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“Lieut. George Ballard, well-known football star of the Tigers, and member of the law firm of Ballard and Morrison, who fell wounded at Langemarck on the morning of April 23 while leading his men of C company in the famous charge which won glory immortal for the Canadian soldiers, arrived in the city last night.”

Hamilton Herald.   July 7, 1915.

It had been known widely that George Ballard would be arriving home from the front during the morning of July 7, 1915. A large crowd was gathered  at the Grand Trunk railway station to welcome to great the young man, once known in Hamilton only as a sports star and son in a prominent family, but who had become a wounded war hero.

After acknowledging the many friends who had come to greet home, Ballard was taken to the home of his parents, 196 George street.

A reporter with the Hamilton Herald was the first reporter to be able to interview Ballard and share with the paper’s readers his impressions of the young soldier:

“Considering the nature of his wound and the trials he passed through, Lieut. Ballard looks surprisingly well and fit. His wound has healed up and his nerves are none the worse for the terrific shocks they have sustained. He will be home for several weeks on furlough and will report for duty again early in September.

“When asked to relate some of his experiences, Lieut. Ballard drew a hand across his brow and, with a faraway look in his eyes, begged to be excused. There was something in that look of the gallant, quiet, unassuming young officer which told far better than words what a grim and black business Armageddon is. He wanted to forget it all and was reluctant to discuss war.”¹

¹ “War a Grim and Very Black Business : But Lieut. Ballard Will Return to His Duty When Fit.”

Hamilton Herald.      July 7, 1915.

When pressed for some information about his wound and how it happened, Lieut. Ballard said that about 9 a.m. during the morning of April 23, he advanced with his men to a point about five hundred yards from the German position, and there, in his word, his was “potted” and had to lay where he fell for nearly ten hours before the stretcher bearers were able to reach him:

“During that terrible interim, he lay in an improvised dugout rudely fashion for him by two comrades, and while he was conscious for most of the time, his senses left him twice that he remembered, for he lost considerable blood. He said the din of shell fire during those hours was something which beggars description.

“The Germans appeared to have all the ammunition in the world and they used it unsparingly. Shrapnel burst continuously around Lieut. Ballard and he said the suspense was nerve-wracking, as the wounded never knew what minute would be their last”¹

The wounded soldier referred to his fellow soldiers with the highest praise:

:Speaking of the men under him, Lieut. Ballard said the local men who enlisted with the Thirteenth quota  were the finest soldiers any officer could lead.

“Indeed, he was proud to lead such men, and it was this feeling which made him anxious to get back amongst them. ‘Not that there is any glamor or romance to war. That all disappeared  after a few days at the front. It is a case of stern duty now.’

“Further than this Lieut. Ballard declined to talk. In many way the recent past seemed like a nightmare, and, besides this, battle is so kaleidoscopic that no human mind is capable of grasping any one of its various phases in a true sense, he said.”¹

Lieut. Ballard returned to Hamilton with him a very special uniform :

“The khaki uniform, which he wore and which was riddled by bullets and shrapnel, some of which found lodgment in his body, was brought home as well as other trophies.”¹

Later in the day, a Spectator knocked at the door of the George street residence of public school inspector W. H. Ballard, asking for an interview with his son.

Lieut. Ballard after a hearty lunch and some quiet time with his family was more willing to talk than he was earlier with the Herald reporter, starting by saying, ‘This war is a grim thing which few men would care to return to out of morbid curiosity, but, out of a sense of duty, all who are able to return will willingly do so.’

Referring to the men he went into battle with, Ballard said, ‘I couldn’t say too much in praise of the men. They are a brave lot of fellows and it was not an uncommon sight to see them rush out in the face of the greatest danger and rescue wounded comrades from the field.’ ”²

² “Officer Pays High Tribute to the 13^th Men : Braved Deadly Fire to Rescue Wounded Comrades.”

Hamilton Spectator.   July 7, 1915.

