The Valour and The Horror

This has absolutely nothing to do with books or writing or anything of the things you’d expect to find on my website but I just had to post a little something about the 95th anniversary of The Battle of Vimy Ridge. It was a great and defining victory for Canada’s young army in The First World War.

I’m currently writing a mystery that takes place during World War Two – not The Great War – but I’m somewhat obsessed by anything about the Canadian military. As a result, I cry a lot. It kills me to think of all those young men – no, teenagers – heading off to fight and maybe die for their country.

My husband’s grandfather – the young, newly-married Capt Hugh McLaughlin of the 48th Highland Regiment of Canada – was part of the first wave to go over the top at the battle of Vimy Ridge. He was wounded, either there or in another battle, but re-enlisted after he’d recovered. Not surprisingly, his grandchildren thought the fist-sized bullet hole in his shoulder was the coolest thing ever.

Why do I love this stuff? As a mother and pacifist, I’m horrified by war. But as an author?..Honour, courage, cowardice, evil, love, adventure – it’s irresistible. The Canadian Army hits the nail on its head with its slogan: “There’s no life like it”.