Those That Served. Name: Period: Date: Person s Name

Transcription

1 Those That Served Name: Period: Date: After having created a biographical plaque for your specific Canadian service member and societal group they represent, fill in one section for each of the other represented groups. Person s Name

2 William Andrew White Born into deeply segregated Virginia in 1874, the son of two former slaves who managed to buy their freedom, William White, as a child, wanted to be the richest Black man in the United States. During a walk by himself in the woods one day, he suddenly realized that his destiny was not the accumulation of material wealth, but spiritual wealth. He knew that he was to become a preacher. He applied and was accepted in Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. He was the second Black man to study there. White broke down racial barriers, through his participation in sports, excelling to become one of the alltime great athletes at Acadia. He graduated with an Art's degree in Theology, and was ordained a Minister in William White was determined to preach to his congregation that God created all men equal, that Blacks were not put on the earth to be slaves to the Whites. He worked towards knocking down racial barriers in the arena of employment, at the segregated theatres, buses and schools. At the time of World War I, Blacks were not allowed to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with Whites. Initially when some Blacks from Sydney, Nova Scotia volunteered their services, they were told, "This is not for you fellows, this is a White man's war. Despite the barriers, some Black Canadians did manage to join up during the opening years of the war. Black Canadians wanted the chance to do their part on a larger scale and William White was one of many individuals actively pressuring the government to let them serve. On July 5, 1916, the No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed in Pictou, Nova Scotia the first large Black military unit in Canadian history. The segregated battalion was tasked with non-combat support roles. After initial service in Canada, the battalion boarded the SS Southland bound for Liverpool, England in March Its members were sent to eastern France later in 1917 where they served honourably with the Canadian Forestry Corps. There they helped provide the lumber required to maintain trenches on the front lines, as well as helped construct roads and railways. After the end of the First World War in November 1918, the men sailed to Halifax in early 1919 to return to civilian life and the unit was officially disbanded in The Black Battalion s chaplain was Reverend William White, who had also played a leading role getting the unit formed. He was given the rank of Honorary Captain one of the few Black commissioned officers to serve in the Canadian Army during the war. In addition to the men of the Black Battalion, an estimated 2,000 Black Canadians, such as James Grant, Roy Fells, Seymour Tyler, Jeremiah Jones and Curly Christian, were determined to get to the front lines and managed to join regular units, going on to give distinguished service that earned some of them medals for bravery. That being said, the roughly two thousand Black Canadians who served during WWI were continuously segregated during their tour, both on ships and in camps. Black Canadians also made important contributions on the home front. They helped achieve victory by working in factories making the weapons and supplies needed by the soldiers fighting overseas, and by taking part in patriotic activities like raising funds for the war effort. Captain Rev. William White died in September, 1936, of cancer. Shortly before his untimely death, Rev. White received a Doctorate in Theology, the first Black person in Canada to receive such an honour. for William Andrew White.

3 Francis Pegahmagabow Francis Pegahmagabow was born in 1889 on the Parry Island Indian Reserve (now the Wasauksing First Nation), an Ojibwa community near Parry Sound, Ontario. When he was three, his father died and his mother returned to her home in the Henvey Inlet First Nation. In the care of elder Noah Nebimanyquod who had also raised Pegahmagabow's own orphaned father young Francis spends his childhood steeped in the customs of the Ojibwa. Nebimanyquod teaches him to fish and hunt, while his foster mother educates him about traditional medicine. He grows up practicing both traditional Ojibwa spirituality and Roman Catholicism. At the age of 12, Pegahmagabow leaves school and begins working at lumber camps and fishing stations, eventually working as a marine fireman. When the war breaks out in 1914, he s 25. At the start of the war, the Canadian government excluded Aboriginal peoples and ethnic minorities in Canada from military service. Although discriminatory bans were later lifted, Treaty Indians, such as Francis, were exempted from service. Despite this exemption, Francis was determined to enlist. Almost immediately after war was declared, he went to the recruitment office where he was judged physically fit for overseas service. Francis was one of the first to sign on with the 23rd Regiment overseas contingent in August Within months of volunteering, Francis became one of the original members of the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, along with the rest of the 20,000-strong 1st Canadian Division, to land in France on February of While away at war, Pegahmagabow is assigned to two of the war's deadliest jobs: working as a scout, running messages from headquarters to the front lines, and as a sniper. After spending so much of his youth hunting, Pegahmagabow turns out to be a uniquely skilled sniper. He sneaks into No Man's Land under darkness, buries himself in cover and waits patiently until a German helmet fills his scope. It's this mix of patience and unerring aim that makes him the deadliest sniper on either side of the war, with 378 confirmed kills. He also survived the first chlorine gas attack at the Second Battle of Ypres and, even though the gas exposure causes irreparable damage to his lungs, fights at the Somme, Passchendaele and Amiens. By the time he is discharged in 1919, Pegahmagabow is the most decorated First Nations soldier in Canadian history. He is awarded the Military Medal in 1916 and earns two bars, becoming one of just 37 Canadians to win the Military Medal with two bars. He is also awarded the Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Francis is one of roughly 4,000 Indigenous people to fight for Canada in WWI. But unlike his fellow soldiers, Pegahmagabow's fight does not end with the armistice. He's a decorated veteran, but when he returns to Canada, he remains an Indian: a "ward of the state," denied the rights of a Canadian citizen. He can't vote, and as is the case with all Indigenous people at the time almost every aspect of his life, from his ability to leave the reserve to his military pension, is controlled by an Indian Agent, a powerful white bureaucrat assigned to oversee all Indigenous people in his jurisdiction. In 1921, Pegahmagabow begins to advocate for change, first as a leader of his people. He's elected chief of what is today the Wasauksing First Nation and has frequent clashes with the area's Indian Agent, John Daly. He and his fellow band councillors embark on a letter-writing campaign seeking to increase the power of elected band leaders, but Ottawa insists they communicate only through Daly. By the 1950s, Pegahmagabow's war injuries are catching up to him. His lungs are so weakened from gas exposure that he sleeps sitting upright to keep them from filling with fluid. He dies of a heart attack in 1952 for Francis Pegahmagabow.

