Canada went to war in August of 1914, the same day that the British Empire went to war with Germany. They went to war without a choice, but the individual soldiers joined very willingly. Men assembled by the thousand, coming together from across Canada to answer the call to go to war. The first Canadian troops arrived in Quebec during the summer of 1914 and by October of the same year, they boarded ships and traveled across to England where they would train before going to war in France. In February and March of 1915, the first Canadian troops entered the battlefield of the Western Front.

At the same time that the first troops entered the trenches of France, seeing the battle for the first time, back home the country called upon more men to join the fight. Percy Sweatman officially joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in March 1915. By June, he was on his way to England for training. The new arrivals – which would become the 2nd Canadian Division – spent the spring and summer training, and by the end of the summer, Percy got his call to war.

Joining the Canadian Expeditionary Force and heading to War

Instead of remaining in England for a few more weeks to be deployed as part of the Second Canadian Divison, many men were drafted to head over early to reinforce the troops already at war. On August 28th, 1915, Percy was drafted into the 7th Battalion, 2nd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division. He joined the troops on the ground, who had been in France for several months already.

The Canadian Expeditionary Force had arrived in France in late February of 1915 and entered the trenches on the front lines in March. They first saw combat action at the battle of Nueve Chapelle on March 10th. In the following months, they would take part in several battles, including the Second Battle of Ypres, which began on April 22nd. It would be remembered as the first time the Germans used poison gas on the Western Front.

In the middle of June of 1915, they had been moved into a quieter sector, between the Plogsteert Woods and St Eloi.

After receiving 10 minutes’ notice to get ready, they departed Shorncliffe in the morning and traveled by train to Southampton before being sent to France. They crossed the English Channel under the cover of darkness. They spent a few days at La Havre, at an infantry base depot. A few days later, Percy would join the 1st Canadian Division just outside of the Ploegsteert Woods south of St Eloi where he would begin his journey through the first world war.

This is his story.

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Percy’s Journal

Chapter One: Ypres Salient (1915)

After being deployed in the spring of 1915, the Canadians spent over a year in the Ypres Salient. Between the 2nd Battle of Ypres in April 1915 and the Battle of Mont Sorrel in June 1916, the Canadians paid a heavy price on the front lines of Flanders and northern France.

• Part One: Enlisting in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces [March-August 1915]

• Part Two: Infantry Base Depots – La Havre, France [August-September 1915]

• Part Three: Stand to – South of the Ypres Salient [September 1915]

• Part Four: The Daily Routine – Percy’s first week on the Front Lines [September 1915] – Coming Soon

• Part Five: Home away from Home – Grand Monk Farm [September 1915] – Coming Soon

• Part Six: Plug Street – Ploegsteert Woods [September/ October 1915] – Coming Soon

• Part Seven: Weather pretty rotten and getting worse – Autumn in the Trenches [October/ November 1915] – Coming Soon

• Part Eight: Christmas in the Trenches [December 1915] – Coming Soon

Chapter Two: Ypres Salient (1916)

Coming soon…

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