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As the month of March, 1915 was coming to an end, the news from the front regarding  soldiers fighting in Europe was becoming worse.

For every statistical showing the massive numbers of wounded and killed on all sides of the war effort, there was a story for each and every individual.

Such was the case with the report of the fate of a Hamilton soldier which appeared in the March 30, 1915 edition of the Hamilton Spectator :

`` `Well, mother, these are all I have to leave you,`  said Jack Turnbull, handing over his keys and a few small effects, as he bade farewell to Mrs. William Campaign, on his leaving Hamilton with the first Canadian overseas contingent.

`Yesterday evening, Mrs. Campaign received a cable from the war department announcing that Pte. Turnbull had been illed in action, and in his death another name is added to the honor roll of the Hamilton men who have given their lives on the field of battle.

`Jack Turnbull came to Hamilton a little over three years ago from his home at Hamshire Mills, Simcoe county, and at the time that he left Hamilton he was an employee of the Westinghouse company.

`Shortly after coming to the city he joined the 91^st regiment of Canadian Highlanders and was a member of C company, the famous fighting unit of the kilties which has contributed nearly 66 men.

`He was very popular with his companions and all who knew him. He possessed a genial disposition, and was a young of exemplary life.

`Shortly after coming to Hamilton, Pte. Turnbull went to the home of William and Mrs. Campaign to live, and in speaking of the young man this morning, Mrs. Campaign had only words of praise for him. She said he had always called her mother, and he was more like a son than a stranger to her. In speaking of him, Mrs. Campaign was visbly affected, as were the other members of the family, and more especially the boys, of whom he was a constant companion.

``Word was sent to the parents at Orillia last night by Mrs. Campaign.

``Since arriving in France, the family with whom he made his home had received but one letter from Pte. Turnbull, and at that time he had not been in the trenches. He was a companion of Pte. Richie, who was killed a few days ago.^`1

¹ `91^st Man Met Death on the Field of War : Word Comes That Pte. Turnbull Was Killed in Action``

Hamilton Spectator.    March 30, 1915

 

 

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“War is serious business. There are those who hold that an evening at the theater during a time when the mother country is locked in a death grapple is most unpatriotic. They go further than this and remark that when the ‘piece de resistances’ is a humorist whose sole mission is to tickle the funny bone and make one laugh, said evening constitutes unforgivable treason””

Hamilton Spectator.    March 31, 1915.

Despite the possibility of being deemed treasonous, approximately 1,00 Hamiltonians made their way to the Temple theatre on March 30, 1915. They went to that large vaudeville theater fully hoping that they would not only be entertained, but provoked to laughter by a humorist.

It was a very special humorist who was present that evening, Professor Stephen Leacock, known to many as ‘The Mark Twain of Canada,’

Anyone in attendance at the Temple theater that evening might have assuaged their guilty feelings by knowing that all the money which paid for tickets did not profit some theater magnate but was forwarded a good cause:

“All money realized will be turned over to the Belgian Relief Fund. It will used to alleviate the sufferings of that devastated little nation, which was almost wiped from the European map because its people were so bold as to resent the violation of its neutrality by Germany.”¹

¹ “Leacock Draws Big Audience : Canadian Humorist Provides Evening of Fun”

Hamilton Spectator. March 31, 1915

The Spectator reporter present was clearly a strong admirer of the humorist:

“Professor Leacock is a master of satire, and he stood out last evening as a living embodiment and perfect interpreter of the humor which he has originated and placed in books. He was as a breeze wafted on ahead of the spring which is to come.”¹

As Professor Leacock was brought to Hamilton under the auspices of the Canadian Club, it was fitting that he was introduced to the large audience by the president of that organization, G. Edwin Main. Mr. Main traced, briefly the guest’s impressive career history, but emphasized that above all Professor Leacock “had the happy faculty of being able to get a stranglehold on Old Man Gloom.”¹

When he first appeared on stage, Leacock was greeted with a spontaneous, rapturous welcome. When the applause died, and before he began his program, Leacock  drew his first laughs via a few well-chosen satirical barbs for the Hamiltonian who had introduced him, Mr. Main.

