In Flanders Fields And Golgotha

 Canadian soldiers came to the Western Front as part of the greater Allied effort. But outdated tactics would come into play against new weaponry, and lead to four years of hell on earth before anyone really figured out how to break the stalemate. At places like Ypres and the Somme, enormous casualties would be typical.

Another large painting: The Second Battle of Ypres, 22 April to 25 May 1915 is by Richard Jack.

The Canadian doctor, soldier, and poet John McCrae went to war. His service pistol is displayed in the case at below right. His most famous poem is known around the world- In Flanders Fields, inscribed at left. He wrote it after the death of a friend, and he himself would not survive to see the end of the war.

Propaganda became a big thing during the war. The murder of a British nurse, Edith Cavell, sparked outrage. At centre, a grisly sculpture called Canada's Golgotha. A rumour went around that German soldiers had crucified a Canadian soldier to a barn door. And the sinking of the Lusitania also drove outrage at home against the Germans.

This is a model of a typical trench network of that war.

While here, the visitor can walk right into a full scale version.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a pivotal victory for Canadians during the war.

Canadian soldiers were assigned to take the ridge, which was held by German forces. British and French units had failed to do so. The Canadians trained thoroughly in advance, the German lines were pummelled by artillery, and in a matter of a few days in April 1917, the Canadians seized control of the ridge. They did what couldn't be done, but did it anyway, and in doing so developed a reputation as elite shock troopers. A video display lays things out in detail.

This monster is a field gun of the era. Artillery inflicted sixty percent of wounds through the war.

This vividly shows what shrapnel is.

And the display at right vividly displays what it actually does to the human body.

More Canadian artifacts are seen here.