90 Years and Counting (Chapter 3)
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WORLD WAR I 1914 - 1918
In 1913, in anticipation of war, the Canadian Signal Corps was assigned communications within brigades. The Engineers were charged with line and cable communications and were established for nine telegraph detachments (only five actually were in existence at the start of the war), each consisting of two officers and 52 men, two cable wagons, one airline wagon, one utility wagon and 27 horses. Wireless detachments were authorized for all Engineer field troops however they had not yet been formed (except for the original Number 1 Wireless Detachment CE). Equipment shortfalls were a major concern. In 1914 the Canadian Army consisted of only 3000 in the Permanent Force with no reserves and an Active Militia of only 57,500 partly trained militiamen. There was inadequate equipment, staff shortages and few training areas.
At 2300 hours, 4 August 1914, Canada, as part of the British Empire, found itself at war with Germany. The country immediately began to rally behind the "King and Emperor".
When war broke out, the 10 officers, eight attached officers and 276 men of the Canadian Signal Corps were attached to the Canadian Engineers for discipline and administration. They provided telphony, visual signalling and dispatch riders. Interestingly enough, no additional officers were posted to the Canadian Signal Corps during the war and most eventually became signal officers for various headquarters. Often infantry officers assumed the signal officer duties in Canada. Engineer communicators consisted of five telegraph detachments, each established for one officer and 58 other ranks and one wireless detachment of one officer and 18 other ranks.
On 6 August 1914, General Order 142 authorized the formation of First Canadian Divisional Signal Company. On 20 August 1914 the company began forming at Valcartier. Personnel of this unit were a mixture of CSC, RCE and CE. The commanding officer was Major F.A. Lister (infantry) and he had 5 CSC officers and 1 RCE officer. While Major Lister was serving overseas the appointment of Assistant Director for Signalling was carried out by Captain W.F. Hadley, RCE. Subsequent World War I corps and divisional signal companies were Engineer Signalers.
On 16 September 1914 Sir Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia and Defence, ordered the formation of the Canadian Aviation Corps. This first attempt to form a Canadian air force ended in a fiasco. The corps acquired a commander, one other officer and a Burgess-Dunne aeroplane. It deployed to Salisbury Plain as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The aeroplane disintegrated in the damp winter of 1914-15, the commanding officer resigned his commission and the other member transferred to the Royal Flying Corps where he died in an accident on 4 February 1915.
On the outbreak of war in 1914. L.P. Reading, of Ithaca New York, offered his services to the Canadian Army. A veteran of eight years service in the Imperial army including six years service in India under Lord Kitchener, he was enrolled in the Canadian Signal Corps. Signalman Reading's talents were soon recognised and he soon became Sergeant-Major Reading and an instructor at the School of Signalling at Kingston, Ontario. He was the first of a dynasty of Signals sergeant-majors, his son WO1 S.A.E. Reading was Regimental Sergeant-Major (RSM) of the Royal Canadian School of Signals from 1965 to 1969 and Chief Warrant Officer R.T. Conroy (son in law of RSM WO1 S.A.E. Reading) was RSM of the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics Engineering (as it later became) from 1975 to 1979.
On 20 September 1914 1st Canadian Division Cyclist Company was formed by the Corp of Guides. Their role was intelligence gathering, topography interpretation, signalling, tactics and usage of the light machine gun (Lewis Gun). Later, traffic control, dispatch riders, guards for prisoners of war, trench guides, listening posts and snipers was added to the role. Eventually a Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion was formed , referred to as the "Gas Pipe Cavalry". The battalion suffered 22% casualties and was referred to as a suicide battalion.
On 3 October 1914 the first contingent of Canadian soldiers, 33 000 officers and men, the largest army that ever crossed the Atlantic at one time, set sail from the Bay of Gaspé and arrived at Plymouth Sound on 14 October 1914. Lieutenant-General Alderson assumed command of the Canadians. Equipment included nine automobiles, 275 bicycles and nine motorcycles. The 1st Canadian Divisional Signal Company had 14 officers and 252 other ranks. On 13 October 1914 the unit arrived at Enford on Salisbury Plain.
