The New Pioneer: How Soldiers Kept Their Buttons Polished
Soldiers were expected to carry a lot of equipment with them while on the Front line. From a gas mask to an extra pair of socks, soldiers were prepared for the rapid changes demanded by modern warfare. Lesser-known to many, however, soldiers also carried a brass button polishing guard. Made of a thin sheet of […]
Passchendaele, 100 years already!
On November 11th of each year, the fields surrounding the Menin Gate are covered with poppies to commemorate the sacrifice of the many British and Commonwealth soldiers who died on the field of honour in Flanders, Belgium. It was the Third Battle of Ypres, which took place between July 31st and November 10th, 1917, more […]
“In this wilderness of flooded shell holes:” Canadians remember Passchendaele
“After a march all night, losing our way, falling in shell holes, slipping, and losing our tin hats in them, and having to fish them out, and the odd shells dropping around us. We were getting nearer to where we were supposed to dig in and hold the line. We couldn’t see much in the […]
Surrendering on the Battlefield: How did soldiers negotiate their survival?
Surrendering on the battlefield was considered one of the most dangerous acts on the battlefield of the First World War. Dropping your weapons and raising your arms, a surrendering soldier was at the complete mercy of his captor. In what Canadian historian Tim Cook describes as the “politics of surrender,” [1] surrendering soldiers were left to […]
Centennial Story: Actions at Lens
Click here to see it now at the Google Cultural Institute. Image: “Lens Road Green Crassier”, 1917. A.S. English Fonds, Collections CCGW/CCGG 2016.3.1.2-11
Centennial Story: Battle of Hill 70
Click here to see it now at the Google Cultural Institute. Image: “Hill 70”, 1917, A.S. English Fonds, Collections CCGW/CCGG.
Explore the CCGW Catalogue
The CCGW Catalogue offers online access to the collection at the Canadian Centre of the Great War. In its current beta form, it allows access to the Great War Portraits Online collection. An ongoing digitization project that began in Fall 2016, Great War Portraits Online offers visitors a glimpse into our vast collection of World […]
“The country needs dignity and refined taste”: 100 years of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has been celebrating the centenary of its founding since May 21st, with events across the Commonwealth countries, including one at the Canadian War Museum this past week. One of the most striking sites when travelling in northern France are the CWGC managed cemeteries; they are quiet places, with rows of […]
Centennial Story: Battle of Arleux
Click here to see it now at the Google Cultural Institute. Image: 2nd Division, Arleux, April 28-29 1917, Times of London, Times History of the War, 1914-1920.
Current Exhibition: Dear Bessie
In honour of Vimy 100, we have prepared two new online exhibition hosted through Google Cultural Institute. Click here to see them now.
