Captain Lambert Douglas Densmore, MC - A Medical Soldier's Story

Date of Birth: March 26, 1878

Place of Birth: Maitland, Hants Co., NS

Mother's Name: Abigail 'Abbie' (Douglas) Densmore

Father's Name: Robert Faulkner Densmore

Date of Enlistment: May 12, 1916 - Halifax, NS

Regimental Number: None (commissioned officer)

Rank: Captain

Force: Canadian Army Medical Corps, CEF

Units: 9th Stationary Hospital; Standing Medical Board, Folkestone; Canadian Engineers, Sandwich; 3rd Canadian General Hospital; 1st Canadian Field Ambulance; 4th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Medical Officer; Canadian Corps Headquarters

Location of service: England, France & Belgium

Medals & Awards: Military Cross, British War Medal & Victory Medal

Occupation at Enlistment: Physician & Surgeon

Marital Status at Enlistment: Married

Next of Kin: Jean Densmore (wife)

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Many Canadians who volunteered for service in the Canadian Expeditionary Force found themselves learning skills and carrying out roles very different from their civilian lives.   This was not the case for Lambert Douglas Densmore, whose peacetime skills as a physician and surgeon were immensely valuable on the European battlefront.

Capt. Lambert Douglas Densmore, MC (photo courtesy of Patsy Hennessy)

Lambert Densmore was born in Maitland, NS on March 26, 1878, the eldest child of Robert F. and Abigail (Douglas) Densmore.  His father was a Master Mariner, a typical occupation for his home community and era.  Lambert's life took a different direction when he decided to pursue a career in medicine, graduating from Queen's University in 1901.

Apparently, Dr. Densmore came to Guysborough County quite by accident.  While visiting Sherbrooke with a friend who was attending to business, local residents asked if he was willing to establish a medical practice in the village.  The young doctor agreed, opening an office in Renova Cottage, which also served as his home.  On December 12, 1905, he married Sherbrooke native and resident Mary Jean Murdoch, age 21, daughter of William J. and Catherine A. Murdoch.  Their oldest child, Katherine 'Kate', was born in Sherbrooke, followed several years later by a second daughter, Grace.

Dr. Densmore settled comfortably into the life of his new community.  He was an avid horseman, participating in races on both track and ice.  A pre-war news item in the Morning Chronicle (date unavailable) describes his involvement in a March race on Sherbrooke Lake, sponsored by the Guysborough Ice Trotting Association.  For six years, Dr. Densmore - known locally as "Denny" - and his horse, Dr. K., had competed unsuccessfully for the Association's Silver Cup.  On this occasion the pair was triumphant, recording three victories and one second-place in the four-race, "free-for-all" class.

Dr. Densmore (right) at ice racing competition

With the outbreak of war in Europe, Canada committed numerous resources to the conflict.  As battlefield casualties reached unprecedented levels, there was a pressing need for skilled medical personnel.  More than half of Canada's qualified doctors served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) at some point during the war.   Lambert Douglas Densmore was amongst those responding to the call, accepting an officer's commission as Captain in the CAMC in the spring of 1916.  Thus began almost three years of service that would take him far from his young family and Sherbrooke home to England and the battlefields of northern France and Belgium.

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Lambert Douglas Densmore reported for military service at Halifax on May 12, 1916.  Coincidentally, Dr. James Fraser Ellis, who practiced medicine in Sherbrooke from 1900 to 1904 before entering politics as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Guysborough County, conducted his medical examination.  Dr. Ellis had enlisted with the No. 9 Stationary Hospital, CAMC - the unit to which Dr. Densmore was also attached - at Antigonish on April 11, 1916.

Captain Densmore left Halifax for England on June 19, 1916, arriving at Liverpool after a ten-day passage.  On July 10, he was assigned to "temporary duty" with the Standing Medical Board, Folkestone, a body that evaluated wounded soldiers' ability to return to active duty.  After five weeks' service with the Board, Dr. Densmore was attached to the Royal Engineers, Sandwich, as Medical Officer.  On September 23, he was transferred to the CAMC Training School on September 23, and three days later returned to No. 9 Stationary Hospital, where he served for ten and a half months.

No. 9 Stationary Hospital was created in Antigonish, NS on March 3, 1916.  St. Francis Xavier University undertook the task of organizing the unit, appealing in particular to graduates with medical training and experience in its enlistment efforts.  The unit was officially authorized by the Canadian government in April 1916 and mobilized at Halifax the following month.  Personnel was not limited to graduates or Roman Catholics, as the presence of both Dr. Ellis and Dr. Densmore in its initial enlistment indicates.

9th Stationary Hospital Cap Badge

The unit sailed for England aboard the SS Missinabie on June 19, 1916, its personnel dispersing for training to various locations in England during the summer months.  On September 29, 1916, No. 9 Stationary was reassembled and assumed responsibility for Bramshott Military Hospital, attending to the medical needs of recruits stationed at Bramshott and Witley military training camps.

This assignment provided the unit's personnel with an opportunity to gain valuable experience administering to soldiers' medical needs.  During the winter of 1916-17, the hospital responded to a severe outbreak of influenza at Bramshott.  As the number of battlefield casualties increased, the demand for additional medical facilities at the front led to the unit's relocation to France in December 1917, where it served for the remainder of the war.

Captain Densmore's military career, however, took a different direction when he was selected for duty in France on July 17, 1917.  After spending several days with the No. 3 Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne, he was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Field Ambulance (CFA), the main unit to which he was attached for the remainder of the war.  Organized as part of the first Canadian contingent sent overseas in late 1914, No. 1 CFA had arrived in Plymouth, England on October 14, 1914 and departed for France on February 8, 1915.  It began serving at the front lines the following month and was located near Lens, France when Captain Densmore was assigned to the unit on July 26, 1917.