4 Billy Bishop First World War flying ace, William Avery (Billy) Bishop Jr., was born in Owen Sound in His father, William Bishop Sr., was a lawyer and the county registrar. Growing up, Billy Bishop was an outdoorsman and enjoyed riding, shooting and swimming. He also exhibited a keen interest in flight at an early age. As a boy, he crafted his own flying machine from an orange crate and bed sheets. He flew his craft from the roof of the house, only to land in his mother s rose bushes. In the fall of 1911, Bishop began as a cadet at RMC. In his senior year, war broke out and, like many of his classmates, Bishop enlisted. He was given an officer s rank and with his horseback riding experience and fine shooting skills, he was assigned to the cavalry. Lieutenant Bishop began his military career in August 1914 with the Mississauga Horse Regiment. He and his division departed on 8 June 1915 and sailed overseas aboard the Caledonia. They arrived in England and were stationed in Shorncliffe military camp. One day in July 1915, Bishop saw an airplane land in a nearby field and then take off again; this event would change the whole direction of his career. Immediately, Billy applied to be a reconnaissance aircrew observer because it would shorten the time it took him complete his pilots training. Bishops official pilot s training did not begin until almost a year later in October of 1916, but because of his observer training he achieved top marks in the meteorology, radio and navigation classes. Roughly a month later in November of 1916, Bishop received his wings and was quickly sent to northern France. At the time of his arrival, the average life expectancy of a new pilot in that sector was 11 days, and German aces were shooting down British aircraft 5 to 1. Bishop's first patrol on March 22 nd was less than successful. He had trouble controlling his run-down aircraft, was nearly shot down by anti-aircraft fire, and became separated from his group. His first failed mission only inspired Billy to work harder. By April 8 th, Billy had 5 confirmed take-down of an enemy plane and was officially declared an ace. Word of Billy s impressive aerial fighting skills quickly spread. Bishop's no-hold-barred style of flying always had him "at the front of the pack," leading his pilots into battle over hostile territory and regularly being sent on lone-wolf missions. All his action was not without close calls, after one patrol, a mechanic counted 210 bullet holes in his aircraft. By the end of his service in WWI, Billy Bishop had taken down 72 enemy planes, 5 of which he shot down on his final day within the span of 5 minutes. This feat earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross, which he was awarded on 3 August Upon his return to England, Lieutenant Colonel Bishop became the commanding officer designate of the Canadian Wing of the Royal Air Force. Around this time, the French government awarded him the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre with two palms. Towards the end of his life, controversy began to stir around Billy s accomplishments. After conflicting accounts of his aerial fights, Bishop freely admitted that he had embellished some accounts of his flying exploits in popular newsprint publications. Given the many gaps in British and German records (including the destruction of documents during bombing campaigns in the Second World War), historians have not been able to confirm all of Bishop s combat claims. For example, only confirm 21 of his 72 victories could be fully supported. As the evidence is inconclusive, it is unlikely that the debate will ever be settled. Without doubt, Bishop was both brave and skilled. Whether or not his combat claims were exaggerated, his daring and his success were an inspiration during the First World War. for Billy Bishop. Select BISHOP, WILLIAM AVERY AKA Billy.

