8th Canadian Siege Battery

On The War Memorial Trail….. Staying In Touch During WWI With Field Post Cards

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May 5, 2022. Those of us of a certain age…. pre-internet days… may remember the admonition when travelling to ‘send us a postcard’.  This request came particularly from parents and grandparents.  If you were having a good time, writing out cards was the last thing on your mind. 

But there was a solution – pre-filled postcards where all you had to do was check the appropriate boxes and fill in the address the card should be sent to.  It let the receiver know you had safely arrived, and gave a chance to make a few comments or observations by ticking a series of boxes.  During a trip to New Zealand, I remember ticking a box that said ‘there are more sheep here than people’.  At the time there were 3 million people and 9 million sheep!

…A Field Post Card was an easy way to say I’m still alive….

During WWI, soldiers were kept busy trying to stay alive.  Not all had the time or inclination to write extensive letters, and so the Field Post Card came in handy, especially to let loved ones know when a letter or parcel arrived, or to give a brief update on the soldier’s well-being.

The Field Post Card, known as an f.s.p. or a ‘whizz bang’, allowed soldiers to strike out messages that didn’t apply.  No extra notes were allowed, except for dates, or the card would be destroyed.

CIMG4001 Harold Howatt

Harold Keith Howatt.  (Photo courtesy of South Shore United Church)

Even WWI soldier Harold Keith HOWATT of Augustine Cove, an active correspondent, sent these Field Post Cards when he received a letter or parcel while serving with the 8th Canadian Siege Battery.

Field post card back dated Oct 18 1917 from Harold Howatt

Field post card dated October 18, 1917 from Harold Howatt, advising he received a parcel. (Courtesy of the H. Howatt collection)

Field post card front mailed Oct 19 1917 from Harold Howatt

The Field Post Card of October 18, 1917 from Harold Howatt was mailed a day later. (Courtesy of the H. Howatt collection)

Harold Howatt noted in his October 18, 1917 Field Post Card that he had received a parcel that had been sent a month earlier, that a letter would be coming soon, and that he was ‘quite well’.

…What Harold Howatt couldn’t say in his Field Post Card….

What he wasn’t able to say was where his unit was stationed – La Bassée, France, located southwest of Lille and about 16 km (ten miles) from the Belgian border.

La Bassee Google Maps

Map showing La Bassée, where the 8th Siege Battery was located at the time Harold Howatt send his Field Post Card.  (Map source: http://www.google.ca)

In ‘The Secret History Of Soldiers’ historian Tim Cook noted that the Field Post Cards allowed soldiers to communicate at a time when it was difficult to explain the horrors that they were experiencing.  A prewritten card with no information that might help the enemy, such as location, was also quicker than regular mail as it bypassed censors.  “… The cards were a stopgap measure in between letters and they were commonly sent after a battle by exhausted soldiers...”

“…The phrase ‘I am quite well’ serves as an ironic comment on the difficulty soldiers had in finding the words to describe their unique experiences...”

Howatt recorded in his notes what he didn’t include in his Field Post Card….

On Monday, September 24, 1917 he wrote “…Slept in a straw loft last night, did not sleep very well as there was a rat running around through the straw all night…” 

After this sleepless night he wrote that they “…. started to shoot at 2:30 pm.  Ranged in 12 rounds, then we stopped firing until aviator ranged another battery. Started in again and fired pretty steady until 9:50 pm….”

On Tuesday, October 2, 1917 he noted that they had been woken up at midnight.  “…All of a sudden, a terrific racket started.  The Germans were pouring H. E. and gas shells into the village in front of the Fosse.  About a thousand shells came in altogether….We did not bother putting our gas masks on as we were so high up.  The bombardment lasted about one hour…”  H.E. referred to high explosives.

On Thursday, October 18, 1917, Howatt recorded that “… we expect to hand over guns, stories, and everything to another battery…..” 

On October 30, 1917 he wrote it was “…the date of leaving for the real war…” Indeed they did.  They set up base in Poperinghe, Belgium, to participate in the latter part of the Third Battle of Ypres – which we know as the Battle of Passchendaele – a battle that ended on November 17, 1917. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Passchendaele)

So, if you have WWI postcards in your possession take a look and see if you have any Field Post Cards! Photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1. 

© Daria Valkenburg

…Previous stories about Harold Howatt’s WWI observations….

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WW1 Soldier Who Hoped To Go Home After His Service In Germany Ended

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February 12, 2021. In earlier postings, the observations made by Harold Keith HOWATT of Augustine Cove towards the end of WW1 and his time in Mehlem, Germany with the Canadian Army of Occupation were recorded.  

Howatt, who was in the 8th Canadian Siege Battery, noted that on January 28, 1919 the Canadian Army of Occupation was relieved by the British 84th Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery.  Canadian troops moved back to Belgium in eager anticipation of demobilization and return home.

