Exhibit depicting Oxford's contribution to the Great War currently touring area museums
Recent death of local historian Robin Barker-James adds to the solemn recollections
By Mark
Schadenberg
“Reaction
and Recruitment: Oxford Goes to War”
That
is the name of a museum exhibit organized by the Woodstock Museum and
other county partners to commemorate 100 years since the First World
War (1914-18).
The
exhibit is currently at the Ingersoll Cheese and Agricultural Museum
on Harris Street in Ingersoll until June 21, and you can visit the
artifacts and pictures on Saturday, May 30 during Doors Open Oxford
(www.doorsopenoxford.ca).
The
collection will later shift to the Norwich & District Museum
(Stover Street North), June 26 – Sept 4. The show will be at the
Woodstock Museum National Historic Site from Sept. 15 – Nov. 1, and
then Nov. 8 – 30 at the Princeton museum.
The
Ingersoll museum will also host the provincial touring exhibit
callesd: Dear Sadie – Loves, Lives and Remembrance from Ontario's
First World War, July 2 – Aug. 31.
THE
GREAT WAR
A
century is a long-time to recall the event(s) that began the First
World War and escalated the battles to encompass such a large
geographical area. Canadians must recall and remember our role in the
war.
The
First World War – as historians will regale the story –
essentially erupted following the assassination on June 28, 1914 of
archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Ferdinand was an important
figure in Austria and Hungary. Even as I read back on accounts, it
seems – and I can always use additional clarification – rather
interesting that the Great War would begin after Ferdinand was killed
by what can essentially be called a rogue sect, which was called
Black Hand. In other words and by using terminology used often today,
he was assassinated by terrorists.
Exactly
one month later on July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary would declare war
on Serbia. Countries chose sides as Russia was an ally of Serbia . .
. and Germany was aligned with Austria-Hungary. Soon, France declared
war against Germany, and by Aug. 4 Britain also declared war on
Germany. With Britain now in the conflict, it was a quick corollary
to realize additional countries would also be part of the First World
War, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and others
which were dominions or colonies to Britain (England).
The
United States didn't join the war effort with troops until April of
1917.
Many
other countries also declared war or at least severed ties with other
nations, including several in South and Central America. For example,
Brazil would declare war on Germany in 1917. Japan and China both
declared war on Austria-Hungary and Germany.
Meanwhile,
Greece, Italy and Romania also fought against Austria-Hungary.
Volumes
of history books, and dare I say encyclopedias, write about the
various significant battles through to 1918. For Canadians, Belgium
was a country of focus, including the well-documented battles at what
is referred to as The Western Front – the various conflicts at
Ypres and Passchendaele.
Reading
archives on the internet is something I enjoy whether it's Canada's
role in world history or on the more entertaining side – sports.
DM
SUTHERLAND
The
www.oxfordremembers.ca
site is listing and promoting 100 events through to 2018 that will
recognize just about every contribution Oxford County made to those
war efforts and the history penned and compiled from the time. The
Oxford Rifles was a local militia and a local historic figure named
Donald Matheson Sutherland was tasked to sign up men for the war
enlistment from all of Oxford, but also the surrounding area. (I
still find it incredibly sad that the name Lieutenant-Colonel Dr. DM
Sutherland was taken off Winchester Street public school by the
Thames Valley school board but that's a tale to repeated on another
day in an entry specifically about this Canadian hero). Sutherland,
who died in 1970, was later a federal member of Parliament for
Oxford, beginning in 1925, and eventually named a cabinet member as
the minister of National Defence and then the federal Health
department.
DM Sutherland
Back
to the story at hand, the Oxford Remembers series website is a
resource everyone over the age of 15 should study and then plan on
attending some of the upcoming events.
There
is biographical material on soldiers and nurses from this area. There
are recollections of actual thoughts and feelings of the troops
through copies of postcards. Photographs, including pictures of
recruitment day in Tavistock and Woodstock's Victoria Park, are all
part of the website and fabric of Oxford's contributions to the war.
Oxford
County's war effort would include the 168th Overseas
Battalion – a group also known as 'Oxford's Own'.
ROBIN
BARKER-JAMES
Sadly,
back on April 21 of this year, Tillsonburg-based teacher and
historian Robin Barker-James died at the age of 59. Barker-James was
known for staging re-enactments of battles, including digging
trenches, so that his students could learn almost first-hand the
tragedies and turmoils of war.
The
Barker-James connection to Oxford Remembers is the fact that this
coming October, he had scheduled a trip to the Western Front to visit
and conduct a tour of Belgium, France and other countries.
Personally, I haven't been to Europe since I was 12 years old,
but apparently this once-in-a-lifetime trip was to include
still-existing trenches and forts, and European museums and
memorials.
Ironically,
but at the same time appropriately, on the same day as Doors Open
Oxford, there will be a public service to honour Robin Barker-James
in the Lions Auditorium at the Tillsonburg community centre at 10:30
a.m.
Robin Barker-James
DOORS
OPEN OXFORD
Today
(May 28), I made a quick trip to Ingersoll to walk through their
museum and chatted with curator Scott Gillies. During the Doors Open
Oxford event you can enjoy the 'sports theme' memorabilia on display,
including a terrific tribute to Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
inductee Oscar Judd (1908 – 1995) and additional old trophies,
jerseys, team photos, plaques, plus a prominent display of an
Ingersoll man who rode his bicycle through more than 30 countries.
The
Ingersoll museum as I noted above is currently hosting the Oxford
Remembers exhibit as well.
For more info on this program, dial 519 842-2294.
LINKS:
http://www.1047.ca/news/local-news/they-still-have-names-event-traces-oxfords-roots-in-the-great-war/
http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/2013/11/11/oxford-remembers-itswn
http://www.heroesofzorra.ca/index.php/veterans/embro/item/sutherland-donald-matheson
www.oxfordcreativeconnections.com
Mark
Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior
Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal
LePage Triland Realty
757
Dundas St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519)
537-1553, cell or text
Email:
mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter:
markroyallepage
Facebook:
Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
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