CGG Did you Know? CGG has several connections with the poem “In Flanders Fields

CGG Did you Know? 

CGG has several connections with the poem “In Flanders Fields”   

Written and researched by Michael A. Excerpt from “Fall in the Guards” written and researched by

Lieutenant Michael A. Hayes-Rivet Lt., (ret.) – excerpt from “Fall in the Guards”. 2024

In Flanders Fields ” is a war poem in the form of a rondeau, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres. There is no doubt about who wrote the poem, or where the inspiration came from, however, where the connection between Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae and The Canadian Grenadier Guards begins is with how the poem came to be published.

(Left): Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae – Author of Canada’s famous wartime poem “In Flander’s Fields” His Commanding Officer at the time he wrote the poem was a former Canadian Grenadier Guard.

(Middle): The Captain Tyndale-Lea copy – One of three original copies of “in Flanders Fields” – IWM Collection

(Right): Painting by F. L. Nicolet – “If Ye Break Faith – We Shall Not Sleep” – inspired by In Flanders fields, 1918 – Archives of Ontario War Poster Collection

TWO CGG OFFICERS CONNECTED TO THE PUBLICATION OF “IN FLANDERS FIELDS”

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Flanders_Fields#Poem

According to legend, the first possibility was that McCrae was not satisfied with his work. It is said he crumpled the paper and threw it away. It was retrieved by a fellow member of his unit, the either Sir Edward Whipple Bancroft Morrison, KCMG, CB, DSO, VD (a CGG officer in 1914) or Herbert Munro Elder, CBE, DSO, ED (a future CGG Officer and Brigadier General during WW2) or Sgt. Allinson (CFA Sgt. with no connection to CGG). The second possibility of the poem’s origin claimed that Lt. Helmer’s funeral was held on the morning of May 2, after which McCrae wrote the poem in 20 minutes. A third possibility, claimed by Morrison, McCrae’s CO at the time, was that McCrae worked on the poem as time allowed between arrivals of wounded soldiers in need of medical attention. Regardless of its true origin, McCrae worked on the poem for months before considering it ready for publication. Whoever was involved in retrieving successfully convinced McCrae to submit the poem for publication to The Spectator in London, but it was rejected. It was then sent to Punch, where it was published on December 8, 1915. It was published anonymously, but Punch attributed the poem to McCrae in its year-end index.

ONE OF THREE ORIGINAL COPIES OF “IN FLANDERS FIELDS” WAS GIFTED TO A CGG OFFICER

Source: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030007727

Source: John McCrae, his iconic poem In Flanders Fields and his ties to Montreal | Montreal Gazette

The second CGG connection with Lt.-Col. John McCrae and “In Flanders Fields” comes from the friendship between McRae and CGG Officer Captain Gilbert Tyndale-Lea MC. Captain Gilbert Lea-Tyndale, MC – an Officer who served with 1st Grenadier Guards of Canada as a Transport Sergeant prior to WW1 and later served with John McCrae in the CFA – was a recipient from McRae of the poem “In Flanders Fields”. Captain Lea- Tyndale, MC was one of 377 CGG Grenadier volunteers who enlisted with the 14th Battalion (RMR) CEF. He immediately transferred to the CFA during WW1 and was commissioned, earning a Military Cross (1917). Captain Tyndale-Lea served with and befriended Lt-Col McRae who was Major at the time he wrote his famous poem originally written on 29 April 1915.  One of three original copies known to exist of Major John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields”, Captain Tyndale-Lea’s copy is written self-titled letterhead and dated 29 April 1915. A holograph tracing, it is likely to have been made by Tyndale-Lea from directly from McCrae before his death in January 1918 in which the poet appears to have misremembered the wording. The letter (tracing) was apparently sent to the BBC after 1918 although no cover letter exists. The other two copies are in the McGill University’s Osler Library of the History of Medicine (Montreal) and One is written in McCrae’s own hand and included with a letter he sent in May 1916 to a friend in Cambridge, Mass. (USA).

CGG’s MODERN ERA CONNECTION WITH “IN FLANDERS FIELDS”

Source: https://globalnews.ca/news/2333770/handwritten-copy-of-in-flanders-field-remains-in-montreal-archives/

CGG’s connection with the famed poem “In Flanders Fields” includes two recent events. The first includes a 2009 event when The CGG Museum in 2009 proudly displayed as a permanent exhibit a beautiful stained glassed window painted by Gertrud Antoine Barwick which quoted Lt.-Col. John McRae’s famous poem.

More recent, in 2015, notable CGG Veteran and Canadian Journalist Michael Armstrong, (who served with The Canadian Grenadier Guards from1988-89) along with his fellow Global News journalist Nick Logan, co-wrote and filmed the episode “Handwritten copy of ‘In Flanders Fields’ remains in Montreal archives” featuring Montreal Professor and Military Historian David O’Keefe. The article discussed the importance of Lt.-Col. McRae and his famous Canadian Poem. Professor David O’Keefe (Retired Officer and Regimental Historian with Montreal’s famed Black Watch – RHC Royal Highlanders of Canada), is a well-known friend of The Regiment and has written many articles about CGG, including ‘Some Never Die’ A Project 44’ tribute to Sergeant Samuel ‘Moe’ Hurwitz, DCM, MM.

(Left): The CGG Museum – Stained glass window painted by Montreal artist Gertrude Antoine Barwick, 2009

(Middle):  Mary Hague-Yearl, Head Librarian, McGill University’s Osler Library with an original, poem “In Flanders Fields”, 2019 Montreal – photographed by Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette.

(Right): CGG Veteran and Canadian Journalist Michael Armstrong (CGG 88’-89’)

The Rooving Guardsman