1st CFA Main Dressing Station, Vardencourt Chateau as depicted by David Muirhead-Bone (1916)

CAMC field ambulances provided the "first line" of response for wounded and sick soldiers in the front lines.  In each regiment, a CAMC Medical Officer supervised treatment , assisted by sixteen stretcher bearers and two orderlies.  This small team established a Regimental Aid Post (RAP) in a location close to front lines and as sheltered as possible from enemy fire.  Four stretcher bearers were attached to each regimental company, carrying out the most dangerous role on the battlefield as they proceeded back and forth, evacuating wounded soldiers to the RAP.  Their initial dressings were applied with such skill that they often remained in place until a wounded soldier reached a hospital.

The RAP administered any additional treatment required prior to evacuation.  A tag containing identification, wound and treatment information was attached to each patient.  Red tags identified cases requiring immediate attention.  As soon as casualties were ready for evacuation, the field ambulance's "bearer section" provided transportation to an Advanced Dressing Station (ADS).

The ADS was located as close to the front lines as possible, keeping in mind the need for safe passage to a Main Dressing Station (MDS) by horse ambulance 24 hours a day.  To avoid enemy fire, stretcher-borne casualties were usually transported to the ADS at night.  "Walking wounded" found their own way from the RAP to the ADS by following arrows that marked the route. 

A Regimental Aid Post

The MDS was the first facility capable of responding to cases requiring immediate, life-saving surgery.  Close to the field of operations and thus within range of enemy artillery fire, its primary role was to "classify" casualties based on the gravity of their wounds and evacuate them as quickly as possible by horse ambulance to a Casualty Clearing Station (CCS).  "Milder" cases of illness or injury were held for 24 to 48 hours, after which time soldiers returned to duty or were sent to nearby rest camps until fully recovered.

The CCS provided the first level of care beyond the field ambulance unit's structure.  Equipped with personnel and facilities required for urgent, major surgery, the CCS administered to patients until they could be transported to a permanent medical facility for recovery.  It was located adjacent to a railway line that provided access to fully equipped ambulance trains for transporting patients to stationary and general hospitals a safe distance from the front.

Advance Dressing Station in action

Captain Densmore served the majority of his time on the front lines within the field ambulance structure - RAP, ADS and MDS.  The No. 1 CFA war diary entries for August 1917 provide a snapshot of the unit's operation.  At 1:30 am August 15, Dr. Densmore joined unit personnel in establishing a "walking wounded station" in preparation for an infantry attack scheduled for 4:30 am that morning.  The diary describes events as they unfolded:

"Walking wounded begin to arrive by 7 am and came in steadily throughout [the] day.  Everything at [the] station worked excellently - Patients were first fed,… afterwards patients were… directed to huts, first being re-dressed, where necessary, by Medical Officers and orderlies always in readiness, obtaining Field Medical Cards, receiving A. T. serum, then being entered in A and D books, passing out, boarding lorries, always in waiting, and proceeding at once to No. 22 CCS Bruay[, the dressing station] handling all 1st Canadian Division casualties."

1st CFA war diary diagram of evacuation route, Fosse de Sains (September 1917)

The RAP was "clear" of patients by 7 pm and closed by 7 am August 16.  During this operation, one officer and eight "other ranks" serving with No. 1 CFA were wounded in carrying out their duties, testimony to the constant dangers faced by field ambulance personnel at the front.

Five days later, the unit assumed responsibility for 1st Canadian Division Rest Station at Auchel, a facility equipped to accommodate 110 patients.  The war diary described the quarters as the "best Ambulance Station this unit has had since coming to France three years ago."  Fifty-five patients arrived during the first day of operation, with an additional forty-six admitted on August 23.  Three days later, No. 1 CFA relocated once more, relieving the 18th British Field Ambulance at a location the war diary described as "very unsatisfactory - ground low, very swamp-like in wet weather."

Typical Main Dressing Station, 3 kilometers behind front lines

Captain Densmore's service with No. 1 CFA was interrupted several times by temporary appointments to other units in the field.  On August 29, he was attached to the 63rd Heavy Artillery Group Headquarters for temporary duty as Medical Officer.  He rejoined the field ambulance by September 4 as it relocated to Fosse de Sains, near Lens, and was present when the unit's station was subjected to enemy artillery fire during the afternoon of September 9 and evening of September 10.

Throughout the month of September, Captain Densmore and No. 1 CFA attended to the medical needs of the 1st and 3rd Canadian Infantry brigades during their time "in the line".  A war diary entry described the route by which casualties were evacuated from the battlefield:

"By [stretcher] bearer from RAP to ADS, sometimes partway by train Push trucks.  By train with Gas tractor to Fosse II de Bethune Transfer Point [where Captain Densmore was one of several medical officers treating casualties]… there loaded in Motor Ambulance Cars and brought to MDS Fosse 10 de Saine-les-Mines….  Average number of daily casualties 42." 

On September 27, Captain Densmore was transferred to the 4th Canadian Infantry Battalion, where he served as Medical Officer for seven months.  During that time, the battalion relocated to Ypres, Belgium and participated in final Canadian assault on Passchendaele in early November 1917.  Several weeks later, the 4th Battalion returned to the Lens-Arras sector, where it spent the winter months serving in the front lines.  Captain Densmore enjoyed a welcome break from duty when he received 14 days' leave on November 27, rejoining the battalion at the front on December 12, 1917.

