Author: Geoffrey Jackson Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press ISBN: 177112508X Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 387
Book Description
The diary of David Watson, who rose through the officer ranks to command one of the four divisions in the Great War, is an exceptional document that details with candid insight the responsibilities of senior command and shows the talent required to rise through the CEF to divisional command. The only published diary of a Canadian who held this rank in the last two (critical) years of the war, it focuses on the evolution of military leadership and associated challenges that Watson (and his peers) faced during the Great War. It recounts how he navigated not only the military battlefield in France and Belgium but also the political battlefield of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and larger British Expeditionary Force. The divisional commanders played a central role in the Corps’ transformation into a first-rate professional army, a transformation that coincided with Watson’s tenure at the 4th Division. Major-General David Watson’s personal accounts offer valuable insights into the innermost workings of the Canadian Corps at various stages during the war and in particular its emergence as an elite fighting force and the pride of a nation
Author: G F Wagner Editor Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 252
Book Description
To the Reader ..... this book was not supposed to be !I only sought out Major-General Sir David Watson's War Diaries to find all references to my grandfather, who was his Aide-de-Camp during World War I. In the process, I became engrossed in the diaries and read them in their entirety. Simultaneously, I sought out references to Watson in the history books. Here I discovered that the man described in the books was not the man revealed in the diaries. Historians have characterized Watson as a political insider who used his wealth and connections during the war to obtain high command. He has likewise been judged as one of the worst Canadian generals of World War I. Comments from friends, however, and the diaries and letters, reveal him otherwise as a modest man who cared deeply about his men, deliberately shared their privations, and worked tirelessly on their behalf. Watson was born in Quebec City to humble circumstances. And yet, he was renowned there as a star athlete, and rose to become one of its wealthiest citizens. His was one of Horatio Alger's rags-to-riches stories, except that in his case, it was all true. Then, at age 45, he went overseas and rose from Colonel to Major-General in the Canadian Corps. He led 2nd CDN Battalion, 5th CDN Brigade and then 4th CDN Division from 1916 until War's end, and was knighted for his service. He then died suddenly of a stroke in 1922. And so my original intention, which was to learn more about my grandfather, subsequently morphed into a desire to set the record straight on Sir David Watson's character and war record.In 'Dave, we hardly knew you', Watson's War Diaries have been transcribed in full, along with the letters he wrote and received at the time, plus newspaper articles by journalists who visited him at the Front, all inserted chronologically. They reveal his views on American neutrality, citizen soldiers, his conversations with German prisoners, and his views on the War in general, all as quoted by the Press. And wherever necessary, editorial comment have been inserted either for clarity or to better inform the reader.Watson wrote to his family, the CDN Corps General Staff, and friends such as Max Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook). Viewed collectively, the diaries and letters put an entirely different slant on the man. And, for diehard fans of Great War history, his thoughts & words make for interesting reading. Volume I covers Watson's early life (1869-1914) and the first three years of the Great War (1914-1916), supplemented by some 60 photographs and maps, most of which have never been seen before.
Author: G. Wagner Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 253
Book Description
All maps and photographs in the 1st Edition are in high quality Black & White or Color. To the Reader ..... this book was not supposed to be.I only sought out Sir David Watson's War Diaries to find all references to my grandfather, who was his Aide-de-Camp during 1916. In the process, I became engrossed in the diaries and read them in their entirety. Simultaneously, I sought out all references to Watson in the history books. Here I discovered that the man described in the books was not the man revealed in the diaries. Historians have characterized Watson as a political insider who used his wealth and connections during the war to obtain high command. He has likewise been judged as one of the worst Canadian Generals of World War I. However, comments from friends, and the diaries and letters reveal him otherwise as a modest man who cared deeply about his men, deliberately shared their privations, and worked tirelessly on their behalf. Watson was born in Quebec City to humble circumstances. And yet, he became renowned there, first as a star athlete, and subsequently as one of its wealthiest citizens. His was one of Horatio Alger's rags-to-riches tales, except that in his case, it was all true. Then at age 45, he went overseas and rose from Colonel to Major-General in the Canadian Corps. He led 2nd CDN Battalion, 5th CDN Brigade and