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1、TheBattleoftheSomme:ACanadianAdjutant’sPerspectiveNovember18marksthecentenaryoftheendoftheBattleoftheSomme,aneventthatpassedessentiallyunnoticed,thoughitwasaseminaleventinthedevelopmentofmodernCanada.Itscarnagewasover1.1millioncasualtiesfromacombinedpopulation(bothsides)ofabout170million.(Forasc
2、ale,therehavebeenapproximately35,000U.S.casualtiesinIraqfrom2003-1016.)IbecameinterestedintheBattleoftheSommeearlierthisyearduetoasheafofpapersinthebackofmymother’schinacabinet,whichInoticedwhileshewasmoving.Thepaperswerecopiesoftranscriptsoflettersfromthefrontbytheadjutantofthe75thCanadianBatta
3、lion(4thCanadianDivision),oneofthebattalionswhichledtheclosingassaultattheBattleoftheSomme.Whileotherwar-timecorrespondenceinfamilyarchivestendedtobesincerebutdrearyepistles,theseletterswerefullofinterestingdetailsaboutlifeatthefront–notjustmudandfood,butflares,“dug-outs”,youngmenhavinghorserace
4、s,sightseeingatAmiensCathedralfivedaysafterabattleinwhich25%ofthebattalionwerekilledorwounded,themoralquandaryofcourt-martialingsoldierswhohadwoundedthemselvestoavoidfurtherbattle,typicallybecauseofwhatwetodaycallpost-traumaticstressdisorder,withpenaltiesshockingtotoday’ssensibility.Theadjutantw
5、askilledonMarch1,1917atVimyRidge,amonthbeforethemajorvictoryinApril1917,inanill-conceivedraid,whichthegeneralcommandhadorderedovertheobjectionsofseasonedbattalioncommanders.Inthisnote,I’vecollatedallofthelettersavailablefromthechinacabinet,interweavingwithinformationfromWarDiaries,providingconte
6、xtandlocationofthebattalion.I’veusedNovember18asacut-offdate:therearelacunaeinthiscollationthatIwilltrytoedit.TheBattleoftheSommeUntilthisyear,IonlyknewtheBattleoftheSommeasoneofthepantheonofhorrificWorldWarIbattles(togetherwithYpres,VimyRidge,Passchendale).Atthetime,theBattleoftheSommewasdescri
7、bedbyLloydGeorgeas“themostgigantic,tenacious,grim,futileandbloodyfighteverwagedinthehistoryorwar”.TotalAlliedcasualtiesonitsfirstdayalone(July1)were57,000killedandwounded–adaythatstillholdstherecordformostcasualtiesinthehist