On 27 November 1914 organization of the signal company for the 2nd Division was begun at Ottawa. This was a purely Canadian Engineer unit
On 9 February 1915 the 1st Division Signal Company departed England and arrived in St Nazaire, France on 12 February 1915.
On 10 March 1915, the battle of Neuve Chapelle began. Telephone quickly become the major form of signalling at the front. Only a couple of French wireless sets were held by the Canadians.
By 8 April 1915 the Canadian Engineers had 14 officers and 492 men employed on signals duties including: 1st Canadian Division 8 officers 192 other ranks 2nd Canadian Division 6 officers 22 other ranks Telegraph operators 80 other ranks.
On 10 April 1915 the Signal Troop (one officer, 23 other ranks) of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade formed at Canterbury, England. Its personnel were initially Royal Engineers who were eventually replaced by Canadian Engineers. On 17 June 1915 it joined its formation in France.
By 13 April 1915 the first expeditionary force totaled 57 692 soldiers.
By mid April 1915 1st Division had taken over a sector of the Ypres Salient as part of the British 2nd Army.
On 22 April 1915 1st Division was attacked by the German Army in the opening rounds of the Second Battle of Ypres. At this time poison gas was used against the allies for the first time with the second use, directly against the Canadians, occurring on 24 April 1915. Fighting had died down by 28 April, 1915.
1st Division fought at Festubert 9-31 May 1915.
In 15 May 1915 2nd Canadian Division Signal Company (an all Engineer unit) with 9 officers and 313 men departed Canada for England, arriving on 24 May. On 14 September 1915 it departed for France.
1st Division fought at Givenchy in June 1915.
In the summer of 1915 it was discovered that the Germans were listening to allied telephone conversations. The Germans had, inadvertently, discovered that telephone conversations could be picked up courtesy of the earth (or ground) return of the single wire telephone circuits then in use. Buzzer signals could be detected at distances up to 300 yards and speech at 100 yards with only rudimentary equipment from enemy front line trenches. German listening posts were soon routinely intercepting front line conversations at ranges of up to 600 yards. The Allied discovery that messages were being intercepted, albeit by means unknown, led to the remoting of "earths" or telephone circuit grounding points from 100 yards to, by 1916, 1600 yards behind front lines, use of twisted cable, elaborate codenames and unit call signs, and to the development of new equipment to defeat such interception. Unit identities, names of officers, locations and timings became prohibited subjects for electronic transmission, backed up by court-martial action against offenders. For the Canadians this was their first introduction to "electronic warfare". Interestingly enough, the secret of how the Germans were listening in was finally solved in 1916 by Sergeant Lorne Hicks of the School of Signalling in Barriefield, Ontario. During a morse class Sergeant Instructor Hicks discovered that his wireless equipment was receiving a signal from a low tension buzzer unit some ninety feet away. This led to scientific investigation of this curious phenomenon and corrective action. The fullerphone (in production by 1916 and in use in brigade headquarters by 1917) used a direct current morse signal sent out by this telephone's buzzer and vibrator to effectively eliminate signals which permitted enemy interception. The fullerphone was used until well into World War II.
The Canadian Corps came into being on 13 September 1915. The Corps Signalling Company, with a headquarters and two airline sections, was initially Royal Engineers however conversion to Canadian Engineers commenced in February 1916 and in April Canadian cable and airline sections were added. It departed for France on 14 September 1915 and, by year end was a Canadian Engineers unit.
In December 1915 3rd Canadian Division Signal Company formed in France. There was another unit of the same number which was formed in Canada and, upon being sent overseas, was disbanded in England without seeing active service.
In 1915, the Pigeon Service became a special branch of Signals controlling 20,000 birds. In 1915 during trench warfare the Canadian Corps used 100 pigeons per day. Pigeons had the advantage of being relatively immune to tear gas. By 1916 mobile vehicle mounted lofts were in use.
In 1916 the Lucas lamp, designed for ground use, replaced earlier Aldis and Hucks lamps which had been designed for air to ground use. The Lucas was lighter, more portable in a ground role and had a narrower focused light beam.
