Читать книгу In The Trenches 1914-1918 - Glenn Ph.D. Iriam - Страница 6

1914 and June. Rumors were on every puff of wind that gusts and ripples among the islands of the Lake of the Woods. Sentries to be posted on all railway bridges at all points near enough to the river to be in danger of a sudden raid by motor boat from the south. Militia officers, quietly making plans of defense and preparing to use all personnel in the old militia units to whip new men into shape in order to fill the ranks of the First Canadian Division in the future. Germany was on the rampage by sea and land and right out to make the rest of the white race take a back seat. The early part of August found about 50 men on the roll of the old 98th at Kenora. Yours truly as sergeant and not enough clothes to go around. Some of the boys out to drill in derbies, straw hats and civvies. Route marches to Keewatin, out to the brewery and open order drill in the vacant lot in the Rideout where the pulp mill now stands. Finally a sifting of the sheep from the goats and off on no. four passenger train to Valcartier to go in training in earnest for the big job ahead. Col. Schnarre in command. The balance of our old militia officers of the 98th turn out to be duds in a pinch and have no stomach for the prospect of the real work looming ahead. My chum Duncan Robertson working at Minaki making lap strake skiffs on contract for Cossey Boat Co. heard that we were going and jumped the job to come in and enlist with us on the last Saturday night. Alick McRea followed us around and decided to go when he found that we really meant to go and leave him on his lonesome. Jack Thrasher showed up too and also Figsby. We are often told now quite seriously (by the ones who stayed home) that we did not realize what was ahead and were suffering from a delusion that we were going on a pleasure jaunt. I don’t remember that any of our boys had that idea.

Their subsequent conduct and record in the long grind up to 1919 showed that their heart was in the job and though not too talkative they stated clearly on the start that it would be a three or four year job. The ones who advanced that theory now did not have the right spirit and naturally of narrow mind and uneasy consciences, they now try to solve that conscience by an insinuation of lack of intelligence on the part of the boys who stepped up promptly when they were needed. The whole world is now the judge of that point.

The night of August the 14th saw us entraining for the trip east, tears, sneers, cheers, jeers, fears, and some well wishes were strangely mixed for the 42 rank and file and three n. c. o ’s for a total of 45. Old ex soldiers, lumberjacks, railway men, pen pushers, young lads in their teens, mechanics, millers. Scottish, Canadian, English, Irish, peasant, French Galician, Russian Jew, Welsh, Yankee, Icelander, Norse, and Indians.

On arrival at Valcartier we were assigned as a draft to the new 8th battalion of infantry then being formed on the skeleton of the old 90th Winnipeg rifles. The old 90th in the final line up for over seas was not very strongly represented and only mustered about one company. The balance was filled from the Rainy River district, Fort William, Port Arthur and Kenora.

There was great rivalry between NICO’s and officers for a place in the new unit and patronage got in its work in some cases to the detriment of efficiency. All were put through very stiff physical training starting each morning at sun up, with an across country run without halt for an hour and 20 minutes. Colonel Lipsitt used to run with us and when a man fell by the way or lagged behind Lipsett would say “(you shawnt go to Frawnce with me)”. Colonel O’Grady was the peace time (society kind) of c. o. in command of the old 90th and too old to command an Over seas unit. Col. Lipsitt was requested to take command and the battalion was very fortunate. He will always live in the memory of the boys as a real commander and comrade.

There was talk of forming a scout section of eight men in the early days at Valcartier. These men were to be given special training in map making, map reading, use of compass and protractor, signaling-Morse and semaphore, night patrol, day patrol, scouting work, and sharp shooting. This course of training took about six months and ended in a final exam at Strazeele (France-Belgian Boundary) early in April 1915 by Capt. Bertram late of (black watch). The bickering and striving for a place as section commanders or platoon sergeants in the four companies did not appeal to me. I never had any use for the (barrack square) form fours, sort of drill at any time. I had jumped at the chance to get in the scouts. I didn’t have any more to do with stripes until June 1915, when I was given the job of sergeant in charge of scouts, snipers and observers on the Messines front. There was a trench, three miles long around the base of a hill at Valcartier filled throughout its length with revolving targets for rifle practice. I always had a fondness for rifle shooting and put in some very pleasant days making the old 90th crack riflemen scratch gravel to keep their scores higher than mine. I took a lot of pleasure out of beating the old city sergeants and color sergeants at their own game on the range. There was a big stock of the government’s old Mk-2 blunt nosed ammunition on their hands and they used it up in target practice here. It was too slow of a speed for the twist of the Mk-3 Ross and nickled the rifles badly at the muzzles end on that account. Right there at Valcartier proof was given that the much-abused Ross rifle was not essentially a dangerous arm on account of blowbacks and other defects. There were collected there all the greenhorns and inexperienced from the length and breadth of the continent slamming away all day at rapid fire, section rushes over broken ground, disappearing ring targets, etc. I cannot recall any accidents on account of blowbacks or other defects in the rifle. I wonder could the Springfield or Enfield come through that mess with a cleaner record?

About this time the powers were afflicted with the bug of inoculation and vaccination against typhoid etc. They let loose among us some medical students and some doctors without a practice in their home districts. These gents got hold of some bicycle pumps, several tons of serum and tried experiments on us. For the first dose we got enough for seven men shot into each individual. There were three or four fatalities, the ones that didn’t croak had a high fever for 48 hours and were very sick from the overdose. I saw six footers spin around in their tracks as if shot and lose consciousness for some time when the bicycle pump shot its load into their veins. We felt the effects of it for weeks.

Training went on up to the end of September at which point the weak and the unfit were discharged as hopeless, or put into E company to go to Bermuda on garrison duty for further training there. The training in Valcartier ended up in a final grand parade past an inspection point (in line of full companies). This is a hard maneuver to carry out even with seasoned troops especially if the ground is a bit rough under foot. I was grabbed for a pivot man to set the pace and maintain the alignment on the right flank of the leading a company. Any old soldier will know that it is a very ticklish job on rough ground especially when the company in line swings around a corner as a gate swings on it’s hinges. I never saw the movie or the still pictures of that parade so never knew how we looked. Sam Hughes did wonders in the short period at Valcartier. I remember there were some U.S military observers present.

It was at one of these early parades that I witnessed an amusing incident. Arthur Currie was at that time in command of what was then called The First British Columbia Rifles. The different units were all formed up and ready to swing into alignment for the march past. Currie was a big man in stature as well as in many other ways. He had a big voice with great carrying power. On this occasion he stepped forward and reeled of a long rigmarole preliminary to the command for his unit to move. This oration ended with (First British Columbia Rifles slope arms). Col. Lessard commanding a Quebec unit at that time. I think it was the old (Vandoos 22nd) cocked his roguish head on one side and listened very attentively to Currie’s lengthy command until it was finished. He then stepped up and drawing in all the breath he could manage, he rolled out a command to his own unit the major part of which he invented on the instant in mimic of Currie’s effort. Vandoos 22nd Quebec, Ross rifles etc.- etc. slope arms. This was a severe strain on the dignity and sobriety of all ranks present and within hearing of these remarkable vocal efforts. The four companies of the overseas units were getting in shape fast, promising to be a fine outfit and later lived up to the promise at St. Julien. October saw us ready to embark at Quebec City. We had a pretty stiff training during our two months in camp and were in far better condition in October than we were at the close of the year after the shower bath in Salisbury Plains.