Over the Canadian Battlefields: Notes of a Little Journey in France, in March, 1919 — John Shaqi
Over the Canadian Battlefields: Notes of a Little Journey in France, in March, 1919Dafoe, John Wesley
History
Over the Canadian Battlefields: Notes of a Little Journey in France, in March, 1919
Dafoe, John Wesley
World War, 1914-1918 -- Battlefields; World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, Canadian
In the first days of March, 1919, I made hurriedly a pilgrimage that
will be made in more leisurely manner by thousands of Canadians in
coming years. For while the memory of the Great War endures and Canada
retains her national consciousness, Canadians, generation after
generation for centuries to come, will follow the Canadian way of glory
over the battlefields of France and Flanders, with reverent hearts and
shining eyes, learning anew the story of what will doubtless always
remain the most romantic page in our national history. For lack of time
I had to forego my visit to the bitter battlefields of Flanders: Ypres,
where the Canadians held the line against all odds when German hopes for
the Channel ports appeared for the moment to be on the point of
fulfilment; Festubert, St. Eloi and Sanctuary Wood, the scenes of
desperate encounters where the Canadians learned hard lessons in the art
of beating the Boche; and Passchendaele, where the very doubtful and
questionable Flanders campaign of 1917 had a victorious finale by the
resounding achievement of the Canadian corps in capturing the ridge
which had so long defied assault. But the other Canadian battle-fronts
I saw, albeit hurriedly and under weather conditions which were far from
propitious; and perhaps some notes of my impressions may not be entirely
lacking in interest to the Canadian public.
But before going on to this something might be said on the general
subject of visits to the Canadian battlefields of the western European
front. At the moment of course this area is sealed to visitors. It
constitutes a military zone which can only be entered under the
authority of a "white pass." Unless one is accompanied by a member of
the military staff he cannot get this pass nor would it be of use to him
because there is in this belt of wilderness which lies athwart one of
the oldest and most populous areas in Europe no means of transportation
and no accommodation for the unattached civilian. But this of course is
a condition that will speedily pass.
In a year’s time, or less, the tides of travel will pour over these
highways; and among the travellers will be all sorts and conditions of
men; from the idle sightseers seeking a new sensation amidst these mute
memorials of human conflict to the reverent pilgrim following step by
step the road of sacrifice and glory trodden by his countrymen in the
Great Crusade.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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