Dr. John McCrae is most famously known for penning one of history’s most evocative war poems, In Flanders Fields. He served first, in Africa, where he was appalled by the inadequate treatment of wounded soldiers on the battlefield, so much so, that he resigned and severed his military relationships for many years. During WW1, when …
BY DEBBIE MACRAE While not officially recognized by the Federal Government as National Aboriginal Veterans Day, November 8th, was inaugurated in Winnipeg in 1994 to recognize the efforts of our Indigenous Veterans and aboriginal participants. Even before the War of 1812, territorial expansion was being guarded and defended against invasion by encroaching military and political …
BY DEBBIE MACRAE The year was 1914. The man was 42, a doctor, pathologist, soldier, teacher, artist, writer and more. The gift – a chestnut gelding, schooled for fox hunting with an admirable conformation. This is their story. John McCrae was born in Ontario, the son of a military family, with strong spiritual values and …
By DEBBIE MACRAE Horses in battle is not a new concept. It dates back over 5,000 years during the period 2500 BC when Sumerian illustrations depicted some descendants of our modern equine creatures pulling wagons. The history of mounted horses in warfare references the period 3000 to 4000 BC in Eurasia, with chariot warfare becoming …
Drafted in the trenches of Ypres, in the dark hours of May 2, 1915, the compelling elegy In Flanders Fields, was written by John McCrae and inspired by the death of a friend. Most commonwealth citizens know of the WWI poem – and every November the recitation is honoured and re-dedicated to those who …
