A century ago, soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) were into their second day holding newly-won positions on Hill 70, near Lens, France. Counter-attacks by German units, desperate to regain this strategic position, were increasing. At 4:25 AM the previous morning, on August 15th, 1917, they had left their jumping-off positions to advance on this important high-point near the industrial city of Lens, France. The intent of the operation was to force German military planners to divert forces away from the Passchendaele operations, by mounting an attack on Lens. Sir Arthur Currie, recently promoted to command the Canadian Corps, reconnoitered the positions and crafted a plan to seize the heights to the North of city, after first convincing his superiors to modify the main objectives. Lens was to be attacked next.
Map of the training grounds, battlefield models and recreations of the territory around Hill 70 helped familiarize troops with major objectives before the assault. (from an appendix to the 22nd Battalion War Diary, August, 1917, Library and Archives Canada)
A Canadian 18-pounder field gun camouflaged and in a reinforced position amidst the ruined houses and industrial buildings of Lens. Camouflaging positions was essential to protect batteries from enemy observation and counter-battery fire (Library and Archives Canada CWRO O-1889, Mikan 3395293)
A badly wounded Canadian giving another wounded soldier a light during the recent push to Hill 70.(Library and Archives Canada CWRO O-1752, Mikan 3397017)
The pre-2011 Mountain Memorial to the Battle of Hill 70. Originally, an electric lamp on a tall flagstaff was also an important element (source “War Monuments in Canada” site: https://www.cdli.ca/monuments/on/hill70.htm)
Mountain ON. Battle of Hill 70 Memorial site (author’s photo)
One of the tablets of the Hill 70 memorial explains the unique origins of this commemoration in Mountain, ON. (author’s photo)
Captured war trophy MG08 German machine gun, Battle of Hill 70 Memorial, Mountain ON.(author’s photo)
For many reasons, Hill 70 has not been accorded the same attention as other CEF operations that Canadians are familiar with. In contrast to the range of captured relics that remain from the Vimy operations (which I recently posted on) this gun, and a 75mm Trench Mortar in the collection of the Brome County Historical Society in Knowlton, Quebec, may be the only monuments that remain of this important Canadian operation.
Gunners from the 17th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery fire a captured German 10.5cm light howitzer, April 1917. (Library and Archives Canada PA -1083)
Canadian soldiers are examining a variety of mortars, including light and heavy minenwerfers, a grenatenwerfer, and a Lanz-pattern mortar. All of these types are now at local cenotaphs, other public spaces, and museums across Canada. (Library and Archives Canada photo PA-951)
The symbolic and public relations potential of these captured items was quickly appreciated by the Allied command. Large trophies wound up prominently displayed in Paris and London. They were conspicuous evidence that, with the right preparations, logistical support, aerial reconnaissance, innovative tactics, and a paralyzing bombardment, crack German troops could be pushed off formidable defensive positions. The human cost of Vimy was considerable, with more than three-and-a-half thousand fatal casualties to Canadian units, and many more wounded.
Canadian soldiers inspect a captured 15cm German Howitzer, Farbus Village, Vimy. (Library and Archives Canada PA-978)
A large trench mortar captured by the 31st (Alberta) Canadian Infantry Battalion is at the Imperial War Museum. This is representative of the many Canadian trophies that may have wound up elsewhere:
25 cm Minenwerfer (Heavy Trench Mortar, early short pattern) (ORD 52) Captured 9 April 1917 by 31st Canadian Infantry Battalion.In original paint scheme. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30025278
Plains of Abraham, Quebec City, QC, 15 cm sFH 02 howitzer (author’s photo)
105mm leFH 10.5cm Howitzer, Lennox Island, PEI. (Author’s photo)
Destroyed 25cm Minenwerfer, captured by 102nd Battalion, CEF, Vimy Ridge. (Author’s Photo)
25cm Minenwerfer at Tavistock, ON (Author’s photo)
7.7cm FK 96 Field Gun, Boucher Park Kingston, later converted at the Royal Gun Factory, Woolwich (Author’s photo)
Vimy was important in part because of these hard-won trophies. The Canadian Corps gained valuable territory: a prominent geographic feature. The German withdrawal was no orderly evacuation. Here, they gave up strategic, elevated, and heavily fortified positions, and evidence of their rout includes their abandonment of batteries of artillery. The events of April 1917 might seem long ago and far away to many, but artifacts of this victory have been with us for a very long time.
Sable Island is frequently called “the Graveyard of the Atlantic,” because of centuries of shipwrecks that have piled up on its shoals. This island, a remote sliver of dunes and scrub far off the Nova Scotian coast, is Canada’s newest national park. Recently I became aware of a curious relic on the island, close to the West Light.
