Acknowledgements

We’d like to thank some of the BC historians who covered this ground before us. There is no better account of British Columbia during the war years than the chapters in Margaret Ormsby’s British Columbia: A History. She wrote that book in 1958 but it still stands out for its insights. Patricia Roy helped us with her book Boundless Optimism: Richard McBride’s British Columbia. The late Terry Reksten’s Illustrated History of British Columbia has a wonderful chapter on wartime BC. Jean Barman graciously agreed to contribute to our chapter on women in wartime. Maureen Duffus led the way on nursing sisters. Andrea Malysh in Vernon reviewed and assisted with background on the internment camp chapter. Michael Kluckner and Nelson Riis brought Walhachin back to life. Teacher Dianne Rabel and her students contributed stories and kept sending ideas from Prince Rupert. Greg Nesteroff was generous with his writing from the Kootenays. Sue Dahlo sent wonderful stories and photos from the Boundary country. Chuck Tasaka in Nanaimo and Linda Reid in Vancouver helped with the Japanese-Canadian story. To Lorne Adamson in Vernon and Brian Milthorp from Quesnel, thanks for research and transcriptions. To Cam Cathcart and Nick Cheng, thanks for helping us with regimental history. To Peter Broznitsky and our friends at the Western Front Association, keep up the good work. Thanks to Floyd Low and the folks at the 54th, and Don Stewart at McLeod’s Books, who shared his expertise. Colin Preston at the CBC Archives in Vancouver was always there for us. Carolyn Webber in Victoria was our go-to expert on research issues and always found treasure. Thanks to Julie Ferguson for her offering on Canada’s first submarines, and to Peter Johnson, who told us about the virtually unknown Chinese Labour Corps. Katherine Palmer Gordon provided context for aboriginal soldiers, and maritime historian David W. Griffiths sent us stories on the sinking of HMCS Galiano and the hospital ship Llandovery Castle. Simon Fraser University piper Kevin MacLean shared his experiences in Europe, where he honoured Piper James Richardson and others lost in battle. Thank you, Robert Taylor, author of The Ones Who Have to Pay: The Soldiers– Poets of Victoria BC in the Great War 1914–1918, and Mel Rothenburger of Kamloops for his thoughts on aboriginal war hero George McLean. And thanks to Wade Davis who has written so eloquently about the Western Front in Into the Silence.

The authors would like to thank the staff at Harbour Publishing for guiding us through another project. Stephen Ullstrom was a wizard at locating numerous archival images; our patient and wise editor Maureen Nicholson kept asking all the right questions.

Mark would like to thank his BC Almanac producer Anne Penman for allowing him the time to dig into this project. Our families have been patient and tried to prevent us from becoming “war bores.” On that point, we hope they were successful.

Mark Forsythe and Greg Dickson

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