CIMG4001 Harold Howatt

Harold Keith Howatt.  (Photo courtesy of South Shore United Church)

This posting continues his observations in the last months of his military service, beginning with January 28, 1919.  “…Left Mehlem this morning for Bonn, loaded the guns on the railway tracks, and at about five o’clock we pulled out for Belgium, thus ‘winding up’ our ‘Watch on the Rhine’.  We travelled all night, in box cars, and arrived in a town called Andenne about six o’clock the next morning…”  It would have been a very cold ride in an unheated box car on the train in January! Brrrr….

Screenshot_2021-02-08 mehlem to andenne train - Google Search

Google map showing the approximate train route taken by Howatt’s unit.

(Note: Andenne, Belgium is a small town that saw over 200 of its civilian population massacred by the Germans in 1914:  see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andenne)

The situation regarding comfort didn’t improve, as Howatt recorded on January 29, 1919. “…We unloaded the guns this morning, finishing about one o’clock….. Then we came out to this place, where we were put in an old house with no fires in it.  The language used by the troops was lurid enough to warm the air…” Howatt’s reference to ‘this place’ was Sclayn, just outside Andenne.  (See https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sclayn)

The attempt to get warm continued on January 30, 1919.  “…Woke up this morning to find the windows covered with frost.  Gee! but it was cold, and the stove wouldn’t burn.  We spent nearly all day trying to get a stove fixed up that would burn….”

Howatt reported no improvement on January 31, 1919.  “…Weather still cold, and fire sulky….”

On February 1, 1919, Howatt writes that “…This is the slowest place I ever struck, not life enough to satisfy a monk….” 

Misery for the unit continued, as noted on February 2, 1919… “…In charge of the guard today.  No fuel for the guard room. We were either freezing or being smothered with smoke all day….”

On February 4, 1919, Howatt reported that “…The weather is getting much colder, days of brilliant frosty sunlight, and keen frosty nights….”

On February 5, 1919, Howatt met a friend, commenting that “…Still clear and cold.  Perry came to see us this afternoon.  He is in Andenne, expects to leave for La Harve the first of next week.  His unit is going home with the 3rd Division. Lucky beggar!...” (Note: Unfortunately, Perry is unknown.   The only known Perry was George Albert Perry who was killed in 1917.)

By February 6, 1919, Howatt was itching to leave.  “…Fine and cold.  No definite news on how long we will stay here…”

After several days of inactivity, except for the odd walk into town, Howatt recorded, on February 7, 1919, that “…This morning we had to carry the Observer’s stories down to Mr. Freeman’s billet, and this afternoon I helped him sort them over.  This evening MacNeil and I walked into Ardenne to see Perry again before he left.  He is living with a private family with ‘beaucoup mademoiselles’ and having a great time….”  (Note: Mr. Freeman is unknown.  MacNeil may be Robert Burns MACNEILL, who was born on PEI, but lived in Sydney, Nova Scotia at the time of enlistment.)

Finally, Howatt’s February 8, 1919 entry noted some activity.  “...Parade this morning for demob. Statistics, dispersal area, length of service, and so forth….”  You can imagine that Howatt was anxious to be included in the first group to be demobilized.

Postcard of Namur Belgium

Postcard from Namur. (Courtesy of the H. Howatt collection)

It was still a waiting game for Howatt, with time for some sightseeing, as he wrote on February 9, 1919.  “…Today a guard platoon consisting of an officer, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 2 bombardiers, and 42 men went to Namur to do guard duty. MacNeil and I got a pass and went with them.  First we went to the YMCA and got a book each at the lending library.  Then we climbed up onto the hill where the citadel is situated and walked all over the place.  Came home by train…” 

In 1914, Namur was invaded by the Germans in order to use the Meuse valley as a route into France. On August 21, 1914, they bombarded the town with no warning, killing several people. The citadel mentioned by Howatt fell after three days, and the town was occupied by the Germans until the end of the war. (For more info on Namur, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namur)

The next day, his hopes were raised, as he writes on February 10, 1919 about “…rumours that we may leave here before long…”

Over the next few days nothing much happened, but on February 14, 1919 he wrote about an altercation in the house they were staying in.  “…On guard duty today. The prisoners in the guardroom had some wine and there was a sort of a row.  The old lady got an idea into her head that someone had smashed up some of her furniture, so she got an officer and he had the prisoners lined up for her to identify the culprits.  I do not think it was the prisoners, though, who did break the window and chairs…”  It’s not clear who the prisoners were, but most likely they were German prisoners of war who had not yet been released.

The first hint that Howatt’s hopes of going home may not be realized occurred on February 15, 1919.  “…Came off guard this morning, was glad to get away…..Heard today that it has come through on orders that I have been promoted ‘corporal’ and posted to the 12th Battery.  Hope I do not have to go….”

On February 16, 1919, Howatt recorded that “…This morning the Major held a sort of investigation into the trouble in the guard room the other day, but nothing was found out...” This suggests that Howatt’s guess that the prisoners were not responsible for the damage was likely correct.

Discouragement sets in by February 18, 1919.  “…Nothing doing, no word of moving.  All there is to do is go for a walk, come home, read for a while, and go to bed...”  A year earlier a soldier might have been happy for this type of day, but with the war ended there is an impatience to leave.

