The sun was making its way down over Major Hill Park on a calm, warm day. Loons were in the Ottawa River, which curved around The Hill. The band shell’s orchestra played to the park’s guests. Across the Atlantic, the Corps, endlessly repairing trenches, sang “The Maple Leaf Forever.”
Auré was the most stalwart of men. Sunday was the only day of the week he did not work from dawn until dusk. Despite Auré not permitting a master or servant of Pembina to smile on the Sabbath day, Mrs. Major Richardieux could be seen beaming on the arm of her husband, of the dashing Mountie who captured the Victoria Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on the fields of France and Flanders. Parliament faded in the background while the pair strolled in their Sunday whites.
A different feeling was about Ottawa now. During spring and early summer, the Corps was the toast of the Allied Forces. Because conscription had been enacted, there was a tense impression, as though a harsh sentiment lay about the surface of the country, one Auré said would not go away but would worsen until the war ended.
Nico, Albert, and other little ones were playing at tops. They saw their hero down the gardened pathway. They immediately ran across the way and saluted with posture to win the approval of Currie himself. Victoria Cross recipients were not entitled to a formal salute, though they could be saluted from high opinion. Auré said, with a tone reserved solely for leading his men into battle, “At ease, boys.” Only then did they break formation and run and skip about him. Auré seemed almost embarrassed by the endless attention he received from his Victoria Cross status.
A lady was coming towards Auré and Aubrey from the opposite direction. Prior to the effort, females were seen with their purse or small dog. Now they carried their knitting bag. Aubrey glanced at the “Knit or Fight” badge the woman wore as the lady walked past them. Aubrey did not own such a badge. She asked, “I’m confused about our army — that is to say, the Canadians,” Aubrey clarified, to distinguish from England’s army. “The average Canadian soldier has a grade six education, similar to all Empire armies, England included. I assume roughly the same can be said of France’s and Germany’s soldiers too. In this regard, all armies are on an equal field.”
“How do you say — the Corps’ numerical strength continues to stay steadfast, even in the face of atrocious casualties. The Diggers, or Australians, aside, the Canadian enlistment rate per capita is the highest of all the Empire’s armies, England included. Other Allied enlistment rates have come to a standstill, or at least their enlistment crisis is far worse than it is here.”
Auré answered her, “Given Canada is still very young, we are only one or two generations removed from eh mainly frontier demographic, az opposed to our European counterparts. One could say the Canadians are better prepared for the living conditions at the front; they’re more familiar with farm work, manual labour, and the like. It is also safe to zay that most of our lads have handled a rifle and similar firearms before they enlisted.”
“Of every ten Canadians, roughly four live close to or below the poverty line. The majority of such families manage to carve out eh life with one meal per day. Even so, our diet is by and by superior to many European nations, and our troops generally have eh larger, stronger frame than other armies. Canadian soldiers are alzo paid one dollar and ten cents per day with additional lodging, uniform, and food provided. Ours are the highest earning Tommiez of the British Forces. With the lofty unemployment rate being what it was ‘ere when war started, that sort of an income was appealing to a lot of ze lads.”
Aubrey replied, “Be that as it may, that is not quite what I am referring to. For instance, German males go through two years of military training, then refresher courses for the next five years. So, when their country goes to war, they literally have millions of trained men to call upon. Canada could not realize anywhere near such numbers if she implemented the same military system because her population is nowhere near the German population. The Canadians barely had an army when war was declared. What militia they had only met on weekends for marches and for chumming around. They rarely practiced shooting during training, besides. Though often times outnumbered, outgunned, and outflanked, Canada has become world-renowned for winning battle after battle and ‘the Prussians are said to be the greatest military machine ever assembled,’” she repeated, parrot-like. “I don’t understand, in this so-called camping adventure that never seems to end, why don’t the Germans simply overtake the Canadians?”
