the powerful and often overlooked story of Indigenous men who volunteered to serve in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Drawn from communities across the country—from the plains of Alberta to the forests of Ontario—these soldiers fought in some of the war’s most brutal battles, including Ypres, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele.

They served as snipers, scouts, and front-line infantry. Many displayed extraordinary skill and courage under fire. Many never returned home.

And yet, their service existed within a profound contradiction.

At the time, Indigenous peoples in Canada lived under the restrictions of the Indian Act—denied the right to vote, limited in their freedom of movement, and treated as wards of the state. Despite this, thousands chose to enlist.

This episode does not simplify their reasons. Instead, it confronts the complexity—honouring their courage while examining the injustice that framed their service.

Because this isn’t just a story of war.

It’s a story of loyalty, identity, sacrifice—and a country still learning how to remember.

**This episode includes audio excerpts from Forgotten Warriors (1997), a documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada. All rights reserved by the NFB. Used for educational and historical commentary purposes.
We gratefully acknowledge the NFB for preserving and sharing these important historical voices.**

Canadian history, ww1, ww1 history

Behind Barbed Wire: Canadian POWs and Internment Camps of WWI

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3DSXPhi2Y7QR20HWDztOt5?si=y2M23bauR2uDrW5uvzrIHA

On the battlefields of Europe, nearly 4,000 Canadian soldiers were captured and marched into German prison camps. Their diaries describe starvation, forced labour, and the psychological weight of uncertainty. One POW wrote that “one moment we were fighting, the next we were herded like cattle,” while another recalled that “we were not men in that car. We were cargo.” These firsthand accounts illuminate a side of the war often overshadowed by stories of heroism at the front.
But while Canadian soldiers endured captivity overseas, a very different — and far less acknowledged — system of confinement was unfolding at home.

Between 1914 and 1920, Canada operated 24 internment camps that imprisoned more than 8,500 civilians, many of them Ukrainian, German, Serbian, and other immigrants who had committed no crime. Under the sweeping powers of the War Measures Act, they were labelled “enemy aliens,” stripped of rights, and forced into labour that helped build parts of Canada’s national parks and infrastructure. As one internee later wrote, “We were not soldiers, yet we lived behind barbed wire.”
This episode traces both stories — the soldiers captured in battle and the civilians imprisoned by their adopted country — revealing a complex portrait of fear, resilience, injustice, and the human cost of wartime suspicion. From escape attempts and survival strategies to family separations and the long shadows these camps left behind, Episode 19 challenges the way we remember Canada’s role in the Great War.
If you’re drawn to history that goes beyond the battlefield and into the lived experiences of those caught in its wake, this is an episode that stays with you.

Canadian history, ww1, ww1 history

Shock Troops: Canada’s Ruthless Reputation in the Great War

By 1918, the Canadian Corps had earned a name across the Western Front: shock troops.

They were sent where the ground was worst. Where the wire was thickest. Where the objective mattered most. British command relied on them. German reports warned about them. After Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, Amiens, and the Hundred Days, a reputation took hold: that Canadians were ruthless.

But was it myth?
Was it tactical necessity?
Or was it something far more complicated?

Drawing on the scholarship of Dr. Tim Cook and the words of the soldiers themselves, this episode of Memory and Valour examines how that reputation was built, and what it cost.

This is battlefield reality.
This is moral reckoning.
This is Canada at war.

🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music (or wherever you get your podcasts).
🌐 Visit www.memoryandvalour.ca for show notes and more.

#MemoryAndValour #CanadianHistory #GreatWar #WW1 #CanadianCorps

Canadian history, ww1, ww1 history

The War That Stayed: Shell Shock and Canadians in the First World War

**content warning: this podcast episode deals with difficult subjects: War trauma, shell shock and veteran suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

Shell Shock in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (WWI)
In this episode of Memory and Valour, we explore shell shock within the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War — long before the condition was understood as PTSD.

As trench warfare intensified across France and Belgium, thousands of Canadian soldiers experienced tremors, paralysis, nightmares, memory loss, and emotional collapse. Military authorities debated whether shell shock was caused by exploding artillery, moral weakness, or psychological trauma. Canadian medical officers struggled to treat it effectively, while stigma and misunderstanding often followed men long after they left the front lines.
Drawing on firsthand accounts, Canadian hospital records, and contemporary medical thinking, this episode examines how shell shock was experienced and treated within the CEF — and how those early responses shaped our modern understanding of operational stress injuries.

The wounds were not always visible.
But they were real.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio.
Full show notes and sources are available at http://www.memoryandvalour.ca�.

Canadian history, ww1, ww1 history

The Timberwolves’ Legacy: Indigenous Contributions in WWI Canada

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QtKeG4PdHmSyq7Tb8izD3?si=THAwbNGWS06hn_q8Yztl8w

The 107th Battalion — known as The Timberwolves — was one of the most remarkable and overlooked units in Canada’s First World War history. Made up largely of First Nations soldiers, these men brought extraordinary skill, resilience, and cultural strength to a war that demanded everything from them… and then asked for more.

