They helped too
Travelling exhibition recognizes non-military personnel of First World War
It might not be the stuff of books and movies but those who toiled for the war effort at home or even behind the lines in Europe are getting their due recognition thanks to Lyndsey Friesen and Ashley Creed who put together a travelling exhibition called First World War Comes To Life.
On July 13 and 14 it stopped for two days in Annapolis Royal at Fort Anne before heading to Halifax Citadel.
“First World War Comes To Life is a national travelling exhibit funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and Veterans Affairs,” says Friesen, who with Creed is exhibition project manager. “We really look at the overlooked, untold, lesser-known stories of the First World War. From homefront production, munitions, farming, and war relief – to communications and medical aid overseas. We’re looking at the Canadian men and women who supported the war effort from behind the trenches.”
Friesen was in costume – dressed as a voluntary aid detachment ambulance driver.
“They were young women, mostly middle and upper class, because they actually had to pay for their own uniform,” says Friesen. “They were unpaid volunteers. At the start of the war men were driving and (were) part of the ambulance detachments, but as more men were needed for the front lines because of the high rate of casualties, women were actually afforded the opportunity to drive ambulances.”
Creed is dressed in the same garb and the pair play the part beside a drab-green ambulance with a wooden back that holds three casualties – one hanging in a stretcher from the ceiling.
“They not only had to pay for their own uniforms, but they weren’t paid,” says Friesen. “They were trained and recruited by the Red Cross or the Saint John Ambulance – and the Canadian girls actually served with the British Voluntary Aid Detachment driving their ambulances.”
Displays
A few dozen visitors walk the grounds at Fort Anne, going from display to display asking questions of each of the interpreters. They had about 300 visitors the day before. Everything is hands-on so visitors can interact with them, says Friesen. There’s the ambulance, a casualty clearing station with its Nursing Sisters called Bluebirds because of their blue dress uniforms and white aprons, and a farm display complete with ‘farmerette’ Pascale Tremblay who has her own truck, produce, and preserves and offers visitors the chance to win cans of Clark’s beans by tossing beanbags into a multi-holed box.
Katherine Davidson’s War Relief exhibit has to do with volunteer efforts at home – care packages stuffed with socks or mittens, cigarettes and tobacco, chocolate, soap, shaving kit, and of course maple sugar. While the men were fighting in Europe, the women were back home doing all they could – knitting socks for instance. They were given knitting machines and were expected to knit 40 pairs of socks a week. The machine with its crank handle could produce a sock in eight minutes. If they didn’t reach their weekly quota, the machine was given to someone else. Was it important? Good socks combated against ‘trench foot’ – which can lead to gangrene and amputation.
“A lot of these women were penpals to men and soldiers they never even met before,” says Friesen, “but all of their activities were really aimed at boosting moral and supporting the men from Canada.”
Pigeon Loft
Then there is the Black Douglas Motorcycle replica for dispatch delivery. And the Mobile Pigeon Loft. “Messenger pigeons were used extensively for frontline communications due to their homing ability, speed, and reliability,” says one of the small cards handed out to visitors. “Mobile lofts provided rest and shelter to these unsung heroes.”
The overseas communications centre consisted of a post office – an initiative of the Canadian Postal Corps - and various early communications devices like the telephone. And there was the munitions production back in Canada – from rifle bullets to cordite, it was done in towns and cities in Canada.
Friesen, with a history and museum studies background, has always been interested in 20th Century conflict – and not just the military logistics but how all the social histories connected to the Frist World War and are overlooked.
“All of the types of people you see here dressed as costumed interpreters are overlooked,” she says, “and a lot of people have grandparents, or uncles, or fathers served in these capacities but they tend not to think of their relatives as having served because they weren’t in the military. We’re just trying to bring light to some of these overlooked people of the First World War.”
Details
“This is our fourth out of five shows in Eastern Canada,” says Friesen. “We started in St. John’s, Newfoundland, made our way to Gander, then we’ve just come from Fortress Louisbourg and we’re headed to the Halifax Citadel before we’re turning back to Ontario to finish up our summer tour.” Website: www.firstworldwarcomestolife.org
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