Stretcher bearers evacuating a wounded soldier

No. 1 CFA's war diary entry for April 28, 1918 noted the return of Captain L. D. Densmore from the 4th Canadian Infantry Battalion.  His stay, however, was cut short by illness.  On May 3, Captain Densmore was evacuated to the CCS suffering from PUO (pyrexia - fever - of unknown origin).  The unit's war diary lamented the loss of such "a valuable and reliable officer".  Captain Densmore was admitted to No. 20 General Hospital, where he spent  two weeks before he was discharged and attached to 1st Canadian General Hospital.  A challenging ten months at the front appears to have taken a toll on his health, as Captain Densmore was granted sick leave to England from May 25 to June 14, 1918.

On June 18, Captain Densmore returned to 1st Canadian General Hospital from sick leave. Eleven days later, he returned to No. 1 CFA, which was operating a MDS at Arlencourt at the time.  The unit relocated several times over the following month.  In each case, the war diary noted, "measures were at once taken to improve conditions found…. Protection was built for ground floor enhances [sic], rooms and quarters cleaned and whitewashed, and all sanitary measures completed."

1st CFA relocated to White Chateau near Amiens on August 6, assuming responsibility for a Canadian Corps MDS.  Patients began arriving on August 8, with "walking" cases followed by "stretcher-borne" casualties.  By day's end, 250 stretcher cases had arrived at the station, "lined up on the lawns with no prospect of getting away for hours" due to lack of transportation to CCS.  Fortunately, by morning the backlog was cleared and the unit prepared for what the next day would bring.

Wounded from Battle of Amiens awaiting treatment at 10th CFA Dressing Station

August 9 was another busy day for Captain Densmore and No. 1 CFA, as Canadian infantry units launched an attack on German positions at Amiens.  There was "considerable congestion" at the station by early afternoon, once again due to lack of "MAC cars" for casualty evacuation.  The situation was further complicated by the long distance to the nearest CCS.  The war diary noted that "the average duration of [the] run, going and coming, of a car to these stations was five hours, and where there was much more traffic on the roads, more frequently seven."  Officers expressed concern that such delays could result in unnecessary deaths.  Fortunately, the situation at the station returned to normal by midnight. 

The five days at Amiens were busy ones for Captain Densmore and 1st CFA.  A total of 268 officers and 5104 "other ranks" were admitted for treatment from 5 am August 8 to 4 pm August 10.  The unit was relocated to Beaucourt for a period of rest, spending the next three weeks in reserve before relieving the 5th CFA "in the line" at Wancourt in support of an August 29 attack.  Fortunately, on this occasion casualties were "moderate" as the Canadian infantry captured its objective - "all units were cleared as they arrived.  No congestion."  On September 4, 1st CFA was once again relieved on the line by 5th CFA.

On September 9, Captain Densmore "proceeded to 8th Army Brigade CFA to relieve [a] Medical Officer who is proceeding on leave".  He rejoined 1st CFA on September 26 as it prepared to support attacks at Bourlon Wood and Cambrai the following day.  The war diary reported "considerable casualties passing through in the course of the morning.  Motor Ambulance cars had no respite whatsoever.  Capt. L. D. Densmore, CAMS, supervised the evacuation of the Forward Area… while two other officers took charge of the ADS." 

Destroyed tank at Bourlon Wood, September 1918

The unit remained in the Arras-Cambrai area for several days, clearing casualties from the battlefield.  Its dressing station near Heynecourt was struck several times by enemy shelling, resulting in one casualty.  On October 2, 1st CFA was relieved on the front lines by 2nd CFA.  Captain Densmore's actions under fire at Bourlon Wood did not go unnoticed.  The London Gazette, October 4, 1919 announced that he had been awarded the Military Cross "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during the Bourlon Wood operations, 30th September 1918.  He went forward to collect and evacuate considerable numbers of wounded who were lying in the vicinity of the Douai-Cambrai road, east of Heynecourt, and succeeded in evacuating them to the advanced dressing station."

On October 6, 1st CFA assumed control of an MDS in Arras, where the situation was much less demanding than their previous assignment.  Over a period of one week, the station admitted 8 officers and 150 "other ranks" in addition to treating 60 dental patients.  After briefly operating a dressing station at Dury, 1st CFA moved to Dechy, near Canal du Nord, on October 18.  Allied forces had captured this strategic location earlier in the month, pressing on to Cambrai in an offensive that would eventually bring an end to the war. 

Casualties continued to mount throughout the advance, and 1st CFA was heavily involved in their evacuation.  Several factors made this a difficult task.  The bridges across the canal had been destroyed during the fighting, and the roads in the area were in poor condition.  Retreating German soldiers also placed land mines on the roads, making their use treacherous.  1st CFA's October 21 diary described the challenges the unit faced in evacuating wounded soldiers.  Casualties were brought from the forward ADS to the canal bank at Cantaine, then "hand carried" to the rear ADS, from where they were evacuated by motor ambulance to Headquarters and relayed to the MDS at Somain.  Such details reveal the challenges that Captain Densmore and his colleagues faced in carrying out their duties.

Canadian ADS at Canal du Nord, September 1918

After being relieved by 9th CFA on October 22, 1st CFA enjoyed three weeks of light activity, mainly treating ill civilians and "slightly sick" soldiers.  The unit was honoured with a visit from HRH Edward, Prince of Wales - the future King Edward VIII - on October 28.  Two weeks later - November 11 - news of the armistice reached the unit as eight patients were admitted to its facilities.  The following day, orders were received to "evacuate all patients and keep the hospital clear".  Several "other ranks" members were awarded leave over the following days as the unit focused on treating outbreaks of illness amongst soldiers of the 1st Brigade.

