A Great War Trooper's Last Ride

A short time ago I posted a photo of my father, Tom Mackay, when he was training in Winnipeg before joining his regiment, Lord Strathcona's Horse (RC), in France. (See 22 January 2015 )

Tom's legs were badly shot up when he rode with Gordon Flowerdew at Moreuil Wood in 1918. He was then a sergeant, Acting Troop Leader of 1st Troop, and was right behind Flowerdew as they made their desperate charge.

I don't remember ever seeing Dad ride, because he constantly suffered leg pain; but I recently came across this photo, taken in c 1963. Dad was motoring across the Chilcotin from Williams Lake westward, when he came across a herd of cattle being driven by three first nations cowboys. He persuaded one of them to drive his car on to their next stop, and he mounted the man's horse and took part in the drive. The dismounted man, now a motorist, took this photo of the three men. Dad is in the middle. He died in 1969, a trooper--and a cowboy--at heart.
 

A Trooper of Canadian Cavalry 100 Years Ago

One hundred years ago in January 1915, the Canadian Mounted Brigade was training in the mud and slime of Salisbury Plain, preparing for a chance to charge German infantry.

They didn't get that chance for some time, as years of duty in trenches awaited them first.

This photo is of my dad, Tom Mackay, MM. It was probably taken on the training ground of Fort Osborne Barracks in Winnipeg, before embarking for the UK.

Note the sword, primary weapon of the cavalry of the day. The horse stands proudly, mane and tail clipped, ears up, alert. No doubt the result of many hours of grooming, stable duty, and army discipline for trooper and charger.

More about the Canadian cavalry, and Tom, in my novel Soldier of the Horse.

Submarines in East Vancouver, and recruits for a Great War era wedding

I recently had the pleasure of presenting about submarines, and my novel "Terror on the Alert", at the Britannia branch of the Vancouver Public Library. The staff, as always, was gracious; and I was lucky to arrive early, because the host seniors' centre invited me to share their potluck lunch. I may drop in again!

The highlight of the afternoon, though, was the presence of an elementary class of mixed grade 3s and 4s. They had lots of interesting questions about submarines: in my day, were there women on board? (no); what about now? (yes); are the ballast tanks what makes the boat go under water? (yes).

It was particularly interesting to me that they had done research on the internet before attending at my presentation. A delightful audience of young and old.

 Here are the young ones:

And speaking of young and old, I dropped in on a rehearsal for "Mary's Wedding" a couple of days ago.
(For more about "Mary's Wedding", see Newsletter #25 in the Newsletter Archives to the right.)

The entire cast is pictured below. These raw recruits are learning to be Great War cavalry troopers. Don't let the small cast fool you--it is a magical and inspirational play. It will be staged in White Rock, BC, November 11th to 15th.

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From the West Coast to the Western Front

My apologies for the quality of the photo--the subject deserves much better. Pictured are Mark Forsythe of CBC Vancouver's Almanac, and Greg Dickson, authors of From the West Coast to the Western Front, who presented some fascinating items from the book at the Vancouver Public Library on September 17th.
Mark and Greg started this project only 18 months ago. The book has not yet cleared the printers', but it promises to be an excellent read, based on the samples presented

Due out on October 11th, the book will feature hundreds of stories of British Columbians who fought on the Western Front in the Great War. Those included Gordon Muriel Flowerdew, VC, who led the cavalry charge at the climax of my novel Soldier of the Horse. I'm very much looking forward to reading the book.

For more about the Canadian cavalry and submarines, subscribe to my weekly newsletter via the button on the upper right.

Upcoming: "Terror on the Alert" hits the streets, and better bookstores everywhere, on September 30th!

Thanks to RUSI Vancouver for organizing this and other Library presentations to mark the 100th year since the start of World War I.

"Soldier of the Horse" at the VPL

As predicted, last Wednesday the 30th of July was a busy one. I was interviewed briefly on The Early Edition on CBC Radio, then attended an afternoon showing of "War Horse", Spielberg's movie adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel.

