Estevan-area men served with many units that made up the Canadian Expeditionary Force, including some who sailed in the fall of 1914.
Two infantry battalions were raised in the area. The 46th Battalion, raised in late 1915, reached France in August 1916 and fought at Vimy, Passchendale, and in the Hundred Days campaign. The 152nd Battalion, recruited in early 1916, was ultimately broken up to serve as reinforcements, primarily for the Fifth Battalion. But area men served in not only the various infantry battalions, but also the flying corps, medical corps, artillery, and railway troops.
Our war memorials are eloquent testimony to the service of those who gave their lives.
Most soldiers were able to return home, although often marked by their service. By the spring of 1918, returning veterans were not uncommon. Every month a few veterans returned, most having been wounded at the front and declared unfit for further service.
In March 1918, there were enough returned men in Estevan to form a branch of the Great War Veterans’ Association, predecessor of the Royal Canadian Legion. Unfortunately, some of the area’s wounded men faced lengthy recoveries at the military hospitals in Moose Jaw or Regina.
Those at home worked for the war in their own ways. Residents were generous with their time and energy, meeting weekly to make goods for the Red Cross’ work with wounded men. On the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the women of Estevan collected jam for the men recovering in Saskatchewan military hospitals.
Fundraisers were also held, including dances, whist drives, and curling tournaments. Estevan also supported the Canadian Patriotic Fund, which provided for the dependents of overseas soldiers, and Estevan MLA George Bell was treasurer of the provincial organization.
The area exceeded its targets in the Victory Loan campaign, helping fund the war through the sale of war bonds, and the 1918 YMCA Red Triangle campaign, which provided recreation huts for soldiers.
Agriculture was also mobilized. Britain was dependent on imports to feed its population and the millions of soldiers, including Canadians, and Canada was a major supplier. In March 1918, Estevan formed a Feed the Fighters Committee to prevent the shortage of farm labour from hindering production.
It suggested adapting the school year to begin in October, freeing up youth to help with the harvest. Women were also urged to conserve food, cook more fish (a suggestion that did not prove popular), and plant gardens.
Without television or radio, Estevan residents learned of the Armistice the morning of November 11 by phone and telegraph. An armistice had been erroneously announced a few days earlier, but that did not diminish the joy and excitement felt now that the war was really over.
Not even the Spanish flu epidemic, which was only beginning to subside, kept people from gathering to celebrate. A city holiday was swiftly proclaimed and a parade was organized. Speeches were made, and cheers given for the work that had been done by the soldiers, sailors and women.
Then three silent cheers were given for the fallen.
Editor’s note: Melissa Davidson is a former Estevan resident who is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Ottawa.
