composite battalions, and a Canadian motorized machine-gun battery."(4), for example, is the site of an actual battle in which the Canadians gained fame for their heroic action against the Germans in April 1915. Verdun is another battle which was mentioned in the Wars; this was a horrific battle in which half a million men were killed in less than eight months "The cost of Verdun are best recapitulated in cold, round figures, no exact statistics being possible, due to the battles confusions." (5) It was also another instance in which the Canadian military performed at high standards. In Verdun many Canadians lost their lives. The town of Verdun, Quebec, is named after this famous battleground. Tom Longboat (6) was mentioned in the novel and he is a significant character in Canadian history. Longboat was an Onondaga Indian from a reservation near Hamilton Ontario. He was a distinguished Canadian marathon runner. Kingston, Ontario, is where Robert Ross went to study military law and trajectory mathematics at The Royal Military College. In the novel the hospital where Canadian Soldiers were taken for medical services was Bois de Madelaine. This was an actual hospital located in France, located 4 miles from Bailleul which was a battleground referred to as "the last place in civilization." The Somme offensive (7) was also mentioned in the Wars. This was an actual offensive in which the Canadians floundered in the mud and barbed wire; The Canadians main role in this operation was the amazing seizure of Vimy Ridge (8). " The only bright spot for the Allies that spring was the capture of Vimy Ridge on April 9 by the Canadians." (9) On Easter Monday, 1917, Canada won its greatest victory. 100000 Canadians (all 4 Canadian divisions together) forced their way up the hill, and in a few hours the ridge had been captured. It had been the most successful day in the first two and half years of the war. 4 Canadians won the Victoria Cross (10) and, Kin...