“Lifesaving” Universal Carrier, Sable Island. (courtesy of A. Taylor) note inventive “barrel” some wag has stuck in the front armoured plate where the Bren Light Machine Gun would have been fitted!
Familiar with Second World War vehicles, the photo, sent to me by a relative currently on the Island, clearly showed the low silhouette of a Universal Carrier, a light tracked-vehicle used for many roles by the Canadian Army from the early years of the War until the mid-1960s. My first reaction was astonishment, but there was an image or two online of the wreck, and a “Motor Museum” enthusiastic online article about building a miniature of this vehicle which explains: “Our model represents a Universal carrier which was used to tow lifeboats, a job previously been done by horses, up and down the coast to launching positions suitable for the crisis at hand. Little is known about it but it is our tribute to the brave souls who saved countless lives and to a weapon of war that ended it’s days saving lives not taking them.”
A fan of Sable Island lore, I decided to see what I could find out at Library and Archives Canada. At least some of the story comes out in 1946-1952 Department of Transportation reports about the equipment on the Island. Shortly after the War, the DOT, then responsible for the facilities on the Island, was evaluating new lifeboats for the Humane Establishment, the lifesaving and shore patrol facilities. Up to this point, horses or oxen had been used to help haul the boats (on a wheeled cradle) out from the station boathouses to launching sites. The file details tests of US Coast Guard designs for modern lifeboats. An idea was put forward that mechanical transport would be preferable to animals, and using surplus carriers seemed an inexpensive solution.
One of the Canadian War Museum’s carriers, painted with markings for the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (author’s photo)
There were mixed opinions of the suitability of a carrier, with some parties (including the Chief of Aids to Navigation) thinking it would soon be immobilized in the sandy dunes. Attempts at procuring a test vehicle were frustrated when a vehicle offered up from War Assets stocks in Debert, N.S., was found to have over 2,000 miles on it (DND ordnance personnel had advised the transportation officials this was too much to guarantee reliability). The eventual 1942 Ford carrier was shipped all the way from Longue Pointe Ordnance Depot, near Montreal, to Dartmouth, N.S., and sent out to the island in the usual steamer resupply on Canadian Government Ship LADY LAURIER, accompanied by a Willys MB Jeep (I have no idea what happened to this). After a lot of casting about online, I located this tweet and image:
Using the carrier to tow a trailer and boat-crew, early 1950s. You’d think pneumatic tires may have helped! (photo credit: Ernest O’Hara, permission graciously granted by Our Sable Island Home)
Whatever the trials and tribulations of this carrier on the Island, the era of modern navigation made shipwrecks (mostly) a thing of the past, and the stations were all abandoned in 1958. The carrier, like much else, became derelict. Today, it is a conspicuous wreck from the last phase of the Humane Establishment’s Century-and-a-half of life-preserving efforts.
This sample of First World War Night Lozenge Camouflage is from the original fabric of the AEG bomber in the collection of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. This photograph was of the more vivid underside of the fabric, while the exterior was coated in a reflective coating. (author’s photo)
Recently, I took some photos of original First World War German lozenge camouflage, the original fabric “skin” of a war trophy plane I have already featured on this site. Hopefully, the photographs will help a friend complete an impressive scale model of the CASM’s German AEG bomber. The original “night lozenge” pattern fabric has been preserved by the staff of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum at a nearby facility. In contrast, below is an elevated view of the original Fokker DVII fighter in the Brome County Historical Society’s museum in Knowlton, Quebec (more about this unique aircraft here). The pastel-like day lozenge camouflage on this aircraft is so significant to understanding First World War German aircraft colours, that today, this 4-colour pattern is known as “Knowlton lozenge.” I don’t pretend to be a specialist in aircraft, but I do know that the trophy aircraft, like the captured artillery, today reveal the strength of First World War artifacts in Canada.
German Fokker DVII in day lozenge camouflage, at the Brome County Historical Society in Knowlton, Quebec. (author’s photo)
In preparation for my presentation at the 2015 Canadian Military History Colloquium, at the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies, Wilfred Laurier University, I have released an upgraded listing of War Trophies. The table has gone beyond its original source, the War Trophies Commission’s shipping ledger, to include details from War Diaries of CEF units, notations about surviving artifacts, condition reports, and in some cases provenance and historical details about relics that did not survive the Second World War scrapping drives.
21cm howitzer, Stanley Park entrance, Vancouver. It was captured by the 72nd Battalion on November 3rd, 1918, in the town square at Valenciennes, during the pursuit to Mons. In the years leading up to 1939, there was a concerted effort to save it. However, it was scrapped during the Second World War.
