[Jabberwalker]

It gave birth to Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf. JRR Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, served as a second lieutenant in the Lancashires on the Somme during the desperate summer of 1916. After all but one of his comrades had been killed, he was invalided out with trench fever and started writing about dead marshes and dark lords. Tolkien’s service revolver is exhibited at the Imperial War Museum North.

Remember the "Dead Marshes" with the faces of long dead Men and Elves staring upward from bottom of the the bog? Tolkien wrote that based on his memory of seeing corpses staring upward through the water in which they had drowned in the shell craters of no-mans-land.

[Batsy2]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

It went from bad to worse when contracts to supply boots to Hughes newly expanded army went to buddies who cut corners wherever they could. The First Canadian division was equipped with sub-standard footwear that didn't survive the winter camp on Salisbury Plain, well before they went into battle, or barely the first assembly camp at Valcartier. So, the British were saddled (no pun intended) with having to supply an extra 30,000 pairs of boots o the 1st Canadian Division at t time when all of their resources were stretched to the absolute limit. I believe that Sam Hughes buddies got paid, though.

The British had to supply the poorly-equipped Yanks with equipment, too, when they belatedly entered the conflict.

[martin14]

Yesterday, Aug. 15


Japanese Government sends ultimatum to Germany demanding evacuation of Tsingtao, the German version of Hong Kong.

Additionally the Germans controlled a part of New Guinea, the island groups of
the Marshalls,
The Carolinas,
the Marianas,
and
Palau

The Germans will lose all these islands, transferred to Japanese Mandate at
the end of the war, and springboard for the Japanese in WWII.


Today, Aug. 16


The Germans finally finish capturing the Liege forts.

The Schlieffen Plan is two weeks late, something that will haunt the Germans at the
1st Battle of the Marne.

Belgian army is split, some units withdraw to Antwerp, some go West.

[Jabberwalker]

"Vatch der left wing!" Schlieffen warned.

"Unterlassen Sie! The weak Belgians won't fight!" said Von Moltke.

[martin14]

Yesterday, Aug 19.

The Serbs defeat the Austro-Hungarians at the Battle of Cer.

First invasion of Serbia is a complete failure.


The first volunteers begin to arrive at Valcartier camp.





Today, Aug 20.

The Germans occupy Brussels.

Death of Pope Pius X.



Tomorrow, Aug.21


Battles of Charleroi, Ardennes, and Namur begin.

[martin14]

edit:

I forgot on August 22, the War Measures Act was introduced in Canada.


The War Measures Act, 1914, was subsequently adopted on 22 August 1914 to ratify all steps taken by Canada from the declaration of war, to continue until the war was over. Sections 2 to 6 of the original Act in particular provided for the following:
“

2. All acts and things done or omitted to be done prior to the passing of this Act and on or after the first day of August, A.D. 1914, by or under the authority of or ratified by,-

(a) His Majesty the King in Council;
(b) any Minister or officer of His Majesty's Imperial Government;
(c) the Governor in Council;
(d) any Minister or officer of the Government of Canada;
(e) any other authority or person;

which, had they been done or omitted after the passing of this Act, would have been authorized by this Act or by orders or regulations hereunder, shall be deemed to have been done or omitted under the authority of this Act, and are hereby declared to have been lawfully done or omitted.

3. The provisions of sections 6, 10, 11 and 13 of this Act shall only be in force during war, invasion, or insurrection, real or apprehended.

4. The issue of a proclamation by His Majesty, or under the authority of the Governor in Council shall be conclusive evidence that war, invasion, or insurrection, real or apprehended, exists and has existed for any period of time therein stated, and of its continuance, until by the issue of a further proclamation it is declared that the war, invasion or insurrection no longer exists.

5. It is hereby declared that war has continuously existed since the fourth day of August, 1914, and shall be deemed to exist until the Governor in Council by proclamation published in The Canada Gazette declares that it no longer exists; but any and all proceedings instituted or commenced by or under the authority of the Governor in Council before the issue of such last mentioned proclamation, the continuance of which he may authorize, may be carried on and concluded as if the said proclamation had not issued.

6. The Governor in Council shall have power to do and authorize such acts and things, and to make from time to time such orders and regulations, as he may by reason of the existence of real or apprehended war, invasion or insurrection deem necessary or advisable for the security, defence, peace, order and welfare of Canada; and for greater certainty, but not so as to restrict the generality of the foregoing terms, it is hereby declared that the powers of the Governor in Council shall extend to all matters coming within the classes of subjects hereinafter enumerated, that is to say:-

(a) censorship and the control and suppression of publications, writings, maps, plans, photographs, communications and means of communication;
(b) arrest, detention, exclusion and deportation;
(c) control of the harbours, ports and territorial waters of Canada and the movements of vessels;
(d) transportation by land, air, or water and the control of the transport of persons and things;
(e) trading, exportation, importation, production and manufacture;
(f) appropriation, control, forfeiture and disposition of property and of the use thereof.


The government will also now begin to intern more than 8,600 Ukranians, mostly those who immigrated from what was Austro-Hungarian territory.


A list of the camps....


