1914-08-22a

“Military enthusiasm ran high last evening at the parade of the 13^th regiment together with the overseas contingent. The main streets were lined throughout the entire route of the march while the armories were crowded.”

          Hamilton Spectator.   August 22, 1914.

          The sight of the local militia unit, the 13^th regiment, on parade on Hamilton streets was not unusual, but the parade on Friday August 21, 1914 attracted much more than the usual interest.

          Earlier in the day, the members of the 13^th, 91^st and Engineers’ contingent who had volunteered to go to the front, were awaiting orders to move on to Valcartier, Quebec, the last stop in Canada before heading across the Atlantic :

          “Shortly after 2 o’clock there came a telephone message from Toronto to the commanding officers ordering the movement of the local troops.

“The word flashed through the armories, and then the cheering began. The men had been awaiting the order every day since Tuesday, and an air of feverish activity was heightened in the ranks.

“The balance of the afternoon was spent in getting the necessary things together, to be followed by the parade last evening, when the 13^th and 91^st were on the floor of the armories watched by an admiring and enthusiastic crowd.”¹

¹ “Cheer Wildly for Fighting Boys of 13^th : Remarkable Scene of Enthusiasm Attends Parade : Engineering Corps Left Today for Valcartier : Men Welcome Opportunity to Get to the Front.”

Hamilton Spectator. August 22, 1914.

 The already-scheduled evening parade of the 13^th regiment was to go ahead as planned, but there was a heightened desire by members of the public to watch it. As soon as word spread throughout the city that many in the parade would be leaving for the front the next day, the sidewalks in the city core were packed with citizens.

The parade included 644 soldiers, a record turnout:

“With the two bands and the overseas contingent leading, the regiment marched out. Cheer after cheer went up as the soldiers marched briskly up the street. The soldiers with the overseas contingent were unarmed, while the regiment carried rifles.”¹

After completing the usual route through the downtown streets, the soldiers on parade returned to the armories on James street north:

“The regiment was lined up and Lieut-Col. Ross took occasion to address the members of the contingent. He said he was greatly pleased with the caliber and appearance of the men who were going to the front. He adjured them to do their best in the training camp at Valcartier. He hoped they would soon get to the front and acquit themselves as their friends and relatives looked for them to do. Wishing them Godspeed and a safe return to their homes, he called for three cheers by the regiment for the contingent. They were given with tremendous enthusiasm. The band followed with the playing of Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot.”¹

The soldiers were then dismissed.

The soldiers of the contingent to depart on Saturday August 22, 1914 left in two separate segments.

Members of the first field troop of Canadian Field Engineers moved out of the armories at 7:50 a.m., and marched north on James street, then west on Stuart Street to the Grand Trunk Railway station:

“There were 40 stalwart young men in bright red tunics. As usual, a large crowd was present at the armories when they left and they were followed to the station and cheered to the echo as the train pulled out.”¹

Later in the morning, the majority of the soldiers, those with the 13^th and 91^st regiments were scheduled to leave the city from the T.H.&B. station on Hunter street east.

Not long after the field engineers had marched out of the armories, some of the men who were to leave later started to gather there:

“The men had been ordered to parade early and some of them were on hand before eight o’clock. For once, rules were set aside, and the general public was admitted to the armories to say goodbye to the men going away. It was an animated scene. Around nearly every volunteer was a little group of relatives or friends wishing him Godspeed and cautioning him to take care of himself.

“In one corner of the armories, a little game of indoor baseball was in progress and down in the far end of the building, there was an admiring crowd of soldiers around a man with a harmonica singing There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea. This formed the burden of the whole song, and no less than eighty-eight stanzas were sung by actual count, everyone the same.

“The men were not only in good spirits themselves, but sought to keep the others about them in good spirits also. One might also think they were about to start off on a little holiday jaunt.”²

² “Memorable Scenes AS Tommy Atkins Leaves : Cheering Crowds and Martial Music Marked the Departure : Local Military Troops Are Speeding to Valcartier Camp.”