Professor Leacock then said that he would be reading from some of his own writings:

“He announced that he was taking considerable chance in doing this but was determined that there should be someone in the universe who should be forced to hear all the good stuff that he, the speaker, had written. It was most unfair that the author alone should know what those books contained.”¹

After keeping his audience entertained and amused for well over an hour, Leacock brought things to an end:

“A most refreshing closing, and a most optimistic one, was given by a reading from an alleged copy of the London Times, bearing the date of 1916, wherein John E. Redmond and Sir Edward Carson leave the house of commons arm in arm, followed by the entire house, the objective point being a moving picture palace where the feature film is entitled, The March of the Allies into Berlin.

“It was real satire, the kind Hamiltonians have been denied hearing for many a day.”¹

The applause given to Professor Leacock was, again, loud and very prolonged. A hearted vote of thanks was tendered by President Main, and the evening ended with the singing of the national anthem.

 

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“Much has been written and said about the conditions of war as they obtain in countries devastated by the Germans in the present war, and while there is much of unbelief in the stories which have been told and published, there can hardly be any doubt but that there is a large measure of truth in many of them.”

Hamilton Spectator.    March 24, 1915.

Many Hamiltonians who were in full support of the Allied effort in the Great War did believe that the facts of the conflict were being censored before being shared with the general public. It was also felt that there was propaganda being promulgated to demonize the enemy.

The German sweep through Belgium had been the source of many tales of gruesome atrocities on civilians, many of which seemed too horrible to comprehend, much less accept as truth.

However, there was one incident which seemingly could not be denied, and the details of which were transmitted directly to a Hamiltonian:

“In a most forcible manner, the atrocities of the Germans in their campaign came home to a young Hamilton man, Pte. F. Judd, who is at present serving on the guard at the high level bridge, who in a letter from his uncle in Paris, France, was informed of the killing of his father, a little sister and a cousin, the first and last named having been shot down because they had refused to fight for the Germans.”¹

¹ “Germans Killed His Relatives : Local Man Receives Shocking News From France”

Hamilton Spectator.   March 24, 1915.

The letter which Private Judd received read as follows:

“ Dear Nephew:

I am in receipt of your letter of January 13, but am without any direct news from our Alsace since July 21, 1914.

My children are with your parents, and it is natural that we cannot give news, as all lines of communication have been cut off.

I was speaking to a man that worked in the D.M.C. factory and he told me he got no news since the war began. The only information I got was through your cousin who arrived in Paris after the first battle in the Alsace. He came over with the French when they retired after the battle of Muelhausen, as the Germans were looking for him to compel him to enlist. He received a letter telling him that the Germans had taken all the men from the age of 17 to 65 years to fight, and that the German soldiers pillaged the houses as they went.

Now I am going to tell you something that I do not like to tell, but think it is best for you to know.

The Germans acted like a lot of uncivilized fiends in our country and many people were shot down who refused to fight for Germany. Your father, aged 53 years and your cousin, aged 17 years, were shot for this reason, and your little sister was shot for some unknown cause. Your mother and two sisters are locked up in the cellar of their own house.

This is about all the news I can give you at present. I am pleased to learn that you have joined the Canadian army and are willing to fight for your country.

Wishing you good luck and prosperity. I am, your uncle,

                                                PIERRE GEMMER”

 

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One of the items that soldiers had to provide for themselves while serving on active duty in Western Europe during the early days of the Great War was their personal supply of cigarettes.

As Hamilton citizens were being asked to subscribe to the Comfort Fund, concerns were expressed that the money would be used to purchase luxuries for the troops rather than practical items.

In March 1915, an ad appeared in the Hamilton Spectator promoting Black Cat cigarettes. The graphic published a depiction of a large upright handing  out cigarettes to a line of smiling soldiers, moving along a trench towards the eagerly anticipated item.

Following is the military-themed copy from the ad, designed to show that cigarettes were not a luxury but items which would be highly appreciated by soldiers:

“It is a happy trench that has Black Cats in it. All kinds of tedium may be relieved by a really good smoke – ‘Trench Duty,’ either in war or peace, is made less irksome by smoking.

