Canada. Armée canadienne - From classroom to battlefield: Victoria High School and the First World War

Known for the vividness and authenticity of his histories, Barry Gough is heralded as one of Canadas foremost historians. Gough is the author of more than eighteen books on military and maritime history, including Pax Britannica: Ruling the Waves and Keeping the Peace before Armageddon, Juan de Fucas Strait: Voyages in the Waterway of Forgotten Dreams, and Historical Dreadnoughts. He has won numerous literary awards, including the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Medal, the Clio Award of the Canadian Historical Association, various BC Book Prizes, and awards from the North American Society for Oceanic History.

Gough is past president of the British Columbia Historical Federation; Professor Emeritus, Wilfrid Laurier University; and Archives Fellow, Churchill College, Cambridge. For civic contributions, he was awarded the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal. Born and raised in Victoria, Gough graduated from Victoria High School (as did his parents) and was a teacher there. Today, he is chair of the Victoria High School Alumni Association. He lives in Victoria, BC.

My debt to various institutions and individuals is considerable, and I am pleased to pay the following grateful tributes:

To Victoria High School Alumni Association for embracing the Great War Project, and to the team who aided the project in so many ways (Yvonne Van Ruskenveld, Leona Taylor, Keith McCallion, Gary Mitchell, Tim Travers, and especially Debbie Blackie for assistance in untold ways); to Victoria High School Archives for essential information; to Ms. Randi Falls, principal of Victoria High School; to Wendy Burleson, librarian of Victoria High School; to the City of Victoria Archives, the University of Victoria Archives, and the Archives of British Columbia. Special thanks to Deborah Morrison and Canadas History Society, and to the Canadian War Museum for the national launching of the Project. I benefited from the collections of the British Library, London Library, Athenaeum Library, Imperial War Museum, and the Army Museum. Many have helped with photos but more particularly Jim Buchan, Alan MacLeod, John Azar, Warren Sommer, Linda Reid, and Megan Scott.

I thank the following for special help: John Azar, CEF100 Commemoration Society, for information and also the opportunity to tell the story of the Victoria High School Memorial Trees to the Western Front Association, Pacific Coast Branch; Jack Bates, for information and inspiration; Jim Beatty and CHEK TV, for telling our story to the viewing publics; Captain Peter Campbell, for particulars on his father, Harold Lane Campbell, and his uncle Claude Campbell, all graduates of Victoria High School; Bruce Davies, for information on Craigdarroch Castle history; Jan Drent, for matters various; Paul Evans, Royal Artillery Library Woolwich, for particulars on A. Nelson King; Christina Nichol, for information on Conrad, Robin, and Jean Wilson; Barry Moen, for stories on the Victoria High School Alumni Association website; Barbara James, for bringing to life art teacher Earl W. Clarke; Susan Gibb, for permission to consult the letters of her great-uncles Claude Pottinger and James Pottinger; Rob Hanna, for assistance; Joan King, for details on her husband, Dr. Michael R. King, and his father, Dr. Paul King; Ross McKenzie, archivist, the Royal Military College of Canada, for details on Arthur Beaumont Boggs; Dr. Linda Reid, for particulars on the Reid brothers; John Orr, for information; Sherri Robinson, for help with Esquimalt particulars; Megan Scott, for details on the Scott brothers; Brian R.D. Smith, for particulars on the Parfitt family and Sir Robert Borden; J. Allan Snowie, for details on Canadians in the Royal Naval Air Service; Ray Travers, for professional knowledge of trees; Krysteena White and Andrea Cam Duhn, students at the school, for fresh insights; Joan M. Whiston (and Dr. Richard Mayne, the RCAF historian), for research on Cecil Clayton; John Whittaker, for details on surveyors; Glennis Zilm, for information on nursing sisters. I thank a number of historians for reading this book in earlier form, notably Lawrence Aronsen and Tim Travers.

David Boler and Colonel John Hughes-Wilson accompanied me to the battlefields of imperishable memory and helped find war graves of those connected to Victoria High School. I thank Audrey McClellan for editorial prowess. King Lee speeded the process in the last phase. Rodger Touchie, Lara Kordic, and Leslie Kenny saw this work through its various stages with professional zeal. I alone am responsible for any errors of omission or commission.

Appendix 1

NAMES OF THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR, AS LISTED ON THE VICTORIA HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIAL TABLET

MASTERS

John A. MacDonald

Verner L. Plant

John Spouse

STUDENTS

Charles Adams

Arthur William Aird

John Gibson Anderson

J. Henry Austin

Arthur Babcock

Percy C. Barr

Alfred E. Beckwith

Arthur C. Belyea

Marc E. Berton

Lyall L. Bland

Herbert B. Boggs

Archie Boyd

Chester Boyd

Raymond H. Brewster

John James Brown

Adair Carss

Edgar W. Christie

Roy Clements

Frederick W. Copas

Hugh S. Coppock

William R. Cutler

Desmond S. Davis

John W. D. Dowler

Frank M. Dunn

Ernest R. Elford

Shirley D. Ellis

F. Fletcher Elliott

G.W. Elliott

Charles H. Fleming

Herbert French

Frank Garland

Albert A. Gerow

Ronald J. Graham

Robin Gray

G.W. Ashdown Green

Don. B. Hanna

Chas. M. Hardie

Walter G. Head

Fred G. Heal

Alwin Holland

A. Percy Huggett

Edward W. Jackson

H.A.B. Jackson

Percy James

Arthur E. Johnson

Charles Kennedy

Nelson King

Adam Knox

Charles Knox

Fred Knox

R.W. Reginald Litchfield

Ray B. McCallum

Allister McCallum

Donald M. McCannel

N. Ross McCannel

George B. Milligan

Victor Noble

J.A. Pascoe

Horace Paul

Harold M. Pearce

James M. Pottinger

Robert B. Powell

Jack Reid

Harold S. Roe

Cyril G. Sedger

Harry G. Sivertz

Alan Spencer

Evan D. Spencer

Norman Spencer

E.H.S. Steele

D. Vernon Stevens

William Stewart

Mortimer Tait

F. Thompson

A.E.C. Thurburn

Edwin S. Tuck

Albert Waterhouse

Douglas Whittier

Harry Wilby

Conrad B. Wilson

Frank Wood

Fred Wood

Appendix 2

THE ROLL OF HONOUR OF VICTORIA HIGH SCHOOL, 19141918

* Indicates those who died or were killed in the War (August 4, 1914November 11, 1918)
NOTE : Names and ranks are as given on the original Roll of Honour. This list differs from original as follows: entries are arranged by surname; ranks have been abbreviated; ranks as given are not necessarily those eventually attained; medals won are not included. The list, which includes 497 names, may not be complete.

Gnr. Whitford Ackerman

Lt. L. Acton

Pte. Charles Adams*

2nd Lt. Arthur W. Aird*

Gnr. Creagh S. Allen

Pte. H.S. Allen

Nurse Anderson

Gnr. A.D. Anderson

Maj. John G. Anderson*

Pte. M. Anderson

Lt. Henry Angus

Cpl. W.C. Armour

Pte. Babcock*

Sgt. P.A. Babington

Pte. Hugh Baker

Q.M.S. William F. Baker

Sgt. William M. Baker

Gnr. Allan Ballantyne

Gnr. C.H. Bamford

Pte. Harvey S. Bamford

Cpt. R.C. Bamford

Gnr. E. Banner

Driver P. Bannerman*

Percy Bannerman

Pte. Percy G. Barr*

Cpt. Walter Barton

Lt. William Barton

Sgt. G. Beale