That evening, I spoke in the Alice MacKay room of the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library. My topic was Soldier of the Horse, the first public presentation regarding my first novel in some time.

The event was a joint effort by the VPL and the Vancouver branch of RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute. At the left in the photo is RUSI president Cameron Cathcart, a former CBC reporter and great advocate of the need to celebrate our military history and remember the sacrifices of so many.

More RUSI events to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War will be featured at the Vancouver Public Library.

By Guess and By God

In the introductory note to his account of British submarine actions in World War I, William Guy Carr explained the title as follows: 

““By Guess and By God” was a phrase coined during the war by navigating officers of British submarines to describe the manner of their navigating. A surface ship in peace time proceeding on her way without celestial or other aids to navigation goes “by dead reckoning.” A submarine in war time, with all artificial aids to navigation removed, with no chance to take a sight for days on end, harassed by the enemy, with compasses often acting queerly, went “by guess and by God.” Blind as bats, we guessed and prayed inwardly that we guessed right: the rest was in the hands of Providence.”

During my own time in submarines, fifty years after the events described by Carr, there were many occasions when I “prayed inwardly.” Needless to say, a predicted landfall or confirming change in the depth of the ocean below us allowed us to breathe a little easier.

A Great War Election With a Twist

Here is a review I did recently for a book by Debbie Marshall, an Alberta historian.

Give Your Other Vote to the Sister is a fascinating look at a forgotten historical figure, Roberta MacAdams. It is at the same time a narrative of author Debbie Marshall’s retracing of the physical journey of MacAdams’s life, from Ontario to Alberta, the Great War, politics, and eventual family life.

The focus of the book is the Great War, and Roberta MacAdams’s no small contribution to the welfare of Canada’s soldiers and their families. She lived in tumultuous times for women, with the ongoing battles for women’s rights and the vote. MacAdams was the second woman elected to any legislature in the British Empire, the first being her legislative mate Louise McKinney, who preceded her by a matter of months. Both women were beneficiaries of political expediency on the part of the Alberta premier, and not of any great principles on the part of male politicians. What made Ms MacAdams’s election victory unique was that she was elected by soldiers.

Liberal premier Arthur Sifton feared a Conservative vote by soldiers serving overseas if they voted in their home ridings. His solution was to give them their own constituency, which would have two elected members. Thus it was that each soldier could vote twice, which led to the very effective campaign slogan: Give One Vote to the Man of Your Choice and the Other to the Sister.

This is a very readable history of the life and times of Roberta MacAdams, but as well as her compelling story, Ms. Marshall has layered in her own journey into the Great War. Her historical photos as well as those of contemporary remnants that MacAdams would have experienced add to the ambience of the book.

Highly recommended.

British Submarines at the Western Front

I'm happy to report that I presented a short discussion on the topic "British Submarine Operations in the Great War" yesterday, March 9th. The occasion was the 14th annual AGM and conference of the Western Front Association-Pacific Coast Branch.
Given the advanced spot I had in the program--ie last on the list--I'm very appreciative of the large number of attendees that stayed after the official close, and of the organizers, who let me run over my allotted time!
Bravo Zulu to the Branch and their officers, who had an excellent turnout and put on a terrific program. More about that soon.
And a reminder to others who couldn't make the event, I'd be only too pleased to arrange to bring the topic to other groups.

My email: bob.mackay@hotmail.com.

When Cavalry and Submarines Collide (Part 1)

The Western Front Association, Pacific Coast Branch's annual general meeting and conference is scheduled for the Bay Street Armoury in Victoria. It will run from March 7th to 9th this year. President Peter Broznisky will welcome attendees to the festivities which will include speakers, a mess dinner, and a welcome on the evening of the 7th. Details can be found here.
I first joined the WFA because of my interest in WW I's Canadian Cavalry Brigade, which resulted in my first novel, Soldier of the Horse. Since that book was published, I have been working on my second, which is set in a Cold War Canadian submarine. The research for the submarine novel has included WW I material, and at this year's WFA conference I will be presenting on "British Submarine Operations in the Great War". So this "collision" between horsemen and boats will not involve flying shells and ricocheting bullets.
But--stay tuned for Part 2.

