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Remembered Today:

Canadians on the Somme - the Neglected Campaign


Borden Battery

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The recent William F. Stewart book entitled "Canadians on the Somme - the Neglected Campaign" is one of those rare books on the Great War which presents (i) a fresh illumination to challenge long-standing assumptions coupled with (ii) very detailed and well researched material; (iii) and a new perspective on a major battle.  It is destined to become a key reference text to be studied rather than casually read.

 

Whereas many books are inflated with extended descriptive narratives, this book exhibits a structured and distilled clarity which articulates fundamental elements while expanding the thinking of the reader. Most paragraphs are packed with informational gems.  In addition, the main text includes a detailed supplemental map book with illustrations which compliment the narrative.  As battles were planned from maps, it is logical the elements of each battle should be summarized in these high-quality maps.

 

Just as the chemistry of the Canadian Corps was influenced by the ratio of militia-trained officers to Permanent Force officers - Stewart brings a former extended business career forward into a latter-day doctorate in military history.  His approach reflects the business life experiences of performance management measurement practices versus the sometimes-cloistered academic approach. In the final analysis all battles are management by objectives and not tomes of theory. Near the end of the book there is a "Balance Sheet" section which presents a succinct business-like summation of the Canadian experience at the Somme.

 

Canada entered the Somme campaign under the didactic control of the bombastic Sir Sam Hughes, a hastily organized military system of suspect integrity, an untested and often politically appointed military senior officer corps, an inexperienced and haphazard approach to battle planning and logistics, a cadre of enthusiastic soldiers and an artillery and logistics system to be found wanting. Some ninety days later, and after the wanton wastage of over 24,000 soldiers in a muddle of victories and defeats; Sam Hughes is gone, the visceral weaknesses of the budding Canadian Corps is exposed, and the core genesis of the future Canadian Corps forms in this crucible. The near incompetence of the senior British and Canadian officer corps is highlighted on page 216 where the extremely depleted attacking battalions (some at 1/6 normal strength and exhausted from extended time in the front lines) are tasked with virtually impossible tasks.  How the soldiers and junior officers knowingly attacked is likely a combination of naïve trust and fatalistic resignation.

 

In one paragraph (page 38) on the then General Haig, the author articulates the character and weaknesses of the man - which then underscore his planning and operation of the Battle of the

Somme.  One understands more about the man from this single paragraph than from reading books by Duff Cooper et al. We are later given insight into the misplaced coup d'oeil displayed by Haig, Gough and Charteris and the lack of experience and stature of the Canadian Corps senior officers to challenge orders and directives which were clearly ill-conceived and poorly planned.  The crucible of suffering of the poor bloody infantry at the Somme would not be repeated by the growing cadre of Canadian Corps officer core during the second half of the Great War.  In later battles, the Canadian Corps will challenge Haig et al when orders are ill-conceived.  In the future, the Canadian Corps battle plans will, in general, be much more studied, practiced and executed.

On page 122, and as an example of the detailed level of research, Stewart comments on the botched local formation relief of the German's 7th's Division's 393 IR regiment near Regina Trench on 21 September 1916.  The lack of Germans noted in a scouting report is not a retreat.  The utter frustration of attacking Regina Trench can also be felt within the text.

 

The Stewart book is destined to become a classic reference text for the serious reader of the Great War - Canadian or otherwise.  It is not a book for the neophyte.  Few other books dissect the background, the characters, the foibles of the senior commanders in a series of battles, the fortitude of the poor bloody infantry, and the formation of the foundation of an emerging Canadian Army.  The Somme presented the senior officer corps with a potpourri of new offensive and defensive technologies and a dearth of strategic and tactical options. Interplay of personalities and the initial role of politics in the selection of many is included.  The transition towards an officer corps based on a meritocracy is glimpsed at.

 

This Canadian book does not carry the baggage and trauma of many British texts on the battles of the Somme and Passchendaele and the author provides some insight into both this distinction and how the topic is treated in his book.