On February 19, 1919, his frustration is voiced.  “…The same old thing in the same old way, nothing to do, nowhere to go.  Oh! To be out of this country….”

Things took a downward turn as passes for leaves were cancelled.  The Spanish flu had reached the area, resulting in lockdown measures similar to what we have experienced over the past year due to Covid-19. 

On February 22, 1919, Howatt wrote “…No church service today.  The cinemas are closed and all meetings are prohibited unless held in the open.  This is on account of the flu, which is very prevalent around here...”

The Regiment did not escape the flu, as on February 25, 1919, Howatt noted that “…This evening I had to go on guard as McCann took sick…” McCann was in charge of the guards.

On Friday, February 28, 1919, Howatt glumly recorded that “…This morning, MacIntosh came up and told me that I had to go to the 12th battery immediately.  Did I want to go – not much.  So I had to fly around, get some new clothes and so forth, and turn over the keys of the store boxes to Mr. Freeman…”

He left the next day for Mons, Belgium, along with “…Skirrow, Morrissey, and Goodwin…” Harold Howatt’s wartime service was not over yet! 

Can you help identify the names Freeman, Goodwin, Perry, MacIntosh, MacNeil, McCann, Morrissey, and Skirrow?  If so, please let Pieter know.  You can email him at dariadv@yahoo.ca, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1. 

Missed the previous two postings about the observations of Harold Howatt?  See here:

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© Daria Valkenburg

On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWI Era ‘Course Of The Rhine’ Map of Germany

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July 3, 2020.  It’s always a pleasure to hear from readers.  After reading about Harold Keith Howatt’s travels to WWI Germany as part of the post-occupation forces, Helen MacEwen contacted us about a map that her father-in-law sent to his future wife in 1918.  “…I have been reading with interest your reports about the WWI Veterans and wondered if I could bring further information about my father-in-law’s last tour after the German surrender. His name was Sgt. Herbert ‘Herb’ S. MACEWEN from Stanley Bridge…”

Helen went on to describe the map.  “…I have a copy of the ‘COURSE OF THE RHINE: From Mayence to Cologne’. It is a fold-out map of the Rhine River within a hard-cover. It is very fragile but does mention the different towns that you mentioned in your stories…” (You can read Howatt’s account at The WW1 Soldier Who Went To Post WW1 Germany)  Today we know Mayence as Mainz.

CIMG4111 Jun 14 2020 Herbert MacEwan in uniform

Herbert MacEwen.  (Photo courtesy of Helen MacEwen collection)

Howatt was in the 8th Canadian Siege Battery during WWI, while MacEwen was in the 2nd Canadian Siege Battery.  Both batteries were later attached to the 2nd Brigade, the only Canadian Heavy Artillery Brigade that went to Germany.

We were intrigued and made arrangements to meet Helen and see the map.  It turned out to be a surprise, as it was a foldable, panoramic map in full colour, showing the area along the Rhine River between Mainz and Cologne.  To complete the surprise, the map was written in English, but published in Germany.  It was clear that this had to be a map that pre-dated WWI and was designed for tourists!

20200614_144359 Jun 14 2020 Pieter & Helen MacEwan with panoramic map of Rhine River

Pieter and Helen MacEwen with the foldable, panoramic map. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Ralf Gräfenstein, a historian in Berlin, found a document that might explain why a map published in Germany over 100 years ago would be in English. “…These maps were made in English for tourists from Britain and Overseas, who came before the beginning of WWI and after the war to the German Rhine area…” he explained.

Ralf referred me to a 2006 dissertation written by Thilo Nowack of the University of Bonn, entitled ‘Rhein, Romantik, Reisen. Der Ausflugs- und Erholungsreiseverkehr im Mittelrheintal im Kontext gesellschaftlichen Wandels (1890 bis 1970)’ and gave a reference to the chapters that would be of interest. (Translation of the dissertation: ‘Rhine, romance, travel. Excursion and recreational travel in the Middle Rhine Valley in the context of social change (1890 to 1970)’).

In the dissertation, it was explained that “… the Tourism Society of the Rhine Area was founded in 1904… with the goal “to promote and make traveling and the stay on the Rhine and its side valleys pleasant’…” in response to the view that “… the Rhineland had lost its attraction as a travel destination since the late 19th century…”  As part of the tourism promotion effort, “… posters, brochures and other booklets were used to advertise in German, English, French and Dutch…” and placed “…in train stations at home and abroad…”  Tourist promotion was economically important as “… the invention and expansion of steam shipping and railroads enabled an enormous increase in travel on the Rhine…”

It seems likely that Herbert MacEwen could have found the map in a shop or train station someplace in Germany, most likely Cologne.  It’s clearly a tourist map, with key destinations identified along the Rhine, with brief explanations and diagrams.

20200614_144505 EXCERPT Jun 14 2020 Portion of map between Cologne & Mehlem - Copy

An excerpt from the map, showing illustrations and descriptions.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Helen noted that “…Herb had sent this map to his girlfriend in Stanley Bridge. They married in 1921.  He states that they stayed near Mehlem-on-Rhine…”

At the top of the map Herb had written “… Arrived at the Rhine on December 12th, 1918.  I have marked the bridge on which we expect to pass over. We are at present guarding the bridgehead from this site…”  This confirms the entry in Harold Howatt’s account, which stated that they had arrived in Cologne on December 12.

