Moose Jaw and the Great War in 19 Objects - A Remembrance Day Exhibition

This collection of high resolution scans and accompanying documentation has been generously provided courtesy of the Ley and Lois Smith Collection, History Department, Western University, London, Ontario.

When Great Britain and Germany went to war on 4 August 1914, Canada (like the rest of the British Empire) was automatically at war too. Our politicians had no chance to debate the situation or come to their own decision. Not that it really mattered. Canadians from all parts of society – churches, labour unions, industry, teachers, Indigenous groups, recent immigrants, French-Canadian nationalists – came together behind the war. Nor did Canadians think about its long-term causes: industrial competition between the great powers, disputes over imperial expansion, an arms race, struggles with ethnic separatist groups, as well as extreme forms of nationalism (jingoism). Most Canadians focused on one thing: Germany had invaded neutral Belgium, and the civilized nations had to come to its aid or risk being conquered themselves. It was about preserving freedom and democracy from the barbarism and militarism of Germany and its allies.

Canada immediately began to build an army, and recruiting was in full swing before the war was a week old; by November 1918, over 620,000 Canadian men and women had served in uniform, many thousands of them from the prairies. In September 1914, volunteers from the 60th Rifles were at Valcartier Camp in Quebec preparing to go to war. In between exercises and drills, soldiers had a lot of free time to write to their loved ones. This cartoon postcard of two soldiers inside their tent, sent by an unidentified soldier to “Wee Nellie,” includes a short message updating the recipient about their whereabouts. Since the soldier did not know Nellie’s exact address, he sent the postcard in the care of M.J. Laundry. This might have been because Nellie had an affiliation with the business, which could deliver the postcard to them directly. At the time of the First World War, street numbering systems had not yet been implemented in most parts of the country, especially in rural areas. As a result, many soldiers would simply write the name of the recipient and the town in which they lived. In most towns, it was up to residents to collect their mail at the post office.

(60th Rifles Valcartier)

Just a PC to let you see I am still in Valcartier yet but I think we won’t be long now. If you can believe all you hear, we will be out of here by the 22[nd]. Do you got time to send me another PC but make it a photo this time if possible. Hope you are keeping the best.

(Dave)

Wee Nellie

c/o M.J. Laundry

Moose Jaw

Sask.

In November 1915, the 128th Overseas Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel F. Pawlett, began recruiting around Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The unit sailed from Halifax aboard the SS Grampian on 14 August 1916 and was absorbed by the 19th Canadian Reserve Battalion on 27 May 1917. This photo shows the crowded train station in Moose Jaw on 5 June 1916 as the 128th Battalion prepared to leave for training camp. A group in the middle are playing musical instruments while soldiers hang out of the windows of the train to say goodbye to their loved ones.

Later that year, in March 1916, Pawlett also organized the 210th Battalion in the Moose Jaw district. Here, a very similar scene - the men can be seen hanging out of the train windows, giving their family and friends a last farewell before departure. This photo was accompanied by a hand-written note from Ed St. George to his friend, Buela Norman, in Central Butte, Saskatchewan. St. George talks about going to a dance later that night and how he wishes his friend could be there too. The content of this card shows us that soldiers did not spend all of their time fighting—or even most of it. The military supported all kinds of activities to keep them busy when out of the front line, to boost morale, and to entertain the locals where they were stationed. The 220th Battalion had a bugle band, which can be seen in the middle of the crowd in the previous photo.

Hope you arrived safe after [a] pleasant journey. I seen your friend a few times on the street. How are things in the Buttes? It is terribly cold here the last few days + raining steady. I am going to the Dance tonight and wish you were here. Don’t forget to drop a line so we’ll say so-long. 

Ed St. George

Gen. Delivery

Miss Buela Norman

Central Butte

Sask.

Canada

Each unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force was given distinctive unit insignia, in the form of a cap badge that could be affixed to uniforms, manufactured as a brooch (known as a “sweetheart pin”), or embroidered onto fabric. The design varied according to the battalion and would include images or symbols that were culturally significant to that community. This embroidered pillowcase showcases the crest for the 128th Battalion, featuring a moose surrounded by maple leafs with the Canadian Royal Crown at the top. The banners at the bottom tell us where the unit was headquartered—Moose Jaw.

During the winter of 1915-1916, the 128th Battalion spent several months training in Moose Jaw before being sent overseas. This group photo of the entire battalion was taken in front of the local armoury. There is no date on the photo, but it was likely taken just before it left for England in August 1916.

War on the home front was often a disorienting combination of the everyday and the extraordinary. In December 1916, Reid Beckett of Moose Jaw sent this postcard to his friend Leila McGee in Kemptville, Ontario. The content of the postcard was completely unremarkable—asking how everything is going back at home—but Beckett chose a postcard showing the ruins of Souchez, a commune in France just outside of Vimy Ridge. The image shows two men standing among the rubble after it was severely damaged by artillery fire. The text on the front of the postcard is also interesting because it was redacted by military censors since it included the name of a town. This was strictly forbidden when sending mail home because if the mail got into the hands of the enemy, the location would be compromised.