Referring his being wounded, Ballard noted that after being on the battlefield for nearly ten hours, he was rescued but only removed to a nearby ‘place of safety where an improvised dugout had been created in the side of a ditch. Lieut. Brant came to me with food and drink, and did all he could to assist me, and the poor fellow was shot that night. I remained in this improvised position of palatial safety and had a splendid opportunity of viewing the progress of the fight, which was indeed interesting.”²

Asked to describe the effect when shot, Lieutenant Ballard said “he experienced a feeling as though someone had suddenly hit him a terrific blow with a sledge. He was advancing on the run at the time he received his wound and it brought him up with such suddenness that he could hardly realize for a moment what had happened.”²

Asked about the attitudes displayed by the soldiers in battle, Ballard said that “the men all seemed to go into action with light hearts, although fully realizing the seriousness of the whole thing. The suspense of waiting for an order to advance was worse than the experience of actual battle. The noise and din of battle, however, frequently drove men to a state of frenzy and collapse.”¹

The final comment made in the interview came not from the wounded soldier but from Mrs. Ballard:

“ ‘Mother love is always strong, and it is nice to have him once more with me, but I would not stand in his way if he wishes to return,’ said his mother. ‘We women cannot fight, but we can send our sons.’ ”. ²

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“Fifteen years ago today, on Thursday, May 24, 1900, right royally did the citizens of this Ambitious City celebrate the grand opening of historic Dundurn as a public park. The day was also the 81^st anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria”

Hamilton Times.     May 24, 1915.

As the Hamiltonians of 1915 prepared to celebrate the 24^th of May holiday, the morning edition of the Hamilton Times that day shared reminiscences of a very eventful May 24:

“The demonstration was one probably never excelled as far as crowds and popular enthusiasm were concerned. Ideal May weather contributed greatly to the success of the day and arrangements for the entertainment of thousands of visitors, as well as the people of Hamilton, were marvelously carried out.

“From sixty to seventh thousand people participated in the jubilation. With clean streets and a wealth of gala decorations, the city was able to present a decidedly gala front and the event in its entirety was one of the most successful in Hamilton’s history.”¹

¹ “Twenty-Fourth in History of Hamilton : Fifteen years Ago One of the Greatest Days Ever Known.”

Hamilton Times. May 24, 1915.

The first of the formal events of May 24, 1900 took place in the eastern section of Gore Park, between Hughson and James Streets:

“In the presence of cheering thousands on the Gore extension in the morning the ceremony in connection with the presentation of the steel flag staff and a new flag to the City Corporation by the Canadian Club commenced the day’s programmer.

“President  Manning made the formal presentation, explaining the club’s policy in erecting the staff. Ex-President Kirwan Martin read the deed of gift. The Mayor accepted and replied suitably. Mrs. Teetzel unfurled the beloved Canadian ensign to the breeze, and the band played ‘God Save the Queen.’ ”¹

With the Gore Park ceremony completed, all through present prepared to march in procession:

“Mostly all the visitors and visiting societies and bands had arrived, and the procession, one of the greatest ever held in Hamilton, left for Dundurn Park.”¹

The 24^th of May celebrations for 1915 would prove to be must less modest, but still, one of the main locations of interest would be Dundurn Park.

Gore Extension, showing base of Canadian Club Flagstaff. Date of postcard unknown, NOT May 24, 1900

Image courtesy www.hamiltonpostcards.com

 

 

 

 

1915-05-21ww

“Empire Day, the movement founded by Mrs. Clementina Fessenden, of this city, and which has since become national in its scope, was celebrated in the schools of Hamilton today with a spirit that was inspiring.”

Hamilton Spectator.  May 21, 1915.

All across Canada in May 1915, Empire Day was celebrated, and it was also observed in England.

