To the aristocracy of Ottawa, the only thing more shocking than their men capturing the Ridge was Richardieux being awarded the Empire’s highest award for gallantry. The extraordinary letter was received on a common day, as such events seem to happen. Aubrey recognized the Royal seal of the official envelope.
The letter fell to the floor before an astonished Aubrey had read it in its entirety. Auré had not even mentioned the remarkable feat. As was common, his Victoria Cross Medal was announced in the papers. Ottawans were shocked. This could not be. “Unutterable nonsense” was the most common reply. The authenticity of the declaration was severely judged by French and English Canadians in the city, but for different reasons. Commendation for the medal required solid support from one’s commanding officer, as well a minimum of three witnesses. That four gentlemen could agree with Richardieux was almost beyond reason. Congratulatory letters arrived at Pembina from the Prime Minister and Governor General, an invitation to dine with the former, to shoot on his grounds from the latter.
Mothers, aghast, wrote their sons for explanation. The responses received were a blow to all. Beloved by officers and men116, the replies read, His leadership was grand… His beautiful life and character were an inspiration to all his comrades117… The atmosphere of his life drew us Heavenward118… He was a prince under fire119… He would give his dinner to a hungry dog and go without himself120… He loved chivalry, truth and honour, freedom and courtesy121… Awarded D.S.O. for his coolness, good judgement, skill and courage122. Major Richardieux, with his delicate sense of honour, had refused to be seen in the presence of a High Command who had his collar turned up. Richardieux was the only soldier his men had ever heard of who did not consume his daily rum. Not even the mothers could claim this of their sons, and all were members of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. He commissioned his pay to the Patriotic Fund. Only at Kellynch’s confirmation was this believed. Since Richardieux had been promoted to their leader, their battalion had already been commended on numerous occasions: for promptness in responding to the infantry’s call, for excellent shooting, for raids, as well as for providing support fire, ammunition, and encouragement in several locations during battle. Richardieux refused to withdraw from the prison until his men had left before him. Mentioned in dispatches for gallant and distinguished conduct in the field123, Richardieux was praised by his superiors, which his men also explained in letters, His commanding officer said of him, “He was an example to all ranks”124 and His captain said, “No braver soldier ever led others into battle”125. Richardieux, in perhaps what was the most damning evidence of all, had the honourable mention for valour in a dispatch by Haig himself.
Aubrey went to her weekly Bridge club. English ladies went out of their way to smile and invite her to play. Her husband was greatly complimented and declared a role model to the French. On the way to her carriage, with promises from the other wives to play the following week, she passed a table of French ladies. They whispered in hushed tones over cups of tea, “There goes Mme. Richardieux. Her husband was accorded the Victoria Cross. He’s a royalist, you know, a monarchist.”
As Aubrey descended the steps of Chateau Laurier, Mr. Harrington was outside. Once he saw Aubrey, he removed himself from his carriage. After giving his hand to help her alight, he shut the door of her carriage.
“Do tell Mr. Richardieux congratulations, and he is most welcome to dine at Rolstern, provided, dear, he explains the story of how he captured his Victoria Cross!”
“He has gone on his last commission to that beautiful place called rest126,” she genuinely smiled in response at her husband’s safe return.
Harrington chuckled and answered, “You must be relieved.” At Harrington’s words, “ta, ta,” her carriage drove off. While the carriage drove down the street, working men wore badges of rejection, lest they be harassed. The newest posters were pasted throughout the city’s streets. A soldier with his trusted rifle in hand stood before the Red Ensign, the caption reading, “To Victory! The Maple Leaf Forever!”
Loved and only child127, at least, as of yet, thought his parents, René had toddled from the solarium with a toy ship early one evening after children’s hour. Children would spend an hour an evening with their parents in the children’s finest attire and best manners. Of the splendid toys depicting the Army, Air Force, and Navy, which his father bought for him while away, René always took to the ships. Although huge for his age, he was a docile, well-mannered little boy and the apple of his father’s eye. “Mother’s darling128” was what Aubrey affectionately called him. Neither his father nor mother had anything to complain of in terms of their child. The nanny never had to discipline René. If the nanny could change one thing about her charge, it was that she wished he would talk more. René was very quiet. With his dark, strong features, and already broad shoulders, René looked quite similar to his father. Aubrey had not realized that gentle giants came made that way. René had green eyes that endearingly reminded his mother of her grandfather, though René’s eyes were an emerald green. She missed Emmett every day.