Once again, the table now also includes Newfoundland trophies. Significant projects for 2015 will include cypher encryption, an aerial photography interpretation section, sound locating, Forward Observation Officers, the construction of a larger Zeppelin shed, and smarter uniforms for all members.
This 120cm Siemens-Schuckert German Searchlight, captured by Australian units near Roy, Belgium was on display at the Canadian War Museum under the Voodoo jet, in Lebreton Gallery through late 2014. I previously posted about its history. It had been stored on a rack in the Transportation and Artillery vault, with the rear facing out. It is nice to see how intact it is, and that staff did a great job of reassembling the lens and components. No other similar unit has been found amongst the trophies brought back to Canada. I hope this impressive artifact finds a permanent home on display to visitors to the museum!
Siemens-Schuckert large searchlight, Lebreton Gallery, Canadian War Museum. Photo by author.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Say hello to my little friend! Me and the 1916 Pattern 21cm siege howitzer in the Citadel, Quebec City.
Here’s an excerpt:
This blog was viewed about 3,800 times in 2014. If every visitor to this blog found themselves in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, we would have about enough fighting strength for one infantry brigade.
View looking forward in the cockpit of the Fokker DVII, First World War German biplane, with two LMG 08/15 Machine Guns. (Author’s Photo)
Today, the Brome County Historical Society, in Knowlton, Quebec, has one of the strongest collections of First World War military artifacts in Canada. This is largely due to the efforts of Senator George Foster, who petitioned the Dominion Archivist and Comptroller of War Trophies Arthur Doughty for a quality collection. In addition to the spectacular Fokker DVII German biplane with original fabric covering including camouflage (with a good write up about it by a BCHS member here), the BCHS has a diverse collection of German trench mortars and a range of German machine-guns. Since Sep. 2013, work with Ross Jones, the museum’s militaria specialist, has established the battlefield provenance of many of these items using the War Trophies Commission records at Library and Archives Canada. We have poked around pieces, trying to discern key numbers, and any matches have added to the number of surviving pieces in my database. Some of the trophies also have capture info painted on by hand. The range of items, from machine-gun belt fillers (which look like a pasta grinder) to trench periscopes, to aerial bombs, gives a good idea of the variety of small trophies that once accompanied many of the larger artifacts out to sites across Canada. A very significant find was had when Ross managed to man-handle the destroyed barrel of a 25cm heavy Minenwerfer trench mortar around to discover the serial number. The 102nd Canadian Infantry Battalion captured mortar no. 1524 (along with 119 German prisoners) on Vimy Ridge, April 9th, 1917. The barrel, bearing heavy shrapnel pitting and shell damage, is a powerful relic of the Vimy victory. This is only a small sample of the varied collection of the BCHS, a small museum worth a visit!
Destroyed 25cm Minenwerfer, captured by 102nd Battalion, CEF, Vimy Ridge. (Author’s Photo)
When your grandchildren ask you what you did during the 4+ years of the centenary of the First World War, you can tell them that you helped restore a century-old artifact captured by Canadian troops at the Battle of Vimy Ridge! 
The town of Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, has some rare war trophies that I recently visited. The Albert County Museum is raising funds to help restore these cannon. They also hope to repaint them in German disruptive camouflage…which should make them real eye-catchers (FWW camo-was often not exactly inconspicuous!). They also plan to replace the rotted wheels, and enhance other aspects of the site and interpretation. Unlike many cannon, these trophies were not forgotten, and indeed the history of the 10.5 cm Kanone 14 no. 590 is well-researched by museum members and detailed at their website here. This gun was a unique capture, with a phenomenal story, and the relevant war diary report on operations during Vimy has a section on it. The exact position it was captured is even indicated by map coordinates! Today, the gun appears to have battle damage, likely from its capture near Thelus, during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, by the 27th Battalion (City of Winnipeg).
According to the Report for April 9th, 1917, as extracted on the Museum’s website “On the right, the German gunners of one company of heavy guns opened fire at point-blank range with muzzle bursts. The battalion charged the last 50 yards with a cheer and leaped into the gun pits, where the gunners put up a stout fight. Our line led by Captain Lane seized the guns, put out of action those of the crew who resisted and took the remainder prisoners, and prevented the guns from being dismantled.” According to the War Diary entry of the 27th, at Library and Archives Canada, Lane and Sgt. Hodgson, of “A” company, prevented the Germans from disabling the guns, which allowed them to be used against the retreating enemy, two days later, by the 6th Canadian Artillery Brigade. LAC also digitized the handwritten account of this action by Major Taunton, Officer Commanding “A” co., here. This artifact was later awarded to the people of Albert County, NB, for raising significantly more money than expected in the 1919 Victory Loans competition. Today, the museum also displays the very rare Prince of Wales Honour Flag that the selected communities received along with the trophy gun. 