The history behind the creation of that special day was noted in the Spectator of May 21, 1915:

“Empire day really had its inception on June 8, 1896, before the Wentworth Historical society, when Mrs. Fessenden’s little six-year-old granddaughter was made an honorary member of the society in recognition of the loyal services of her ancestors as an earnest of the future. It was a notable experience for the child. When Mrs. Fessenden saw the delight her little granddaughter took in her badge and Maple Leaf, she could not see any reason why all the children of the empire should not be stimulated in the same way.

“In 1897, the Hamilton Board of Education endorsed the scheme, the minister of education expressed his approval and then the movement continued to grow with rapidity, London taking up the idea in 1902. Ever since, Empire day has been celebrated in the motherland with the same enthusiasm that marks its observance here”¹

¹ “Empire Day Observed With Fervent Spirit ; Canada’s Glorious Part in Crisis Adds Thrill”

Hamilton Spectator.   May 21, 1915.

Since it began, the arrival of Empire Day brought forth a burst of patriotism, but in 1915, the spirit was magnified as the day was observed in Hamilton schools given the warfare taking place:

“The exercises breathed the spirit of patriotism that has sent Britain’s sons by the hundred thousand from every corner of the earth rallying to the colors in this, the empire’s hour of need.

“God Save the King and Rule Britannia rang out from the throats of little children today with genuine fervor. O, Canada, The Maple Leaf and Men of the North had a thrill, such as was never felt before.

“The story of Langemarck with its casualty list of Canadian dead and wounded is fresh in every mind. It was only this week that Premier Asquith in the British house of commons declared : ‘The Canadians have won themselves in France an everlasting name.’

“In many of the schools, there were children whose loved ones died or suffered on the bloody fields of Belgium, to write that glorious page of history for Canada.

“Today the significance of Empire day was appreciated”¹

In all the schools of Hamilton, the was a large attendance of the students’ parents, other relatives and friends who came to witness the Empire day exercises. Each school had either a school trustee or a prominent clergyman in attendance to deliver an address.

Mrs. Fessenden was unable, due to health reasons, to attend any Empire day observances as had been her custom. Although not physically present, Mrs. Fessenden was still part of each school’s ceremony as she sent a letter containing her congratulations to each and every student taking part in the observance, noting that the movement had grown so much that an estimated 80,000,000 were celebrating the day. Mrs. Fessenden also pointed out that for Empire day, 1915 in London, England, the flags of each member country in the British Empire, 64 in all, would be carried in procession into St. Paul’s Cathedral by school children.

Finally, it was a pleasing feature of Empire Day observances in Hamilton that children would be called upon to read aloud the patriotic compositions that they had been asked to write.

 

1915-06-21ww

“Today Edmund Bradley, bank clerk, who resides at the home of his mother, Mrs. C. C. Bradley, 348 Aberdeen avenue, is lying in St. Joseph’s hospital with a revolver shot in his stomach”

Hamilton Spectator.    June 21, 1915.

Hamilton newspaper readers were shocked on Monday June 21, 1915 when they read of a bizarre shooting incident which had occurred the previous Saturday evening. The shooting victim was given little chance of survival by any of the four doctors who were attending to him.

Shortly before seven o’clock, Saturday evening, June 19, 1915, Edmund Bradley, 17 years old, was visiting Miss Mildred Colquhoun at her family home, Glenhead, on the mountain.

Bradley was a very popular young man in both banking and social circles, and had recently stated his intention to enlist for active service within a week.

There was no one present when the shot rang out, other than Bradley and Miss Colquhoun:

“The incident occurred during a tennis party held at Glenhead on Saturday afternoon and evening. James Bradley, brother of the injured lad, states that his brother and Miss Colquhoun, having finished a set of tennis, went into the dining room of the house for a drink of water.

“Mr. Bradley had previously shown a party of young people present a revolver of .32 caliber, which he had borrowed from the Imperial bank where he was employed as a ledger-keeper.