then 4th CDN Division from 1916 until War's end, and was knighted for his service. He then died suddenly of a stroke in 1922. And so my original intention, which was to learn more about my grandfather, subsequently morphed into a desire to set the record straight on Sir David Watson's character and war record. To this end, Watson's War Diaries have been transcribed in full, and interwoven chronologically with letters written and received, and newspaper articles by journalists who visited him at the Front. Watson wrote to family, the CDN General Staff, and friends such as Max Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook). The letters reveal his views on American neutrality, citizen soldiers, his conversations with German prisoners, and his thoughts on the war in general. Editorial comments have been inserted where necessary, only for clarity's sake and to otherwise inform the reader. Viewed collectively, the diaries and letters put an entirely different slant on the man. And, for diehard fans of Great War history, his thoughts & experiences make for interesting reading. Volume I covers Watson's early life and the first three years of the Great War (1914-1916), supplemented by some 70 photographs and maps, most of which have never been seen before. Here is a response received thus far on Volume 1.Dear Sir, I recently purchased and received the first volume of the letters and diaries of Sir David Watson you edited and published. I would like to congratulate you for your great work! As a military historian, your book will be very useful to me. I had the chance to see the original diaries a few years ago in Calgary.Have you published the second volume yet? If so is there a way to purchase it? If not is there a release date for it?Sincerely yours, Michel Litalien
Author: G F Wagner Editor Publisher: ISBN: 9781676775829 Category : Languages : en Pages : 241
Book Description
Dear Reader, this book was not supposed to be ! I only sought out David Watson's War Diaries to find references to my grandfather, who had served with him during the Great War. In the process, I became engrossed in the diaries and read them in their entirety. Simultaneously, I sought out references to Watson in Canadian history books. Here I discovered that the man described in the books was not the man as revealed in the diaries. In the books, he's been characterized as a political insider who used his wealth and connections during the war to serve himself. And, that he craved high command and used his connections to get it. He has likewise been judged as one of the worst Generals we had during that war. Both the diaries and letters however reveal him as otherwise; as a man who cared deeply about the men under his command, shared their deprivations, and worked tirelessly on their behalf. And so, my original intention which was to discover more about my grandfather, subsequently morphed into a desire to set the record straight on Sir David Watson's character and war record. This has been done by publishing his War Diaries in full, but in the context of letters written at the time to family, the Canadian Corps General Staff, and friends such as Max Aitken (aka Lord Beaverbrook), and, his comments to the Press. Viewed altogether, they put a different slant on the man. And, for students of Great War history, his views on American Neutrality, generalship and the War, and conversations with German prisoners, all make for interesting reading. Volume I covers his early life and the years 1914-1916, including many photographs and maps, two of which are colored trench maps.
Author: Geoffrey Jackson Publisher: UBC Press ISBN: 0774860170 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 348
Book Description
When Great Britain and its dominions declared war on Germany in August 1914, they were faced with the formidable challenge of transforming masses of untrained citizen-soldiers at home and abroad into competent, coordinated fighting divisions. The Empire on the Western Front focuses on the development of two units, Britain’s 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division and the Canadian 4th Division, to show how the British Expeditionary Force rose to this challenge. By turning the spotlight on army formation and operations at the divisional level, Jackson calls into question existing accounts that emphasize the differences between the imperial and dominion armies.
Author: TERRY KINLOCH Publisher: Exisle Publishing ISBN: 1775593959 Category : Generals Languages : en Pages : 328
Book Description
A comprehensive biography of General Sir Alexander Godley, presenting for the first time a fair and balanced look at his time as commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) and II ANZAC Corps during World War I. While Godley is generally remembered as being a poor field commander, Terry Kinloch argues that he was in fact a capable one who had little or no ability to influence the failed battles at Gallipoli and Passchendaele that he is often seen as responsible for. Kinloch also presents, for the first time, a detailed account of Godley’s long pre- and post-World War I career in the British Army. After the war Godley returned to the British Army, eventually reaching the rank of general before retiring in 1933. During his 48-year military career, he also served on operations in Rhodesia and South Africa, as a mounted infantry instructor, in the post-war British occupation force in Germany, and as the Governor of Gibraltar.