5 The Louie Brothers From the time Chinese first arrived in British Columbia in 1858 until 1874, they were like any other migrants: they occupied lower paid jobs. While people of Caucasian descent were paid $2 a day, the Chinese accepted $1.35 a day for the same work. However, Chinese were also treated different than any other immigrants in two important ways: they were forbidden to vote until after WWII, and they were subjected to a head tax (paying a fee when coming to Canada). The head tax was designed to discourage Chinese from entering Canada. The tax started at $50 in 1903, and less than forty years later had risen to $500 per person, a fortune at that time. When World War I was declared in 1914, Chinese Canadians were not allowed to fight in the Canadian armed forces. Despite this restriction, approximately 300 Chinese volunteered for the Canadian Army. Some of these enlisted men were from British Columbia, including two brothers from Shuswap area: Wee Hong Louie, born 1894, and Wee Tan Louie, born Unfortunately, British Columbia, the province of residence of most Chinese Canadians, did not accept volunteers of Chinese origin into the military, meaning that they had to sign up in other provinces. In 1917, B.C. started to allow more minority groups to enlist and Wee Hong was accepted in the spring of He began his army career as a gunner but later became a wireless operator and then a driver. He received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Wee Tan Louie s journey to become a soldier was a bit more complicated than that of his brother. He tried to enlist in the army in B.C., but was turned down. Undeterred, Wee Tan bought a horse and rode from Kamloops to Calgary to try his luck there. It took him three months to make the journey. Finally, in February 1918, he was enlisted in the 10th Canadian Infantry Battalion of the Calgary Regiment and was on a ship to England by April. Wee Tan was a runner and served in France, Holland and Belgium. His letters from the Western Front to his sister (see below) in Canada reveal a young man who was subjected to the worst war had to offer. He was wounded and eventually suffered hearing loss from the noise created by all the shelling. Wee Tan returned to Canada March 1919 and was honourably discharged in Calgary April 23. He received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal and later settled in Vancouver, B.C. After the war, Wee Hong attended the University of Chicago and graduated as an electrical engineer. Later, when he purchased a radio repair shop in Orillia, Ontario, he was refused a business license on the grounds he was Chinese. Not one to accept the status quo, Wee Hong packed up his army uniform and medals and sent them to Prime Minister Mackenzie King, pointing out he had fought for Canada. The Prime Minister later returned the articles along with a letter of apology. Louie s business license was granted and he ran his shop until Service in the armed forces was associated with full citizenship rights and Chinese Canadians, besides wanting to serve their country, hoped that by going to war they could potentially achieve the vote. Unfortunately, these rights were not granted until after the Second World War, when Canada repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act, The Head Tax, and extended the vote to Chinese Canadians in for Wee Hong Louie. It will come up with (AKA) - LOUIE, WALTER HENRY.

6 Margaret MacDonald During an era of separate spheres for men and women, Margaret Macdonald used her nurse's training to gain access to the military and a life of work, travel, and adventure. Born in Bailey's Brook Nova Scotia, 1879, Margaret earliest career aspirations were to be a nurse. After graduating as a nurse from New York City Hospital in 1899, Margaret worked for numerous hospitals in the Atlantic Provinces. In 1901, nurses officially became a component of the Canadian Army Medical Service and Margaret, along with fellow nurse Georgina Pope, were appointed as the first full-time Canadian military nurses in When the First World War broke out in 1914, Margaret was one of the first individuals, male or females to volunteer for overseas deployment. More than 2,800 trained civilian nurses enlisted with the Canadian army during the First World War, becoming the first women in the modern world to hold military commissions as officers. As members of the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC), the nursing sisters treated and cared for wounded soldiers overseas and at home. The army created a special officer rank for nurses, with the relative rank of lieutenant and title of nursing sister. Their full designation was lieutenant-nursing sister, or if they moved up in rank, captain-nursing sister or major-nursing sister. When war was declared in August 1914, the CAMC appointed Macdonald as head of the nursing service. It was her responsibility to recruit and mobilize civilian nurses. Macdonald was the first woman in the British Empire to hold the rank of major and matron-in-chief (overseeing the nursing service). On average, the nursing sisters were 29.9 years old when they enlisted although one was 19 years old and at least two were 56 years old. Most were Canadian born with British backgrounds. Although the regulations stated that only single, divorced, or widowed women were eligible to enlist (meaning that they were not responsible for any dependent children), women did find ways around that requirement. Twenty nursing sisters died during the war when hospitals were bombed in France, and when the hospital ship Llandovery Castle was sunk in the Atlantic. Another 33 died from illness and diseases related to their wartime service. Among all those who served, they earned eight Military Medals, 317 Royal Red Cross awards, and one Royal Victorian Medal. Two matrons received the Order of the British Empire. After her military career, Margaret travelled extensively. She earned an honorary Doctor of Law Degree from St. Francis Xavier University before finally passing away in Canadian Women s contributions to the war effort did not go unnoticed by the federal government. Although gender spheres, inequality, and opportunities are still a major part of Canadian culture, it was during the First World War that some women in Canada were finally allowed to vote and in 1919 all women over 21 had the right to vote in a federal election. Women's suffrage groups had existed since the 1870s, but during the war it was hard to ignore their arguments. Women were serving in the war, taking over for men in the factories and offices, holding families together while the men were overseas, and working in voluntary organizations that supported the war effort. They could not justifiably be kept out of political life any longer. Women received the federal vote in three stages: the Military Voters Act of 1917 allowed nurses and women in the armed services to vote; the Wartime Election Act extended the vote to women who had husbands, sons or fathers serving overseas; and all women over 21 were allowed to vote as of January 1, for Margaret Macdonald. Select MACDONALD, MARGARET CLOTILDE