My name is Matt Barrett- historian, animator, illustrator, and caricaturist. I hold a PhD in history from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Beginning in the centenary year of the First World War, I started this blog to detail the biographies, experiences and personalities of each and every CEF battalion commander. Check out my YouTube Animations.

I am author of Scandalous Conduct: Canadian Officer Courts Martial, 1914–45 (UBC Press, 2022). I am co-author and illustrator of Through Their Eyes: A Graphic History of Hill 70 and the First World War (MQUP, 2022).

Archive of All Posts:
-- Lt-Col. Bullen-Smith Lt-Col. Reeve Maj. Conyers Lt-Col. Prowse Lt-Col. White The Royal Canadians Lt. Col. Mathias & Maj. Bernard Lt. Col. Woodruffe Lt. Col. Forbes-Robertson Lt. Col. Hadow Lt. Col. Burton Lt. Col. Clegg Lt. Col. Franklin Lt. Col. Flick Brig-Gen. Sweny Lt. Col. Wilson Lt. Col. Jamieson Lt. Col. Goodday The Golfer Maj. Pearson Lt. Col. Phinney The Scout Master Brig. Gen. MacBrien Lt. Col. W.H. Bell The Blue Bomber Lt. Col. Mills Maj. Gen. MacDougall Maj. Gen. Steele Lt. Col. Pragnell Lt. Gen. Turner The Scapegoat The Vimy Pilgrim Lt. Col. Lalor The Swede The Veteran Advocate Lt. Col. Wilkin Lt. Col. MacLeod Lt. Col. Newcomen Lt. Col. Scroggie Lt. Col. Semmens Maj. Gen. Burstall Lt. Col. Worthington Lt. Col. Sissons Brig. Gen. Smart Brig. Gen. Elmsley Col. Nelles Lt. Col. Walkem Lt. Col. Leonard Lt. Col. Watt Lt. Col. Macdonald Lt. Col. W.A. Munro Col. Moore Lt. Col. Bradshaw Col. MacDonald Lt. Col. Ripley Lt. Col. Jones The Widower The Other Ranker Lt. Col. McCombe Lt. Col. Fisher Lt. Col. Burland 3rd Infantry Battalion 2nd Infantry Battalion 1st Infantry Battalion Lt. Col. Docherty Maj. Dupuis The Deadbeat Maj. Gen. Macdonell Lt. Col. MacDonald Lt. Gen. Alderson Dismissal at Hill 70 Lt. Col. Sutherland The Boer Veteran Lt. Col. Harstone Brig. Gen. Hervey Lt. Col. McMordie Hon. Capt. Burnham & Lt. Col. Johnston Col. Landry Lt. Col. Lavergne Lt. Col. Malone Lt. Col. Beaubier The Logger The Lumber King Lt. Col. Gordon Lt. Col. S.F. Smith Lt. Col. Patterson Lt. Col. Stevenson The Chronicler Lt. Col. G.H. Kirkpatrick Lt. Col. Laws The Flag Hugger The Builder The Aphasic The Son-in-Law Lt. Col. A.D. Cameron Lt. Col. Nelles Lt. Col. Mackay The Publisher Maj. Eaton Lt. Col. Lightfoot Lt. Col. Rowland Dishonoured Cheques Lt. Col. Willets Maj. Hatch Brig. Gen. Hayter Maj. Elmitt Lt. Col. Pense Through Their Eyes book trailer The Anti-Ku Kluxer Lt. Col. Fowler, MP Maj. Rankin The Viking Lt. Col. Green Lt. Col. McLelan Lt. Col. Moodie Lt. Col. Rexford Lt. Col. Ketcheson Lt. Col. Vesconte & Maj. Mitchell Lt. Col. Pelly Lt. Col. Worsnop Lt. Col. Kirkpatrick Lt. Col. Reed Lt. Col. Street Lt. Col. Paquet Lt. Col. Smart The Postmaster Lt. Col. Dubuc Lt. Col. Combe The Penny Pincher Lt. Col. Piuze The Flu Victim The Adventurer The Vanished Officer The Nervous Officer Maj. Vanderwater Lt. Cols. Cowan and McPherson Maj. Gen. Loomis Lt. Col. Ritchie Lt. Col. Frost Lt. Col. Alexander Lt. Col. Hodson Lt. Col. Yates Lt. Col. Swift Lt. Col. Langford Lt. Col. Bruce Lt. Col. Parsons Lt. Col. W.R. Smyth, MP Lt. Col. Leach Lt. Col. Jones Lt. Col. W.O. Smyth Victoria Cross at Ypres Lt. Col. Robinson Lt. Col. N. Smith Lt. Col. Reid Lt. Col. Grant Lt. Col. Bruce Lt. Col. Fee Lt. Col. Bowen The Acadian Lt. Col. Scobell Lt. Col. Genet Lt. Col. Chisholm Lt. Col. Winsby Lt. Col. Miller Vimy Ridge Gas Raid, Part II Vimy Ridge Gas Raid, Part I Lt. Col. White, MP The Senator Lt. Col. Tremain, MP Lt. Col. Allen, Part III Lt. Col. Allen, Part II Lt. Col. Allen, Part I The Anti-German Lt. Col. Spencer Lt. Col. Ryan The Cashiered The Social Drinker Lt. Col. Rose Lt. Col. McPhee Lt. Col. Ralston The Executioner Lt. Col. Sparling Lt. Col. Towers Lt. Col. Ross Lt. Col. Montgomery-Campbell Lt. Col. Farquhar Lt. Col. Page Lt. Col. Keegan Lt. Col. Cantlie Lt. Col. Latta Maj. Bond Lt. Col. Harwood Brig. Gen. Ormond Lt. Col. Watson Lt. Col. Gilson Lt. Col. Gardner Lt. Col. Bickerdike Lt. Col. Chandler The Prisoner Lt. Col. Riley Lt. Col. Edwards Lt. Col. Grassie Lt. Col. Holmes Lt. Col. Rogers Lt. Col. MacFarlane Lt. Col. Hulme Lt. Col. Ings Lt. Col. Fearman The Scoundrel Lt. Col. Mersereau Lt. Col. Pratt Lt. Col. Vicars Lt. Col. Dawson Lt. Col. Weaver Lt. Col. Milne Lt. Col. McMeans Lt. Col. Ewing Lt. Col. E.W. MacDonald Lt. Col. Gunn Maj. Coote Lt. Col. Perry Lt. Col. Rhoades Lt. Col. Arthurs, M.P. Lt. Col. Taylor, M.P. Lt. Col. Bradbury, M.P. Lt. Col. Stanfield, M.P. Lt. Col. Price, M.P.P. Lt. Col. Blondin