“He’s eh handsome little boy, is he not?” Auré said to his wife. For his tone, though, he may as well have said “so he’s mine.”
Mistresses could have dalliances once securely married, provided they had an heir and a spare. Offspring from infidelities could be raised in their mother’s manor, along with the legitimate children of the family.
Wishing for a change of topic from her husband’s remark, Aubrey managed to remember from Latin class, “Hoc quoque transibit (This too shall pass),” remarking about conscription.
Auré explained, “Not enough men remain in training camps to account for ze losses, and enlistment is basically at eh stand still. The war claims at least six thousand men eh day. Most would rather not be fed into that.”
“Nonsense. Borden was only recently in London for the Imperial War Conference,” replied Aubrey, while going over the seating arrangement for the Victoria Cross ball Pembina was to hold in the master’s honour. It would be the first true ball in some time.
Auré carried on, “They say he iz not charismatic. One can argue his ‘eart is not in it, that he is not eh family man, given the middle-aged Bordens have no children. But the reserved, silver-tongued, Nova Scotia-born Prime Minister is in France now. As an aside from the conference, he is also visiting the wounded who captured Vimy. After seeing what our boyz have gone through, or perhaps we are calling them men now—,” he said with a wave of hand to correct himself. “And they deserve that,” he conceded in fairness, though without emotion. “While listening to the amputees and hearing their personal stories, sitting at the foot of their hospital beds, he will see their mangled frames ‘einously disfigured by trench foot, boils and the like. The majority of them are young enough to be his own sonz.”
“Borden will return eh changed man. One cannot possibly be a witness to that and be left unchanged. Perhaps if Borden did not go over there, conscription would not come to pass, or perhapz not this year, but the next or the year afterwards. We will never know. Visiting the boys will change the country more than any conference the British are finally letting us attend, and God knows we ‘ave earned it.”
In early 1917, Lloyd George created the Imperial War Cabinet. The cabinet included granting the dominions’ Prime Ministers a voice in the planning of war and of peace to follow. As stated in the Imperial War Cabinet, Article IX gave reason to believe the British Empire comprised of self-governing nations and colonies. A distinct employ was India. The desire of the cabinet was to see future joint policies created in peacetime and in warfare from governing bodies across the Empire; an unofficial League of Nations came to its foundation.
Aubrey said, “I think the colony is treated just rightly so.”
Auré countered, “Similar to his citizenz, Borden solely knows of what’s going on over there from the scraps of information he gathers from newspaperz. Surely George and Lloyd George can show ‘im more respect than this.”
Aubrey went on, “But Borden is adamant about a volunteer force. He even gave his word to Archbishop Bruschesi.”
Auré elucidated, “The effort iz lasting too long. The boys who ‘ave been maimed repeatedly and sent back to the front will not be able to carry on much longer. If these same ladz are made to continue, they will be permanently maimed, killed or driven insane.”
Aubrey cried, “There must be some other method to allow us to win.”
“Vincit Qui Patitur129.”
“He who endures wins, however—”
“If we are to endure, conscription will ‘ave to pass and Canada will see herself torn apart.”
Aubrey concurred. Dear friends since girlhood, Rev. Mrs. Tomryn could no longer be near Mme. Desrosiers without dissolving to tears. Kelly was convalescing from a gunshot wound for what was the third time. He was made to stay in France to return to action upon recovery. Before, Kelly simply would have been invalided to Ottawa to remain. Mrs. Tomryn practically pleaded that Jean-Pierre could take his place. Mme. Desrosiers corrected that Jean-Pierre refused to enlist and she was proud of him. Their sons were the same age.
