Maple Leaf Club
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“When You’re A Long, Long Way From Home” The Establishment of Canadian-Only Social Clubs for CEF Soldiers in London, 1915-1919 Sarah Cozzi hen Canada entered the First camp on Salisbury Plain in south- to involve themselves in matters WWorld War on 4 August central England. By 1915 Canadian extending beyond camp lines, and 1914, thousands of men rushed to units were scattered throughout generally maintained a hands-off volunteer. By war’s end in November England and Scotland, reaching a approach to the men’s off-duty 1918 approximately 470,000 men and peak strength of 131,029 officers lives. Some Canadian citizens, on women had served overseas with the and other ranks by the end of 1916.1 the other hand, were concerned Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). While the number and location with the moral well-being of the Arriving in England on 14 October of Canadian camps and training men and were troubled by the 1914, the first contingent, consisting establishments fluctuated, the CEF Résumé : L’article analyse les activités of more than 30,000 Canadians, remained a continuous presence in des membres du Corps expéditionnaire established the CEF’s initial training Britain until the force’s repatriation canadien pendant leurs temps libres en was completed in late 1919. Grande-Bretagne lors de la Première Abstract: This article examines Although much of the CEF’s time Guerre mondiale. Pour plusieurs de ces the off-duty activities of Canadian in Britain was spent training, leave soldats en poste outre-mer, ce pays Expeditionary Force (CEF) soldiers devint leur « chez-soi à l’étranger », et in Britain during the First World War. time allowed the men a welcome Londres, leur principal lieu de séjour. En For many CEF soldiers abroad, Britain opportunity to escape the monotony dépit du fait que des milliers de soldats became their “home away from home,” of camp life. Moreover, for those du Corps purent visiter la capitale with London serving as their main leave- already fighting in France and britannique, les autorités canadiennes, time destination. Although thousands Belgium, leave to Britain provided fédérales et militaires, conservèrent une of CEF soldiers visited the English approche passive en ce qui avait trait capital, Canadian federal and military a much sought-after escape from the aux activités des hommes en dehors de authorities maintained a hands-off horrors of war and the realities of leur service. Préoccupée de leur bien- approach to the off-duty lives of the trench warfare. Unable to journey être, la philanthrope canadienne Julia men. Fearing for the men’s well-being, back to Canada, Britain became a Drummond mit sur pied le seul King Canadian philanthropist, Lady Julia “home away from home” for the men George and Queen Mary Maple Leaf Drummond established the Canadian- Club réservé aux militaires canadiens. only King George and Queen Mary Maple of the CEF. Établi sur la base de critères fixés Leaf Club. Founded upon middle- and The idea of thousands of soldiers par la morale des classes moyenne et upper-class moral standards the Maple wandering throughout Britain caused supérieure, le Maple Leaf Club insistait Leaf Club emphasizes the role of public varying reactions from Canadians on sur la démonstration publique d’un patriotism at the time, while also the home front. Canadian military patriotisme, tout en stimulant un sens highlighting a rising sense of Canadian du nationalisme canadien et de la nationalism and self-awareness at a authorities, occupied by the larger conscience de soi, à une époque où l’on time of simultaneous loyalty to the logistical and administrative issues devait en même temps faire preuve de Empire. of organizing the CEF, were hesitant loyauté envers l’Empire. © Canadian Military History, Volume 20, Number 1, Winter 2011, pp.45-60. 45 limited range of organized leave- CEF, embarking for England was tourists flocked to the British capital. time activities available to soldiers not a homecoming for all those who While they also visited other areas of in Britain. Spurred to action by joined in the fight. Even many British- the British Isles, London, according to ingrained ideals of patriotism, upper- born men, emigrating as children, travel historian Cecilia Morgan, “was and middle-class morality, and had spent little time in England at the core of their travels and integral goodwill, Canadian philanthropists prior to the war and, much like their to their having seen Britain.”9 And so took it upon themselves to establish Canadian counterparts, crossed the it was with soldiers of the Canadian Canadian-only social clubs, most Atlantic without fully knowing what Expeditionary Force. A study of notably the King George and Queen lay ahead. the leave list records of the Bustard Mary Maple Leaf Club, in the hopes While