Hello Leila,

How is the world using you? Trust your little ones are all well. Remember me to all the folk around K.N.

R.E.B.

Miss Leila McGee

Kemptville

Ontario

Canada

War offered postcard manufacturers a chance to boost sales in a creative way. This is typical of postcards that were produced with a blank space and then sold to local printers, who could add the name of their community. The design, which made fun of the Dutch accent by quoting a young boy phonetically, "Iff you vant to cut some ice in dis vorldt you vill haf to shkate qvick”, was very popular in the early twentieth century. But by adding the name of a military camp (Camp Hughes in Manitoba) rather than a town, it appealed to a whole new group of buyers – like William Paterson, who mailed it to his wife back in Moose Jaw.

To Sissie

From Daddy xxxxxxxxx

Sunday

I am just on my way to have my picture taken then I will write when I come back from the store.

Agnes Paterson

863-6th Avenue N.E.

Moose Jaw

Sask

Soldiers overseas relied on the postal system to maintain connections with home, and the army in turn devoted significant resources to ensuring that mail travelled safely. Born in Winnipeg in 1885 to a Jewish family, Jack William Rein was twenty-nine years old when he volunteered for the CEF in September 1914. At the time of his enlistment, he was living in Moose Jaw with his wife, Miriam Rein. Before the war, Rein worked as a commercial traveller, someone who represents a company or organization around the country or abroad. While overseas, Jack served on the Western Front and in England, eventually earning a commission as an officer. This postcard sent from Bulford Camp in Wiltshire, England, to his wife illustrates the importance of written communication during the war as a way to boost morale and keep spirits high.

Sling Plantation, Bulford Camp.

Dear Babe;

Have had 2 letters in two months. Don’t hurt yourself writing if you don’t want to. I’ll do the same.

Jack

Mrs. Jack W. Rein

Box 750

Moose Jaw

Sask

Canada

Among the most popular postcards were the silk creations that could be purchased in England and France. These embroidered postcards, often featuring patriotic or sentimental imagery, served as a unique way for soldiers to connect with loved ones back home. Although they were rumoured to be the handiwork of impoverished French civilians, most of them were probably manufactured by the same companies that had produced them before the war. Oscar Crooker of Moose Jaw sent this silk postcard to Miss H. McLeod. It features the Allied flags in the shape of ‘1917’. The American flag is represented by the first number ‘1’, the Belgian and Russian flags by the number ‘9’, the British flag by the second number ‘1’, and the French and Italian flags by the number ‘7’. Even after more than a century, the colours of the silk remain fresh and vibrant.

6/7/16

Everybody Happy

Regards to all.

O.H.C.

Keep - Great Aunt Harry

Miss H. McLeod

333 Ominica St W

Moose Jaw

Sask

Canada

Another way that the army made it easier for soldiers to correspond with friends and family was through Field Service Postcards (FSPs). FSPs were distributed by the Army Post Office to encourage soldiers to write home and boost their morale. These cards had a series of phrases on the back that soldiers would commonly use in their letters home. Soldiers would then scratch out any statements that were not applicable. In December 1916, a teacher named Wellington Gable sent this FSP to his sister Nellie in Moose Jaw.

Dear Nellie,

Safe at port of disembarkment.

Nothing unusual to relate, and music all added to the pleasures of the journey.

Will send letter on arrival at head-quarters. 

Pte. W. S. Gable, No. 523991 C.E.F.

9th Overseas Draft, A.M.C.T.D. No. 10

Miss Nellie M. Gable

1172 Grafton Ave

Moose Jaw

Sask

Canada

Once the war wounded began to return to Canada in late 1915, the federal government organized a string of military hospitals to provide both short- and long-term care. By the early 1920s, there were more than a dozen major military hospitals operating across Canada, providing comprehensive and convalescent care, as well as rehabilitation and manual training, for ex-soldiers. Moose Jaw’s Military Hospital was originally opened in 1913 as the Ross School but was repurposed to house and treat military personnel during the Great War. The hospital remained in use until the end of the war when it was returned to its original use as a school.

When John Edgar enlisted in the military, he was a forty-four-year-old married man working as a painter. While serving in France, John sent this postcard to his wife, Emma Edgar. The picture on the front of the card includes the text, “Il n’est qu’en seul bien j’envie. A votre bonheur, consacrer ma vie” (“There is only one thing I desire. To dedicate my life to your happiness”). Towards the end of his service, John got the chance to experience the wartime medical system first-hand. He received treatment for chronic headaches, myalgia (muscle aches), arthritis, and catarrh of the pharynx (a build-up of mucus in the throat), after which he was prescribed glasses and assigned to Permanent Base Duty. Edgar was eventually declared medically unfit and discharged from service in March 1919.

