Why the untold stories of WWII matter
Mark Zuehlke is known as one of Canada’s best military historians. In his Canadian Battle Series, he researches lesser-known episodes in Canadian military history. We asked Zuehlke about his latest book in the series, Cinderella Campaign, and why talking about history is as important as ever.
Leslie Thompson: When and how did you become so interested in Canadian military history?
Mark Zuehlke: My interest dates back to when I was a young boy and my great uncle Fred would come to visit. He’d lost an arm at Vimy Ridge, and because he worked with helping WWII veteran amputees learn to cope with this he was not reluctant to talk about his war experiences. And I was enthralled and recognized that these stories were important beyond just his personal experiences. He was talking for a generation.
LT: What was your inspiration to create the battle series?
MZ: It all started in a legion in Kelowna, many years ago and far away, as they say, [with] me — a twenties-some chap who thinks he knows a lot about Canadian military history — listening to two Loyal Edmonton Regiment vets talking about Ortona. And I knew nothing about this battle, so I went looking for a book on it. And none was to be found beyond a couple where [the battle] appears in overview works on the whole Italian campaign. Somebody needs to write a book about this, I grumbled. Then [I] thought, “I’m a journalist, I have a history BA, I know a bit about military history. So why not me?” And the rest is history. Ortona was successful, it became a Canadian bestseller, and this gave me the courage to continue. I’m fortunate to have a publisher who also believes this is important.
LT: There are an incredible number of books in the series — what motivates you to keep writing them?
MZ: I feel the history of Canada’s army in WWII has been very neglected, particularly by historians in our Allied nations, but also here at home. Many of these books are about battles that have been largely forgotten, and I see it as a duty really to bring them back into the light of our national consciousness.
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LT: Can you tell us why the First Canadian Army thought of themselves as the “Cinderella Army?”
MZ: As they came out of Normandy they were given the tough job of guarding the Allied left flank by advancing up the coast. This was rougher terrain than the British or Americans were encountering inland, so they moved slow while the other two were swanning along. Americans liberated Paris, Brits [liberated] Brussels. At the same time the Americans and British had priority on transport and supply. [The Canadians] were told to do the grunt work, given precious little to work with, and [they] got no glory! Sort of like Cinderella — so Canadian officers started calling themselves the Cinderella Army.
LT: Unfortunately, we are starting to lose the last of the Greatest Generation. Were you able to speak to any First Army veterans?
MZ: Only two for this book. But fortunately there were a lot of interviews in other collections that I was able to draw on, and there were a lot of reports and interviews with soldiers collected by the army at the time or shortly thereafter. So there was no shortage of material. Thousands of documents actually.
LT: In a day and age where history seems to be repeating itself, why do you think teaching it is important?
MZ: That’s why. If we are to understand and competently make decisions about events that are happening today, we have to do so in an informed context. The study of history gives us that context whereby our decision-making can be more informed. Or at least that’s the ideal! The Canadian Army called this process “Lessons Learned.” And our politicians should be looking at those lessons as well.
Photo courtesy of Mark Zuehlke