By mid-November, 1st CFA was once again on the move, heading toward the Belgian border.  On November 25, personnel covered 25 miles in "one of the longest marches in the history of the Unit", arriving at Scalyn, Belgium amidst an "almost continual downpour of rain".  One week later - December 2 - 1st CFA crossed the "German frontier" at 13:42 hours in another long march under "miserable" conditions.  The war diary observed that the "attitude of the people does not seem hostile[,] although we had expected such."

As Captain Densmore and the members of 1st CFA pushed further into Germany, they noted that "people seemed well-disposed".  After spending three days in the German village of  Falkenlusterhof, the unit moved onto Koln (Cologne) on December 13, "cross[ing] the Rhine with 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, passing [a] new bridge at 14.15 hours".  Two days later, the "other ranks" of 1st CFA settled into quarters at Wahn Artillery Barracks, while Captain Densmore and his fellow officers were accommodated across the street at the Hotel Waldeck.  On December 16, 1st CFA began setting up a hospital in the Artillery Barracks quarters.

Canadian soldiers marching to Koln, Germany (November 1918)

Captain Densmore's stay in occupied Germany was short-lived.  On December 18, 1918, he was attached to the office of the Deputy Director of Medical Services (DDMS) at Canadian Corps Headquarters, where he served until mid-February 1919.  One month later - March 18, 1919 - he proceeded to England, where he spent a month awaiting further orders.  On April 14, 1919, Captain Densmore boarded SS Olympic for the voyage home.  Two weeks later, he was officially discharged from military service.

*****

With the return of peace, Dr. Lambert Densmore returned to his Sherbrooke medical practice for a short time before relocating with his family to Bathurst, NB, where he resided for the remainder of his life.  He served as President of the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and was named a Freeman of the City of Bathurst in recognition of his service to the local community.  In 1948,  Dr. Densmore's life-long commitment to health care was acknowledged when he was named a "Serving Brother" in the Venerable Order of St. John, a royal order of chivalry whose mission is to "prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world".  He continued practising medicine until his retirement in 1966.

Lambert Douglas Densmore passed away at Bathurst, NB on August 16, 1968 at age 90, and laid to rest in Bathurst Presbyterian Cemetery.  His story provides another example of the dedication with which Canadians from many walks of life supported their country's war efforts.

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Sources:

Hunt, M. S. Nova Scotia's Part in the Great War.  Manitock, Ontario: Archive CD Books Canada Inc., 2007. 

Regimental record of Captain Lambert Douglas Densmore.  Library and Archives Canada.  RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 2760 - 25.  Available online.

War Diaries - 1st Canadian Field Ambulance.  War Diaries of the First World War.  Library and Archives Canada.  RG9, Militia and Defence, Series III-D-3, Volume 5027, Reel T-10913, File: 822.   Available online.

Who were the Doctors in Sherbrooke from 1840 to 1920?  Nova Scotia Museum.  Available online.

A special thank you to Patsy Hennessy, Bathurst, NB, who provided a picture of Dr. Densmore and information on his life after the war. 

The Canadian Army Medical Corps

The large number of personnel involved in fighting the First World War led to significant changes in military organization.  One aspect dramatically affected by the war's events was the branch responsible for treatment of wounded soldiers.  The huge number of casualties and horrendous wounds inflicted on soldiers prompted the development of a complex structure of medical care that extended from the front lines in France and Belgium to England and Canada.

Prior to the outbreak of war, the Canadian military possessed few of the resources required to respond to wounded soldiers' needs.  The body responsible for such matters - the Militia Medical Service - was first formed in 1899.  Its weaknesses quickly became apparent during the Boer (South African) War (1899-1902), prompting a reorganization of the military medical system after its conclusion.

CAMC Cap Badge

One significant change was the British decision to combine stretcher bearer companies that removed wounded soldiers from the battlefield with field hospitals that provided the first line of treatment.  The newly created unit, given the title  "Field Ambulance", was assigned the task of retrieving the wounded and providing immediate care until transportation to a permanent medical facility was arranged.

For the Canadian military, the most significant development was the creation of the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in 1904.  The new organization absorbed the Militia Medical Service and was given the task of addressing the shortcomings that had emerged during the South African conflict.  Two years later, the formation of the Army Nursing Sisters added another important component of the CAMC medical system.  Fully qualified nursing sisters were given the relative rank of lieutenant, providing them with a position in the chain of command and bringing them under direct military control.

CAMC Nursing Sisters.

The CAMC mobilized with the outbreak of war and was part of the first Canadian contingent that departed from Valcartier, Quebec for England in September 1914.  The following spring, the first hospitals staffed by Canadians established operations in both England and France.  As the war progressed, a network of medical stations and hospitals gradually emerged as the CAMC and other medical organizations responded to the growing number of casualties incurred on the battlefield.

The recently created field ambulance represented the first level of medical care, providing immediate treatment and determining the subsequent course of action.  A soldier suffering from a minor wound or illness - for instance, a case of influenza - might return to his unit after a brief stay.  If the soldier required further care, he was transported to a casualty clearing station which facilitated the transfer of the wounded to a permanent hospital.  The first Canadian clearing station was established at Fort Gassion, near Aire, France in March 1915.  By war's end, four Canadian clearing stations were operating near the front lines.

Artist's sketch of field ambulance in action at the front.

A stationary hospital, located a safe distance behind front lines, provided the first level of long-term care.  Stationary Hospital No. 2, recruited largely from Ontario,  was the first Canadian unit to reach France, establishing operations at Le Touquet, near the Channel port city of Etaples, in the spring of 1915.  A second Canadian unit - Stationary Hospital No. 1 - was deployed on the Greek island of Mudros in the same year and serviced wounded soldiers from battlefields in the Mediterranean region.