“But because Borden is now irrevocably behind the soldiers, nothing will stop him from implementing such eh measure. One can safely say nothing really matterz to him at this point but the soldiers who he is in charge of supporting and bringing ze country irrevocably behind them, too. And they say conscription is going after Quebec, but it should go after the traitors, shirkers, remittance men, and those damn atheists.” He continued in the most irritated tone, “There are even eh few members of parliament who publicly profess atheism.” He went on, “Quebec will invariably be dragged into this British problem and will get the short end of it, az usual. This war is bringing out everyone’s true nature and ze slackers should be conscripted, like Peter.”
“In fairness to males like Peter, this war is turning out to be frightful. It’s just not fair.”
“Life’s not fair, Aubrey. What about the country executing our volunteer soldiers? Their military records are not ‘orrible. These lads are not malingers or true deserters. They have usually been too shell-shocked to continue in battle. Seeing the lad kneeling in the snow, blind folded with his ‘ands tied behind his back, facing eh firing squad… normally the men from his very unit are made to act as the firing squad or they are shot themselves. It is surely ‘eartbreaking. The lad volunteered to lay down ‘is life for his democracy and his democracy is condemning him to death. Surely, there is no greater disloyalty eh country can extend to one of its citizens than that. Often times, the man’z battalion is then made to march past the body as an example in regard to dizcipline.”
Canada would execute 25 of its soldiers: 22 for desertion, 2 on murder charges, and 1 on the act of cowardice. Australia was the only army of the Empire who refused to execute its volunteer soldiers.
“Or what about a returned soldier who is so shell-shocked or wounded he cannot find regular employment. One of the saddest parts about war is what shell-shock doez to eh soldier and his family when he returns. To see that man begging on the street for money is truly disheartening after ‘e volunteered to lay down is life for his democracy. These are two of the saddest sights in Canadian history.”
Auré ventured on, “Miss ‘enrietta says she can hardly be around Peter without wanting to smack him. Am I right to say women only slap men they respect? He wouldn’t even return to England to drill with broomsticks in Kitchener’s army at the start of ze war. Of our affluent men, most ‘ave delightfully gone into the regular army. They could ‘ave easily accepted eh commissioned rank and pay. They could have chosen to live in Chateaux like the generals of both mother countries. But they ‘ave chosen to fight alongside and partake in the work of the common man in the poor bloody infantry,” he finished slowly. “Take Newfoundland, for example. Their high enlistment rate is remarkably out of proportion to their population. Considered by the Empire as even more unworthy than Canada, ‘Britain’s oldest and most loyal colony’ is even more devoted to His Majesty than the dominion is. Ze English are most peculiar this way. Beaumont-Hamel rightfully earned them deathless glory in Empire history. It was said that subsequent to the initial influx of attackers, an incredible serenity befell ze landscape. The regiment’s boys became the only Allies discernable to the enemy. They were left by themselves, completely in the open without any Allied protection. They proved perfect markz for all German firearms in that area of the Somme, and the Germans nearly annihilated an entire colony’s fighting force.”
“Eight hundred and one Newfoundlanders confronted the foe that day. Nearly all the regiment fell on British soil before being able to reach No Man’s Land. Nor did a Newfoundlander fire a shot. It is believed not eh single German casualty was sustained from the regiment ‘olding their section of British lines. It iz surely astounding any of their lads lived through that morning. Of their military, almost half were killed or went missing and almost the other half were wounded. No other military can (or would furthermore) claim such a calamity in Empire history. Apart from their casualties, the survivors, reports state sixty-eight, basically lost all their male relativez of military age in less than thirty-minutes exposure to enemy fire. But every single one of the sixty-eight were at roll call the next day, willing to fight. Of the close-knit regiment, every one of their officers was either killed or wounded so profoundly they could no longer fight — supposedly for the remainder of the duration, which provez they lead solely from the front.”
“That ancient British island’s population iz just under a quarter million and the smallest population of all colonies. The regiment is comprised of mainly native-born sons. Almost every nuclear family in their colony was affected by the carnage of that one ‘orrific day’s battle. I can’t imagine being the Newfoundlanders and receiving those cablez stating what happened.”
