The Great War Challenge
November 11, 2014
The Great War was a very unique experience for Canadians in many respects, the social, political and economic impact across the country was unlike anything ever seen before. While as a whole the country came out of the war with a new sense of identity and patriotism. Economically the country rebounded quickly after the war and began prospering. However, with any prosperity, there comes struggles. It was the struggles that greatly affected small rural communities such as Palmerston. While very little documentation exists of what exactly was happening within the community there are pieces of the puzzle that allow for confident interpretation.
We often discuss the patriotic fervour and answering the call for 'King and Country' yet just as often overlook the ethical struggles that swept the country, especially during the Conscription Crisis. A crisis like that would have caused huge schisms in the social balance, especially in a small community like Palmerston. But even by 1917 Palmerston would have already been suffering from a even larger matter.
With the outbreak of the war and the call to arms by the Canadian Government, Palmerston faced a major crisis; 'to fight or not to fight'. Like many rural communities Palmerston was deeply rooted in the ongoing upkeep of its agricultural base. Early on most farmers knew their key role would be to feed the empire. The need for agricultural goods would increase dramatically, which was generally accepted. It was even identified by many that farmers were much more important working on the land than holding a gun. So the duty of fighting would have to fall on someone else. In October of 1914 the Westminster Gazette clearly stated: "We are proud of the troops Canada is sending us, but we also expect wheat, which next year will be even more necessary for our national security." The next dilemma was that as a transportation hub, the smooth and efficient operation of the railway was essential for moving goods, materials and people for shipment overseas.
The challenge for many in Palmerston was that while they were being told what they were doing at home was essential to winning the war, they were also being pressured continuously to enlist and join the Canadian Expeditionary Forces to fight in Europe. The internal debate would have been extraordinarily stressful. Beyond the personal level, the potential loss of large numbers of skilled labour for an undetermined amount of time would have tremendous ramifications on the community.
In 1914 the Canadian Government under Robert Borden put a call out for 25,000 men, many of which were already reservists and were expected to leave their jobs and put the uniform on. The remaining spots to be filled were easy taken by some of the "thrill seekers", but mostly it was men who needed a steady pay cheque. In the case of Palmerston, only 6 men residing in town left during 1914, 4 of which worked for the railway, the other 2 being a blacksmith and painter. By the end of 1915 only 27 men from Palmerston had enlisted in the CEF, 2 of which were farmers. So any impact on the town would have been minimal.
To put this into perspective; Palmerston had a population of approximately 1,800 people in 1914 with a workforce of roughly 330 people (280 men and 50 women). Traditionally Palmerston was always a community with a very low unemployment rate because of the high demand for labour on the railway, farms and industry. So even having 27 people removed from the labour pool would have a ripple effect.
It wasn't until late 1915 / early 1916 when a call for an additional 500,000 soldiers was made that pressure truly ramped up on the town. By January 1916 aggressive recruitment was in full swing by Battalions across Canada. The newly formed 153rd Wellington Battalion based out of Guelph expected to fill its ranks with mostly men from the city itself. When it was quickly realized this wasn't going to happen (Guelph was a highly competitive recruitment centre by numerous Battery's and Battalions) the recruiters vigorously went after the rural populations in the outlying areas.
Being a railway hub with a large population of healthy young men, Palmerston was seen as an easy target. Palmerston at the time was mostly of English decent so loyalty to the British Crown was very strong. To speak against the war was likely a way of asking for trouble. Many who did not wish to join the fighting would likely have stayed very quiet and tried to keep out of sight. Unfortunately, that normally invited people to point them out to recruiters who used high pressure tactics to make their quotas. By using strategies such as patriotic parades, passionate speeches and even public shaming the recruiters quickly reached their numbers. In fact the lead recruiter for the 153rd Battalion in the Palmerston area, Lieutenant Doughty, was promoted to Captain for his very successful recruitment of men.
1916 by far had the largest impact on the labour force in Palmerston. In total 84 men enlisted, many of which with the 153rd Battalion in the first 3 months of the year. Of those; 44 worked for the railway, 23 for other businesses and 17 were farmers. Major labour shortages would have been the talk of the town, filling the gaps must have seemed nearly impossible.
Generally it was felt that the loss of employees in businesses or factories could easily be filled by men unable to serve or by women. However, for the railway, the large physical demands put on the employees greatly limited who could in fact do the job properly. For farmers, labour was already in short supply but other factors needed to be considered; Canadian farms were being expected to maximize their output and then increase it to points never achieved before. Labour was already in short supply, If you owned a farm you would either have to rent it out to someone else to ensure a steady income for your family or you would need someone to manage the farm for you. Many farmers can attest that the loss of even one person from your labour force caused huge hardships on everyone who remained.
