Canada entered World War I on August 4, 1914, when the United Kingdom declared war on Germany. Canada showed solidarity to the United Kingdom by also declaring war.
Our neighbors to the north were embroiled in the conflict several years before the United States joined the hostilities. For a variety of reasons, many Americans chose not to remain neutral and enlisted in the military forces of Canada. It is estimated that as many as thirty-five thousand Americans took up arms by enlisting in Canada. Taking up arms for a foreign nation could result in the loss of American citizenship, so many of the first Americans to enlist hid their citizenship from Canadian recruiters. The recruiters, desperate to sign up fresh troops, knew not to press the matter. As American support for the war grew, American enlistment into Canadian units became more accepted. Even after the United States declared war in 1917, most Americans who had enlisted stayed with their Canadian units.
On this date in 1915, the Dickinson Press reported the story of a North Dakotan praised for his bravery during the sinking of the hospital ship Anglia. The Anglia had served as a ferry prior to the war. It was a speedy ship, making it ideal for transporting the wounded from France to Britain. On the morning of November 17, 1915, the Anglia left Boulogne harbor bound for Britain, carrying sick and injured soldiers. About noon, she struck a mine that ruptured a hole near the bow. Private Geddes of the 90th Winnipeg Rifles was on board. He was from Galt, North Dakota, and his sister lived in Dickinson. Rather than immediately abandoning ship, Geddes rushed to procure lifebelts for those who couldn’t help themselves. As the ship continued to list, Geddes jumped into the water. A fellow aboard drew attention to Geddes’ refusal to abandon ship until the last moment. However, Geddes chose to highlight the heroism of the nurses.
Although other ships quickly arrived to assist with rescue, the loss of life was significant. Four hundred officers, one nurse, and one hundred twenty-nine enlisted men were lost. Geddes remarked that while German shells and bullets were bad enough, “for real nerve-wracking horror, a mined or torpedoed hospital ship beats everything else.”
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Dickinson Press. “Private Geddes’ Bravery.” Dickinson ND. 12/11/1915. Page 1
- Active History. “Crossing Borders during Canada’s First World War.” https://activehistory.ca/blog/2015/02/24/an-american-legion-in-the-cef-crossing-borders-during-canadas-first-world-war/ Accessed 10/30/2024.
- Dawlish Chronicles. “The Loss of the Hospital Ship HMHS Anglia, November 15, 1915.” https://dawlishchronicles.com/2019/03/19/hmhs-anglia-loss-november-1915/ Accessed 10/30/2024.
- Britannica. “Lusitania.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lusitania-British-ship Accessed 10/30/2024.