 

Finally, the text includes sections entitled "Call-Outs", "Analysis" and "Aftermath" comments.  The book concludes with a distilled summary of the six elements Stewart ascribes to the core of the Canadian experience at the Somme. As a future research tool, the end includes indices on the battles, terms used, military formations, places and the main people involved. If one could buy only one book on the Great War - the Stewart text would likely be the choice of the discerning reader.

Edited by Borden Battery
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Thanks for your review which I found very interesting.  The book was bought as a present for me but I have yet to open it.  I will ensure it comes to the top of the pile.  I was particularly interested in it because, for understandable reasons, Vimy always seems to draw the most attention regarding the Canadian forces in WW1.  I often tease a Canadian friend of mine who lives in Vancouver and who visited Vimy in 2017 that he ought to return to France to visit the scene of Canadian operations on the Somme which do seem to be somewhat forgotten (relatively).

 

Reg

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Good Evening Don

 

Thank you for the comment and do enjoy the Stewart book.  Bill Stewart did his PhD in about 18 months at the University of Birmingham - is a very "objective-driven" person himself.

 

Just be advised, I could get through only about 20-25 pages at a time - then had to stop and think about and digest all that I had read - it is a good read but is akin to reading a physics manual at times.  You study the book as much as you read it.  However, the cost to benefit to the reader who invests the energy is very good.  There is very little fluff or filler.

 

The Somme was bad for everyone; but I sense the stable environment within the Canadian Corps, enabled them to re-think, re-learn and re-apply.  I have far too many Great War books, but this has become one of my favorites.  It illuminated many new aspects of the battle.

 

Borden Battery

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19 hours ago, Borden Battery said:

Good Evening Don

 

Thank you for the comment and do enjoy the Stewart book.  Bill Stewart did his PhD in about 18 months at the University of Birmingham - is a very "objective-driven" person himself.

 

Just be advised, I could get through only about 20-25 pages at a time - then had to stop and think about and digest all that I had read - it is a good read but is akin to reading a physics manual at times.  You study the book as much as you read it.  However, the cost to benefit to the reader who invests the energy is very good.  There is very little fluff or filler.

 

The Somme was bad for everyone; but I sense the stable environment within the Canadian Corps, enabled them to re-think, re-learn and re-apply.  I have far too many Great War books, but this has become one of my favorites.  It illuminated many new aspects of the battle.

 

Borden Battery

 

Thanks BB.

 

I'm a slow reader anyway so I'll probably only get through 4 or 5 pages at a time.  I first became interested in their actions around Courcelette when studying that battle of September 1916.  we have a place fairly close and had to have some electrical work done on it - which was done by someone who happened to be the Maire of Courcelette so we had a good chat about the place.

 

Regards.

 

Reg

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  • 1 year later...
  • 11 months later...
On 25/01/2021 at 01:49, Borden Battery said:

So, Reg - how have you made out with the Canadian Somme book?  Borden Battery

Hi BB.

Sorry for the delay in replying.  I hadn't finished it when you asked the question but neither did it really take me this long to read the book - I just forgot to get back to you - sorry.

I enjoyed the book very much.  It provided a lot of information about the actions on the Somme and filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge.  I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the activities of the CEF at this time as I don't think they are covered as well as this in any other publication (except maybe the Official History which I have just downloaded).  It also gives an informative Canadian perspective to the activities of other formations at that time.

I don't think I'm hyper-sensitive but I did think that at some times the author did not give due recognition to the difficulties the British and other forces faced when he makes several references to their "failing to achieve their objectives".  However, as the book is about the Canadians, it was right not to dwell on the activities of others.

Regards.

Reg

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The Battle of the Somme was a steep learning curve for everyone; and yes, the focus was on the screw-ups and the lessons learned by the Canadians. 

Stewart also has a good book on Lt.-General Turner VC (The Embattled General) and a third book will be released sometime in Spring 2022.  Stewart is a meticulous researcher and a fast writer - having spent 30 years in the commercial IT sector before returning to university to complete his PhD in just 18 months in England.

Borden Battery

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Yes, I read his brief biography - impressive.  I suspect he writes faster than I read books.  I will have a look at his other book(s).

Reg

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