Brig. Gen. Griesbach The Biographer Lt. Col. Sinclair Brig. Gen. Ketchen Lt. Col. Tait Lt. Col. Hamilton Hon. Col. Cockshutt, M.P Lt. Col. Powley Lt. Col. Wright Lt. Col. DesRosiers The Clerk The Cricketer The Chief The Idler The Voter The Prohibitionist The Vilified Canadian Military History Article The Farmer The Fabricator The Old Man The Favourite Son The Industrialist The Civil Servant The Pal The Son of a Bitch The Missing The Bespectacled Colonel Runaway The Councillor The Court Martialled The Conducting Officer The Enabler The Auditor The Governor General The Banker’s Son The Athlete The Francophone The Customs Collector The Forger The Orangeman The Neuro-Psychiatrist The Anti-Intellectual The Fundraiser The Pawn The Flax Seeder The Mink Breeder The Brother The Co-operator The Gurkha The Trench Raider The Bookkeeper The Bald The Leader The Physician The Sure Shot The Kiltie The Unsinkable The Public Defender The Husband The Architect The Spy The Conscriptionist The Benefactor The Piano Salesman The Elder The Sawmiller The Brockvillian The Hardnosed The Gardener The Seigneur The Exonerated The Bankrupt The Surveyor The Meteorologist The Redeemed The Incompetent The Capitalist The Expendable The One-Armed The Mountie The Old-Fashioned The Despised The Philanderer The Preacher The Stock Broker The Indian Fighter The Band Leader The Worn-Out The Mountain Climber The Man Among Boys The Hockey Pioneer The Bulldog The Birthday Boy The Queen’s Own The Ironman The Tory The Disgruntled The Tax Man The Niagara Guard The Liaison The Monocle The Dragoon The Knight The Retiree The Opposition The War Hero The Last Call The Stand-patter The Labour Man The Lieutenant Governor The Red-Baiter The Heavyweight Champ The Pioneer The Double Colonels The Engineer The Ambassador The Londoner The Poultry Farmer The Soldier o’ Fortune The Quiet Man The Interned Lt. Col. A.W. Sparling The Aggrieved The Subaltern The First The Schemer The Regimental The Erased The Millennial The Gambler The Oxfordian The Accident-Prone The Millionaire The Judge The Concussed The Burnt Out The Silent Member The Sidelined The Newspaperman The Town Founder The Militiaman The Usurped The Royal Marine The Anti-Bolshevik The Hotelman The Ruthless The Public Servant The Ranger The Nobleman The Victoria Cross The Imperialist The Patriot The Flagbearer The Labourer The Maverick The Superhuman The Independent The Lawyer The Shame Monger The Immortalized The Chemist The Also Ran The Vindicator The Jack-of-All-Trades The Kentuckian The United Farmer The Defence Minister The Methodist The Veteran The Best Friend The Police Chief The Old Timer & The Whippersnapper The ’85er The Home Wrecker The Westerner The Anti-Prohibitionist The Arsenalist The Giant The Prisoner The Americanist The Ypres Three The Commander The Fruit Farmer The Bug The Father The Cemetery Keeper The Nazi-Watcher The Adjutant General The Irishman The Shopkeeper The Imposter The Legacy The Bermudan The Fatalist The Young Man The Horseman The Polo Player The Grand Master The Cadet Instructor The Welshman The Northman The Liberal The Coach The Boulton Boys The Druggist The Party Hack The Doc The Homesteader The Currie Advocate The Divorced The Warden The Marksman The Military Scientist The Blue Blood The Little Fellow The Partisan The Boer Beater The Accountant The Ross Rifleman The Fisherman The Manly Man The Steeplechaser The Unforgotten The Lil’ Colonel The Hometown Hero The Fearless The Pensioner The Grenadier The Recruiter Father Christmas The Reverter The Brown Brothers The Complaisant The Clear Grit A Coroner, a Doctor and a Mailman The Broken-Hearted The Overlooked The Undeterred The Irish Champion The Minister The Animal Lover The Unionist The Rifleman The Private The Shell Shocked The Myth Maker The General The Brooklyner The Undead The Mayor Another Sportsman The Sportsman The Diarist The Aristocrat The Old Soldier The Hockeyist The Park Ranger The Blinded The Unlucky The Dentist The Toothless The Professional The Berserker The Principal The Brantford Brothers The School Builder The Ringleader The Commandant The Home Guard The Troublemakers The King’s Own The Gassed The One-Eyed The Princess & The Guardsman The Unpopular The Scion The Operagoer The Amputee The Good Neighbour The Railway Tycoon The Fighter The Rancher The Moustache The Clergyman The Cavalryman The Ice Man The Mercenary The Grandson The Professor Colonels of the Canadian Expeditionary Force

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