20200614_143410 Jun 14 2020 note on map saying unit was guarding bridge head

Herb MacEwen’s note at the top of the map.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

A bridgehead is the strategically important area of ground around the end of a bridge over a body of water.  (For more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgehead)

On December 13, Harold Howatt had noted that “….the Canadian troops marched across the Rhine, reviewed as they crossed the bridge by General Plumer and General Currie…” The bridge crossed was the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenzollern_Bridge)

To our amazement, Pieter found a video from the Imperial War Museum of this march across the Hohenzollern Bridge: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060008233.

Herb MacEwen was discharged on May 18, 1919.   His daughter-in-law Helen told us that “…he would be 21 years old.  He apparently, ‘conveniently,’ put his birthdate down as older than fact when he joined the Army…”

The individual stories of our soldiers enrich the sometimes dry facts of history, and it was wonderful to learn of the shared history of Herb MacEwen and Harold Howatt.

For more information on the post WWI occupation of the Rhineland, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_the_Rhineland

For more information on General Sir Herbert Plumer, who commanded the Army of Occupation, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Plumer,_1st_Viscount_Plumer

For more information on General Sir Arthur Currie, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Currie

Thank you to Helen MacEwen for sharing the story of Herb MacEwen and Course Of The Rhine Map from the early 20th Century.  If you have a story to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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The WW1 Soldier Who Went To Post WW1 Germany

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April 29, 2020.  In an earlier posting, the observations made by Harold Keith HOWATT of Augustine Cove towards the end of WW1 were recorded.  (See One Soldier Records His Observations During The Last Few Days Of World War I) Howatt was in the 8th Canadian Siege Battery during WW1 and came home after the war.

8th Siege Battery photo

On October 30, 1918, as Howatt’s unit travelled towards Belgium from France in the last days of the war, the Brigade was inspected by Lt-General Sir Arthur  Currie.  (Harold Howatt collection.  Photo from ‘Purely Personal’ issue of November 30, 1918.)

After the official hostilities ended on November 11, Howatt was in Belgium with his unit, and hoped he could go to Germany with the Army of Occupation.  He got his wish.

On November 17, 1918, Howatt’s unit was informed it would be attached to the 2nd Brigade, the only Canadian Heavy Artillery Brigade going to Germany.

Before the march into Germany, however, Howatt wrote, on November 19, 1918, how happy he was to have a real bath… “...Wonderful to relate, we had a bath parade to the bath at one of the mines. It was a rather long walk but a great bath when we got there, a shower bath with lots of warm water…”

Screenshot Map of route to Germany at DuckDuckGo

Route from Mons, Belgium to Mehlem (near Bonn), Germany taken by Howatt’s unit. (Map courtesy of http://www.duckduckgo.com)

On November 20, the unit was on the move. “…Breakfast at 5 o’clock this morning, then we fell in at 6:30 and marched up to the square.  Here we formed up and started for Germany, the lorries ahead, then the signallers and B.C.A.s, then the guns with the gun crews walking behind….” (B.C.A. is an acronym for Battery Commander Assistant, the position held by Howatt.) “...We stopped at a town called Jemappes, about four kms west of Mons.  We were billeted in a big factory, away up in the top story...”  The unit stayed there for a week.

On November 28, 1918, Howatt and his unit were on their way again.  “…Up this morning at 5:30, had two cups of coffee, then breakfast, and away.  We travelled in the lorries through town after town.  Had great fun waving our hands to all the pretty girls as we passed…”  Pretty girls weren’t all that caught Howatt’s interest. “…We stopped in one town for a few minutes and we were talking to a Canadian infantry corporal.  His company was guarding trainloads of munitions left by the Germans.  They had big munitions works in the town, and there were over 300 cars of shells and high explosives in the railway yards…”  Howatt didn’t identify this town, but mentioned that they stopped overnight in Ligny, and he was billeted in a farmhouse with a Belgian family.

The next day, November 29, Howatt continued his account.  “…Left Ligny this morning at about eight o’clock and arrived here in Namur about twelve.  All along the road are abandoned German lorries, tractors, and motorcars.  They must have left hundreds and hundreds behind them.  I don’t know whether these cars have broken down or whether the petrol gave out.  I saw one yard full of lorries….”

Namur postcard

Postcard showing the citadel in Namur. (Harold Howatt collection.)

The unit stopped in Namur for a rest break, giving Howatt time to explore the town.  “…Namur is quite a place.  The forts are on a high cliff or hill behind the town.  The town has been badly smashed up in some places….”

On December 1, the unit was moving ahead again.  “…We started about seven.   The road ran along the bank of the Meuse, and on the other side are enormous cliffs towering high in the air…..”  While Howatt, as part of the advance party, arrived in Huy around noon to secure accommodations “….the guns did not get in until nearly dark.  Just as we were waiting around for supper Mr. Goodwin came around and said that the B.C.A.s and signallers had to clear the mud off the wheels…”  Howatt, along with a small group, cleared off one gun, but noted that a number of men disappeared, rather than going out in the dark to tackle this task!

