Episode 37 – The Hidden Army: French Canadians in the Great War

Episode 37, is the third of a three-part series where the Rum Ration Podcast works to correct the myth of French-Canadian reluctance in the world wars. Social scientist and Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Garon joins the hosts for this episode to explain how the record-keeping in the First World War itself made francophone service “invisible”: CEF attestation papers never captured first language, so researchers leaned on crude proxies like Quebec enlistments or the 22nd Battalion's service records, when in fact there were more than 43 additional units in artillery, cavalry, engineers, medical services, signals, and support roles. The French-Canadian effort was massive, but much of it was absorbed into reinforcement pools, home defence, or imperial garrisons — roles that were essential, yet far less visible than front-line infantry combat — and overshadowed by the powerful symbol that the R22eR (Vandoos) has become of French-Canadian military service. But when Richard re-checks individual files across Canada’s “archipelagos of francophonie,” the picture flips. He estimates roughly 76,000 francophones served in the CEF, including about 48,000 volunteers—equal to, or higher than, English-Canadian enlistment rates. The episode also revisits the Royal 22e’s impossible burden as the lone French-speaking front-line infantry battalion, paying for its reputation at Courcelette and Regina Trench, while still working inside an English command system. We close with a reminder that courage looked like the 14th Battalion's (RMR) Sergeant François Narcisse Jérôme: three Military Medals, earned during the war. It’s a reset of remembrance, and a toast to countrywide sacrifice today.📬 Have Questions or Suggestions? Send us a message at [email protected] the Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your friends. And as always...Cheers to history! 🥂