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Merry Hell: The Story of the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Regiment), Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919
Merry Hell is the only complete history of the 25 th Canadian infantry battalion, which was recruited in the autumn and winter of 1914-15 and served overseas from spring 1915 until spring 1919. Author Robert N Clements, who served in the battalion throughout that period and rose from private to captain, wrote the story many years after the war, based on his personal memories and experiences. As such, his story reflects two unique perspectives on Canadian military history - the remarkably fresh recollections and anecdotes of a veteran, and the outlook of a man eager to share what his generation contributed to the nation's history, character, and identity. Professional military historian Brian Douglas Tennyson buttresses Clements's story with a valuable critical apparatus, including an analytical introduction that contextualizes the history and notes that explain unfamiliar points and people. Merry Hell is a captivating tale for those who enjoy stories of war and battle, and one that will entertain readers with Clements's richly colourful anecdotes and witty poems, none of which have been published before.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published December 19, 2012
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February 10, 2017
Captain Clements wrote his personal firsthand account of experiences down and Mr. Tennyson compiles for us the edited account of the ranks of one of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces Nova Scotia Regiment’s 25th Battalion that served during the Great War. Ranks that were filled with boys of the Canadian heartland from the Maritime Provinces through the Canadian heartland to the Northwest Territory and Province of British Columbia; the shores of New Foundland that was its own country at the time, and boys that were swayed from the States of New England in neutral U.S.A. This part of the story begins with what we know, young boys who had dreams and some experiences of the era; however, boys that would spill their youth on fields of Belgian Flanders and France. Canada became a country in the bloody battle of the Vimy Ridge and paid the price along-side the British Expeditionary Forces during the horrendous Battle of the Somme.
Captain Clements begins as a Private but is quickly promoted to Quarter Master (QM) Sergeant based on his previous experience as a banker with the Bank of Montréal – in these days’ soldiers had to be paid and NCO’s weren’t specifically trained in dealing with so much money to pay the masses; soldiers with banking experience are obvious targets of quick promotion based on need. Make no mistake, whether Private, Sergeant, or Captain – Mr. Clements is a “grunt” and experiences the full effect of the meaning of the word to the end of the war. So, the commonalities begin for the ages as recorded to History previously and forward to this time. This account is a personal testament and focused to the efforts, early struggles of training and equipment to a nation that went to war to support His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom. The time old struggles included the normal efforts of reigning in exuberant youth and training them to become an effective machine of fighting – nothing has changed but Captain Clements is focused on the efforts of what Military Historians have always read regardless of the era, war, Generals at the top, or the men who served in the common ranks. These brave Canadian Soldiers are no different from any other; and, like many were proud to serve their country in time of need.
Captain Clements provides brief “flash forward” to events of interest early in the book; however, he doesn’t linger there long and is very focused at bringing the reader to the chronology of the events as he recalled them to which Mr. Tennyson had verified accordingly. Mr. Tennyson, in my opinion, edited a masterpiece for persons like myself that enjoy Military History and the struggles of the common soldier. “Citizen Soldier” as Mr. Clements wrote of his comrades is a term most are familiar with to the next generation; it was correctly applied here as well in one short sentence of reflection. The common professional Soldier will appreciate the “Latrine Gazette”, the cold food, the inclimate weather, the occasional warmth of the sun, and the effective detail of battles as experienced by Canadian Soldiers during this war. The 25th Battalion of the Nova Scotia Regiment left the shores of Halifax on 20 May 1915; then returned to the same on 15 May 1919. Forever changed these men were a part of the larger “Lost Generation” expended on the fields of Flanders, Somme, Vimy Ridge, and the Last 100 Days to which the Canadian Expeditionary Forces showed extensive bravery along the British, Australian, New Zealand, French, and American Forces. Great book – thoroughly enjoyed the straight forward approach, a book important to the “Lost Generation” of men on the battle fields across the Western Front.
Captain Clements begins as a Private but is quickly promoted to Quarter Master (QM) Sergeant based on his previous experience as a banker with the Bank of Montréal – in these days’ soldiers had to be paid and NCO’s weren’t specifically trained in dealing with so much money to pay the masses; soldiers with banking experience are obvious targets of quick promotion based on need. Make no mistake, whether Private, Sergeant, or Captain – Mr. Clements is a “grunt” and experiences the full effect of the meaning of the word to the end of the war. So, the commonalities begin for the ages as recorded to History previously and forward to this time. This account is a personal testament and focused to the efforts, early struggles of training and equipment to a nation that went to war to support His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom. The time old struggles included the normal efforts of reigning in exuberant youth and training them to become an effective machine of fighting – nothing has changed but Captain Clements is focused on the efforts of what Military Historians have always read regardless of the era, war, Generals at the top, or the men who served in the common ranks. These brave Canadian Soldiers are no different from any other; and, like many were proud to serve their country in time of need.
Captain Clements provides brief “flash forward” to events of interest early in the book; however, he doesn’t linger there long and is very focused at bringing the reader to the chronology of the events as he recalled them to which Mr. Tennyson had verified accordingly. Mr. Tennyson, in my opinion, edited a masterpiece for persons like myself that enjoy Military History and the struggles of the common soldier. “Citizen Soldier” as Mr. Clements wrote of his comrades is a term most are familiar with to the next generation; it was correctly applied here as well in one short sentence of reflection. The common professional Soldier will appreciate the “Latrine Gazette”, the cold food, the inclimate weather, the occasional warmth of the sun, and the effective detail of battles as experienced by Canadian Soldiers during this war. The 25th Battalion of the Nova Scotia Regiment left the shores of Halifax on 20 May 1915; then returned to the same on 15 May 1919. Forever changed these men were a part of the larger “Lost Generation” expended on the fields of Flanders, Somme, Vimy Ridge, and the Last 100 Days to which the Canadian Expeditionary Forces showed extensive bravery along the British, Australian, New Zealand, French, and American Forces. Great book – thoroughly enjoyed the straight forward approach, a book important to the “Lost Generation” of men on the battle fields across the Western Front.
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