By 1916 telephone had become the main communications medium at the front. It had also become evident that the existing division and corps signal companies lacked the resources to construct and maintain the required lines. In forward areas the only way line could be made survivable was by burying it at least six feet deep, a very labor intensive operation. A number of "lines of communications" units were formed in 1916 to help with this line problem.
By 1916 each Canadian division had 16 motorcycle dispatch riders (DRs). By 1918 this number had grown considerably to offset increasing security restrictions applied to wireless traffic. Signals DRs wore the winged wheel trades badge on the lower left sleeve and the famous blue and white band on either the right or both arms. The band was a highly visible marking which identified their priority over other traffic. Motorcycles were also used by linemen to patrol and maintain lines.
In 1916 a Canadian Corps Wireless Section came into being. The radios were bulky spark gap sets. By 1916, improved radios began to replace earlier spark gap wireless sets. Many of these radios were known by the name of the manufacturer, the "Trench set", for example, referred to the manufacturer rather than to any usage of the equipment. The Trench set was a 50 watt spark gap low frequency radio which used a 50 foot antenna with 3 foot aerial (antenna referred to the horizontal run while aerial was the height above ground). The instructions suggested that a group of radios worked best if they were all "on the same wave length"! The "Wilson set" was another common early radio set which, if used in conjunction with Trench sets could double the range of the net. the Wilson required a 60 yard aerial 12 feet high to achieve 4,000 yard ranges, hardly practical in front line trenches.
In 1916 power buzzers and amplifiers were used for alternative communications. Despite the drawbacks that operators transmitted blind, that signals were easily jammed, that batteries were heavy, difficult to transport and tended to leak and that any set within range, including the enemy's, could receive signals they had become general issue by early 1917. Ranges of up to 3000 yards between stations were achieved.
In January 1916 Military District #3 School of Signalling opened in Barriefield Ontario. The new school was unique in being the only military school in Canada where wireless (radio) was taught. It soon made its name as the centre of excellence among Canadian and Imperial Signals training centres and graduated many hundreds of signalers for service overseas. Major D.E. Mundell was the Commandant, Captain J.C.K. Munsie, Adjutant and Sergeant Instructors L.P. Reading and Harold Reid were key staff members. Within days four courses were in house including a wireless course with 22 students. Wireless transmissions were only permitted between 7 AM and 7 PM in order to avoid interference with commercial instruments. Wireless communications between the school and Parrott Bay and Gananoque were soon a regular part of these courses as the capabilities of the sets were investigated and stretched to their limits. At 1330 hours, 17 September 1916 the following wireless message was sent by Sergeant Reading from a deployed wireless set on exercise in Gananoque to the Standard reporter (later the Kingston Whig Standard) via the Barriefield station, call sign XWD:
| ARRIVED | IN | GANANOQUE | 5:15 PM | STOPPED |
| 3 | HOURS | SIX | MILES | WEST |
| OF | TOWN | WHERE | MEN | HAD |
| LUNCH | AND | ENGAGED | IN | SPORTS |
| BASE | BALL | AND | FOOT | BALL |
| ONLY | ONE | MINOR | CASUALTY | ON |
| WAY | DOWN | HE | WAS | TAKEN |
| CARE | OF | BY | FIELD | AMBULANCE |
| MEN | APPEAR | TO | BE | ENJOYING |
| THE | TRIP | ADAPTING | THEMSELVES | TO |
| EXISTING | CONDITIONS | MANY | OF | CITIZENS |
| INCLUDING | SENATOR | TAYLOR | (COLONEL | TAYLOR) |
| MET | COLUMN | SOME | DISTANCE | FROM |
| TOWN | AND | LEAD | THE | PROCESSION |
| IN | CITIZENS | PROVIDED | PIES | AND |
| CAKES | IN | ABUNDANCE | MEN | BEHAVED |
| EXCEPTIONALLY | WELL | LAST | NIGHT |
In February 1916 listening sets or amplifiers became available for the allies to eavesdrop on enemy telephone conversations and to monitor allied telephone security and an allied listening organization was set up. This "electronic warfare" organization was originally controlled by a General Headquarters Inspector of Listening Sets but responsibility for this work was delegated to corps headquarters in late 1916. Security became a major Canadian concern. With the 1917 adoption of the Fullerphone at brigade level allied transmissions became more secure. This phone had a morse key which utilized a small direct current for transmission of its morse signals rather than the alternating current used by buzzers and telephones, making it much harder for the enemy to intercept. When used as a voice telephone, however, the Fullerphone had no advantage over other models, an aspect often overlooked by users as late as World War II.