While stationary hospitals initially contained 200 beds, the high number of casualties forced the CAMC to double their capacity by the end of 1915.  In some instances, numbers rose as high as 650 beds.  One unit - Stationary Hospital No. 3 - consisted of 1090 beds at one point in 1918.  Canadian stationary hospitals operated in England, France, Greece, Egypt and Siberia at various times during the war.  A total of eleven Canadian stationary hospitals were created during the conflict, although several were later transformed into the next level of medical care.

No. 7 Canadian Stationary Hospital (staffed by Dalhousie University personnel).

General hospitals provided long-term treatment at permanent locations in France and England.  Originally designed to accommodate 520 patients, their capacity also doubled by the end of 1915.  Size varied according to demand, with some facilities containing as many as 2000 beds during peak periods.

The first Canadian general hospital established in France - No. 2 - set up operations at Le Treport, a small port on the English Channel, in March 1915.  A second unit - General Hospital No. 1 - began operations at Etaples in May 1915.  By war's end, a total of 16 Canadian general hospitals were operating in France, England and Greece.

Interior of No. 7 Canadian General Hospital, France.

Convalescent hospitals provided the final level of care for wounded soldiers, focusing on the final stages of recovery.  Three Canadian convalescent hospitals opened in England in 1915, with a total capacity of 770 beds.  By November 1918, eight such facilities were in operation, providing 7456 beds for recuperating soldiers.

The two largest Canadian convalescent facilities were Woodcote Park, Epsom (3900 beds) and Princess Patricia's Red Cross Convalescent Hospital, founded at Ramsgate and later relocated to Bexhill (2250 beds).  Patients returned to combat if deemed "fit for duty" upon recovery.  Soldiers whose wounds made return to combat impossible were transported to Canada, where they were discharged from military service.

Canadian Convalescent Hospital, Bear Wood, England.

As the war progressed, the number of soldiers requiring long-term care for specific wounds or illnesses increased.  In response, the CAMC created medical facilities designed to treat certain conditions.  Given the designation "Special Hospital", these institutions were located in England and provided such specialized services as orthopaedic, physiotherapy, eye and ear care.  Several others focused on the treatment of tuberculosis and venereal diseases.

Given its limited size and experience at the beginning of the war, the performance of the Canadian Army Medical Corps was truly remarkable.  Altogether, 89 % of patients reaching a Canadian hospital survived their injuries.  The response of qualified Canadians to the pressing need for medical personnel is also noteworthy.  More than half of all Canadian physicians served overseas at some time during the war.

CAMC nursing sisters caring for wounded soldiers.

In total, 21,453 men and women enlisted in the CAMC and many served at locations on or near the front lines.  A total of 1325 personnel were killed or wounded during the war, and 3 CAMC personnel were awarded the Victoria Cross for meritorious service under fire.  These facts bear testimony to their dedication, sacrifice and willingness to risk injury in service of their country.

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The following web links provide additional information on the Canadian Army Medical Corps and the network of facilities created to provide medical care for soldiers wounded during the war:

The Canadian Great War Project web site contains two tables outlining the growth of CAMC medical services in England and France during the war.

The Anzac Day.org website contains a diagram outlining the "casualty evacuation system" developed in France and England in response to battlefield casualties.

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Sources:

Adami, J. George.  War Story of the Canadian Army Corps.  Canadian War Records Office.  Available online.

Canada and the First World War - Canadian Army Medical Corps.  Canadian War Museum.  Available online.

Canadian Army Medical Corps.  Canadian Great War Project.  Available online.

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.  Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia.  Available online.

Gunner Frank Byron Ferguson - An Artillery Soldier's Story

Date of Birth: January 4, 1890

Place of Birth: Goldboro, NS

Mother's Name: Laura (Giffin) Ferguson

Father's Name: John Robert Ferguson

Date of Enlistment: October 5, 1915

Regimental Number: 91907

Rank: Gunner

Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force

Name of Unit: 1st Canadian Siege Battery

Location of service: France & Belgium

Occupation at Enlistment: Machinist

Marital Status at Enlistment: Single

Next of Kin: John Robert Ferguson, 87 Willow St., Halifax, NS

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Frank Byron Ferguson was born on January 4, 1890 in Goldboro, Guysborough County, where his father John worked as a blacksmith in a local gold mine.  The family moved to Waverley, outside Halifax, several years after Frank's birth.  John and his wife Laura later relocated to Dartmouth and finally north end Halifax, where they raised a household of five boys and one girl.

From an early age, Frank displayed an adventurous spirit.  He apparently set fire to the family home in Waverley at age five while playing with matches near a straw mattress.  On another occasion, Frank unsuccessfully attempted to use a rock to dismantle a dynamite cap!  This early interest in explosives may explain his later decision to enlist in the artillery corps.

Frank started school at age seven, but left for the world of work at age twelve.  His limited formal education, however, was not a hindrance in later years.  Throughout his life, Frank maintained an intense curiosity about the world around him.  Later diary entries are replete with literary and historical references, indicating that he was an avid reader with an outstanding memory.  He also possessed a critical mind, complemented by an entertaining sense of humour.