“The rest of the party was on the lawn, according to the injured lad’s brother, when the shot was heard and Miss Colquhoun ran out of the house crying, ‘He’s shot, he’s shot!’ Young Bradley was found lying on the floor of the dining room, his tennis shirt red with blood.”¹

¹ “E. Bradley May Be Fatally Wounded : He Was Accidentally Shot While at a Tennis Party at Home of E. R. Colquhoun on Mountain Saturday Evening.”

Hamilton Spectator.   June 21, 1915.

Glehead, the Colquhoun home, was located nearby the Hamilton Asylum. Dr. Webster, of the asylum, was informed of the incident. He was on the scene in very short order, but could little for young Bradley.

“The Hamilton police were quickly telephoned, asking that an ambulance be brought quickly. Chief Whatley, advised of the call, said that the caller should be informed that as the home was not within the city limits, a private ambulance would have to be summoned. This was done, and Bradley was finally rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital.

At the hospital, an operation was performed, and the bullet was extracted. Bradley’s mother was at her son’s hospital beside constantly. On Monday morning, Chief Clark, of the Dundas police, informed reporters that he would attempt to secure a statement from Bradley from the wounded lad, although he was still in very critical condition.

The following day, Mrs. E. A. Colquhoun, Mildred Colquhoun’s mother made a public statement regarding the accident:

“My daughter was not alone in the dining room with Mr. Bradley as stated yesterday, but was reading a book when a member of the party entered and began to tease her

“Mr. Bradley entered after this and, taking a revolver from his pocket , pushed it across the table towards my daughter, with the muzzle pointing towards himself, jokingly saying as he did so, ‘Shoot him.’

“My daughter put her hand on the weapon without lifting it. As she did so, Mr. Bradley said, ‘Look out : it’s loaded.’ She laughed as he spoke then there was a report and he exclaimed, ‘I’m shot.’

“My daughter immediately went out and procured a doctor, who attended to Mr. Bradley. Before he was taken to the hospital, he stated that my daughter was not in the least to blame for the accident, and he conducted himself very bravely throughout.”²

² “How It Happened : Mrs. E. A. Colquhoun Makes a Statement Regarding Accident.”

Hamilton Herald.    June 22, 1915.

Edmund Bradley lingered for three weeks, but finally succumbed to his wound on July 4, 1915. His mother was at his beside when he passed.

It was determined that there would be no inquest. It had been fully determined that Mildred Colquhoun had indeed discharged the .32 caliber revolver, the bullet entering Bradley’s stomach.

Mildred Colquhoun had been completely overcome with grief since the incident.

In a statement, made as he was dying, Bradley was quoted as saying, “It was all my own fault. I should not have had the gun with me, and the only reason I had it was for protection going down the mountain drive at night. The young lady, a lad from Toronto and myself were in the dining room of the house when I pulled out the gun and showed it to her. I don’t know what made me say what I did, but I told her to ‘look at that.’ She took it from my hand and it accidentally went off. The blame was all mine.”³

³ “Took All the Blame : Edmund Bradley Made Statement Before His Death”

Hamilton. Herald.   July 5, 1915

1915-06-09uu

It was an on street incident, June 8, 1915,  that was called an accident but, actually, was caused by someone’s behavior :

“A serious accident happened yesterday morning , just a few minutes to twelve o’clock, when a horse belonging to A. G. Lord bolted, at the corner of King and Locke streets, and, in an endeavor to stop the animal, the owner was badly hurt.

“Mr. Lord, who conducts a dairy business, and whose address is Chedoke P.O., was delivering milk as usual when a boy threw a stone, which struck the horse, causing it to bolt up the street. It was finally stopped, but not before the wagon had been badly smashed.

“The horse escaped unhurt, but it is feared that thedriver has sustained a broken rib.”¹

¹ “Driver Hurt : Horse Struck by Stone Ran Away and Caused Damage”

Hamilton Spectator. June 9, 1915.

 

 

1915-06-18un

Hamiltonians, anxious to learn about the Battle of Ypres and the condition of friends and family who participated in that battle, were starting to get the details via letters.

Many of those letters were printed in the pages of the local newspapers.