On 3 April 1916 2nd Canadian Division replaced the battered 3rd British Division in the heavily cratered line at St Eloi. Faced with massive German attacks the Commander, Lieutenant General Sir Richard Turner decided, with the approval of the Corps Commander, General Sir Edwin Alderson, to withdraw from St Eloi and to "suck" the Germans into a deliberate killing ground. On 19 April 1916, after three weeks of fighting, the massive Allied artillery barrage was let loose, only to fall on Canadian troops. The Canadian positions had been incorrectly identified. Canada suffered 1,373 casualties to the Germans 483. Many senior British officers involved were cashiered although Canadians, due to political sensitivities, were not. General Alderson was removed from command and replaced by Lieutenant General Sir Julian Byng who was to lead the Canadian Corps through some of its greatest, and successful, battles.
On 14 May 1916 4th Canadian Division Signal Company formed at Shorncliffe, England from Canadian Engineers personnel. On 10 August 1916 it went to France. CE Cable Section was formed on 20 August departing for France on 9 October and CF Cable Section on 7 November at Crowborough, the home of the Engineer Depot in England. CF Cable Section departed for France on 17 January 1917.
In June 1916 the Engineer Depot moved from Ottawa to Valcartier less the signals portion which remained in Ottawa. This Signals Training Depot in Ottawa was limited to visual and line telegraphy only as the four Marconi pack wireless sets available were out of date and of little use. The Signals Training Depot closed in mid summer 1918.
On 2 June 1916 it was the turn of 3rd Canadian Division at Mount Sorrel. Following a massive artillery bombardment and the exploding of four mines under Mount Sorrel the Germans attacked. The PPCLI, despite 400 casualties held on to the left flank while the 4th and 5th Battalions , with almost 90% casualties were obliterated. In the immediate, and unsuccessful, Canadian counterattack Signals "went awry", the artillery was badly coordinated and inadequate and further massive losses occurred. Many officers were "fired" as a result of the debacle and Lieutenant General Sir Julian Byng, the Commander of the Canadian Corps put Major General Arthur Currie in charge of the battle. On 12 June 1916 the Canadians counter-attacked. The preliminary bombardment, equal to the original German assault, was stopped four times to allow the Germans to man their defences and then restarted. Within an hour the lost ground was regained and then held despite ten days of German counter- attacks. There were 8000 Canadian casualties versus 5,675 German casualties. The battle also saw the end of the infamous Ross rifle which Sir Sam Hughes, the Canadian Minister of Militia, had insisted upon. Despite some 80 modifications the Ross simply did not work in mud and, after Mount Sorrel, Canadian soldiers were finally reequipped with the Lee-Enfield. The demise of the Ross also began the demise of Sir Sam Hughes as Minister of Militia and Defence.
From 6-13 June the Battle of Hooge took place.
By 31 August 1916, Canadian casualties were 8,644 dead, 27,212 wounded, and 2,005 missing.
On 16 September 1916, Canadians captured Courcelette taking 1,200 prisoners.
On 8 November 1916, concerned about security, Canada excluded all Hearst papers and the International News Service was refused use of French telegraph cables.
On 13 November 1916, General Sir Sam Hughes resigned as Minister of Militia and Defence.
In December 1916 the British authorized a sub component of the Royal Flying Corps called the Royal Flying Corps, Canada and the establishment of training squadrons in Canada. This, on a smaller scale, was a forerunner to the British Commonwealth Air Training Program of World War II. Pilot training began at Camp Borden in early May 1917 and the country's first military airport opened there on 2 June 1917. To avoid the harsh conditions, winter training took place in Texas as part of a reciprocal agreement whereby American pilots were trained in the program. Canadian flying and ground crew personnel were seconded to the Royal Flying Corps from the Canadian Army and came under British command. However, they remained on the Canadian payroll and consequently did not receive the British flying allowances nor promotions, a source of dissatisfaction.
