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The 38th Ottawa
Overseas Battalion
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Main Index
During the First World
War, both English language newspapers in Ottawa, Ontario - the
Ottawa Evening Journal and the Ottawa Evening Citizen, published
hundreds of news articles about the 38th Battalion. From
the Battalion's inception in December 1914, each paper brought
the patriotism of the time to a fever pitch. They extolled the
unit's enrollment statistics, fund raising for its band, the
call for everyday citizens to help transport the unit, as well
as its battle exploits in France. This was indeed, a very
exciting time for Canada. Barely 47 years old, the Country was
called upon to fight for the King and the survival of England
herself. It is hard to imagine the same type of emotion in Canada's
youth of the 21st century, for all the battle glory of Vimy Ridge
in 1917 is all but lost in our present day "peacekeeping"
army.
I will be reproducing several
of the larger articles written between December 1914 and November,
1918 concerning this famous Battalion and you may select these
from the headlines on the left. For instance, in the item
from Tuesday, 25th May 1915, you can read into the language of
the time and actually sense the patriotism as well as the emotions
of the soldiers' mothers, wives, girlfriends and children as
the men march from the barracks at Albert Street and Lyon Street
to the Broad Street train station in Lebreton Flats.
Many of the articles I
have researched simply highlighted the results of fund raising
activities for the units band or noted the names of new recruits
and these are not included here. Others note the Battalions
training exercises in Bermuda where the unit spent several months
before sailing for England. However, none of the items
from their stay in Bermuda noted the health "problems"
experienced when some of the men met with some of the more "colourful"
ladies on the island.
After the Battalion arrived
in Europe, the newspapers' war correspondents in Europe
report back to Ottawa the units "test under fire".
I hope you enjoy reading
the same articles read by the citizens of Ottawa over eighty
years ago. Simply click on the dates for the articles indicated
in the column on the left side of this page.
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