From the St. Lawrence to the Yser with the 1st Canadian Brigade

Canada's militia becomes a wartime fighting force in this personal account of the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade. Frederic C. Curry begins with drill halls, brief training seasons and the practical problems of gathering recruits before following the brigade toward England and the fighting in Flanders. His descriptions mix military detail with dry humour about buildings, uniforms, officers and the effort needed to turn scattered local units into an organised division.

Life near the front brings a different set of pressures. Officers share sleeping quarters in a family's home, struggle with everyday French and move between billets and night duties. The account also records the danger of shellfire and gas attacks, including the simple protective pads supplied from England. Curry explains that the book chiefly reflects personal experience, supplemented by other officers' reports, and that Begbie Lyte is a fictional character. Readers interested in Canadian service during the First World War will find both campaigning and the awkward routines surrounding it.