Gunner Frank Byron Ferguson

Frank worked at a variety of small jobs in the Halifax area before finding employment at a Hudson automobile garage on Cornwallis Street.  Thus began a lifelong career working with machines.  In 1913, he emigrated to New York, finding employment as a night mechanic with a taxi cab company.  In November of that same year, Frank's sense of adventure led him to respond to an advertisement in a New York paper. A wealthy Californian was seeking a mechanic and co-driver to accompany him on a two-month, trans-continental automobile journey from New York to Los Angeles.  Frank earned the position and completed an eventful, two-month trip, returning to New York afterward. 

Frank's travels, however, were far from over.  The outbreak of war in Europe offered an opportunity to experience another part of the world.  In 1915, Frank Ferguson returned to Halifax, where, on October 6, he enlisted in the 1st Canadian Siege Battery.

*****

The 1st Canadian Siege Battery was recruited largely from three Canadian cities - St. John, New Brunswick; Montreal, Quebec;  and Coburg, Ontario.  Renamed the No. 1 Canadian Siege Artillery in January 1917, the unit consisted of 6 officers and 210 "other ranks" at the time of its departure from Canada.  The battery was eventually equipped with four 9.2 inch, British manufactured Howitzers and was first deployed on the Western Front in June 1916.  Its members were part of the Canadian Siege Brigade, a force that consisted of thirteen siege batteries and two heavy batteries by war's end. 

Throughout his military service, Frank kept a personal diary of anecdotes and observations on the war.  Its content reveals much about Frank as a person.  At times humorous, at other times reflective, the entries reveal the experience of war from the viewpoint of a "rank and file" artillery gunner.

Frank departed Halifax aboard the SS Saxonia on November 22, 1915, arriving in England on the last day of the month.  The battery immediately began training for deployment at the front.  Frank's December 20, 1915 diary entry reveals his blunt assessment of this experience, as well as his sense of humour:  "Drilled on six inch howitzers this a.m…. So far I can't see anything noble or heroic about this man's war, because all I've done is march until my feet feel like kidneys, or slip and slide around a sloppy, wet field carrying a big iron drill shell that made me so humpbacked I must resemble the fellow who made Notre Dame famous."

Frank's diary entries present a cynical - at times openly critical - perspective on his commanding officers, whom he sarcastically called "the Brains".  One diary entry states:  "It would not surprise me a bit if they put us to work mounting one of the guns for drill purposes.  And let it be known that [the fact] we are quite capable of mounting those damned guns in our sleep would not have the least bearing on the matter."  Frank was equally critical of the irrelevance of training activities to actual battle conditions.  On December 27, 1917, he commented: "Here we've been in this war for over eighteen months, been through all sorts of tight places, overcome all sorts of hardships, and I may add, have altogether been a very efficient outfit - and now we got to learn to salute.  Hot damn!"  These criticisms reflect the sentiments of many "rank and file" members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Frank's unit, redesignated the 97th Siege Battery, departed England on June 14, 1916 and disembarked the following day at Boulogne, France.  The battery's equipment consisted of 33 trucks for hauling gear and ammunition; 4 Holt caterpillar tractors, each pulling a 9.2 inch Howitzer; five motorcycles; and a Daimler sedan for the unit's O. C. (commanding officer).  Three days after its arrival, the unit was deployed at the front.  The men started work on the first of the unit's four gun pits at 3:45 am June 18, firing their first shell before day's end.  Frank's gun crew continued to work all night setting up their Howitzer, cleaning and storing 100 rounds of ammunition in a shallow trench dug the previous day.  The men then filled sandbags and unloaded shells until 2 am the following night.  Frank's diary entry provides an appropriate assessment of their first few days at the front: "Have begun to feel pretty tired."

The work expected of a gun crew was indeed physically demanding.  9.2 inch Howitzer shells weighed almost 136 kilograms (300 pounds), prompting Frank to comment: "It's a braw job lifting them out of the slimy mud onto the trucks.  Thank God for a strong back and a weak mind."  The task of building a gun position was equally demanding.  Frank's September 5, 1916 diary entry states: "Worked all day making a new gun position next to the old one, as the gun had shifted so much it was useless.  Raining like the devil again and the mud is terrible.  In fact, every time I take off my boots I look to see if my toes are beginning to grow webbed like a duck."

Relocating the battery's guns to a new position proved equally challenging.  The first task was to remove the gun from its position, a task made more difficult by its tendency to sink deeper into the mud with use.  According to Frank, "the whole outfit has to man the drag ropes. The caterpillars are useless here as they simply slip in the mud and cannot get traction."  On one occasion, the crew required two days to remove the gun from its position.  In another instance, "the ground was so soft that the guns sank up to the hubs in the mud and [the crew] had to build a corduroy road in order to get them out." 

Setting up a new position proved equally challenging, particularly when the gun pit was located on the site of a  previous battle.  Frank's September 27, 1916 entry describes one such case: "At the new position today digging our gun pit….  This is a terrible place to try and set up a gun, as there are so many bodies everywhere and [we] must keep digging them out of the dirt where they have been since the [battle of] High Wood… in order to get the gun balks down.  There are many hundreds all over this section, as this is where the South African Division was wiped out by machine guns… on 15 September."

An artillery crew moving a gun into position.

When properly constructed, a gun pit was a remarkable feat of human ingenuity.  Frank describes one such position "dug out of a solid bank of chalk" by the 136th Siege Battery: "There is an opening in the front of the pit through which the gun is fired[,] making it almost 'bomb proof' for the troops.  A passageway leading off to one side of the guns goes down into the chalk about thirty feet[,] where it opens out into a nice large dugout for the gun crew, which has tiers of chicken wire beds on either side for the tired soldiers to couchier [sic] in when they are off duty…."

