Terry Posted 12 October , 2004 Share Posted 12 October , 2004 I have just finished reading this excellent history, written by John Swettenham and published in 1965. Obviously much has been produced since then, but the author, who served with the Royal Engineers in World War Two before emigrating to Canada in the 1950's, deals especially well with the internal battles between Currie and Sir Sam Hughes and his gang of supporters who did everything in their power to sabotage Currie. He paints a vivid picture of the clashes between the actual leaders fighting the war in France and the various Canadian generals back in England furiously manoeuvering to gain power. It is a good overview of the work of the corps throughout the war; a good starting point for anyone wishing to study the topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bonza Posted 12 October , 2004 Share Posted 12 October , 2004 Was Sir Sam related to Sir Billy Hughes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 12 October , 2004 Author Share Posted 12 October , 2004 Bonza, God, I hope not! I don't know much about Billy but Sam was from everything I have read a colassal pain in the ass. He was bigoted (hence totally ruining support amongst the French-Canadian Catholic population), egotistical (claimed he should have been given not one but two VC's for his service in South Africa (I think he wasn't much more than a baggage officer but could be wrong), filled the officer's ranks of the first CEF contingent with his political cronies, forced the 1st Division to use the Ross rifle in battle, etc., etc., etc. He seems to me to have been the worst kind of sleazy politician, compounded by his belief that militarily he was the second coming of Napoleon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 13 October , 2004 Share Posted 13 October , 2004 And not to forget, scrapped the existing plans for mobilisation thereby creating a colossal headache for anyone trying to figure what battalion a soldier ended up in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bonza Posted 13 October , 2004 Share Posted 13 October , 2004 Terry. Well our Billy had the power to inflame & divide the nation on similar issues. His battles with the Catholics, in particular the Arch-Bishop of Melbourne Dr Mannix, caused extreme rifts during the Conscription Campaign. His opponents derided him for sucking up to the British Establishment, but he recouped much popular acceptance when he got stuck into W Wilson to get the smaller nations an independent say at Versailles. He revelled in the name "The Little Digger" & although a Welsh Migrant was unashamedly Australian when dealing with the AIF Had never heard of your bloke until now, and the link may be interesting to pursue Bye Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borden Battery Posted 13 October , 2004 Share Posted 13 October , 2004 There is the long-forgotten Camp Hughes in western Manitoba which was renamed in his honour. The site is now part of a community pasture and the original training trenches [battalion-sized] still exist along with a small cemetary for the recruits that died of either sickness or injury during its operation. Details on the camp can be forwarded upon request. [eg in 1916 it boasted 7 cinemas and a heated, in-ground swimming pool.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 13 October , 2004 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2004 Thanks for the input, guys, and Chris you even spelled colossal right, which I didn't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bonza Posted 13 October , 2004 Share Posted 13 October , 2004 (edited) He was egotistical. .... militarily he was the second coming of Napoleon. To 'let a chance go by', 2 chances! Unbereavable! Billy set up our Commonwealth [now Federal] Police Force 'cause someone threw an an egg at him. On a Conscription Tour in Qld, he addressed the locals at Warwick & got pelted. He demanded that the Qld Police Serjeant arrest a successful egg thrower. The Policeman refused, and the "Warwick Egg Incident" is History. EGGSACROOK Little Corporal, Little Digger! ooRoo Pat And both appear to be too egotistictal to sing "Oh Lord Its Hard to be Humble" Edited 13 October , 2004 by bonza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 13 October , 2004 Share Posted 13 October , 2004 Terry, your spelling of colassol better fits what I think of Sir Sam! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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