This photo, taken in 1914, depicts four Peace River Army
recruits in crisp new uniforms. When Britain declared war on Germany in August
of that year, public opinion held that the entire affair would be short-lived,
and the boys would be home in time for Christmas. The optimistic expressions
seen here reflect the attitudes of the time: war was still largely perceived as
an adventurous opportunity and an excellent chance for young men to see the
world.
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| 73.550.27 Gift of Mrs. E. M. Blake |
As the war dragged on over four long years,
opinions began to change. The impact of trench warfare combined with modern
technology was both unexpected and devastating. Newfangled machines like
tanks and machine guns, scientific developments like mustard gas, and a
disturbing malady known only as ‘shell shock’ sent many soldiers home
with horrific and often incurable injuries. Others were not so lucky: more than
sixty thousand Canadians lost their lives in the First World War. By the time
the conflict ended in 1918, the idea of war as a romantic notion had literally
been killed in action.
Roy Foote, seen on the far right, is 22 years old
in this photograph. He died two years later in 1916, likely during the Battle
of the Somme. His body was not recovered. Roy Foote is currently memorialized
on the Vimy Ridge Memorial Monument in Pas de Calais, France.
The identity and fate of the other soldiers in the
photograph is unknown.
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