“Your day’s battle of work will be fought more cheerfully if you smoke an occasional Black Cat. This mild, sweet smoke is so all-satisfying that you’ll find it as prominent in the officers’ mess as in the camp canteen.

“Take as your base of supplies for Black cats, any cigar store in Canada.

“Do you know the latest news from the front? There’s a new kind of War Game, obtainable by sending 20 Black Cat coupons to Black Cat Headquarters, Montreal. More than a game – because it teaches lessons in war – zone geography, and the strategy and tactics of war.

“See slip now enclosed in Black Cat packets for full particulars of Profit Sharing Gifts.

“Black Cat Cigarettes – 10 for 10 Cents.”

 

 

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        “Describing the uniform of the Canadian Scottish now abroad, Private J. C. Campbell, a former member of C company, 91^st regiment, says that great changes have been made”

Hamilton Spectator February 23, 1915

Once a proud member of Hamilton Highlanders, the 91^st, Private J.C. Campbell, training in England, wrote home about his experiences as a soldier since volunteering for active service, along with 56 other members of that regiment’s C Company.

Private Campbell began his letter referencing the uniform he was required to wear:

“The tunic is just the same as that of the regulars here, and we don’t even have Canadian buttons on them. We have big, heavy boots with hobnails and horseshoe heel plates on them. They are about a ton weight, but good stuff, We also have long khaki hose tops that come up over our knees and puttees, which we wear instead of our spats, so you see that the kilt is the only part of our original uniform that we wear.”¹

¹ “Are Proud of Honor Roll of Old Company : No Less Than 57 Members Enlist to Fight”

Hamilton Spectator.   February 23, 1915.

Referring to the that 57 members of C Company, 91^st regiment had volunteered for service, Private Campbell wrote:

“ I am very pleased with the honor roll of old C company. I never thought we had sent out so many men, and it took my breath away. It sure is a fighting company, and I have no doubt we will make ourselves worthy of the name when we have a chance.”¹

In his letter, Private Campbell expressed his eagerness to end training and get into action on the front:

“We will soon be going now (this was written on Feb. 1) as we’re supposed to leave today for Winchester, where we mobilize and wait on transports to take us over to France. We will not be sorry when we get over now as it is about time we were doing something. People are beginning to think we are a lay army.

“I should say, however, that we hope to show them something different. We have everything packed up ready to take at a moment’s notice, so some day they will take us out on a route march and we won’t come back to this camp as that is the way they do things.”¹

The private’s letter ended as follows:

“I hope the boys in the second contingent are having a good time. I guess they will profit from our experiences.

“I only wish I had been handy enough to get to Hamilton for my Christmas holidays. However, I was in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London for New Year’s week and had the time of my life.”¹

Pictured is not Private Campbell but one of the 57 members of Company C, 91st regiment, J. W. Bisley, wearing the uniform they were given to wear while training in England

 

 

 

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During the opening months of the Great War, “foreigners” in Hamilton were viewed with suspicion, if not outright hostility. Residents of Hamilton originally from Austria or Germany were most impacted.

Another large portion of what was termed, the “foreign element” was held in higher esteem in some regards. Although Italians were viewed with suspicion and disdain for several reasons, their loyalty to their adopted country was not one of them.

Beginning in the intense days of war fever in August, 1914, Italian organizations expressed their loyalty to the King and to Canada, while many Italians participated in patriotic marches and other displays of determination to support the war effort.

On March 18, 1915, The Hamilton Times carried the following article, referencing the Hamilton Italian population and its view on the war:

“Ernest Taylor, the local Italian interpreter and missionary in Hamilton, when spoken to this morning about the possibility of Italians joining in the war on the side of the allies, and calling for her reservists in this country to rejoin their regiments, stated that if such were done, several hundred men from this city would willingly respond.

“ ‘The spirit of patriotism runs very high among the Italians of Hamilton,’ he said, ‘and should the call come for men to join the colors, there is no doubt  that upwards of a thousand men would immediately leave for their home country to take part in the conflict.’