In August of 1917 the Military Service Act was put into effect despite opposition from many segments of Canada, including farmers. The main argument was it was in the best interest of the Empire for farmers to continue the task of increasing output rather than picking up a gun. In response to the concerns it was decided to hold off enacting the law until October so the harvest could be completed. This was simply a stop gap, since the planting season for the spring of 1918 wasn't being considered. The government showed it was not disregarding the importance of food production entirely by establishing exemption tribunals.
Across Canada in 1917, out of a total of 404,395 men eligible for conscription under the Military Service Act, 380,510 requested exemptions. In all, by the end of 1917,over 278,000 exemptions had been granted. Within Palmerston 35 men were conscripted, 24 of which were farmers, because the records are not available yet, how many received exemptions isn't known.
The impact of the Military Service Act would have likely caused an uproar within the community, the situation was already dire, the labour shortage was increasingly difficult to deal with and this situation would just exasperate it even further. Whether the community had been divided or not over the matter is hard to say. It's quite possible some people were upset by the farmers reluctance to enlist, however it is more likely the community was sympathetic to their cause.
By the end of the war Palmerston contributed 76 railway employees, 48 farmers and 44 others; including Carpenters, Shoemakers, Bankers, Nurses and many more. Considering that those who enlisted or were conscripted in Palmerston made up over 50% of the community work force, it is hard to imagine how the community coped. When looking at all of the challenges being faced on the home front such as the labour shortage, you also need to factor in that many people volunteered for or contributed to war drives, fundraisers, and support efforts. Then adding the stresses of having a loved one in potential danger overseas, it is amazing many people in the community did not experience a physical or mental breakdown. The strain on the human spirit must have been enormous.
Despite all of this the community and country survived, the Town of Palmerston came out of the war with an even stronger sense of patriotism which was shown by the speed of having one of the first soldiers monuments erected in the area. The economic situation in the community seemed to settle and stabilize, businesses were thriving, the railway continued to grow and agricultural output prospered. Even with the impact of losing so many of their sons to the hellish war, Palmerston endured the challenges and came out of the Great War standing proud.
The Great War was a very unique experience for Canadians in many respects, the social, political and economic impact across the country was unlike anything ever seen before. While as a whole the country came out of the war with a new sense of identity and patriotism. Economically the country rebounded quickly after the war and began prospering. However, with any prosperity, there comes struggles. It was the struggles that greatly affected small rural communities such as Palmerston. While very little documentation exists of what exactly was happening within the community there are pieces of the puzzle that allow for confident interpretation.
We often discuss the patriotic fervour and answering the call for 'King and Country' yet just as often overlook the ethical struggles that swept the country, especially during the Conscription Crisis. A crisis like that would have caused huge schisms in the social balance, especially in a small community like Palmerston. But even by 1917 Palmerston would have already been suffering from a even larger matter.
With the outbreak of the war and the call to arms by the Canadian Government, Palmerston faced a major crisis; 'to fight or not to fight'. Like many rural communities Palmerston was deeply rooted in the ongoing upkeep of its agricultural base. Early on most farmers knew their key role would be to feed the empire. The need for agricultural goods would increase dramatically, which was generally accepted. It was even identified by many that farmers were much more important working on the land than holding a gun. So the duty of fighting would have to fall on someone else. In October of 1914 the Westminster Gazette clearly stated: "We are proud of the troops Canada is sending us, but we also expect wheat, which next year will be even more necessary for our national security." The next dilemma was that as a transportation hub, the smooth and efficient operation of the railway was essential for moving goods, materials and people for shipment overseas.
The challenge for many in Palmerston was that while they were being told what they were doing at home was essential to winning the war, they were also being pressured continuously to enlist and join the Canadian Expeditionary Forces to fight in Europe. The internal debate would have been extraordinarily stressful. Beyond the personal level, the potential loss of large numbers of skilled labour for an undetermined amount of time would have tremendous ramifications on the community.
In 1914 the Canadian Government under Robert Borden put a call out for 25,000 men, many of which were already reservists and were expected to leave their jobs and put the uniform on. The remaining spots to be filled were easy taken by some of the "thrill seekers", but mostly it was men who needed a steady pay cheque. In the case of Palmerston, only 6 men residing in town left during 1914, 4 of which worked for the railway, the other 2 being a blacksmith and painter. By the end of 1915 only 27 men from Palmerston had enlisted in the CEF, 2 of which were farmers. So any impact on the town would have been minimal.
