A Soldiers' Work

Whether assigned to an exclusive "work" battalion* or not, it was the policy of the Canadian Corps that every healthy soldier work eight hours a day.* Some battalions, though trained to fight, were meant to support the war effort with labour. Among them were the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders) of the 4th Division. Incidentally – and ironically – this battalion was called in to fight in the Battle of Vimy Ridge at the very last minute and ended up taking Canada’s main objective, Hill 145.(Canadians with picks and shovels going into an attack ready to dig themselves in. Library and Archives Canada.)

Since the Germans had been in Vimy for several years, when the Canadians arrived there was a lot of catching up to do: adding 21 miles of cable below ground and 66 miles of cable to the existing communication network above ground, establishing signaling headquarters...(28th Battalion establish a signaling Headquarter and begin communicating with our aeroplanes. Vimy Ridge. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

...digging trenches..."I could tell you more about filling sandbags than fighting. We will soon have all of France in sandbags!" Private Ronald McKinnon.(Canadians consolidating their positions on Vimy Ridge. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

...maintaining them...(Canadian pioneers carrying trench mats. Library and Archives Canada.)

...consolidating them...(Canadian troops unloading trench material in a village near the line. Library and Archives Canada.)

...excavating 12 new subways (for a total of 6 miles) in the pre-existing chalk labyrinth underneath their muddy feet...(A Canadian miner after a heavy night’s work. Library and Archives Canada.)

...and consolidating gun posts and "funk holes" (dug-outs made for shelter).(Canadians making themselves comfortable in a funk hole. Library and Archives Canada.)

The soldiers also kept busy lugging water...(Taking a cooling drink in a safe place. Library and Archives Canada.)

...food...(Bacon. 1st Divisional Train of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps [RCASC]. Library and Archives Canada.)

...and equipment, on foot, through the mud.(33rd Battery, Canadian Field Artillery, bringing up the guns. Vimy Ridge, April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

They had to load light railway wagons...(Loading ammunition on light railroad. Library and Archives Canada.)

...and unload them.(Loading up ammunition on to a light railway. Library and Archives Canada.)

These trains carried 800 tons daily and had to be pulled with small gasoline engines...(Light Railway Goods Yard, Dixie Siding, behind Vimy Ridge. Library and Archives Canada.)

...or, more often, pulled by mules to their destination.(Mule team drawing ammunition on light railway truck near Petit Vimy. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

To avoid toiling, and hand-pushing trucks through the mud...(Canadians giving a lorry a helping hand on a shell battered road on Vimy Ridge. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

...25 miles of roads had to be leveled and repaired...(Canadian railway troops grading for light railway construction. Library and Archives Canada.)

...including wooden roads...(Laying road over "No Man’s Land" to our front line troops. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

...known as "corduroy" roadways.(Laying a road over the crest of Vimy Ridge. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

Twenty miles of tramway and light gauge railways...(Bolting the rails to the ties. Canadian Railway Troops in France. Library and Archives Canada.)

...had to be shaped...(Canadian Railway troops in France. Bending a rail for a curve in the line. Library and Archives Canada.)

...laid...(Canadian Railway Troops laying track in shelled area. Library and Archives Canada.)

...and repaired.(The first train over the new railroad on Vimy Ridge. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

Wood had to be split...(Canadian pioneers splitting logs for use in trenches. Library and Archives Canada.)

...horses needed shoes...(The shoeing smith at work. May 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

...and weapons had to be maintained.(The Armourer’s Shop behind the Canadian lines at Vimy Ridge. Library and Archives Canada.)

The wounded had to be recovered...(Stretcher bearers carrying a wounded man over the top of a trench. Imperial War Museum/Library and Archives Canada.)

...by hand...(Wounded coming in. Vimy Ridge. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

...or loaded onto push trucks and brought back to camp.(Bringing Canadian wounded to the Field Dressing Station. Vimy Ridge. April 1917. Library and Archives Canada.)

But the most difficult task of all was the daily burial of dead friends.(Burial scene. Library and Archives Canada.)