From Classroom to Battlefield: Victoria High School and the First World War

by Barry Gough

Overview

In August 1914, Canada found itself jolted from its splendid isolation by the onrush of a European catastrophe. In Victoria, British Columbia, five hundred youth who had been educated at Victoria High School went to war and were forever changed by the experience.

From Classroom to Battlefield follows the experiences of this cohort through the Second Battle of Ypres, when Canadians suffered terribly from the German use of poison gas; the horrors of the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and Amiens; and, at last, victory at Mons. It weaves Victoria High School’s idealistic hopes into the realities of the pain, suffering, and death in faraway fields of fire, while examining legacies of the conflict at home. This is a poignant book about war, memory, and sacrifice from one of Canada’s preeminent writers of historical nonfiction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772030068
Publisher:	Heritage House
Publication date:	11/14/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	224
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Canadian historianBarry Gough has published more than eighteen books to critical acclaim, including Historical Dreadnoughts: Arthur Marder, Stephen Roskill and Battles for Naval History; Through Water, Ice&Fire: Schooner Nancy of the War of 1812; and Juan de Fuca’s Strait: Voyages in the Waterway of Forgotten Dreams. For his contributions to civic life in Canada he has received many accolades, including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is president of the British Columbia Historical Federation. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

Principal Persons 20

Prologue: The Long and Splendid Afternoon 28

Chapter 1 1914 - Victoria Goes to War 44

Chapter 2 1915 - Welcome to Flanders Fields: Second Battle of Ypres 58

Chapter 3 1916 - The Somme: Fields of Fire 80

Chapter 4 1917 - Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele 97

Chapter 5 1918 - Road to Victory: Amiens and Mons 132

Chapter 6 Armistice and Peace 166

Chapter 7 The Reckoning 169

Chapter 8 Monuments of Valour 180

Epilogue: The Pity of War 186

Appendix 1 Names of Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice in the First World War, as Listed on the Victoria High School Memorial Tablet 194

Appendix 2 The Roll of Honour of Victoria High School, 1914-1918 196

Appendix 3 Victoria Regiments and the Canadian Army Organization, 1914-1918 201

Notes 203

Sources and a Guide to Histories of the First World War 212

Acknowledgements 216

Index 218

Editorial Reviews

"This is a powerful, well-written book. In simple terms, if you want to read a single book about the Great War, this is the one to read." —Dave Obee, Times Colonist

"Barry Gough has written a remarkable work in which the stories of VHS graduates are skillfully woven through the Great War narrative. Passionate, robust, and moving." —Brian R.D. Smith, former BC Minister of Education

"For those who think history is a boring subject, they need only to read this magnificent book to see history come alive. Dr. Gough's writing style is easy to read and he paints wonderful word pictures." —Hallmark Heritage Society, Victoria, BC

"From Classroom to Battlefield makes a valuable contribution to the growing list of new publications commemorating the centennial of the Great War. It will appeal strongly to readers of British Columbia history, educators, social and military historians, and anyone who shares even a fraction of the author’s connection to the city of Victoria." — James Wood, BC Studies

"Detailed footnotes indicate the precision and care the author has taken in researching the many individuals filling this history. Gough's book may inspire BC educators to teach more about their school's own rich history. It serves to remind all of to appreciate a generation who endured and sacrificed so much." — Janet Nicol, British Columbia History

From the Publisher