Dominions.

This is coolbert:

During both World Wars of the previous century one thing the British could rely upon was the resources of Empire. Resources, natural, and manpower that the British may have lacked in the home island could be made up by contingents from the Empire.

Among those contingents were troops from the "white dominions". The nations of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The British historian John Keegan speaks about the magnificent contingents of the dominions. Troops who were of physical stature, bearing, robustness, elan, and initiative. The British found themselves hard pressed to match with forces from their own home island troops of such quality as were from "overseas".

And a case can be made that from the engagements that these "white dominion" troops fought in during the First World War [WW1], nation-states were born. Came of age from what were once colonies of England, to dominions, and then matured into independent, adult entities in time of war.

Each dominion during WW1 endured a special traumatic battle that stood out as being a turning point in it's relationship to the rest of the Empire and England in particular.

1. For Canadians, the place is Ypres [pronounced "eep", as in sh-eep], for the South Africans it was Delville Wood, for the Australians and New Zealanders [ANZAC] it was Gallipoli.


It was at Ypres that the Germans used poison gas for the first time. It was released by the Germans at a juncture in the trench line separating the French and the Canadians. At the first whiff of gas, the French and their colonial forces bolted and took off. But the Canadians stood their ground, and held the line, EVEN THOUGH THEY LACKED ANY PROTECTION AT ALL AGAINST THE POISON GAS!!! Some person in the Canadian trenches passed the word to urinate on a handkerchief and hold it over your nose. This evidently was supposed to neutralize the effect of the poison gas. And perhaps it did to some extent. But casualties were almost universal. Reports from the front read:

"Then on Thursday the Germans suddenly threw in that attack its asphyxiating bombs, which will doubtless become famous in this war. It succeeded in breaking the line of French near Bixschoote, although not to such an extent as the Germans claim in today's communique."

"Twice in the day that followed the Germans tried trench vapor on the Canadians, who made on the right of the French position a stand which will probably be remembered as one of the heroic episodes of this war. In both cases the wind was not favorable, and the Canadians managed to stick through it."


2. Kept as a reserve unit at the start of the British Somme campaign in 1916, the South African Brigade, newly arrived, and untested, was thrown into battle at a place called Delville Wood to replace British troops. First attacking and then defending, the South Africans made themselves known in a big way. But at great cost to themselves. The statistics speak for themselves:

Of 3,153 men from the Brigade who had entered the wood on 14 July 1916 only 755 came out again."

3. And as was well demonstrated in the Mel Gibson movie "Gallipoli", the landings and subsequent stalemate on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli had a great and lasting impact upon the people of Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC [Australian New Zealand Army Corps]. The performance of the ANZAC's at Gallipoli is the stuff that legend is made of:

"The Australians rose to the occasion. They did not wait for orders, or for the boats to reach the beach, but sprang into the sea, formed a sort of rough line, and rushed at the enemy’s trenches. Their magazines were not charged, so they just went in with the cold steel, and it was over in a minute for the Turks in the first trench had been either bayoneted or had run away, and the Maxim guns were captured." - - Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett.

"The distant conflict of the Great War as World War I was known at the time had an enormous impact on Australia, a small nation of fewer than 5 million people at the time. The war had a major impact on everyone in some way. It helped bring about economic change. Political events became bitter and controversial. Reputations were made and lost.

Through it all, Australians responded to the call to enlist and went to fight. Their story is an important part of understanding the history of Australia and its people in the 20th century."


And this great tradition of military service by the "white dominions" continued during the Second World War [WW2] also.

All throughout WW2 each of the "white dominions" contributed in a significant and disproportionate way to the defeat of the Axis powers.

* The Canadians had an army land at Normandy on D-Day.

* The South Africans fought with distinction during the desert campaigns in North Africa. The South African Air Force were the only ones to successfully air drop supplies to the beleaguered Polish resistance fighters during the Battle of Warsaw in 1944.

* Australian troops distinguished themselves both in North Africa and in the Pacific Theatre. The Australian General Blamey was the signatory for the British Empire during the Japanese surrender on the battleship Missouri to end WW2.

It is interesting that the only combat soldier of the British Empire to twice win the Victoria Cross, the Empire's highest decoration for valor, is a New Zealander. Read about this man by clicking here.

For these "white dominions", war, and specifically WW1, had a profound effect upon their psyches. It was if they had been teenagers taking their first steps into the adult world, realizing who they were and what they could do. "We are somebody people, look at us and respect us!!"

And the military tradition continues to this day. There is an informal military alliance called ABCA. Australian-British-Canadian-American. Works in an informal way around the world. Probably much of it's work goes unheralded, when it does occur, but is still out there. Such as in East Timor. Australian troops backed up by American logistic support. This thing goes on!

coolbert.