Auré thought for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Napoleon said, in warfare, the importance ratio of morale to physical force is three to one. So, in that way, the boyz outnumber the Boche by three to one. Napoleon also said, ‘God is on the side of the strongest army.’ It is eh common misconception that to conquer in battle, the literal weapons and number of soldiers matter more than anything else. ‘owever, ‘Altiorem, Citius, Fortior’ is not what Napoleon meant either. Right is stronger than might151 and iz essentially what it comes down to. Mathematically, this seemz impossible, but psychologically, it is correct.”
“Germany is expertly equipped and trained. Their men understand that when their motherland goes to war, they go with ‘er. They are mere cogs that constitute eh vast military machine, one of silent passivity and tolerance. They understand this too: that they are simply numberz, that they are disposable. This is perhaps the German army’s greatest, if not almost singular, flaw. But this flaw is enough to crack, and can eventually topple an army, even one of millionz.”
“Other countries, like Italy, are resorting to widespread mutiny and mass execution. This year, ‘alf the French army mutinied, and thoze remaining are refuzing orders. Nivelle, France’s Commander in Chief, was thrown out, reforms were created, and enough furloughs were given to reinstate some semblance of balance.”
“One would think that, for the size of the gargantuan Russian army, this military could overthrow any foe on ‘er own. However, peasant Russia, too, is facing pandemic desertion. Their troops are mainly illiterate and poverty-stricken due to their government. They are made to leave their villages, which they have ‘ardly left before, never mind their country, to fight for their King, who cares very little for zem. After food shortages and labour strikes, which the ill-supplied army favoured, they overthrew their monarchy. Tsar Nicholas and his family were shot, ‘is daughters finished off with clubs after the shots intended for them ricocheted off the family jewelz hidden in their corsets.”
Her husband continued, “Our Mother country did not believe colonials would amount to eh thing. We were just numbers to throw into any battle to distract Germany. Left to our own devices, we have made a different system than our superiors. British soldiers are largely equal to Canadian onez, though Canada is now winning every battle that is thrown at her and morale in the Corps ‘as never been higher.”
“Preparation is everything to the start of eh show. The Corps understands that no paper plan survives first contact with the enemy. Currie remains adamant in creating plans for each show to reduce casualties as much as possible. The lads do not always accept zis, but Currie cares for his men and prefers to sacrifice shot and shell before he ‘as to sacrifice men. The lads curse him with doing whatever it takes to conciliate British High Command. But, he ‘as maintained his ground with British High Command repeatedly for the sake of our soldiers starting in Ypres, where he commanded the 2nd Infantry Brigade and thwarted eh significant German advance. Alderson thought ‘e was the finest Brigadier in the Corps and elevated him in rank after Ypres. Contrary to what is due to him as a Commander-in-Chief, Currie does not reside in abandoned chateaux’s. Like his men’s quarters, ‘is are behind the front lines, where he reads maps and creates plans on usually less than eh handful of hours of sleep each night. Currie often asks for, or more accurately, demands more time to prepare.” There was actual pride in Auré’s voice as he continued, “If Currie waz in the main part of the British Forces, he would be court martialed and stripped of all rank and dignity. But because he is merely protecting colonials, his shouts, never before uttered in British militarism history, are frequently permitted. That takes courage.”
“Canadian leaders ‘ave always been against separating the Corps, meaning the transferring of one of our divisions to another section of the British Forces. The Diggers are this way, too, whereas the enemy and the other Allies move their men constantly to whatever part of their mammoth forces needs more men. Our lads almost always stay in the zame company or battalion they enlisted under. Therefore, our lads come to know one another and regard the men they fight alongside with like brothers, like family. For instance, if Philippe was at the front, I’d damn well make sure my body was cut to shreds before his waz. But when you are fighting amongst strangers, it is every man for ‘imself. This is one of the biggest factors why the Diggers and the Corps will come out of this the two superior armies of either side.”