To put this into perspective; Palmerston had a population of approximately 1,800 people in 1914 with a workforce of roughly 330 people (280 men and 50 women). Traditionally Palmerston was always a community with a very low unemployment rate because of the high demand for labour on the railway, farms and industry. So even having 27 people removed from the labour pool would have a ripple effect.
It wasn't until late 1915 / early 1916 when a call for an additional 500,000 soldiers was made that pressure truly ramped up on the town. By January 1916 aggressive recruitment was in full swing by Battalions across Canada. The newly formed 153rd Wellington Battalion based out of Guelph expected to fill its ranks with mostly men from the city itself. When it was quickly realized this wasn't going to happen (Guelph was a highly competitive recruitment centre by numerous Battery's and Battalions) the recruiters vigorously went after the rural populations in the outlying areas.
Being a railway hub with a large population of healthy young men, Palmerston was seen as an easy target. Palmerston at the time was mostly of English decent so loyalty to the British Crown was very strong. To speak against the war was likely a way of asking for trouble. Many who did not wish to join the fighting would likely have stayed very quiet and tried to keep out of sight. Unfortunately, that normally invited people to point them out to recruiters who used high pressure tactics to make their quotas. By using strategies such as patriotic parades, passionate speeches and even public shaming the recruiters quickly reached their numbers. In fact the lead recruiter for the 153rd Battalion in the Palmerston area, Lieutenant Doughty, was promoted to Captain for his very successful recruitment of men.
1916 by far had the largest impact on the labour force in Palmerston. In total 84 men enlisted, many of which with the 153rd Battalion in the first 3 months of the year. Of those; 44 worked for the railway, 23 for other businesses and 17 were farmers. Major labour shortages would have been the talk of the town, filling the gaps must have seemed nearly impossible.
Generally it was felt that the loss of employees in businesses or factories could easily be filled by men unable to serve or by women. However, for the railway, the large physical demands put on the employees greatly limited who could in fact do the job properly. For farmers, labour was already in short supply but other factors needed to be considered; Canadian farms were being expected to maximize their output and then increase it to points never achieved before. Labour was already in short supply, If you owned a farm you would either have to rent it out to someone else to ensure a steady income for your family or you would need someone to manage the farm for you. Many farmers can attest that the loss of even one person from your labour force caused huge hardships on everyone who remained.
In August of 1917 the Military Service Act was put into effect despite opposition from many segments of Canada, including farmers. The main argument was it was in the best interest of the Empire for farmers to continue the task of increasing output rather than picking up a gun. In response to the concerns it was decided to hold off enacting the law until October so the harvest could be completed. This was simply a stop gap, since the planting season for the spring of 1918 wasn't being considered. The government showed it was not disregarding the importance of food production entirely by establishing exemption tribunals.
Across Canada in 1917, out of a total of 404,395 men eligible for conscription under the Military Service Act, 380,510 requested exemptions. In all, by the end of 1917,over 278,000 exemptions had been granted. Within Palmerston 35 men were conscripted, 24 of which were farmers, because the records are not available yet, how many received exemptions isn't known.
The impact of the Military Service Act would have likely caused an uproar within the community, the situation was already dire, the labour shortage was increasingly difficult to deal with and this situation would just exasperate it even further. Whether the community had been divided or not over the matter is hard to say. It's quite possible some people were upset by the farmers reluctance to enlist, however it is more likely the community was sympathetic to their cause.
By the end of the war Palmerston contributed 76 railway employees, 48 farmers and 44 others; including Carpenters, Shoemakers, Bankers, Nurses and many more. Considering that those who enlisted or were conscripted in Palmerston made up over 50% of the community work force, it is hard to imagine how the community coped. When looking at all of the challenges being faced on the home front such as the labour shortage, you also need to factor in that many people volunteered for or contributed to war drives, fundraisers, and support efforts. Then adding the stresses of having a loved one in potential danger overseas, it is amazing many people in the community did not experience a physical or mental breakdown. The strain on the human spirit must have been enormous.
Despite all of this the community and country survived, the Town of Palmerston came out of the war with an even stronger sense of patriotism which was shown by the speed of having one of the first soldiers monuments erected in the area. The economic situation in the community seemed to settle and stabilize, businesses were thriving, the railway continued to grow and agricultural output prospered. Even with the impact of losing so many of their sons to the hellish war, Palmerston endured the challenges and came out of the Great War standing proud.