“But their Regiment does not offer excuses, like Peter. They stand and fight and are slaughtered like men, though roughly half at Beaumont ‘ad not been around long enough to cast eh ballot in their first election.”
After their stance at Beaumont-Hamel, Newfoundland would be the only regiment (800 men) of the British Empire who would be bestowed the title of “Royal” by the King during the war.
Wanting a change of subject again, Aubrey observed, “If this conscription should pass—”
“When, ma chere. And when it does, Peter will be ze last one out of the trenches. And he should be leading colonials, not ‘iding behind them.”
“You are quite mistaken. He is of the most credited gentlemen in fencing and riding, educated at Eton, then—”
“Then kicked out of Sandhurst for failing ‘is exams and for gross insubordination,” finished Auré.
“And if he enlists, he will automatically become a commissioned officer. His breed of gentleman would make a model soldier,” Aubrey tried to make clear.
Auré ventured to explain, “Any general will concede, and most of our generals are themselves, the mild-mannered man makes the best soldier. Of the Corps’ officers, it seems the ‘igher one goes in the ranks, the quieter ones there are. I might add, we, az Canadians, take a lot pride in the enormous fatality rate of our officers. This demonstrates our officers go into battle with their soldiers behind them. A good officer falls in front of the rank and file. Right before eh fray, the ones who pick fights, who brag, who push the smaller ones about are ze last to leave the trenches. The quiet ones, the even-tempered ones, the well-mannered, ordinary citizens-turned-volunteer soldiers are the first to climb over the parapets, to rush eh machine gun solo, to drag an injured man back from No Man’s Land. Those farm boys ‘o come from sleepy villages and hamlets, with whom you grew up in Saskatchewan, are ze ones who win medals, though basically all our soldiers shy away from them.”
Aubrey looked around and attempted to argue her point further and said, “But rules being what they are, with farmers needing to stay back to feed the Empire and Munition factories needing to be manned, etcetera, that really narrows down the pool of those who can serve at the front. And there are still fairly strict medical standards and age restrictions. After all, not everyone is allowed to fight.”
“You ‘ave reason, Aubrey. Not everyone is allowed to fight. What about the underage? I don’t know if anyone gets over that: the underage ones. I don’t know what I would do if my fifteen-year-old son went off to war. Anyway, zey whimper like puppies in the trenches, but go over the top nonetheless because they somehow think it iz their duty to replace the males who won’t fight, males like Peter, who should be conscripted so when they eventually pull the underage back, our numbers won’t be depleted. Or those munitionettez who work in such deplorable conditions, at least in England, that the majority will be robbed of ‘aving children or of living into old age. But they fight anyway because they think it will help them obtain the vote. Or our precious Bluebirds. Our officers are very vocal that our Bluebirds be granted medals for their bravery, given they are officers, too. However, British officials at first would not do so, given they’re women. I would also like to point out our Bluebirds are the only officers of any army ‘o are not permitted to carry firearms.”
“Another point, the Kellynchs are too one of England’s most ancient families. When war broke out, Kellynch’s father ordered Fitzwilliam to stay in Canada to ‘elp spread the effort. Before ze war, Kellynch was here simply expanding the family’s business to return to England once his father gave word. To a gentleman in his position, the ‘orrors of the trenches are preferable to staying behind. However, Fitzwilliam is doing everything in his power to aid the effort. He is still fighting, although in a round-a-bout way, whereas Peter was thrown out of his family’s ancestral ‘ome on the grounds of dishonor. That is what a remittance man is — these sons are the black sheep, playboys of noble families who do nothing to make a name for themselves. Remittance men are sent away to the far corners of the Empire to rid their family of the embarrassment and degradation of such a son who ‘as chosen to come to naught. Eh gentleman should not be comfortable resting on the laurels of others — specifically, relatives who have given him his leisured world and of his adopted place of living. Life’s not for the faint of heart, Aubrey.”
Aubrey retorted, “Well, this obscure colony is more of an embarrassment than all the others to begin with.”
Auré replied, “That’s why ‘is father sent him here; it iz the worst posting of the Empire he could have been banished to.”