On June 18, 1915, the Hamilton Spectator published the following letters:

“J. Bell, of Walter Woods and company, has received the following letter from a friend, Bob Tugnett, who has been wounded.

It reads : ‘Just a few lines to let you know that I am back in old England once again and expect to be for another two months at least.

“ ‘As, no doubt, you are aware, I got hit in that little flare-up at Ypres on April 22. I will not worry you with details, as it is possible you have read all about it in the local papers. Another thing, it is pretty hardtop say what was going on except that bullets and shells were flying all over the place, just like a heavy hail storm, with a few hundred bolts thrown in. I can only say it is a real wonder that any of us are alive today, as we had practically no artillery to support us, and then the French were running away by the dozen. I believe that one of the Canadian officers tried to rally them in order to get them to form a second line, but you might as well have tried to stop a swarm of hers as stay them. Still, I am alive, that is the main thing.

“ ‘I wrote to you a few days before I was hit, and since I have written to France to ask them to forward any letters for me over there. But I have had none as yet. In fact, I have had no news from anyone connected with Hamilton at all lately. I have written several times, but got no reply.

“ ‘Speaking for myself, I am pleased to say that I am as well as ever, but the wound in my arm is pretty troublesome. I was hit in the left forearm, between the wrist and the elbow, the bullet going right through without hitting any bones, but badly poisoning it. So much that, after five weeks’ treatment, it is very little better. I have had one operation and should have another before it is finished. I have no use in the fingers of my left hand at all, but hope to get that back later on. But, I am in no hurry, the longer the better for me.

“ ‘I have had an invitation to visit the Masonic lodge when I get better, and am looking forward to going there.

“Mrs. H. Greathead, 237 West avenue north, has received the following letter from her cousin, dated May 24:

“ ‘Just a few lines to let you know I am back in the trenches again. We have been in for several days now, and things are lively here. Yesterday the Germans shelled our trenches nearly all day, and that put a few of our boys out of action.  The beggars can sure shoot straight. It’s rather hard on a man’s nerves sitting in a trench all day and night, and not knowing when he may be blown to atoms. This is the first time in the trenches for about half of our men, and it is rather rough on some of them, getting shelled so hard the first day. However, most of them laugh and have their little joke the same as the rest of us. But, gee ! this is a miserable place. There are dead bodies lying in heaps all over the place.  The smell is horrid sometimes, but we are getting most of them buried. We found the Germans that we drove out of this place about six days ago lying in heaps, literally torn to pieces, some of them had their arms and legs blown off. It certainly was a horrible sight to see and one that I won’t forget as long as I live.

“ ‘Here comes a treat. One officer has just come down the trench with some Players cigarets. We don’t see very many of them out here. All my mail that came when I was wounded was sent to the hospital, but I came away before most of it got there. So now I have to wait till it comes back to the battalion again. Mail is the one thing we look forward to getting most out here.

“ ‘I suppose you have heard about the battle of Ypres by this time. I am sure our battalion lost more than any other in the contingent, and believe me, the old 31th boys were right in the thick of it, and so were the 91^st lads. There are in the 18^th battalion. Two of them were in the same ward with me in the hospital.

“ ‘Tell them to hurry those shells along in Hamilton, as we need them all. I suppose you will be going down to some cool place today, as it is the 24^th of May, but I’ve got to stick in this old trench with the sun beating down on me like a coal stove, and the shrapnel flying about my ears like a hail storm. But I should worry. Such is life in war time.

“ ‘We have just received the news that Italy has declared war. So that is another bee in the kaiser’s bonnet. When those blamed shells come over our way, we have to drop flat on the bottom of the trench. If we don’t, we are liable to get a free ticket to the happy hunting grounds. So you can bet when I hear them coming, I drop to the ground like greased lightning. When the weather is calm, we can hear them coming two or three seconds before they reach us. So I keep my ears open and when I hear one coming, I just make a noise like “a duck and dive.’

