News of the conflict made way to Britain and dribbled through the country in due course to the dominion. Canada’s sons justified themselves to be an exemplary military in their principal engagement in a European war. The dominion was stunned at the atrocity of the battle. The romantic conviction of warfare departed in perpetuity, though there was splendid reason to rejoice. First Canadian Contingent25 was the only colony to maintain the line. Thus, Ypres was so gallantly held by the Canadians. British Field Marshal Sir John French expressed the Canadian Contingent “saved the situation.” Cabled congratulatory messages were sent to Borden about his boys. In downtown Ottawa, all citizens had purchased an edition of the English Press. The guns were recaptured by a deed of the Canadian troops, which will fill the heart of the Motherland with love and pride. The Canadians advanced with magnificent steadiness… No words can express the gratitude of the nation to the great Dominion for this valour of her sons… One topic has this week absorbed all our thoughts and conversation, the magnificent effort of the Canadian Division in Flanders, which saved Ypres from capture, and the Allies from possibly an overwhelming defeat. The Canadians held on with grim courage under terrible shellfire and a dense cloud of poison gas… The Empire unites in sorrow for their dead and shares the pride in Canadian gallantry.
Aubrey found herself in the family way soon after her wedding. Females who were expecting hid from the public eye. Soon-to-be mothers had servants or relatives to do things for them in order to stay in their residence and were not made to venture out. However, respectability did permit expectant wives to take promenades in the evening time, accompanied by their bashful yet prideful husbands.
North of Ottawa, steamships brought guests to Muskoka, the handsomest cottage country of the Empire. Overlooking lake Rousseau was the most stunning resort Muskoka could boast, the grand and elegant Royal Muskoka Hotel. During the evening meal and in the grand hall of the hotel, Harrington discussed Ypres with other gentlemen from Ottawa.
“‘Ypres’ has been spoken of endlessly these past weeks. England should be proud of our boys; they’re a dependable little troop,” Harrington said with such pride in his eyes it would seem he had led the division himself. Harrington continued, “Government thought it better to be safe than sorry and had another division brought about. Which reminds me, the contingent was renamed the ‘Canadian Division.’ The 2nd Canadian Division left Canadian shores, has landed on home soil, and just ahead of the 1st reaching French soil. And training in England has been mainly moved to Shorncliffe, though there are camps spread out in the southeast of home. It is well suited and equipped to prepare the lads for action. The new main training site is less than a handful of miles from the ocean with many sheep grazing nearby. As well, that suffrage campaign has been suspended momentarily, because more females are necessary to aid with the cause. We must have our priorities right. The Princess Pat’s saw action at Frezenberg in May and were almost entirely devastated in the southern area of Ypres. The division’s last smash was the village of Festubert, a part of the La Bassée front, from the 15th to the 27th of May. Companies from our division went into action on the 18th across clear fields during daytime with scarcely any artillery to aid them, I might add. Their start time was five o’clock in the afternoon. They were relieved two or three days later.”
The division suffered 2,605 stupendously massacred casualties in frontal charges against the smartly entrenched foe at Festubert. The Orchard was one of the main objectives for the division, along with numerous trenches. Maps given to the English-Canadian officers were catastrophically printed in reverse as well as upside down. They proved unreadable. They were also inaccurate by hundreds of yards. Also, intense firing had annihilated any number of critical points shown on the maps.
Harrington explained further, “At precisely their start time, the artillery was still firing over top of the poor bloody infantry. The lads were forced to wait until the shelling from their lines halted some twenty-five minutes after the scheduled hour. The error came from miscommunication between the back and front lines, as well as between the gunners and the lads they were supporting. British Tommies, who were north of the division, had gone into battle at their expected time. The division’s officers in the front lines were forced to make a hasty decision of whether to remain safely behind and leave the British on their own or to go after the British in aid and into near annihilation. Moments after artillery ceased, our officers and troops went over the top and after the British. The division’s Highlanders captured what is called ‘The Orchard’ and it proved the smash’s furthest British-obtained position. It was renamed the ‘Canadian Orchard.’”
Festubert would be counted among the worst battles for the Canadian military over the duration. After the fray, the lads took to the weariness and humdrum society of frontline fighting. The division would not see another substantial smash for the rest of 1915, except at Givenchy in June, when a further 400 casualties from the division were claimed.
Rifles were the topmost weapons before the war started. But rifles proved difficult to operate in trenches. By and by, hand grenades were thought to be smart weapons. Nails and gunpowder were crammed into jam tins, then a light was set to the fuse. The thrower would toss the bomb towards the opposing trenches. Numerous fellows lost hands from the bombs setting off unseasonably. A few short months would have the mother country produce the Mills No. 5 grenade to achieve a higher degree of safety than self-made bombs. The Mills could even be sent across the way by a rifle with a range of up to two hundred yards. Slightly over a fortnight was the average lifetime of a bombing officer.
In reply to Harrington, Edmund said, “As of late I’ve received letters from a few chums in France. They seem to be having a jolly time over there.”
“Ze first casualty of war iz truth,” a solo Auré spoke for the first time in the evening. A splendid son for whom no praise is adequate26, René Philippe Richardieux was born prematurely, though healthy, to proud parents at his family’s cottage estate. “René” was thought a handsome name by both parents. “Philippe” was after Auré’s only brother. Aubrey picked for her son’s christening the scripture “Chosen of God and precious27.”
“That is neither here nor there,” Edmund replied, a touch cross.
In an attempt to make Auré see reason, Kellynch asked, “If you will not defend home or France, will you not defend Canada?”
Kellynch’s question was met by another question.
“Why zhould I defend eh dominion that does not defend Quebec?” Another cross response was given, “To be fair, French Canada ‘as alwayz been treated worse than British Canada by England and by our other zo called ‘motherland.’” Auré excused himself and left the grand hall in mute protest.
The look of pain registered in Harrington’s eyes at what seemed to be his sons and daughter in uniform taken lightly.
In disgust, Kellynch dashed his napkin upon the table. He muttered to Edmund, “The gall of that man.”
Equally dismayed, Edmund whispered, “At the risk of sounding bold, what can one expect from a Frenchman.”