Dec 20th, 1917 

Labour Pool 

C.G.B.D. [Canadian Garrison Base Depot] France

Section No. 3

Reg. No. 104657

Dear Emma,

Hoping this will find you all well.

From yours ever,

Jack E xxxxxxxxxx

Mrs. J. Edgar

No 1029-4th Ave NE

Moose Jaw

Sask.

Canada

On 17 March 1915, twenty-six-year-old Thomas Beilby enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Originally born in Hull, England, Beilby was a single man working as a labourer in Moose Jaw at the time of the First World War. In 1917, he was hospitalized and diagnosed with neurasthenia after being exposed to heavy shell fire in St. Eloi. He experienced fainting spells, and his hearing and general health deteriorated due to what military doctors diagnosed as shell shock. Once recovered, Beilby remained in active service until he was demobilized in June of 1919. After the war, Beilby returned to Moose Jaw and lived in South Hill. A postwar photograph shows the aftermath of artillery fire at Mont St. Eloi, where the ruins of a church stand.

Over a century later, photographs remain among the most compelling fragments of the First World War. They can tell us a great deal more than we imagine at first glance – as some of the postcards in this display have done. One ritual for any soldier was a formal photograph in uniform, a tradition that was a boon to local businesses. This picture, taken at Waverley Studio in England while on leave, shows George Cleghorn (right) posing with his cousin and her husband for a group portrait. At the time of his enlistment, George was an unmarried twenty-two-year-old living in Moose Jaw with his mother and working as a letter carrier. Before his service in the First World War, he served for three years with the 8th Royal Scots.

B.E. Forces, France

March 13th, 1918

Dear Friends,

Just a card to say I am still well. This is one I had taken when on leave. The young lady is my cousin. And her husband along with her. We are having great weather here but wish it was time for coming back to Canada again. Mil was telling me Mr. Watson had been in another wreck. Was glad to hear he came out all right. Will write again soon. Ever your friend.

George

Pte. G.S. Cleghorn

The end of the Great War was marked by the signing of the armistice on 11 November 1918. For the next few months, Canadian soldiers waited patiently in Europe for their unit to be sent back home. In Moose Jaw, the City Council published this letter to welcome home all of the “Officers and Men of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces Returning from Overseas”. This letter acknowledged the sacrifices made by local volunteers and honoured all those who never got the chance to return home.

Although the armistice of 11 November 1918 ended the fighting on the Western Front, it did not end the war. That end did not come until the signature of the Treaty of Versailles the following summer. At that point, communities across Canada could finally celebrate Peace Day to recognize the legal end of the war. Civilians and ex-soldiers alike turned out in great numbers, enjoying summer weather that was superior to what it would have been like in November 1918.

Note the prominent sign (on the right side) directing celebrants to the men's washroom.

Following the war, there was a great desire among the Allied nations to commemorate the soldiers who had served, particularly those who died with no known grave. In response, many monuments were erected in France and Belgium to act as a meeting point for mourners and to remind them of the scale of the conflict and sacrifices made during the war. To commemorate the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and the Canadian victory there, the Canadian National Vimy Memorial was built and unveiled in July 1936. The Pilgrimage to Vimy was an opportunity for Canadian veterans and their families to travel to France to witness the official unveiling of the monument, which was performed by King Edward VIII before his abdication. The pilgrimage also included visits to battlefields and participation in memorial ceremonies. According to The Epic of Vimy which was published in December 1936 to document the pilgrimage, there were numerous participants from Moose Jaw who attended. Their names can be found in the Nominal Roll and the back of the book. Two of them were pictured in front of the ruins of Cloth Hall in Ypres.

Credit:

The First World War is now more than a century in the past, but it continues to echo through our country in 2025. We are reminded of it by war memorials, street and place names, sports tournaments (the Memorial Cup for junior hockey), and a host of everyday things, from income tax to trench coats, that came to us from that war. This display is focused on postcards, which were the text message of the early twentieth century, the most common way to send any kind of information. We have used them to tell a story of your community in the First World War – not the story of the war as a whole, but a series of snapshots of global events in a local context.

This exhibition was curated for you by Bailey Ashton at the Ley and Lois Smith War, Memory, and Popular Culture Research Collection in the History Department at the University of Western Ontario in London.

All of the images are copyright-free, and you are welcome to reproduce them as you wish. All we ask is that you attach a credit line: Courtesy of the Ley and Lois Smith Collection, History Department, Western University, London, Ontario. 

We welcome feedback from anyone who enjoys this exhibition or has more information or images to add. Please contact us at: jvance@uwo.ca.