“Already a number have gone to the front with the first Canadian contingent, whose sympathies were entirely with Britain., and several more of the local Italians are with the second contingent at the Exhibition camp.”₁

₁ “1,000 Italians : Would Likely Go From Hamilton If Italy Goes to War.”

Hamilton Times.    March 18, 1915

 

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All three Hamilton daily newspapers on March 15, 1915, as requested by the city’s mayor, published the following letter:

“To the Citizens of Hamilton :

Hundreds of our gallant soldiers, Hamilton boys, have gone to the front to fight for our empire, and already a number of them have laid down their lives for the flag.

Money is needed to purchase comforts and necessities for our soldiers. Hamilton has lagged behind other cities in raising funds for comforts for her men, and now that the spring campaign is about to open, let every citizen show his or her loyalty by sending a subscription to W. R. Leckie, city hall, Hamilton.

                                                CHESTER S. WALTERS,

                                                          Mayor.”¹

¹ “Mayor Makes Public Appeal to Citizens : Urges Them to Give a Practical Demonstration of Their Loyalty.”

Hamilton Spectator.    March 15, 1915.

Mayor Walters recently had a long conference about the fund with Lieutenant-Colonel McLaren, of the 19^th battalion which was soon to leave for the front :

“ ‘If people could only appreciate how badly this fund is needed and what it means to the men, there would be no hesitation in giving and giving liberally,’ said the mayor.

“He also discussed with the newspapermen the case of a local man, with a wife and five children, who left today for Ottawa to join the engineers.

“ ‘This man paid $500 down on a house which will cost him $2500,’ explained the mayor. “The man, who holds the mortgage, is now pressing for payment. This soldier has given up a position that was bringing him in $125 a month to accept $1.10 a day. He did it with a fine patriotic spirit, and because he thought his country needed him.’

“When men will make such sacrifices, and this is by no means an isolated case, the mayor thinks that the least every citizen can do is to donate something that will contribute to the comfort of the soldiers.”¹

The fund-raising amounted to $1,200 in the first few days. As the goal was about $20,000, concerns were being raised. It was felt that some citizens were expecting a personal canvass and so were waiting for that.

At that point, organizers of the canvass did not think a personal canvass was necessary. They were counting on publicity to motivate citizens individually,  or as part of groups to make donations enthusiastically. An example of a group donation was the Hamilton Parks Board, who ten members out of their personal funds, gave $100 each for a combined donation of $1,000. City Councillors were urged to follow that example. Workplaces and churches were also suggested as groups that could combine many individual donations to have a large impact.

The placement of collection boxes in factories, public buildings, schools was also suggested as ways to garner donations.

It was also emphasized that the fund was not to purchase luxuries for soldiers, but to provide such grocery items and equipment unavailable via the usual government allowance.

On March 17, 1915, an editorial appeared in the Hamilton Times regarding the slow start to the fund raising:

“There is a feeling that Hamilton is lagging behind in sending subscriptions to the fund to provide comforts for our own boys at the front. This should not be, and probably will not be for long, when it is understood that this fund is to be raised by the free will offerings made without canvas or solicitation. All this is expected is that those who wish to subscribe will send or take their money to Mr. William Leckie, City Treasurer, and the subscriptions will later be announced. This is a new way of raising a fund. But it was thought better to just leave it to the people themselves to take the initiative. It will be all the more appreciated.

“The Hamilton lads who are serving at the front, and who are preparing to go to the front, deserve all the encouragement we who remain behind can give them If they see and know by our gifts that the sacrifice they are making for us, for their King and their country is really fully appreciated, they will do their duty with a better heart, knowing that they have the sympathy of the people nof Hamilton in all their undertakings.

“Do not let them face the enemy with a feeling that the people at home are not interested in them – that they do not care whether they are cared for or not. No man could be expected to fight or face the enemy with such a feeling rankling in his breast.
          “By heartening the men in the trenches, we who stay at home are helping to win this war. Be generous and show your appreciation of the heroism of your own kith and kin.”²

²  “The Comfort Fund”

Hamilton Times.   March 17, 1915