The commemoration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch on Saturday saw both Craig Bird and Edward James tell the story of Canada in the First World War and the country’s role in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
James, who hails from Manitoba, is a retired teacher who now is a historian and historical re-enactor. He also travels around, offering his services to various schools and other outlets looking for someone to make history come alive for educational purposes.
James went through the life of what it was like to be a First World War solider, bringing with him historical items that each carried their own story.
The stories that drew the most attention from the crowd were a wooden warning alarm and the ‘Widow Maker’ Ross rifle.
James expressed that of the many horrible sounds you might while in the trenches, the worst was the sound of the rattle alarm. This sound meant that poison gas shells were about to or had hit the trenches and the battlefield.
He noted three versions of gas masks were used during the war, with the first two being mostly ineffective. The first was a urine soaked rag, followed by a rubber hood, and finally soldiers were issued a gas mask after numerous had fallen due to improper protection from poison gas.
James said that poison gas always settled at the bottom of the trenches and stayed in poorly ventilated areas, resulting in most soldiers being out in the open, exposed to gunfire or shrapnel.
James brought a First World War Ross rifle with him to demonstrate the differences between it and the standard issue Lee Enfield rifle that the British were using.
He mentioned that during the early years of the war, Canada had to provide its own rifle and the only one available was a sportsman-hunting rifle known as the Ross rifle.
This rifle would easily jam when mud and dirt got into the action, and the worst part about them was if the solider took the action apart to clean it and didn’t put it back together properly, once fired, the bolt of the rifle would go into the shooters eye causing serious harm or even death.
The presentation that James provided was aimed at educating and showing people the horrors of war and the harsh sacrifices Canadian soldiers made during the Great War.
James said that he preserves and tells the story of history because it is his passion and most of all he doesn’t want young people to forget those who have fallen in war and why they were fighting in the first place.
