'Une Permission! C'est bon pour une recrue': Discipline and Illegal Absences in the 22nd (French-Canadian) Battalion, 1915-1919

摘要

This article explores two issues relating to the Canadian experience during the First World War, but more specifically, to that of the 22nd (French-Canadian) Battalion (commonly referred to as the "Van Doos"). It first considers the assumption that the 22nd Battalion suffered from a disciplinary problem. By examining the disciplinary records of the other three battalions of the 5th Brigade (the brigade of which the "Van Doos were a part) and comparing them to that of the 22nd Battalion, this article conclusively demonstrates that the unit did suffer from a disciplinary problem. This article also examines the causes of the unit's disciplinary problems. Evidence suggests that poor morale was the likely cause.