In this episode, we uncover the story Canada rarely tells: how Indigenous soldiers carved roads through the impossible, built the very infrastructure of the Western Front, and fought with a loyalty that was never fully returned at home. Through history, testimony, and truth, we explore who the Timberwolves were, what they endured, and why their legacy matters now more than ever.

This is the story of courage in the shadows — and the fight to bring it into the light.

ww1, ww1 history

The 107th Battalion – The Timberwolves

The 107th ‘Timber Wolf’ Battalion was founded by Lieutenant-Colonel Glenlyon Campbell, but its story also belongs to Indigenous men who volunteered to fight for a country that denied them equal rights.

They served without the vote.
They returned to fewer rights than they left with.
Yet they volunteered anyway.

This story is the next episode of Memory and Valour. Stay tuned!

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music, and help keep their service remembered.

#memoryandvalour #ww1history #canadianhistory #lestweforget #WW1

Uncategorized, ww1, ww1 history

Poison Wind: Canada and the First Gas Attack

When the air turned poisonous the Canadians didn’t retreat; they stood and fought.This episode dives into the first poison-gas attack at Ypres and the brutal legacy it left behind. From the shock of the areen cloud to the lifelonc scars of gas exposure, we follow the Canadians who faced a weapon the world had sworn never to use. A viscera
iournev into terror. survival. and the moment modern war
crossed a line it could never uncross.

During the first gas attack at Ypres in April 1915, John “Jackie” Lynn found himself in a collapsing line as chlorine gas rolled across the battlefield. With no warning and little protection, Lynn manned his machine gun as the green cloud closed in. He fired continuously into the advancing enemy, holding his position even as the gas burned his lungs and blinded his eyes. At a time when gas masks were scarce or ineffective, Lynn fought without one, refusing to abandon his gun while others around him fell choking to the ground.

Lynn’s stand helped stem the German advance at a moment when the front should have broken completely. But the cost was immense. Prolonged exposure to the gas left him permanently damaged, and he would later die as a result of the injuries sustained during the attack. Awarded the Victoria Cross for his courage under unimaginable conditions, John “Jackie” Lynn’s story is a stark reminder of what gas warfare demanded of those who faced it—men who held their ground not just against the enemy, but against the air itself.

Gas Warfare in the Great War

World War I introduced chemical warfare on an industrial scale, turning the battlefield itself into a weapon. The first gas widely used was chlorine, released in vast clouds that drifted with the wind. Its sharp smell offered little warning, and once inhaled it burned the lungs, causing suffocation and panic. As soldiers adapted with crude gas masks, deadlier agents followed.
Phosgene was far more lethal and insidious—often odorless or smelling faintly of cut hay, it could be inhaled without immediate effect, only for the lungs to fill with fluid hours later. Mustard gas, introduced in 1917, did not always kill but left lasting damage. It blistered skin and eyes, burned airways, and contaminated ground for days, ensuring that even survivors carried lifelong injuries. Together, these gases left a legacy of suffering that extended far beyond the armistice, shaping international law and forever changing how war was fought.

ww1, ww1 history

New Podcast Episode available TONIGHT!

“They didn’t die in a blaze of glory. They drowned—on dry land.”

This episode of Memory and Valour exposes the gas attacks of the First World War: chlorine, phosgene, mustard gas, and what it did to the men who had no masks, no warning, and no escape.

Stream and follow on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and iHeart Radio!

#WW1 #GasWarfare #MemoryAndValour #ForgottenHistory ##lestweforget

ww1, ww1 history

13 January 2026 – New Episode:

Knighthood, Chaos, and the Vanished Cemetery – (Listener’s Choice Episode)

Four moments from Canada’s experience in the Great War reveal how memory, leadership, courage, and identity took shape amid unprecedented violence.

First, there is Levi Cottage Cemetery—once a modest burial ground on the slopes of Passchendaele, later absorbed and buried beneath the immense expanse of Tyne Cot, the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world. Its disappearance beneath orderly rows of Portland‑stone headstones and the great Cross of Sacrifice mirrors the way countless small stories of suffering were folded into a single monumental landscape of loss.

Then comes Sir Arthur Currie, Canada’s first homegrown corps commander, whose ascent to knighthood was anything but smooth. Haunted by accusations of incompetence after the cost of the 1917 attack at Passchendaele and dogged by political infighting, Currie fought not only the Germans but also for his own reputation. His eventual recognition as one of the most innovative commanders of the war stands as a testament to both his strategic acumen and his stubborn resolve.

Threaded through the chaos are the CEF’s runners—the young men who carried vital messages across cratered ground when telegraph lines were cut and wireless sets failed. Their work demanded silence, speed, and a willingness to sprint through machine‑gun fire or bombardment with nothing but a dispatch satchel and hope. Many never returned, yet their invisible labour held entire battalions together when battle turned fluid and communication faltered.

Finally, we meet the 107th Battalion, the Timberwolves, a unit with a strong Indigenous presence that carved its identity in the mud and timber of the Western Front. From road‑building and railway work to front‑line fighting, they brought skills honed in the Canadian wilderness to some of the harshest conditions of the war, forging camaraderie and pride even as the battalion’s cultural diversity set it apart within the CEF.

Together, these four snapshots form a brief episode heavy with the weight of a century—fragments of a larger story about how a young nation endured, adapted, and remembered.