The next day, rather than continuing on, the unit was put to work cleaning the guns. On December 4, the unit moved further along to Hamoir, where they stopped for another few days.  On December 8, the unit travelled as far as Petit-Thier “…only 3 kms from the border.  It is a very small place…”

On December 9, Howatt recorded that “…At last we are where we have been trying to get for over four years.  ‘In Germany’ This morning, at about eight o’clock we crossed the frontier, the first Canadian Siege Battery to enter Germany….”

He noted that the mood in Germany was not the same as in Belgium.  “…About the only difference we noted on crossing the frontier was the absence of flags and any demonstrations on the part of the people.  They still came out when we passed and just looked at us without a word or smile.  One or two we met on the road saluted us.  The people do not seem to fear us, in fact I think they welcome us, hoping the presence of the troops will restore order, and result in a more even distribution of food. The country we passed through today was desolate….” That night they stopped in a small village, Mirfeld, where Howatt was “…billeted in a schoolroom...”

On December 10, while trying to find a place to stay in Büllingen, the unit ran into opposition.  “…At first they were going to put us in the station house, but the old station master kicked about it, saying he had a telegram from a conference in Aix-la-Chapelle saying that station houses were not to be used for billeting troops...”  The Canadians found other accommodation.

By December 12, they had reached Cologne, and the next day, December 13, “….the Canadian troops marched across the Rhine, reviewed as they crossed the bridge by General Plumer and General Currie.  It was an inspiring sight to see the Canadians cross to the east bank of the Rhine….. The people here do not seem to be very hostile, in fact many are quite friendly but it must have been a bitter pill for these proud Prussians to swallow to have to witness the occupation of their city by the hated Canadians….”

On December 16, the unit travelled to its final destination in Germany.  “….We started about 1:30 pm for Bonn or somewhere near.  We passed through Bonn…. and arrived about dusk in a little town called Mehlem.  We are billeted in an old theatre….”

The 2nd Canadian Brigade stayed in Mehlem until January 28, 1919, when the Canadian Army of Occupation was relieved by the British 84th Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery.  Canadian troops moved back to Belgium and then onwards towards demobilization and home. Howatt was discharged on May 18, 1919.

There is an Island link between the Canadian Brigade, which Howatt was part of, and the British Brigade! One of the members of the British Army of Occupation was Lt. Henry “Harry” Warburton STEWART, one of the names listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion.  Stewart died in hospital while in Germany and is buried in Cologne.  (For an account of our visit to the cemetery and his story, see On the War Memorial Trail ….. In Cologne)

Henry Warburton Stewart

Henry “Harry” Warburton Stewart. (Photo courtesy B. Stewart family collection)

At the time we visited Cologne we did not have access to the war diaries for Stewart’s unit.  Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic we got a lucky break.  The National Archives in the United Kingdom has offered free access to its digitized records while the Archives are closed to the public. Pieter was able to get the war diaries, so we now have confirmation why Stewart was in Germany.

His unit, the 77th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, became part of the 84th Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery, sent to relieve the Canadians.  According to the war diary, on January 29, 1919 “….a party of the 77th Siege Battery arrived in Namur…”  Unlike Howatt’s unit, which travelled by road, this unit “…. travelled to Mehlem by train...”  No mention is made of where in Mehlem the 77th Siege Battery was billeted.  Stewart must have fallen ill shortly after arriving in Mehlem as he ended up in hospital in nearby Bonn and died on February 11.

Unfortunately, as yet, we have not yet found a photo of Harold Howatt.  As well, the service file for Henry Warburton Stewart has not yet been digitized by the National Archives and is not available online. Can you help?  If so, please let Pieter know.  You can email him at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

One Soldier Records His Observations During The Last Few Days Of World War I

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April 20, 2020.  As we stay in social isolation during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, many people are wondering how we will react once the restrictions are lifted, how they will be lifted, and when they will be lifted.  At the moment there are no clear answers.  But there are examples in the past about how people reacted when major events came to an end.  One of these was the reaction of WW1 soldiers when they learned that the war would end on the 11th hour of the 11th month in 1918.  Some didn’t believe it would happen, others wondered why wait when a ceasefire was already in the works.  Some thought to reduce the loss of life by not actively pursuing the soon to be ex-enemy, while others strove to aggressively take out as many enemies out as possible.  George Lawrence PRICE, the Canadian soldier who was shot by a German sniper and died two minutes before the 11 am ceasefire comes to mind as an example of the latter. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lawrence_Price)

Harold Keith HOWATT, of Augustine Cove, was in the 8th Canadian Siege Battery during WW1 and survived the war.  With this year’s pandemic in mind, we looked through his writings to see if there was any mention of what later became known as the Spanish flu among the troops.  To our surprise, only one mention was made of flu, and it had nothing to do with soldiers!  On October 29, 1918 he wrote that “….I received three letters from PEI and in one of them was the news that Morley Newsome had died of influenza.  It was quite a blow to me, we had always been such good friends….” (Newsome, the son of Samuel Newsome and Charlotte Dawson, died on October 8, 1918, and is buried in Charlottetown.)