In 1917 messenger dogs became part of the Pigeon Service. During World War I both dogs and horses were fitted with and wore gas masks or respirators when required so that they could continue to function in a "chemical environment".
In 1917 radio transmitters were first mounted and used in aircraft. A pilot, acting as the artillery observer, would transmit his orders to the ground station blindly as no receiver was mounted in the aircraft. The transmitter filled the cockpit space normally used by the observer and a trailing wire antenna was used which had to be reeled in prior to landing. A new system, "Popham panels", was developed for ground to air signals. Cloth panels laid out on the ground provided visual confirmation of radio signals from the aircraft. This system later became a common ground to air signalling system for front line units.
By 1917, Signals in France (including CE and CSC personnel) had grown to four divisional signal companies, two artillery signal companies and one corps signal company. That year they constructed a line grid system involving some 7000 miles of forward area buried cable and 43,000 miles of overhead cable. During the Battle of the Somme this was supplemented in the forward areas by runners, visual signalling and pigeons.
During 9 - 12 April 1917 the Canadian Corps was victorious at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This was the only significant allied victory of 1917 but it cost the Canadians 10% casualties including 3598 killed in action or dying of wounds. While wireless had made significant strides in development use was restricted by the lack of spare tubes. As the United States began preparations for its active entry into the war the source of DeForest vacuum tubes (or thermionic valves as they were then known) dried up while the only alternate supply, Western Electric tubes, were not adaptable to mass production.
On 3 May 1917, Canadians captured Fresnoy in a new attack by British forces on a front of 12 miles from south of Loos to south-west of Lens.
In the month of June, 1917, Canadians fought in a number of actions in the area of Lens.
On 8 June 1917 Captain Elroy Forde was promoted to major, the third officer to hold that rank in the Canadian Signal Corps. The other officers previously promoted major were D.E. Mundel, and T.E. Power 18 May 1914. Major Bruce Carruthers (unattached list) and Major F.A. Listor (Royal Canadian Regiment), although virtually running the corps, remained members of their parent corps).
On 12 June 1917, to overcome confusion about the parent corps of Canadian signal units, the Canadian Corps Headquarters issued Routine Order 1283 which stated that Signals, from that date, would be known as "Canadian Signals, Canadian Engineers". Since the Chief Engineer felt that members of the pre-war Signal Corps should be allowed to wear their own badges if they so desired, the Corps Commander ruled that change of badges would be left to the discretion of divisional commanders.
By July 1917 wireless was in place between corps and divisions. These were spark gap sets originally however continuous wave (CW), made possible by the invention of the vacuum tube, rapidly superseded them.
Wireless was first used by the Canadians to register heavy artillery fire at Hill 70 at the end of July 1917. One set was initially on Vimy Ridge and used by the forward observer officer while the rear set was at the artillery telephone exchange, form which corrections were passed by telephone to the guns. For the actual attack in august 1917 two sets of radios were used with forward sets moving forward as the battle dictated. They were particularly useful as cables were frequently damaged. By November 1916 wireless was in common use.
On 12 October 1917 recruiting of signals personnel ceased. Future needs were met by personnel of the 5th Divisional Signal Company which was disbanded in early 1918.
On 6 November 1917 Canadians took Passchendaele on the crest of the ridge dominating the Flanders Plain. Canadians held Passchendaele against a strong enemy attack on 7 November 1917, advanced 600 yards on a 300 yard front and took 140 prisoners on 7 November 1917, held Passchendaele again on 14 November 1917, and captured a farm at Passchendaele on 17 November, 1917.
By 1 December, 1917 the Dominion Victory Loan subscriptions in Canada had reached $416,000,000.
On 6 December, 1917 a terrific explosion took place at Halifax caused by the collision of the French munitions ship Mont Blanc and the Belgian Relief Ship, the Imo. Nearly 1,300 people were killed and thousands were injured. Damages to the city of Halifax cost approximately $25,000,000. The British, United States and Dominion governments each subscribed $5,000,000 for relief while various cities donated lesser sums.