"Soldier of the Horse"--The Saga Continues

I recently checked amazon.com to see what the latest was re their marketing of Soldier of the Horse. Interestingly, they list the paperback at $13.68, with the Kindle edition at $9.99. (Other e-readers can access through the publisher, TouchWood Editions.) The original list price is $19.95.

The Audiobook version is now on the market, also at $19.95. Here's what Audiobook says about it:
"Narrator Paul Christy's mature voice provides a calm and steady pace to this story set in early 20th-century Canada. Law student Tom Macrae has been falsely accused of a crime, and given a choice between going to jail or off to the trenches of the Great War, Tom reluctantly chooses to fight. Just before he is shipped out to England, he meets the love of his life, only to be torn away from her. Christy's performance is moving and realistic, and he portrays the gamut of Tom's emotions - from hopeful joy to horror and bleak resignation - with sensitivity."

I would add to that--yes, but it's not ultimately a downer, at least in my mind.

"War Horse" in Vancouver

I was excited to see "War Horse", the stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel. What makes the play unique is the fact that the central character is Joey, a horse, who goes to war with the British cavalry in 1914. Brought to life by the amazing puppets that play the horses, as designed by the Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, the horses steal the show. They buck and rear, they snort, and they gallop--straight toward the audience in a sequence that transports watchers to the bitter fields of artillery-torn France.
There are explosions and gunfire aplenty, and a strong scene where Joey is caught on the wire in No Man's Land. The novel was written for young readers and comes with a Hollywood ending, with many a tear trickling down cheeks in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
The performance I attended was a matinee, so I wondered for a while if there might not be school children attending, but that was not the case. There was an awful lot of grey hair on display, with most members of the audience middle-aged or older. Too bad, as there is lots in the story to hint at some of our at times bloody history.

To read my prize-winning novel about real war horses, and the men that rode them, see "Soldier of the Horse" here.

The Fort Garry Horse Museum

 The Museum of the Fort Garry Horse is a historical gem in Winnipeg, located in the third floor of the McGregor Armoury at 551 Machray Avenue. One of the dedicated people most responsible for the exhibits is Chief Warrant Officer Gordon Crossley (photo left), who also wears the hat of Area Reserve Sergeant Major, Land Force Western Area. Gordon was good enough to show me and a friend, artist John Smeulders, around recently.
The visit was particularly poignant for John, who was a boy in Holland when the Fort Garry Horse liberated the area. John was able to identify with many of the objects displayed that were momentos of the Garry's time in Holland.

In the photo at right, CWO Crossley is explaining a finer point of the FGH time in France in the Great War, including action at the Battle of Moreuil Wood along with the rest of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade under Brigadier John Seely.
Gordon Crossley is a co-author with Michael McNorgan of "Facta Non Verba", A History of the Fort Garry Horse. The History is a gorgeous and useful book. It is available through the FGH Museum and McNally Robinson.
A future item will deal with "Facta Non Verba" in more detail. In the meantime, kudos to the FGH museum and its personnel.

"Soldier of the Horse" and the McNally Robinson Experience

I have written a couple of times about travelling to Winnipeg with "Soldier of the Horse" ten days ago. The highlight of the trip for "Soldier" was a two-hour session at McNally Robinson's Grant Park location. We were set up to sign copies of the book adjacent to their checkout counter. They had a constant stream of customers, some of whom didn't mind chatting to an out-of-towner who wrote a novel about a young Winnipeg man and his Great War experiences.
In an especially rewarding moment a man appeared with a copy of "Soldier of the Horse" for me to sign. It had been a gift to him, and now he wanted another signed copy to give to a friend.
The McNally's staff were first rate, and over all I was very impressed with the store. McNally Robinson seems to be doing a lot right; it would be great if they could be cloned to even more Canadian cities!
Another highlight came a couple of days ago in the form of a  Bestseller list for the relevant week. Here is the portion of the list covering Paperback Fiction:
 1. 419,
Will Ferguson. Fiction. $20.00.
2. Born of Courage,
Walfried Jansen. Fiction. $14.95.
3. Indigena Awry,
Annharte. Poetry. $19.00.
4. Soldier Of The Horse,
Robert W. Mackay. Historical Fiction. $19.95.
5. Letter from Brooklyn,
Jacob Scheier. Poetry. $18.95.