Hamilton Spectator August 22, 1914

Finally assembly was sounded, the signal that everyone but the military had to vacate the armories. Visitors exchanged hurried goodbyes, and the soldiers then fell into company formations for the roll call.

Then the 13th band moved into position to lead the procession. However before that happened, Lieutenant-Colonel called attention and introduced Hamilton Mayor Allan who addressed the men of the 13^th regiment:

“He was glad, he said, to see such a splendid body of men going to the front for the honor of the empire, and representing Hamilton, in the overseas contingent.  He called upon them to stand true to their flag and King and acquit themselves like the men they would soon have the opportunity of proving themselves to be. Cheers followed the remarks of his worship.”²

Just before the 13^th regiment was to leave, a bugle call sounded calling members of the 91^st regiment to fall in :

“Attired in full marching order, minus their rifles which will be issued on their arrival at Valcartier, the 91^st presented a splendid picture. The Tartan caps were all proclaimed the company as being the Scotch regiment of the city.

“Mayor Allan addressed the members of this company in a similar strain as he did to the 13^th, and cheers followed.”²

Then the big parade began. With the 13^th band playing O Canada, the  procession marched out of the armories:

“Immediately behind the band marched the officers of the 13^th regiment, most of them in civilian dress. Then came the men in khaki. They were without rifles, and carried only bandoliers, blanket rolls and canteens.

“Oddly enough, the crowds lining both sides of the street kept strangely silent for the most part. It was not until the men reached the city hall, where there was an immense crowd of people massed on the steps, that a cheer went up. And then how those people did cheer!

“After that, the parade up the rest of the way on James street was in the nature of a triumphal procession. The men were stepping out smartly to the strains of The Killigan Slashes, and every window and doorstep held its quota of cheering and waving enthusiasm.”²

The scene at the T.H. & B. station, as the procession arrived, was wildly chaotic. The police were overwhelmed trying to hold back the crowds:

“For a few moments, the police tried to hold back the crowds, but they might as well have tried to hold back a raging torrent. The men of the 23^rd howitzers rendered far more effective service in keeping the crowds back and in clearing the track for the track.” ²

When the 91^st regimental band arrived, despite the difficulty of getting in position, managed to keep playing. The strains of Rule Britannia and the British Grenadiers filled the air as everyone awaited the arrival of the train.

Rule Britannia was especially stirring for those present:

“This intensely patriotic air was soon taken up by the thousands who had crowded the station, and it was of the volume of a mighty chorus.

“A mighty cheer followed the conclusion of this number. The pipe band then started up with a lively Scotch air, and the crowds gathered quickly to the spot where the skirl of the pipes sounded.”²

The unnamed Spectator reporter captured the last few minutes wonderfully as the final time for farewells arrived :

“Hamilton citizens were realizing for the first time the seriousness of the tide of war which had been loosened upon the continent. Though the unmistakable signs of farewell were everywhere evidenced, the men going away made an attempt to make the scene as cheerful as possible. The bands kept playing for close to half an hour before the train came in.

“When it came time for the men to entrain, there was a marked silence and much wiping of eyes. The only instructions of the officers were to keep the men inside the cars once they were aboard.

“Men and women whose sons were going away to the front were frankly wiping their eyes. One of the most touching parts of the farewell was the large number of small children who had gathered to catch a last glimpse of their older brothers.

“In one group stood a bride and mother together.

“ ‘You’ll come back, safe, Jack?’ whispered the wife. Jack nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

“ ‘Get aboard there!’ sang out an officer.

“A hurried embrace of mother and wife and the young soldier was on the platform of the slowly moving train. The mother put her arm about the younger woman, and when the last car had disappeared, they walked away together.”²

Thousands of eyes watched the departing train as it entered the tunnel and then was out of sight completely.

There was a pause as the remaining friends, family and supporters of the departing troops realized that there was no more to do or be said. Slowly the huge crowd dispersed, heading south, north, east and west to homes in various parts of the city. A sense of foreboding for the future of their loved ones was palpable in the air.