The Boer War
Canada gets its first taste of battle when it fights alongside Britain in South Africa.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Boer War held all the promise of noble
and heroic adventure for thousands of young Canadian men. And for the
nation, it was an opportunity to show the world what Canada could do.
The war began in 1899 as a conflict between the British army and Dutch
settlers (called the Boer) in South Africa. When Britain asked its colonies
for help, English Canada pressured Prime Minister Laurier to send an
official contingent to serve the British mother country.
A compromise was reached and Canada agreed to send volunteers to
serve under British command in the Boer War. It represented the first
large group of Canadian soldiers to serve overseas.
English Canadian men eagerly signed up to fight. John McCrae had just
graduated from medical school but was preoccupied with thoughts of the
distant battle. “Ever since this business began,” he wrote to his mother, “I
am certain there has not been 15 minutes of my waking hours that it has not
been on my mind…I shall not pray for peace in our time. One campaign
might cure me – but nothing else ever will, unless it be old age.”
McCrae was one of 8,000 Canadian men who volunteered for service. On
January 4th, 1900, the young lieutenant led 54 volunteers from his
hometown of Guelph, Ontario to war.
By July, McCrae had his first taste of battle.
“21 July 1900, Our baptism by fire,” McCrae wrote in his diary. “They opened on us from the left flank…one shrapnel
burst over us and scattered on all sides of us. I felt as if a hail storm were coming down and wanted to turn my back, but
it was over in an instant.”
The only casualty from McCrae’s first battle was a horse. During the war, more men died of disease than in combat,
due partly to poorly run field hospitals.
“For absolute neglect and rotten administration, it is a model,” McCrae wrote of the British hospital. “I am ashamed of
some members of my profession…Every day there are from 15 to 30 Tommies (British soldiers) dying from fever and
dysentery. Every one that dies is sewn up in a blanket, and four shillings are taken out of the pay for the blanket. The
soldier’s game is not what its cracked up to be.”
Despite the hardships, Canadian soldiers distinguished themselves fighters in the war, showing tenacity, stamina and
initiative. In contrast, British leadership proved poor. Despite their military superiority, the Boer’s guerilla tactics
frustrated the British army.
British troops finally resorted to burning the Boer farms and putting civilians, including women and children, into
badly run concentration camps. The last Boer guerillas surrendered in May 1902. The British kept South Africa, but
the war had been a debacle.
For English Canada, the war was viewed as the country’s initiation onto the world stage. At home, people had
followed enthusiastically, taking pride in Canadian achievements. They formed a “Patriotic Fund” for the families of
the 244 Canadian soldiers who died during the war, and erected monuments honouring the men who fought.
When the soldiers marched home, they were treated as Canadian heroes. From the battlefields, English Canada
emerged as a prouder, more confident nation.
Comprehension Questions
1.
According to the article, how did Canada view
the Boer War?
2.
Where was the Boer War?
3.
What is a Boer?
4.
Why is Laurier’s position considered a
compromise?
5.
What is a Baptism by Fire?
6.
How did most Canadian’s die?
7.
Describe the conditions faced by Canadian
soldiers.
8.
How did Canadians perform as soldiers?
9.
What tactics did the British use to finally win
the war?
10. What was English Canada’s reaction to the war
and Canada’s soldiers?