Name of Camp / Location Date of opening Date of closing Description
Montreal, Quebec August 13, 1914 November 30, 1918 Immigration Hall
Kingston, Ontario August 18, 1914 November 3, 1917 Fort Henry
Winnipeg, Manitoba September 1, 1914 July 20, 1916 Fort Osborne Barracks / Fort Garry
Halifax, Nova Scotia September 8, 1914 October 3, 1918 The Citadel
Vernon, British Columbia September 18, 1914 February 20, 1920 Provincial Government Building
Nanaimo, British Columbia September 20, 1914 September 17, 1915 Provincial Government Building
Brandon, Manitoba September 22, 1914 July 29, 1916 Exhibition Building
Lethbridge, Alberta September 30, 1914 November 7, 1916 Exhibition Building
Petawawa, Ontario December 10, 1914 May 8, 1916 Militia Camp / Tents
Toronto, Ontario December 14, 1914 October 2, 1916 Stanley Barracks
Kapuskasing, Ontario December 14, 1914 February 24, 1920 Bunk Houses
Niagara Falls, Ontario December 15, 1915 August 31, 1918 The Armoury
Beauport, Quebec December 28, 1914 June 22, 1916 The Armoury
Spirit Lake, Quebec January 13, 1915 January 28, 1917 Bunk Houses
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario January 13, 1915 January 29, 1918 The Armoury
Amherst, Nova Scotia April 17, 1915 September 27, 1919 Malleable Iron Works
Monashee-Mara Lake,
British Columbia June 2, 1915 July 29, 1917 Tents & Bunk Houses
Fernie-Morrissey,
British Columbia June 9, 1915 October 21, 1918 Rented Premises
Banff-Castle Mountain and Cave & Basin, Alberta July 14, 1915 July 15, 1917 Dominion Park Building at Cave & Basin, Tents at Castle Mountain
Edgewood, British Columbia August 19, 1915 September 23, 1916 Bunk Houses
Revelstoke-Field-Otter, British Columbia September 6, 1915 October 23, 1916 Bunk Houses
Jasper, Alberta February 8, 1916 August 31, 1916 Dominion Parks Buildings
Munson, Alberta-
Eaton, Saskatchewan October 13, 1918 March 21, 1919 Railway Cars
Valcartier, Quebec April 24, 1915 October 23, 1915 Militia Camp / Tents























Yesterday, Aug 23.

Battle of Mons.

In what would be the first battle for the BEF in the First World War, 4 infantry divisions plus a cavalry division in reserve set up along the, Mons–Condé Canal,
until the German 'right hook' 1st Army slammed into them.




Private John Parr was the first British soldier killed.
Maurice Dease was awarded the first VC of the war.


He was 24 years old, and a lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, and was awarded the VC for his actions on 23 August 1914, at Mons, Belgium.

Nimy Bridge was being defended by a single company of the 4th Royal Fusiliers and a machine-gun section with Dease in command. The gun fire was intense, and the casualties very heavy, but the lieutenant went on firing in spite of his wounds, until he was hit for the fifth time and was carried away.

Though two or three times badly wounded he continued to control the fire of his machine guns at Mons on 23rd Aug., until all his men were shot. He died of his wounds.
—London Gazette, 16 November 1914

Dease won the first Victoria Cross to be awarded in the Great War, 1914–1918, and he also won it on the first day of the first significant British encounter in that war. Dease is buried at St Symphorien military cemetery, Belgium.




Good, I found it. The BBC did a series of docu dramas, based on personal recollections of the Great War.

Part 1 deals with these first battles.
It is here, and it is worth a look. 55 mins.

[martin14]

Today, Aug 24.

The Great Retreat.

The British start their retreat from Mons along with the French, and they will continue to lose ground and men until the First Battle of the Marne in September.

[Jabberwalker]

Yesterday, Aug 23.

Battle of Mons.

In what would be the first battle for the BEF in the First World War

(and, just as an aside, the last battle fought by British Imperial forces was at Mons, in the fall of 1918 by the CEF. The Alpha and the Omega ...)

Mons was virtually a series of suicide stands and it derailed the Schleiffen plan, prevented the quick fall of Paris, caused everyone to "dig in" and turned a quick blitzkrieg into a heinous war of attrition.

[martin14]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

Yesterday, Aug 23.

Battle of Mons.

In what would be the first battle for the BEF in the First World War

(and, just as an aside, the last battle fought by British Imperial forces was at Mons, in the fall of 1918 by the CEF. The Alpha and the Omega ...)

Mons was virtually a series of suicide stands and it derailed the Schleiffen plan, prevented the quick fall of Paris, caused everyone to "dig in" and turned a quick blitzkrieg into a heinous war of attrition.

Yes Jabby, the memorial plaques to both the first and last shots of the war
fired by British and Empire forces are literally across the street from each other.

[Jabberwalker]

... as are the graves of the first and last British soldiers killed in the war that are literally facing each other a few meters apart in the same cemetery. I'm not sure if that was done intentionally, either.

[bootlegga]

martin14 martin14:

Good, I found it. The BBC did a series of docu dramas, based on personal recollections of the Great War.

Part 1 deals with these first battles.
It is here, and it is worth a look. 55 mins.

Great video, nice find!

[BartSimpson]

August 25, 1914 was when the Germans sacked, looted, burned, and slaughtered their way through the historic Belgian city of Louvain. Various accounts have the Germans murdering 400-3,000 men, women, and children as part of a deliberate campaign of terror.

[Jabberwalker]

They were hoping to break Belgian resolve. It probably stiffened it. They made that mistake repeatedly throughout both wars. The Germans had their military skills together but they didn't understand the human spirit for survival, apparently.

[BartSimpson]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

They were hoping to break Belgian resolve. It probably stiffened it. They made that mistake repeatedly throughout both wars. The Germans had their military skills together but they didn't understand the human spirit for survival, apparently.

Seven short years later the Belgians (and the French) invaded Germany and eventually provoked the Germans into electing Hitler as their leader. Which only goes to show that while the Germans didn't understand the human spirit, neither did the Belgians.

[Jabberwalker]

I never would have thought of you as a Woodrow Wilson fan.