“And you ‘ave to command respect before you can command men to do anything well. Treat eh man like a gentleman and he will act one. Our officers are taught to be firm but fair. To lead their men like fathers do their sons, like shepherds do their flocks. After eh fray, our Commanders question their men of ‘ow they are and wait with blankets and hot drink. How can one not feel loyalty towards officers who make themselves of service to their men? That ‘umility would be preposterous in the main British Force. But we do not see that as the weakness they do.”
“Other Allied armies ‘ave and will continue to pave the way for the Canadians to succeed in battle. A number of times, we could not have won the fray we did without other Allied militaries fighting there before us. Az well, the Canadian army is still remarkably reliant on the BEF for stock and logistics. Their staff officers, artillery and additional supporting soldiers enable the Corps to pay closer attention to the actual battles themselves. But, with each battle the Corps wins, our boys see they can fight and perform well. Our senior officers ‘ave confidence in the infantry and, in turn, the men believe in themselves and their leaders. Canadian generals treat their men as men and not az numbers. Our regular privates are expected to contribute and offer insight to further the Corps. Each soldier, to the newest recruit, is expected to be innovative and is given eh specific role. In turn, that role gives each soldier identity, which is what happened with Vimy Ridge.”
“Currie wanted all the troops to see maps of the Vimy Ridge area, which Byng allowed. British High Command thought we ‘ad gone irrevocably mad in allowing our regular soldiers to see maps and plans beforehand. Such eh venture had never been seen before in British military history. Before Vimy, maps were reserved for officers or generals because the average Tommy was thought to be too dishonest to be privy to that knowledge. In other words, in the chaos of battle, the regular soldier would always go into any given battle blind, and would figure out the terrain for the first time as he literally went over ze top, or be left awaiting orders from an officer who could already have been killed. Before Vimy, the common private was given no role at all, other than to proceed as far as he could and usually on his own. Fighting like this is reminiscent of a pawn in another’s man game. This iz similar to Germany’s system.”
“However, the entire Corps was made privy to the maps. Forty thousand maps were given out, roughly one for every two men. The average private was given the same information as his commanding officer. All ranks were acquainted with the battle plan ahead of time. The ‘eightened sense of worth was exponential. One of the officers was quoted as saying, ‘We had complete faith in our men and took them entirely into our confidences. We trusted that no one would desert and divulge information to the enemy and no one did.’ One hundred thousand Canadians served at Vimy Ridge, and not one account was documented of a soldier who abandoned and betrayed that trust to the enemy. One has to wonder how many countries in world history can claim this of their citizens.”
“The battle is won by the men who fall152, az well as that mutual respect, shown to all ranks, which translates to undying devotion to the officers, coupled with that hope, which in hard times decides everything, and confidence; those traits act as an invisible but protective shield over the Corps. When they go into battle, they fall back on one another, and that gives the boys something worth fighting for. And that’s how an army overtakes another several times its size. As long as the Corps stays the way she is, no foe can overtake ‘er. Even the formidable German army cannot penetrate our lines.”
“And it takes courage to enter eh battle where no one thinks you belong — to be laughed at, looked down-upon, treated as vile by the foe. That is warfare. But to be treated that same way by your superiors, then ordered into the feces-laced, God-forsaken trenches they leave for us, before finishing their battles for them and delivering unto them victory, that is nothing short of, quite frankly, unparalleled character. Don’t tell the boys zis, but they deserve the respect they’re getting, given that one way an army’s worth can be proven is that the enemy respects ‘er.”
“This is the genesis of our nation. Canada is giving back to the Empires, the mother countries who colonized her to show them what she’s made of, and she’s proving her sterling worth. As our boys are pushing this colony-by-law into nationhood, Borden, who’s spear’eading the campaign for the Prime Ministers, will ask the monarchy for greater autonomy amongst the dominions. And the King damn well understands he should grant that or risk losing one of the greatest armies the Empire will ever yield.”