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Preface
The previous night, at 8:45 p.m., the Governor General of Canada received the following telegram from London: more...
Plot
Who knew? In the fall of 1914, the Canadians had earned a reputation as hard drinking and poorly disciplined troops. No one expected much from them. Certainly not the British. All they wanted was a sharp salute as the men did what they were told more...
The magnificent pluck, gallantry, and resourcefulness of the Canadian troops at the front saved a difficult situation, as the highest authority has publicly declared. They have proved themselves equal to any troops in the world, and, in doing so, they have brought distinction and renown to the Dominion. more...
In 1916 the Canadians’ rough edges were being honed off.
First, in February, there is the tragic loss of the Parliament Buildings’ Centre Block by a suspicious fire. Then, in May,Lieutenant-General Alderson’s leaked memo damning the Ross Rifle ignites a political firestorm more...
The year didn’t start well for Prime Minister Borden. He and his wife would spend most of January 1916 laying in sick beds. Lady Borden had fallen sick during their Christmas vacation in the United States while Sir Robert was suffering from severe back pain more...
Settings
My novel is set mostly between July 1914 and December 1914 and takes the action takes place mainly at Valcartier and Salisbury Plain more...
- Valcartier Camp
On August 2, 1914, Colonel Sam Hughes arrived by special train to Quebec City and was driven the twenty miles to Valcartier for an inspection more... - Salisbury Plain
During the fall and winter of 1914 the Canadians endured one of the wettest falls in living memory at Salisbury Plain more...
Characters
Explore the fictional and historical characters in the Canadian WW1 historical novel Forging the Weapon more...
Main Fictional Characters
- Captain James Llewellyn
It was a raining Dominion Day, July 1st, when we first meet Captain Llewellyn. He was attending an annual training camp for 1,500 cadets more... - Nursing Sister Samantha Lonsdale
Fighting off the wondering hands of a patient at the Toronto General Hospital is when we first meet Samantha Lonsdale more... - Gunner Paul Ryan
When Paul Ryan volunteered for the 65th Field Artillery he didn’t really know that he was getting into more...
- Captain James Llewellyn
Main Historical Characters
- Sir Robert Borden, Prime Minister of the Dominion of Canada
In late July of 1914, Sir Robert Borden was enjoying a golf vacation with his wife in the Muskoka’s, where we first meet him, when he receives an urgent telegram that he was to return to Ottawa. The situation in Europe was serious more... - Colonel Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia and Defence
When Conservative government was elected in 1911, Prime Minister Borden appointed Sam Hughes as the Minister of the Militia and Defence. He had been his only choice since Sam Hughes had been the defence critic for the Conservative government, was one of the sponsors for the Ross Rifle, and had fought in the Boer War more... - General Sir Arthur Currie
For a man who had to be talked into volunteering for the 1st Contingent it is remarkable that four years later he would a serious contender to replace Field Marshal Douglas Haig as the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force in France more... - Lieutenant-General Willoughby Garnons Gwatkin - Chief of the Canadian General Staff
General staff officers tend to be unsung hero’s; none more so than Willoughby Garnons Gwatkin the Chief of the Canadian General Staff more... - Lieutenant-General Sir Edwin Alfred Hervey Alderson - General Officer Commanding
In my novel I have several scenes where I portray Lieutenant-General Alderson, the first commander of the CEF more... - Major Margaret Clotilde Macdonald - Matron-in-Chief - Canadian Army Nursing Service
In 1913, Matron Margaret Macdonald had anticipated the problems in recruiting qualified nurses for the army in the time of war. Fresh from a fact finding tour more...
- Sir Robert Borden, Prime Minister of the Dominion of Canada
Canada & WW1
Background information on the Canadian war effort during WW1 more...
- The State of Readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces in 1914
The year prior to Britain declaring war on Germany British Major-General Sir Ian Hamilton had conduced an inspection tour of the Permanent Force and the Active Militia. In his report he stated that the militia more... - Canadian Army Nursing Service
When Samantha Lonsdale volunteeered for the CEF as a nursing sister she was joining a relatively young and untried servce more... - The Ross Rifle
One of the story lines in my series is the controversial Ross Rifle. The Ross Rifle Mark III was the standard service weapon of the Canadian Expeditionary Force until it was replaced officially in August 1916 by the SMLE Lee-Enfield more...