Next we wondered what he wrote once the news of an upcoming ceasefire was announced.  The first mention is of a rumour on November 5, 1918, while he was in Hérin, France, not that far from the Belgian border. “…The Allied Army is going strong all along the line, the Belgians are reported to be in Ghent, the Americans have captured Sedan, and the French are going strong.  There are rumours of an armistice…”

Wikipedia Western_front_1918_allied

Orange star is the approximate location of Hérin, France where Howatt was located in early November.  Brown arrow is the location of Sedan, Belgium. (Map source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Days_Offensive)

On November 6, 1918, he wrote that “…Peace rumours growing stronger.  It is reported that Mons is captured, also that the Germans have asked the Allied Command if they will receive a peace delegation…” Mons is in Belgium.

The next day, November 7, he recorded that it was “….officially reported that Turkey and Austria have unconditionally surrendered, that the Allied Fleet is in the Black Sea, and that Austria has to allow the Allies to march through their territory to attack Germany from the south…”

On November 8, he sounds a hopeful note.  “…It is official that Germany is sending a peace delegation across the lines.  No one knows where the Germans are in front of here, somewhere beyond Mons.  There is great expectation of peace….”

On November 9, he writes about going into the nearby town of Denain for a concert and later to visit a canteen where he met Canadians who recently arrived from England. “… There were a great number of Canadians in Denain today, two or three thousand reinforcements who have just come over from Blighty.  The rumour tonight is that the Allies have given Germany until Monday at 11:00 hours to agree to the terms of the armistice….”  All these rumours in the days before social media indicate the keen interest in what was happening!

Google Maps Cambrai

Hérin is circled in purple.  Denain is circled in orange. (Source: Google map for area around Cambrai, France.)

On November 10, Howatt’s unit was woken up at 5 am and told they would be on the move to Boussu, Belgium, a small town 10 kms west of Mons.  Then nothing happened all morning!  Hurry up and wait?  Finally, after dinner, Howatt was part of an advance party that left in a truck with “…several signallers, two cooks, and Lutly and I…”

Google maps Boussu

Howatt’s advance party travelled through Valenciennes to Boussu.  (Map source: Google)

When they arrived in Boussu, Howatt recorded that “…There are a large number of civilians in the town, and there was great excitement among the civilians, the band started to play, and the civilians flocked around, and started to dance, sing, and shout ‘La guerre est fini’.  The general impression seems to be that the war is about over…..”

The first entry for Monday, November 11, 1918 was in quotes and underlined.  “Hostilities have ceased.”  Howatt then gave an account of the reaction.  “….At eleven o’clock this morning fighting ceased, the Germans have evidently accepted the terms of the armistice.  There was not much excitement today, the fellows hardly believe that it is true.  There is just a quiet undertone of gladness…”

With fighting over, the rest of Howatt’s unit came to Boussu and they were billeted in a chateau built in 1539 and belonging to the Marquisse de Charbonne, a Parisian who used the chateau as a summer home.  Howatt mentions that the chateau had been “…used by Fritz as billets. When we got over there to hold the billets we found about twenty Belgian girls here cleaning out the place.  It was in an awful mess….. We certainly had a circus here this morning with those girls, they would work for a while, then they would have a dance. I laughed more than I have for ages….”

The end of fighting didn’t mean that soldiers were free to leave. On November 12, Howatt reports that “…Gun crews went down to clean the guns and signallers and B.C.A.s to clean their stores…” (B.C.A. is an acronym for Battery Commander Assistant, the position held by Howatt.)

On November 13, Howatt mentions more rumours going through his unit.  “...There are all sorts of rumours going around today, some say that we are going up into Germany, others say we are going right back to Canada.  I wouldn’t mind going into Germany at all….”  Not long afterwards, Howatt did go to Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.

We think of major events as having a beginning and an end.  They do, but the timing is staggered and never crystal clear.  Not only are there rumours, but there is a time lag when people begin to believe that what they have been told is true.  It must have been an enormous shock, mixed with relief, to learn that fighting was over, and then came the uncertainty while waiting to hear what would happen next. This is a lesson for us with the pandemic.

After returning home, Howatt married Louise Wright, and died on October 15, 1985, aged 93.  Does anyone have a photo of Harold Howatt? If so, please let Pieter know.  You can email him at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

On the War Memorial Trail …..Christmas At The Front During WWI

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December 13, 2018.  Researching names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion at this time of year gets one to think about what it might have been like for the soldiers, especially during WWI.  They were far from home, by this time they would have lost friends and fellow soldiers, and might be wondering if they themselves would survive another hour, let alone another day.  So when we receive some postcards or letters that tell us what they may be experiencing at holiday time, it’s very special.

