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Each November, Poppies blossom on the lapels and collars of over half
of Canada’s entire population. Since 1921, the Poppy has stood as a
symbol of Remembrance, our visual pledge to never forget all those
Canadians who have fallen in war and military operations. The Poppy
also stands internationally as a “symbol of collective reminiscence”,
as other countries have also adopted its image to honour those who
have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
This significance of the Poppy can be traced to international
origins.
The association of the Poppy to those who had been killed in war
has existed since the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, over 110
years before being adopted in Canada. There exists a record from that
time of how thickly Poppies grew over the graves of soldiers in the
area of Flanders, France. This early connection between the Poppy and
battlefield deaths described how fields that were barren before the
battles exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended.
Just prior to the First World War, few Poppies grew in Flanders.
During the tremendous bombardments of that war, the chalk soils became
rich in lime from rubble, allowing “popaver rhoes” to thrive. When the
war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed and the Poppy began to
disappear again.
The person who was responsible more than any other for the adoption
of the Poppy as a symbol of Remembrance in Canada and the Commonwealth
was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer during
the First World War.
 Lieutenant-Colonel
McCrae was born on 30 November 1872 in Guelph, Ontario. At age 14, he
joined the Highfield Cadet Corps and, three years later, enlisted in
the Militia field battery. While attending the University of Toronto
Medical School, he was a member of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.
With Britain declaring war on Germany on 4 August 1914, Canada’s
involvement was automatic. John McCrae was among the first wave of
Canadians who enlisted to serve and he was appointed as brigade
surgeon to the First Brigade of the Canadian Forces Artillery.
In April 1915, John McCrae was stationed near Ypres, Belgium, the
area traditionally called Flanders. It was there, during the Second
Battle of Ypres, that some of the fiercest fighting of the First World
War occurred. Working from a dressing station on the banks of the Yser
Canal, dressing hundreds of wounded soldiers from wave after wave of
relentless enemy attack, he observed how “we are weary in body and
wearier in mind. The general impression in my mind is of a nightmare.”
In May, 1915, on the day following the death of fellow soldier Lt
Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, John McCrae wrote his now famous work, an
expression of his anguish over the loss of his friend and a reflection
of his surroundings – wild Poppies growing amid simple wooden crosses
marking makeshift graves. These 15 lines, written in 20 minutes,
captured an exact description of the sights and sounds of the area
around him.
Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae left Ypres with these memorable few
lines scrawled on a scrap of paper. His words were a poem which
started, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow…” Little did he know
then that these 15 lines would become enshrined in the innermost
thoughts and hearts of all soldiers who hear them. Through his words,
the scarlet Poppy quickly became the symbol for soldiers who died in
battle.
The poem was first published on 8 December 1915 in England,
appearing in “Punch” magazine.
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In Flanders fields the
poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark
our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing,
fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the
Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing
hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If
ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though
poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae
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His poem speaks of Flanders fields, but the subject is universal –
the fear of the dead that they will be forgotten, that their death
will have been in vain. Remembrance, as symbolized by the Poppy, is
our eternal answer which belies that fear.
Sadly, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae died of pneumonia at
Wimereux, France on 28 January 1918. He was 45 years old.
For more music and information,
visit
the Remembrance Music
section of this site
An American teacher, Moina Michael, while working at the YMCA
Overseas War Secretaries’ headquarters in New York City in November
1918, read John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields”. She immediately
made “a personal pledge to keep the faith and vowed always to wear a
red poppy of Flanders Fields as a sign of remembrance and as an emblem
for keeping the faith with all who died".
Two years later, during a 1920 visit to the United States, a French
woman, Madame Guerin, learned of the custom. On her return to France,
she decided to use handmade Poppies to raise money for the destitute
children in war-torn areas of the country. Following the example
of Madame Guerin, the Great War Veterans’ Association in Canada (the
predecessor of The Royal Canadian Legion) officially adopted the Poppy
as its Flower of Remembrance on 5 July 1921.
Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear the Legion’s lapel
Poppy each November, the little red plant has never died. And neither
have Canadian’s memories for 117,000 of their countrymen who died in
battle.
At 0530 hours on the morning of 9 April 1917, the Battle of Vimy
Ridge began, marking an important milestone in our military history.
For the next few days, Canadian troops fought relentlessly, braving
enemy forces, a heavily-fortified ridge and the weather. This battle
was significant; not only was it a resounding success for Canada but,
in the words of Brigadier-General A.E. Ross, it marked the “birth of a
nation”. No longer would Canada be overshadowed by the military
strength of her allies. This battle had proven Canada’s ability as a
formidable force in the theatre of war.
The bravery, discipline and sacrifice that Canadian troops displayed
during those few days are now legendary. The battle represented a
memorable unification of our personnel resources as troops from all
Canadian military divisions, from all parts of Canada and from all
walks of life, joined to collectively overcome the powerful enemy at
considerable odds. Our troops united to defeat adversity and a
military threat to the world.
Now, decades later, Canadians stand united in their Remembrance as
they recognize and honour the selfless acts of our troops from all
wars. We realize that it is because of our war veterans that we exist
as a proud and free nation.
Today, when people from all parts of Canada and from all walks of
life join together in their pledge to never forget, they choose to
display this collective reminiscence by wearing a Poppy. They stand
united as Canadians sharing a common history of sacrifice and
commitment.
The lapel Poppies that are worn in Canada today were first made,
beginning in 1922, by disabled veterans under the sponsorship of the
Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment. Until 1996, Poppy
material was made at the “Vetcraft” sheltered workshops run by
Veterans Affairs Canada in Montreal and Toronto. The work provided a
small source of income for disabled ex-service persons and their
dependants, allowing them to take an active part in maintaining the
tradition of Remembrance.
When it no longer became practical for Veterans Affairs Canada to
maintain the “Vetcraft” operations, the Legion volunteered to take on
the continuing responsibility for the production of Poppies. In
so doing, Dominion Command has awarded a production contract to a
private company to produce the Poppies but all operations are
conducted under strict Legion control and oversight.
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