The physical demands placed upon the gun crew were second only to the risks to life and limb.  As strategic military assets, artillery positions were under constant threat of enemy bombardment.  On August 9, 1917, for example, Frank's gun position took a direct hit from a German shell, a fragment of which accidentally ignited shells stored behind the gun.  To make matters worse, gun crews were changing shift as the shell struck.  A total of 16 men were killed and another 12 wounded, 2 of whom subsequently died from their injuries.  One gun was completely destroyed by the explosion.  Its breech - weighing 300 pounds - was located a half mile from the gun position.  A second gun, located thirty yards away, was put out of action by the explosion.

Shrapnel from exploding shells was another constant threat.  On July 31, 1916, Frank described one tragic incident: "Poor old Kelly Lawton got hit in the head with a piece of shrapnel from a shell that landed by the 75 battery, and was killed instantly."  On another occasion, a member of the gun crew was killed by "friendly fire": "A premature from one of the 60 pounders behind us came roaring over our heads.  Scared stiff, I ducked down and saw the empty shell case strike the bank in front of the gun, just as poor old Stewart stepped out of his dugout.  He didn't have a chance to duck…. He died as the gang carried him to the field dressing station."

Gas shells posed another hazard.  Frank's September 6, 1917 entry described one such attack:  "Last night we got another bad shelling with gas, but as we had put two gas blankets in the doorway and two more over the window, and then crawled into our bunks with our respirators on, we felt reasonably safe.  We lay there trying to get some sleep, but the steady whee-plop of the gas shells soon put the idea out of our heads."

9.2 inch Howitzer shells (foreground).

On November 19, 1917, Frank endured his most perilous experience when an enemy shell struck a gun he was repairing:  "I had just started to remove the breech of the gun when there came the worst roar of a shell I've ever heard, and this thing landed right smack behind the gun I was working on.  I can't say I love the earth in this damn place, but I sure took it to my bosom in quick time tonight."

Artillery crew, like soldiers in front line trenches, also endured the inconvenience of rats in their living quarters.  One diary entry describes a humorous encounter with the nasty pests: "It's too big a job writing here at night with the damn rats as big as kittens running all over the place. The other night Reid woke us all up out of a sleep sputtering and swearing.  The grandfather of all the rats on the Western Front stepped in his mouth as he was snoring, and boy, what a commotion he made."

As a person with a natural interest in machines, Frank was fascinated by two of the war's new technologies - the tank and the airplane.  Upon observing his first "land ship", as tanks were initially called, he commented: "My blinking oath, what queer things one sees in this war, and had I been a drinking man, I would have had good cause to sign the pledge after seeing the old buckets of bolts lumbering along the road, snorting and shooting fire from their nostrils like blooming dragons." 

When his schedule permitted, Frank travelled to nearby aerodromes to watch the war's other major technological advance take to the skies.  As a mechanic, he was not impressed with what he saw: "How the powers that be expect men to go over the line in the sort of crates these boys fly is a mystery.  Some of them are already half shot away with holes patched with adhesive tape, and with motors that sound like a rest in a nice pile of junk would do them a lot of good."

9.2 Howitzer in action at Ypres 1917.

The experience of working in a gun pit was a memorable one, to say the least.  "Those old 9.2's sound like a subway train as they came rushing through the air, and when they burst on the ground they sure throw up a big bunch of smoke and dirt."  At times, the crew pushed their equipment to the limit.  On September 16, 1916, for example, Frank noted that his gun crew "made a second record two days ago when we… fired 20 rounds in eleven minutes….  Today we fired 200 rounds into Goudincourt, and after that I'll bet real estate in that burg isn't such a good buy tonight…." In some cases, the equipment exceeded its predicted life span.  On November 3, 1916, Frank recorded that "A sub's gun was taken and sent to base, absolutely worn out having fired over 10,000 rounds.  When we first came out here the idea was that after 500 rounds the guns would be useless, so I guess this one must be through for the duration."

*****

Frank's gun pit service followed the course of the war experienced by the majority of soldiers in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.  On July 1, 1916, his siege battery joined in the launching of the Somme offensive, a major Allied assault on the German front lines.  The standard infantry attack began with an artillery barrage, which Frank described in these words: "Boy, talk about noise, the ground really shook with the shock of gunfire."  Allied troops advanced so rapidly that the artillery guns were out of range by 10 am, leaving Frank free to wander down to a communication trench to watch the wounded and prisoners returning from the battle: "I fully expected the war to be over this afternoon so great is the number of wounded and prisoners coming in.  All roads are choked with ambulance cases coming out, while the trench is filled to capacity with walking cases…. Thousands of healthy men shattered to the sacrifice of war."

One particular soldier, suffering from "shell shock", caught Frank's attention: "His face reminds me of one who has received a severe scare, wild, hurt, drool dropping from his mouth and running over his tunic, all the time, although speechless, an unceasing moan came from him…. It was about three days later that I saw the same chap on his way up the line with a bunch of reinforcements, and he looked entirely changed; but I don't think he will last long when the whizz-bangs start to land close to him."
On April 8, 1917 - Easter Sunday - Frank's siege battery prepared to support the Canadian Corps' assault on Vimy Ridge: "During the night 1420 shells arrived on lorries and all hands are busy washing them and putting them in nice neat rows.  Had to roll them for a while.  Then went to the guns to fire 500 rounds.  A swell lot of Christians we are." 

The following morning, the Corps launched its attack on the German positions.  Frank recalls the beginning of the battle in these words: "Was awakened this morning before daylight by a terrific bombardment.  What a sight in the dim light as the guns put down a barrage for the boys to go over the top and try for Vimy Ridge.  What a terrible racket as all the guns on the front blended into one continuous roar and the flashes from them made the effect of a great electrical storm."  Later in the day, he proudly noted that "the ridge was taken this morning, and according to the infantry they could have gone clear to Berlin if the artillery could have been brought up to cover them."