A few years ago, we received a photo of George Albert CAMPBELL from his nephew, Gerald Tingley, putting a face to that name.  (Campbell’s story was told in a posting last year – see Two Campbell Brothers in WW1)

George Albert Campbell from Gerald Tingley

Private George Albert Campbell. (Photo courtesy of Gerald Tingley family collection)

Known as Albert, Campbell was born on July 8, 1895 in Wellington, PEI, the son of John George Campbell and Grace Emma, nee Barlow.  A fisherman and farmer before enlisting on April 6, 1915 with the 6th Canadian Mounted Rifles, he later transferred to the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles.

CIMG2669 Oct 9 2018 meet with Gerald Tingley in Salisbury

Gerald Tingley, left, with Pieter. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Recently we had a chance to meet Gerald Tingley in person.  He arrived with a binder of WWI letters from his uncle that had been written to Gerald’s mother, and Albert’s sister, Sophie.

One excerpt was really special.  In a December 1915 letter to his sister Sophie, he wrote:  “…We got a big box of cake and candy from Bedeque the other day and it was great for a change.  It was meant for Xmas but we ate it all as soon as we got it...”

This excerpt about receiving cake and candy from someone in Bedeque really showed how food was always on a soldier’s mind, particularly something delicious from home.  And there was no way a soldier was going to wait for a particular day to have that taste of home.

It was the last Christmas that Campbell experienced.  During the Battle of Mount Sorrel in Belgium, he was killed in action in the vicinity of Maple Copse on June 2, 1916.  He has no known grave, and his name is listed on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.

Xmas card from Harold Howatt

Christmas card with a piece of embroidered handkerchief sent by Harold Howatt, wishing his family a ‘Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year’. (Photo courtesy of H. Howatt collection)

Campbell’s brother, William Galen CAMPBELL, born June 16, 1897 in Wellington, was poisoned by a mustard gas shell in France on May 28, 1918.  He was in the same unit, the 8th Canadian Siege Battery, as Harold Keith HOWATT of Augustine Cove.

Howatt kept an active correspondence and journal, and two Christmas entries survive.  In 1917, he was stationed in Lille, France and recorded the following on December 24:  “…Route march this morning, then after we came back we had to carry planks for the hut which is being put up for Christmas dinner.  In the late afternoon Dawson and I went into Lille and had a bath at a convent.  Afterwards we went to a concert in the YMCA hut….”

If you ever wondered about the saying that ‘soldiers march on their stomachs’, then you will see why food is important in reading Howatt’s detailed description of the Christmas meal of December 25, 1917.  “…Church parade this morning, but I did not go as Mr. Freeman wanted me to help him get ready for the Xmas dinner.  We had a great dinner, duck and chicken, applesauce, vegetables, plum pudding, apples and nuts.  The officers bought everything except the plum pudding, pretty good of them.  After dinner was over we gave ‘three cheers and a tiger’ for them…”

By December 1918 the war was over, but troops were still in Europe.  Howatt’s unit was assigned to Germany.  On December 25, he made the following terse entry from Mehlem, on the Rhine: “…We had no Christmas dinner as the turkey did not arrive...” 

On January 1, 1919 he gave a happier update in his journal:  “…Last evening we had our Xmas dinner, which had been postponed owing to the non-arrival of the turkey.  We sat down at 8 o’clock to a good meal: turkey and vegetables, plum pudding, and nuts and apples.  There was also lots of beer, ginger ale, and also some scotch…”

1918 xmas menu

1918 Xmas menu for the 8th Canadian Siege Battery. Notice that each dish had a name that represented where the unit was in France and Belgium! (Photo courtesy of H. Howatt collection)

Unlike George Albert Campbell, both William Galen Campbell and Harold Keith Howatt returned home from WWI.  Surprisingly, no photo of William Galen Campbell has been found.  If you have photos or information to share, please let us know. Send an email to memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/ 

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On The War Memorial Trail….Two Campbell Brothers in WWI

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December 8, 2017. After visiting the Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, we stopped at the Battle of Mount Sorrel Monument, honouring the 15th Canadian Infantry at Observatory Ridge.  We had noticed this monument only because of a torn Canadian flag beside it!  We learned that the plaque was unveiled on October 22, 2011 before Canadian and Belgian dignitaries by members of the 15th Battalion Memorial Project.

IMG_20170910_133239840_HDR Sep 10 2017 Batttle of Mount Sorrel Monument

Battle of Mount Sorrel Monument, honouring the 15th Canadian Infantry at Observatory Ridge. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

While no one on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion was in the 15th Canadian Infantry, these soldiers were in the thick of things during the Battle of Mount Sorrel, in which George Albert Campbell and Charles Benjamin Murray Buxton lost their lives.

Buxton’s story was told in previous blog entries, and this blog entry is to tell what little we know about George ‘Albert’ CAMPBELL and how he lost his life.

george-albert-campbell-from-gerald-tingley.jpg

Private George Albert Campbell. (Photo courtesy of Gerald Tingley family collection)

Albert was born on July 8, 1895 in Wellington, PEI, the son of John George Campbell and Grace Emma, nee Barlow.  A fisherman and farmer before enlisting on April 6, 1915 with the 6th Canadian Mounted Rifles, he later transferred to the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles.