drill, physical training, and and Tidworth Camp for the period of keeping their “boys” off British route marches dominated the men’s spanning Christmas and New Year’s streets and out of trouble. This lives, military authorities recognized 1914-1915 indicates that 20 percent of article will provide a detailed look the importance of allowing soldiers men travelled to London, with the at the creation, organization, and a break from duty.5 As such, leave second-most popular destination, function of the King George and passes became a much sought- Glasgow, Scotland, attracting a mere Queen Mary Maple Leaf Club, while after commodity and were a luxury 6.2 percent.10 While many of these situating it within the broader context which every soldier looked forward men were travelling to small villages of Canadian participation in the to with eager anticipation. Upon to visit relatives, as the CEF grew to First World War. Organized on the first arriving in England, all ranks include an ever increasing number basis of upper-middle class moral were assigned six days’ leave, with of Canadian-born men, London standards, the Maple Leaf Club no more than 20 percent of a unit took on greater importance. Such serves to highlight the overwhelming allowed to travel away from camp was the popularity of the English nature of public patriotic concern at any one time.6 Subsequently, men capital that one report calculated for the men’s welfare in the face of were restricted to weekend leave, that in October 1916 alone, 15,000 government inaction, while also with 10 percent of a unit allowed Canadian soldiers had arrived at illustrating a rising sense of Canadian to leave camp from 1300 hours Waterloo Station, located in the heart nationalism and self-awareness at a Saturday until midnight Sunday. of London.11 The letters, diaries, time of simultaneous loyalty to the This continued until a unit was set to and memoirs penned by Canadian Empire. Overlooked by historians, leave for duty at the front, at which soldiers throughout the war are rife this club serves as an important time all other ranks were allotted with details of their experiences and reminder that the soldiers’ war four days of leave before embarking adventures in the English capital, experience extended beyond the for France.7 On average, enlisted demonstrating that London remained battlefields of Europe.2 men could expect approximately ten a popular destination for the duration The volunteers who filled the days of leave per year, while officers, of the conflict. But with so many men ranks of the CEF represented a much to the chagrin of the enlisted arriving, problems quickly followed. wide spectrum of Canadian society. man, could look forward to roughly Temptation and vice were British immigrants were the first to ten days off every three months.8 among the first problems with which respond to the call to arms in large Once at the front soldiers were still Canadian military authorities had numbers, and represented 64 percent able to use their leave to travel back to contend with when the First of men who sailed as part of the First to Britain. If a soldier did not have Contingent arrived in England. Early Contingent in 1914.3 In contrast, only enough leave time saved, one could attempts by the hard-nosed minister 29.9 percent of men in this group were hope to receive a “Blighty,” slang for of militia and defence, Sam Hughes, Canadian-born. As the war dragged a non-impairing wound that would to ban alcohol from Canadian camps on, this imbalance began to diminish require them to be sent to England for in Britain were met with disdain by so that by war’s end Canadian-born treatment and rehabilitation. After a the men. These actions did little to men accounted for 47 percent of all period of recuperation these soldiers curb drinking, and instead, drove soldiers serving overseas, while men were granted additional leave time soldiers into local villages in search born in the British Isles accounted before returning to the front. of alcohol. Enticed by locals offering for 36.8 percent. The remaining 16.2 While CEF soldiers used their to buy them drinks, and with a percent was comprised of various leave time to travel throughout the surplus of English pubs, reports of groups, including an estimated British Isles, London remained their the Canadians’ liquor-fuelled antics 35,000 Americans, and 4,000 Native preferred destination. Beginning in became increasingly common, with Canadians.4 While British-born men the 1870s and spanning well into the one soldier writing home that “[our remained a major component of the 20th century, Canadian transatlantic men] were constantly getting into 46 trouble and excuses had to be made for them all the time.”12 Although drunken soldiers were a cause for concern, the problem of alcohol was inextricably linked to a much larger, more serious issue for the CEF.