On 17 December, 1917 the Union Government, led by Sir Robert Laird Borden won the federal Canadian election.
The second Canadian, as opposed to Imperial (or British controlled), flying service was the Royal Canadian Naval Air Service, a component part of the Royal Canadian Navy, used for defence of Canada's east coast beginning in March 1918 It was disbanded in December 1918.
On 14 May 1918 the Canadian Corps Survey Section was authorized. It was formed from the Corps Topographic Section and the Intelligence Observation Section and had five officers and 172 other ranks, many of them including the commanding officer were CE. This new unit was often listed as a Canadian Engineers Signals Unit since it was administered by Corps Signals and utilized wireless equipment. Its function, however was flash spotting of enemy fire and survey, the accurate setting of artillery battery positions. It was a fore runner of later artillery survey sections.
On 15 June 1918 a Canadian Corps Signal School for wireless training began operation at Aubin St Vaast, France.
During allied advances beginning on 8 August 1918 wireless became the primary communications for the Canadian Corps. The deep penetrating Canadian Independent Force (based on the Machine Gun Brigade) found that wireless was all that it required. During the 11 days of action Canadians passed 1,400 wireless messages.
By September 1918 the Canadians were involved in highly, for the period, mobile fighting. With the extensive use of wireless and increasing amounts of equipment provided mobility needs began to outstrip the resources needed to move the equipment. Light radios traveled in the few light cars or lorries available without too much difficulty however a trip in standard conveyances such as Royal Engineer limbers invariably meant an extensive overhaul after each move.
During September 1918 Canadian Corps wireless stations received an average of 118 messages a day with divisional stations averaging 42 per division (4th Division was busiest at 74 per operational day). Most transmissions were in code with operators doing all enciphering and deciphering. While some attempts had been made during the allied advance to utilize captured German lines it was soon found that it was faster and easier to roll out new cable.
By early November 1918 the rate of allied advance was far outstripping telephone services capabilities. Cable supplies were becoming exhausted and dispatch rider services were stretched to the limit. Then relieve came! On 10 November a wireless broadcast from the Eiffel Tower in Paris gave the first definite warning of the end of hostilities and the following morning First (British) Army wireless confirmed the news. Canadian Corps wireless then passed the following message to all stations on the morning of 11 November:
Hostilities will cease at 1100K on 11th November
Troops will stand fast on the line reached at
that hour which will be reported to Corps
HQ aaa
Defensive precautions will be maintained
There will be no intercourse of any description
with the enemy
Further instructions follow
Divns GOCRA CCHA CMGC CE
Repeated all concerned
Acknowledge
Can. Corps 0605K
At 1100 hours, 11 November, 1918, World War I ended. By war's end 619,636 had joined the Canadian Army of whom 59,544 lost their lives.
On 18 November 1918 the Canadian divisions began moving into Germany and to cross the Rhine River. Communications were provided by new British "Tyrell" wireless sets mounted in Crosley box cars. Corps Signals which had concentrated at Mons on 16 November departed for Germany on 24 November.
On 20 - 25 November 1918 two all Canadian units of the Royal Flying Corps, Canada formed as Squadrons 1 and 2 of the Canadian Air Force. These Canadian Air Force squadrons were Imperial units formed in response to the British decision to form the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1916. As such, the personnel were Canadians seconded to the Royal Air Force but the squadrons did not report to any Canadian military chain of command nor to the Canadian Government. Ignoring this and the Royal Air Force redesignation Canada continued to attach Canadian personnel to the Royal Flying Corps. Too late to see fighting, the squadrons disbanded in 1920.
On 9 December 1918 the Wireless Telegraphy Report Centre was at Bonn, Germany and by the 11th the Wireless Section was established at Ippendorf and Corps Signals arrived at Bonn. On 14 December 2nd Divisional Signals arrived at Bonn and 1st Division Signals reached Marienburg-Koln on 15 December.