During the Battle of Mount Sorrel, the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles were in a supporting position, occupying the strongpoint, dugouts, and trenches in Maple Copse and Zillebeke area, as noted in ‘With The Patricia’s In Flanders 1914-1918 Then & Now’ by Stephen K. Newman.

Newman goes on to explain in his book that “….the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles in Maple Copse held on despite heavy shelling that flattened the entire wood and made their old trenches untenable.  They waited for the reinforcements from 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles and the 9th Brigade.  The two eighteen pounder sacrifice guns of the 5th Battery Canadian Field Artillery hidden in the southern part of Sanctuary Wood did their job to the last man and were overrun.  The German success depended on their bulling through the Patricia line and moving the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles out of Maple Copse….”

Albert was in the midst of this battle, as a member of the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles.  According to the Canadian War Graves Register Circumstances of Death, he was killed in action in the vicinity of Maple Copse.

The War Diary of the unit for June 2, 1916 notes: “…A red letter day in the history of the battalion ever to be remembered by those who lived through it. The battalion went into the line in the night of the 31st of May /1st of June occupying a position in Brigade support at Maple Copse.

 ‘A’ company and two platoons of ‘B’ company at Maple Copse. Nothing of importance occurred until the morning of the 2nd of June when at about at 8.30 a.m., the enemy began a very heavy bombardment of the frontline and all the ground at Maple Copse and vicinity. Heavy bombardments continued till noon on the 3rd and continued again after 6 p.m…”

Unfortunately, Albert has no known grave, and his name is therefore listed on the Menin Gate Memorial.  It’s quite likely, however, that he might be buried in Maple Copse Cemetery in an unknown grave.

CIMG8858 Sep 10 2017 Maple Copse Cemetery

Entrance to Maple Copse Cemetery. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Maple Copse was the name used by the British Army for a small plantation east of Zillebeke and just west of Sanctuary Wood.  It was used by medical staff as a dressing station, and burials took place here both before and after the Battle of Mount Sorrel.

The cemetery was destroyed by shellfire during the Battle of Mount Sorrel and when fighting resumed afterwards, with the gravestones destroyed and ending up in the rubble.  Of 256 named graves that were known to exist, only 26 could be definitely located.  Perhaps Albert is in one of these.  Of the 256 graves, 114 had soldiers from the United Kingdom and 142 from Canada.

Like he did with Buxton at the Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Pieter put Canadian flags on 4 unknown graves from a Canadian Regiment, and then placed a PEI flag on one of these in memory of George ‘Albert’ Campbell.

CIMG8864 Sep 10 2017 Pieter by grave of unknown soldier at Maple Copse Cemetery

Pieter by the grave of an unknown soldier from a Canadian regiment at Maple Copse Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

With the advances in DNA research, perhaps one day there will be the possibility to find out who the unknown soldiers are in Maple Copse and Sanctuary Wood cemeteries.  Wouldn’t that be a genealogical project to get involved with?

Unfortunately, we have very little information about his life prior to enlistment, but are grateful for the photo of Albert sent by a distant relative, Gerald Tingley.  If anyone has more information or photos, please help us honour Albert’s memory by sharing them.  (For previous blog entries that have mentioned Albert, see A Daytime Visit To Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres and A Visit To Sanctuary Wood.)

There are two Campbells on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, one who died and one who survived, but with injuries.  George ‘Albert’ Campbell had a younger brother, William Galen CAMPBELL, born June 16, 1897 in Wellington, who enlisted on April 22, 1916 with the 5th Siege Battery as a gunner, shortly before his older brother died.  He later transferred to the 8th Siege Battery of the 3rd Brigade Canadian Garrison Artillery, and was poisoned by a mustard gas shell, during action near Lievin (Pas de Calais) in France on May 28, 1918.

The war diary of the 8th Siege Battery tersely noted what happened to the unit:

“27 May 1918: Intense gas bombardment on Lievin and many gas shells fell around Thelus and vicinity.

28 May 1918: Twenty nine other ranks of Lievin section admitted to hospital, gassed.

29 May 1918: Capt. Cunningham, Lt Messeray and 39 other ranks of Lievin section to hospital, gassed.”

Unlike his brother Albert, William Galen survived and married Ida May McNally on January 5, 1919.  On April 14, 1919 he was discharged from military service.  He passed away on April 24, 1954 in Charlottetown and is buried in the cemetery at the Free Church of Scotland in Cape Traverse.  We have no photo or further information on William Galen Campbell.

william-g-campbell-gravestone-free-church-of-scotland-cape-traverse.jpg

Grave of William Galen Campbell in the cemetery of the Free Church of Scotland in Cape Traverse. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

While our visit to Maple Copse Cemetery ended our Belgian visit to graves and memorials for the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, we were interested in visiting some of the other memorials in the area.  So, in the next blog entry, we will continue on the war memorial trail in Belgium.

Comments or stories?  You can share them by emailing us at memorialtrail@gmail.com or by commenting on this blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/ 

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw. 

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.