The Great War and The Final Great Peace

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Robert Thomas

At 11 AM today Canadians celebrated the centenary of the end of World War I, The Great War or as it was boldly but sadly called at the time “the War to end all Wars.”

100 years ago, all across the Western Front the guns fell silent after four years of bloodletting and carnage. In that silence the sounds of church bells and jubilation broke out for the Western allies. For Germany it was a time of great humiliation, it’s Central Power allies already signing individual armistices.

Despite what many popularly believe, Canadians continued fighting on the Eastern Front - either the 4000 strong Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force, the Canadian North Russian Expeditionary Force or attached to various British units as part of the intervention in Russia.

It is often called Canada's Forgotten War.

And yes there were Canadians dying or in the fight of their lives in Russia which some Western Front veterans, who were reassigned to Russia, described as “more harrowing” and “cruel” than anything they had ever faced on any battlefield before.

Canada had entered the intervention into Russia for military and political reasons. Prime Minister Robert Borden saw sending Canadian troops into Russia to support the restoration of the Eastern Front as a means to ensure Canada’s place in any future peace negotiations. A chance for Canada to stand out as an independent and sovereign nation with control over their own international destinies.

Canada had entered World War I not of her own volition but because Canada was part of the British Empire.

Canada's foreign policy at that time was set by Britain. When Britain went to war Canada was likewise obligated to go to war alongside them. The sacrifices in blood made by everyday ordinary Canadians, on battlefields far from home, would guarantee Canada an independent place on the international scene.

For many people the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge in April 1917 is(was) seen as a crucial point of development for Canada as a nation. In three days, utilizing planning, the innovation of a creeping artillery barrage to keep the Germans out of their trenches, mixed guts and severe determination, the four Canadian divisions fighting together for the first time as one unit together accomplished a major military victory.

According to historians at the time Canada's stepping out of Britain's shadow internationally was not for certain. With this in mind Canada sent troops into Russia in late 1918. It was only after the Armistice was declared did Prime Minister Borden withdraw his support as the military objective of establishing an Eastern Front against Germany was no longer necessary.

Despite this Canadian units and personnel who fought in Russia managed to accomplish some of the greatest feats in the annals of Canadian military history.

On the very day the Armistice was signed, and seemingly lost to history, Canadians in the opening day of the Battle of Tulgas pulled off what was described as “one of the most memorable and glorious days in the annals of Canadian military history” by The Canadian Historical Review.

In what would be dubbed the Armistice Day Battle, Red forces numbering approximately 600 had managed to get in behind the Canadian artillery position and crept out of the woods a few hundred feet away. With their guns facing the wrong direction 23 drivers with their rifles jumped into action and managed to hold off a massively superior force allowing the guns to be swung around.

With the drivers falling back but still holding the enemy at bay the gunners opened up with shrapnel at near point blank range. The Canadian artillery battery, although ordered to abandon their guns by the American battle commander, held their position.

At the end of the day the Bolshevik forces retreated and the Canadian’s had not only won The Armistice Day Battle but had managed to keep their guns despite being overrun at that time only accomplished two other times in the British Empire.

The losses to the Canadian 67th Battery were two dead in the afternoon hours after the guns were quiet on the Western Front. Corporal Stanley Warehouse and Gunner Walter Conville would be killed in combat. Their deaths are listed in Canadian War records as World War I casualties.

Later, during the long Winter, units of French, British and American forces refused to go to the front but the two Canadian batteries held firm. They would later be called the “backbone of the expedition” by General Ironside despite being a small contingent.

On June 11th, 1919 the day the Canadian 16th Brigade of Field Artillery were withdrawn the recognized Russian government presented 10 St George's Crosses - the equivalent of the British Victoria Cross - to the men in the brigade. In North Russia only Canadian soldiers would receive this honour and it was dutifully recognized in their service record as awarded.

With the Armistice signed, the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force had already been withdrawn in the Spring 1919 – with no combat deaths - but there were still Canadians fighting in British units.

In these units there was a small and dedicated group of Canadian airmen whose dedication, gallantry and bravery helped set the standard for the yet to be formed independent Royal Canadian Air Force.

With the Ottoman Empire signing the Armistice of Munros on October 30, 1918, Britain had access to the Dardanelles to provide aircraft, supplies and ostensibly military instructors to the southwest front in what is today Ukraine and Russia.

Numbering an estimated 35 percent of the Royal Air Force pilots, in May 1918 Canadians were not allowed to have their own air corps and with Winston Churchill in the British Cabinet pushing for support in Russia, Canadians ended up in the thick of the fight.

Nanaimo BC native and World War I ace Raymond Collinshaw would find himself in charge of No 47 Squadron.

Ostensibly a training squadron, Collinshaw would, like so many other advisory units sent to Russia, found it impractical and the advisors found themselves involved in actual heavy fighting. Taking his hands-on approach in Russia he flew numerous sorties once being shot down and then taxiing his 20 miles across the snow back to base.

The spirit of fearlessness, valour and risk-taking led to one of the most gallant feats of courage and flying skill, when on July 30, 1919 a Canadian pilot Capt Walter F Anderson and his observer Lieut John Mitchell, as part of a two plane bombing and photography mission, came under intense ground-based enemy machine gun fire. One plane was shot down five miles behind enemy lines and Anderson's plane was hit several times in the fuel tank.

To stop the leaks Mitchell climbed onto the wing and while hanging on with one hand used the fingers of his free one to plug the leaks.

Knowing an order had been issued demanding that all interventionist air crew captured were to be castrated, crucified and disembowled Mitchell landed nearby the other plane whose crew was using the machine gun against enemy cavalry. The two men jumped into the observer's seat and with Mitchell again on the wing plugging the fuel leaks and after getting airborne took a long 50 minutes to return to base.

For their heroic efforts Anderson and Mitchell were recommended for the Victoria Cross but due to losing appropriate paperwork proving their feat or a lack of political will back home as Winston Churchill was the sole member of the British cabinet supporting Britain's participation the medals were never awarded.

During late 1919 the Canadian flyers started to find themselves up against expected experienced German pilots.

On March 29th, 1920 the Canadians along with the British airmen were ordered to turn their machines over to the General Wrangel's forces and evacuate.

The War on the Eastern Front was finally over. The peace had finally come.