The museum has done a nice job researching its history, but they need our help to fund the restoration project. Please visit their site to find out more about the guns, what the money will be used for, and how to easily click to donate to the campaign.
Mörser no. 85 was captured by the 42nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) South-East of Demuin during the Amiens Offensive, Aug. 8th, 1918. The relevant war diary notes that three of these guns were firing point-blank at the 42nd, who charged them and overwhelmed their crews. The gun is locked in full recoil. Photo by Author
Two of Canada’s trio of captured First World War German 21cm Mörser siege howitzers are both located in historic Quebec City, on display in the Citadel, and under some trees in the Plains of Abraham battlefield park. These, along with one in Ottawa (featured elsewhere on this site along with an in depth analysis of this type of canon), are all that is left of the more than two dozen of these monsters that were brought back by the Canadian government. Quebec also boasts a nice sample of lighter German FWW canon, amongst the hundred or so British and French canon, mortars, and carronades. Both pieces have nice provenance from “Canada’s hundred days” advances of 1918.
Mörser howitzer no. 825 was originally captured by elements of the 11th Infantry Brigade, Sep. 5th, 1918, on the road North-East of Villers-lez-Cagnicourt. The War Trophies Commission sent it to Laval University. Today, accessible by guided tour of the Royal 22e Régiment’s home station, it is Canada’s only 1916 pattern (longer barrel) Morser howitzer. Photo by Author
A nice discovery close to Ottawa!
Finch ON, 24cm Flugel Minenwerfer (trench mortar) in front of the Legion just West of Finch. (Author’s photo)
Finch Ontario was originally allocated this 24cm, Flügel Minenwerfer, and it was shipped there by Canadian Pacific Railways Dec. 20th, 1922. This is a very rare piece today, and there were only ever a handful of these shipped back to Canada. Regrettably, nothing is known about its capture. It is quite corroded and the mounting has been sunk into concrete. The builder’s plate is in good condition, though, and shows that this was produced in 1917. There is only one (known) other similar type of Trench Mortar in Canada, on display at the RCA Museum in Shilo, Manitoba. With thanks to Mike Calnan, Swords & Ploughshares Museum for mentioning that there was a trench mortar in Finch, and a nice lady at the local corner store, for telling me where the “big old cannon” was!
This war trophy bird is back on display. Next to the German AEG GIV bomber, these two make a nice reunion of 1919 War Trophy display planes. Author’s photo
As part of a First World War upgrade, the Junkers J1 Armoured aircraft (see earlier post below for more info) has been re-assembled and is on display in the main museum at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum! This shows the construction of the aircraft: metal tubing (usually covered by fabric), corrugated cladding, and the armoured section protecting the gunner/observer, pilot, and engine, with 1\4 inch armoured plate. You can still see some of the camouflage (like in the archival photo on the original post) on some of the surfaces.
Here is a detailed view of the engine, minus the distinctive trunked exhaust, with armoured plate folded open. Author’s photo
I am slated to present my site, database of war trophies, and the archival documents that can help restore provenance information to First World War artifacts all over Canada at the AAO’s annual conference, in Oshawa, ON, in late May! Also, keep posted for some new additions to the site!
Author’s photo. Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, AEG GIV bomber no. 574/18.
The AEG G IV bomber was a twin-engine German biplane medium bomber. An improvement on earlier AEG G types, It entered service in late 1916 and served, mostly as a tactical and night bomber, for the rest of the war. The aircraft could carry almost 900 lbs. of bombs and had two parabellum machine gun positions for self-defence, with the rear-gunner able to crouch and also fire downward through a trap-door to defend against threats from below. Like the Junkers, it made revolutionary use of an all-metal skeleton. Today, the AEG in the Canada Aviation and Space Museum’s collection is the only intact twin-engine German First World War bomber in existence. Aircraft no. 574/18 was brought back as a war trophy, and early war trophies exhibit photos show that it did not have engines, and propellers were simply hung in about the right spot with nothing behind them! Since I already was featuring two 1920s era photos of this aircraft in various states, and also found an official photo of a similar type, outside of the Namur zeppelin sheds after the Armistice, including this was a must! In the interwar era it can be seen in pieces along the side wall of the Public Archives’ War Trophies Annex. Eventually, less powerful engines were acquired to fill the voids. This aircraft also is the only survivor showing the distinctive night-lozenge camouflage paint scheme.
AEG German medium bomber outside of Namur, Belgium Zeppelin shed, Nov. 1918 (Australian War Memorial image number H06932, a print of Canadian War Records Office Official photo O-3698.