 Soldier of the Horse, keeping pretty good company!

A Korean Vet and Lord Strathcona's Horse

On Tuesday of this week, I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours with Harold Finnegan in the Lynn Valley Legion, North Vancouver, BC. Harold is a Korean War veteran. He was with Lord Strathcona’s Horse in the “Land of the Morning Calm” from August 1950 until May 1952. I am always interested in meeting veterans, whichever service they did their time in. But not only was Harold with the Straths, he was in C Squadron—the same squadron in which my father served in World War I.

It was with some trepidation that I presented Harold with a copy of Soldier of the Horse, my novel about the Canadian cavalry in the Great War and asked him to comment on it. I was very gratified when I received an email two days later:

“All I can say about your novel is "WOW"

I lived Tom's experience and couldn't put it down, finished it Thursday evening.”

Many thanks to Harold. More about him soon in "Forces With History". 

The Canadian Cavalry in the Last 100 Days (Part 2)

The Second Battle of Le Cateau

In October 1918 Le Cateau was an important transportation hub some eight or ten miles behind the German front lines. Early in the Great War General Horace Smith-Dorrien fought a brutal delaying action against the onrushing Germans in the same location. But now, the Allies were driving the Germans back.The immediate aim of the Allies was to take the town and cut the enemy’s lines of communication. They attacked with artillery and infantry over a wide front. The infantry had pushed as hard as they could but were stopped due to the enemy’s resistance and the fatigue of their men. 
The cavalry was ordered to carry out an attack. Centred on a Roman road, with the (British) 6^th Cavalry Brigade to the right of it, and the Canadian Cavalry Brigade to the left, the mounted troops charged up through the stalled infantry.

The ferocity of the battle can be imagined from the comment by a British cavalry officer, Lieutenant Bickersteth: “the bursting H.E. (high explosive), the rattle of machine-gun fire, both from the ground and from the air, the explosion of the bombs dropped by the aeroplanes—all contributed to make the noise absolutely deafening.”

"Horsemen in No Man's Land": A Review

David Kenyon at work
photo from
http://www.battlefieldpartnerships.co.uk/page13.html

My post of 3 January 2013 features a cover shot of "Horsemen in No Man's Land", subtitled "British Cavalry and Trench Warfare 1914-1918". It appropriately features photos of Indian Army and British troopers.
The author, Dr. David Kenyon, is a British military historian and archaeologist who was featured in "Man & Horse", one of Yap Productions' videos featured numerous times on history television. As I recall Kenyon's part of the program, he was explaining that a man on horseback is in fact difficult to hit with a machine gun; no doubt even more difficult if the man and horse are galloping at the gunner with hard steel extended. Personally, I would not like to be in the boots of either of the participants.
"Horsemen in No Man's Land", ISBN 978-1-84884-364-6, was published in 2011 in the UK by Pen & Sword Military. In it, the author posits that contrary to popular belief the cavalry was no less effective than any other arm of the military, on those occasions when it was properly led and battlefield communication problems did not arise.
A second conclusion is that casualty rates in the cavalry were pretty much the same as in other branches, although higher among the officer corps. He also reminds us that much of the time the cavalry were in the trenches along with their infantry brothers, and not going for leisurely gallops across the rolling hills of Picardy.
Interesting quotes are used. One example, from a cavalryman, argues that if infantry officers used the horses available to them, they would have lived longer! Presumably because they'd be moving faster, even though presenting a bigger target. I am not sure many infantry subalterns would have accepted the advice.
Dr. Kenyon has presented a factual, well documented reassessment of the use of cavalry in the Great War. Highly recommended.