“In a letter to friends in the city with whom he made his home prior to his enlistment, Pte. E. Vincent, who went to the front with the 13^th regiment quota, recounts some of his experiences in the recent fighting in France.

“ His letter was as follows: ‘Dear Friends : Just a few lines to let you know I am safe, but none too well at present, as I am suffering from shock occasioned by the bursting of some of Bill’s coat boxes too closely by, but I am in hope that I may feel better again in a few days. You will no doubt have seen it reported that I was wounded, although I was sent a few feet by a shell. That was on April 22, and I went to the hospital and got back with the boys on May 9. Out of the Hamilton boys, I found about thirty, the rest of them having been either killed or wounded. So now we have a lot of the 23^rd battalion with us. On May 22, we went into the trenches again for a few days. We were not there long before we had five killed and wounded. On the third night, at La Basace, we had to go from the reserve trench to the firing trench. All went well until we got half way, when the Huns commenced their game by shelling us, but we managed to get there without injury to anyone. I never expected to get out of it alive, for it just rained shrapnel for about fifteen minutes. On the fourth night, I got the shock, and, believe me, was glad to get away, for there was nothing but dead Huns all over the place and no chance to bury them on account of shell fire. Talk about the odor around the chemical works! Everything around the lines is a mass of ruins. The fields in front of us are a succession of holes caused by the shell fire. Some of the holes are nearly as big as your back garden.

“ ‘I am having a rest in number 8 general hospital, Versailles, and, believe me, it is a nice place. Now I must close and send the best of wishes, I am your friend,

                             E. VINCENT”¹

¹ “Greater the Danger, Higher the Spirits : Hamilton Men Tell of Life at the Front”

Hamilton Spectator.   June 18, 1915 

1915-06-29ka

When the Great War began in August, 1914, it was widely assumed that Italy would side with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian empire, but it did not.

Until the end of April, 1915, Italy took no part in the war. After some secret negotiations regarding the what Italy would receive if it joined with England, France and Russia, the decision was made that Italy would enter the war on their behalf.

In the city of Hamilton there was a very large population of citizens with Italian heritage. Many, if not most of that portion of the city’s population was made up of men, especially young men, who had only come to the city seeking employment. A large percentage of those young men had experience with the Italian armed forces, notably the militia. Those men in particular were liable to be called home by the Italian government to take up arms.

Many Italians in Hamilton rejoiced that their home country was in the war, and the desire to return to enter the army was widespread.

That there were Italians in Hamilton who felt very differently was shown in a case brought before the city’s police magistrate on June 29, 1915:

“Oramando Demora, who has been boarded at 194 Lottridge  street for the past week, but whose former home was in Detroit and other United States cities, is now under arrest on a nominal charge of vagrancy. He appeared in police court this morning and was remanded for one week.”¹

¹ “To Investigate Italian’s Conduct”

Hamilton Herald.   June 29, 1915.

Demora and three of his companions had been observed acting suspiciously:

“ (They) have been helping him (Demora) to distribute anti-war literature and assisting him in a house to house campaign among the Italians of this city in an effort to dissuade them from taking an active part in the war.

“Complaints reached the police last Sunday to the effect that four men went from house to house on North Sherman avenue, and, after talking against war to the Italians, left pamphlets.

“The pamphlets have been translated for the police and contain arguments why local Italians should not go to war and should do all in their power to ‘fight the government,’  adding that no part should be taken by Italians in ‘killing their fellow-beings, the Germans and the Austrians.’ It also, say the police, contains a message urging the masses to rise up against the ‘rich and wealthy’ of all countries.”¹

Upon learning the content of the pamphlets being distributed, the Hamilton Police quickly arrested Demora, and started combing the city’s northeast “foreign colony” searching for his three companions.

Besides the traitorous propaganda being promulgated against a country which had just become an ally in the war effort, the aspect of socialism and revolutionary threats to the established order were enough to have Demora detained and his case referred to the Dominion police.