In September 1917, Frank received two weeks' leave to Paris.  He summarized his impressions of the French capital in these words: "Everything that has been said about Paris is true. And how!"  Like many other soldiers on precious leave from the front, Frank enjoyed the French cuisine and night life, and took in such sites as "la grande noue" (which he compared to a Coney Island Ferris wheel), Napoleon's tomb at les Invalides, the Louvre and the Gaumont Theatre, "at this time the greatest movie palace in the world".  It must have been difficult to return to the gun pit after such an experience.

In October 1917, Frank's siege battery was relocated to Ypres, Belgium to assist in the Canadian Corps' assault on Passchendaele.  He was not impressed with his new surroundings: "As far as I can see there is not much to be seen except a lot of old bricks and mortar, MUD, New Zealanders and more MUD….  A hole dug here will fill with water almost as it is dug…. It is raining to beat the band - the usual state of weather in the [Ypres] Salient."  As terrible as the conditions were, they were overshadowed by the heavy price the Canadian Corps paid for its victory  in the early days of November: "Since the arrival of this outfit in the Ypres Salient we have had so many killed that the army has given us a cemetery to bury them in, and it looks like the O. C. has been dared to fill it."

Frank enjoyed a second leave to London, England early in November 1917: "To be able to walk about without having to duck at every strange sound and to see the people at the Strand Corner House eating real meals has the effect of making one a confirmed pacifist from this time on."  Frank took some time to visit a comrade's family and Madame Tussaud's famous museum, and enjoyed several of the popular shows and films of the day.  He also took the opportunity to visit the dentist and "have a few teeth plugged…. I may outlive this damn war and then I will be sorry that I didn't look after the old molars."

Despite his mechanical expertise, Frank spent his first six months in one of artillery battery's gun pits.  Finally, in January 1917, his skills at repairing machinery were recognized and he was relocated to the battery's "tiffy shop", where he passed the days repairing gun parts and manufacturing whatever equipment the unit required.  Frank happily recorded the event in his diary: "Yours truly is no longer a common gunner in this man's army, as the 'Brains' have at last decided that I am of more value to the army as a mechanic, and have removed my valuable person from the gun crew to the 'tiffy shop'…. There with forge and anvil and tools of every description, I feel more at home than loading shells into the yawning maw of a howitzer."

World War I artillery repair truck.

On occasion, Frank was sent behind the front lines to the ordnance workshop, where major repairs were completed.  In June 1918, he was permanently transferred to this unit - the 8th Canadian Ordnance Mobile Workshop (Medium).  It was a welcome relief from siege battery duty, as the workshop was too far from the front  lines to be targeted by enemy artillery fire.  Food and living conditions were also much better than the makeshift arrangements at the front. 

As the war drew to an end, Frank was amongst those fortunate enough never to have been wounded in action.  His only hospital stay during the war was a case of influenza in January 1918, for which he spent ten days under the care of the 12th Canadian Field Ambulance.

After the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918, Frank remained in France until a case of tonsillitis led to his admission to 14th Canadian Field Ambulance on February 6, 1919.  One week later, he was transferred to the 32nd Stationary Hospital at Wimereux, France.  Upon examination, Frank was "invalided" as unfit for duty due to illness and transferred to England for recuperation.  On February 19, he was admitted to the Graylingwell War Hospital, Chichester, where he spent one week convalescing before being transferred to the Princess Patricia Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Gooden Camp, Bexhill.  Finally, on March 7, Frank was discharged as "fit for duty" and assigned to the CEF General Depot at Witley.

On April 12, Frank was transferred to CMDC Wing, Kimmel Park, in preparation for return to Canada.  On May 3, he boarded HMT Royal George at Liverpool for the journey home.  Gunner
Frank Byron Ferguson was officially discharged from military service at Halifax on May 18, 1919.

*****

After the war, Frank married Laura Rideout, a native of Twillingate, Newfoundland, and eventually returned to the United States with his young bride.  For years, he owned and operated a repair garage in Brooklyn, New York, while Laura found work in the city as an accountant. Frank became an American citizen in 1929. 

'Gunner' Ferguson never forgot his war experience.  He kept in touch with his siege battery comrades and was active in organizing reunions.  In 1936,  he and Laura travelled to Europe to attend the official unveiling of the Vimy Memorial in northern France.  Frank took the opportunity to revisit the locations where he had been stationed during the war.

In 1950, Frank retired from full-time work and returned with Laura to his birthplace in Goldboro.  For many years, he drove to Houston, Texas each November, spending the winters working in a friend's machine shop until old age made the long journey impossible.  Frank Ferguson died at his Goldboro home on September 10, 1975, the last surviving member of his immediate family.   He was laid to rest in Bayview Cemetery, Goldboro.

Frank's wife Laura survived him by seven years, passing away in 1982 at age 100.  The couple left behind no direct descendants.  For his service overseas, "Gunner" Frank Byron Ferguson was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal and the Class "A" War Badge.

*****

Sources:

1st Canadian Siege Battery.  Guide to Sources Relating to Units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force: Artillery.  Library and Archives Canada.  Available online.

Regimental documents of Gunner Frank Byron Ferguson, No. 91907.  Library and Archives Canada.  RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 3044 - 47.  Available online. 

Rogers, Peter G., Editor. Gunner Ferguson's Diary - The Diary of Frank Byron Ferguson, 1st Canadian Siege Battery, Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1915-1918.  Hantsport, NS: Lancelot Press, 1985.