Repatriation began in the new year as 3rd Divisional Signal Company departed for England in mid February 1919. It arrived in Witley, England on 19 February and departed for Canada on the Baltic on 12 March. 1st Divisional Signals and portions of Corps Signals left the continent at the end of March, departing for Canada on the Scotian on 6 May enroute to Toronto. 2nd Signal Company, the Cavalry Brigade Signal Troop and further portions of Corps Signals left for Canada on the Cedric on 19 May. the 4th, and last, Divisional Signal Company reached Witley on 10 May and departed on the Mauritania on 31 May. The remnants of Corps Signals sailed from England in June 1919. All Canadian Expeditionary Force signals units were officially disbanded by General Order 210 of 15 November 1920.
During World War I communicators (both signalmen and sappers) won the following honors and awards:
THE REVOLT OF THE OPERATORS
The following letter was found among the "W.A. Steel Papers" in box 31 of the Museum Archive. Dissatisfaction with remuneration, while a frequent theme among members of Canada's military forces was seldom addressed in this fashion and, particularly, not on active service where such a missive could be deemed mutinous. This "memorial" is undated but appears to have been originated sometime in 1918 as the Americans had already arrived on the scene. Note also the disdain these professionals had for "army trained" operators.
Canadian Corps, in the Field
We are aware of the fact that joint representations for improved conditions are viewed with disfavor in the army, but having often been told by the press and by ministerial orators that the Canadian Corps is really a democratic force, and having heard the statement reiterated by our own officers (though seldom borne in mind), we are taking this step to call attention to the present anomalous rate of pay for telegraphists serving in the field. We do this, not only as Canadian soldiers, but as Canadian citizens, and for this reason are forwarding copies of this memorial to the civilian authorities interested.
At present Canadian telegraphists are paid at the general rate of one dollar ten cents per day. We submit that this should be increased to three dollars per day for all telegraphists employed as such and working the regular commercial "sounder" instruments, for the reasons stated below. The case of army-taught buzzer operators is on a different basis and might call for separate consideration.
1. The principle of higher remuneration for skilled and technical workers is recognised in the Canadian forces
(a) for other combatants acting as orderly-room clerks, stenographers, chauffeurs, cooks and in other semi-skilled capacities;
(b) for non-combatants employed in the Forestry Corps, in the Railway Construction Corps, in the pay-office and elsewhere.
It is suggested that a qualified telegraphist is at least entitled to the same pay as a lumber-jack. Many of the latter are already in receipt of three dollars per day.
2. Every other military force in the world of equal size to the Canadian Corps pays telegraphists at a superior rate. The British Royal Engineer Signals and the American Signal Corps may be mentioned as particular cases, in each of which telegraphists received approximately double the general rate.
3. Canadian telegraphists are giving - and have been giving for nearly four years - the benefit of their lifelong civilian experience toward the Dominion's military effort, and it is felt that they are more entitled to recognition for their special skill and technical ability than many other classes who now receive it. Telegraphy is not a profession that can be picked up in a ten-days "course", but requires some years of continuous practice for the attainment of proficiency. In this way it contrasts strongly with stenography, cooking, and other occupations for which the superior rates of pay are already in force.
4. Definite promises of higher rates of pay were made by responsible officers to many of the undersigned at the time of enlistment. Practically the whole of the First and Second Canadian Division operators were recruited on this understanding, and the patriotic considerations alone have until now prevented them from pressing their case. But the unexpected duration of the war and the consequent financial loss to all of us impels us to call attention to what we feel is a glaring anomaly.
We respectively request that you will forward this memorial through proper channels to the Minister of Militia for his consideration.
Signed by all the telegraphists in the Canadian Corps.
256 individual signatures followed.
It is interesting to note that similar complaints came from those members of the Canadian Army who were seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, later the Royal Air Force. These Canadians were, as a matter of Canadian Government policy, denied flying and related allowances paid to their British counterparts. At the same time, many of these same Canadians were denied opportunities for promotion as a matter of British policy. The "colonials" were just too rough and ready for the sensitivities of the British air element hierarchy.
| «-- | 90 Years and Counting Chapter 3 |
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| Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 |