Author: Gen. Henry H. “Hap.” Arnold Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing ISBN: 1786251523 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 570
Book Description
Includes the Aerial Warfare In Europe During World War II illustrations pack with over 180 maps, plans, and photos. Gen Henry H. “Hap.” Arnold, US Army Air Forces (AAF) Chief of Staff during World War II, maintained diaries for his several journeys to various meetings and conferences throughout the conflict. Volume 1 introduces Hap Arnold, the setting for five of his journeys, the diaries he kept, and evaluations of those journeys and their consequences. General Arnold’s travels brought him into strategy meetings and personal conversations with virtually all leaders of Allied forces as well as many AAF troops around the world. He recorded his impressions, feelings, and expectations in his diaries. Maj Gen John W. Huston, USAF, retired, has captured the essence of Henry H. Hap Arnold—the man, the officer, the AAF chief, and his mission. Volume 2 encompasses General Arnold’s final seven journeys and the diaries he kept therein.
Author: Geoffrey Hayes Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press ISBN: 1554586976 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 368
Book Description
On the morning of April 9, 1917, troops of the Canadian Corps under General Julian Byng attacked the formidable German defences of Vimy Ridge. Since then, generations of Canadians have shared a deep emotional attachment to the battle, inspired partly by the spectacular memorial on the battlefield. Although the event is considered central in Canadian military history, most people know very little about what happened during that memorable Easter in northern France. Vimy Ridge: A Canadian Reassessment draws on the work of a new generation of scholars who explore the battle from three perspectives. The first assesses the Canadian Corps within the wider context of the Western Front in 1917. The second explores Canadian leadership, training, and preparations and details the story of each of the four Canadian divisions. The final section concentrates on the commemoration of Vimy Ridge, both for contemporaries and later generations of Canadians. This long-overdue collection, based on original research, replaces mythology with new perspectives, new details, and a new understanding of the men who fought and died for the remarkable achievement that was the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Co-published with the Laurier Centre for Military, Strategic and Disarmament Studies
Author: Bill Thompson Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd ISBN: 1784622788 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 448
Book Description
The British officer class in 1914 benefited from the discipline instilled by public schools. Thomas Morland was one such officer. Born in Canada, he was orphaned at the age of five. He became a widower with two daughters at a young age. In October 1914 he went to France to command the 5th Division, then south of Ypres. Morland served on the Somme and Messines & Third Ypres, and in 1918 he commanded a corps during the victorious 100 Days campaign. Morland’s diaries record the above events and his comments thereon, every day for four years, beginning at the Battle of La Bassee, near Ypres. He was parachuted in while the battle was raging and held the shaken division together during the second half of October. A modest man, he was surprised by his promotion to lieutenant-general in 1915. Morland led X Corps at the beginning of the Somme campaign in July 1916 but was replaced by General Gough, his army chief, who thought Morland was not sufficiently decisive. During 1917 he took part in the successful Battle of Messines on 7 June, a ‘Red Letter’ day, and the attrition of the Third Battle of Ypres from July to November. Morland ended the war in pursuit of the retreating Germans, in November 1918. A sense of realism permeates his diary, with comments like 'The war has simply become a process of attrition' in 1915 and 'We cannot expect men to advance to attack in mud up to the waist!' in 1917. During his time away from home, he wrote regularly to his daughters, in whom he confided his hopes and fears. His love for them shines through the pages, reflecting the man behind the uniform. Morland – Great War Corps Commander is the first book to publish the papers of an officer of his rank. With many original accounts of major battles, this is a book that will appeal to military history enthusiasts everywhere.
Author: Peter Farrugia Publisher: UBC Press ISBN: 077486494X Category : History Languages : en Pages : 330
Book Description
Portraits of Battle brings together biography, battle accounts, and historiographical analysis to examine the lives of a cross-section of Canadians who served in the First World War. All Canadians are taught about Vimy Ridge, but that celebrated victory was just one battle among many to shape the country’s experience of the war. These portraits of the formerly faceless men and women honoured on war memorials provide a fresh and nuanced perspective on the complex legacy of the Great War in Canadian history.
Author: Geoffrey Jackson
Author: G F Wagner Editor
Author: G. Wagner
Author: G F Wagner Editor
Author: Geoffrey Jackson
Author: TERRY KINLOCH![American Airpower Comes Of Age—General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold’s World War II Diaries Vol. II [Illustrated Edition] PDF](https://books.google.com/books/content/images/frontcover/iLRvCwAAQBAJ?fife=w80-h100)
Author: Gen. Henry H. “Hap.” Arnold
Author: Geoffrey Hayes
Author: Bill Thompson
Author: Peter Farrugia