4 November (1918)…

| November 4, 2021

Sergeant Alfred Norris M.M. and Bar 438822 1st Battalion Canadian Machine Gun Corps For Bravery in the Field…a twice decorated soldier who was awarded the Military Medal and a bar, representing a second award of this honour. Alfred Norris received recognition for his coolness and courage at Fresnoy, France and again for conspicuous gallantry at Passchendaele […]

The Best of Times

| May 3, 2020

Remembered A solitary grass and flower muncher ambles across the road from one yard to the next. Unperturbed by the white painted fence it approaches and without the leaping gait of a high jumper, this fleet of foot one, simply springs from a standing position across the obstacle. Then turning its head, to look at […]

In the morning, evening, at night…

| May 1, 2017

Om morgonen, kvelden, natta* In the darkness of the early morning the men of Alberta waited for the barrage to commence which would send them “over the top.” In spite of the heavy enemy bombardment, there were few casualties before the opening of the attack; but in front, swept by rifle and machine-gun fire and […]

Storm of Steel – Fresnoy

| April 27, 2017

After Vimy Ernst Jünger was a German military officer whose memoir, Storm of Steel is considered a classic of Great War literature. Commissioned from the ranks, Jünger continued to serve with his regiment, the 73rd Hanoverian Regiment, and was wounded on 14 occasions. His description of his time in the French village of Fresnoy, prior […]