Latest 'I Was There!' Episode: Lord Beaverbrook 'Canadian Eyewitness' recounts Battle of Mount Sorrell

The latest video in our 'I Was There!' series has just been uploaded. In the latest video, entitled 'When the Princess Pat's Fought Back to Back' we hear from Max Aitken (later Lord Beaverbrook).

He describes possibly the most serious battle which took place in 1916 before the Somme offensive, This was the major attack launched on the Canadian lines at Mount Sorrel on 2 June 1916. The actions lasted for twelve days, of which Lord Beaverbrook describes the first two.

Lord Beaverbrook

In 1915, Aitken became the official "Eye Witness" for the Canadian government, a role that defined his early legacy as a war historian and master of propaganda.

The "Eye Witness" Role

• Wartime Reporting: From early 1915, Aitken was attached to Canadian forces on the Western Front, writing weekly columns on the progress of the war.
• Distinctive Narrative: His reports, which highlighted the distinctiveness and bravery of Canadian soldiers, were published in Canada and internationally, circumventing some of the strict censorship faced by regular British journalists.
• Official Historian: This role led to the publication of his three-volume bestseller, "Canada in Flanders" (1916), which provided a detailed, if sometimes embellished, account of the Canadian Expeditionary Force's achievements.

Legacy of War Records

Beyond his own writing, Beaverbrook leveraged his "Eye Witness" position to ensure the war was visually preserved:

• Canadian War Records Office: In 1916, he established and funded the CWRO to collect photographs, films, and art documenting the Canadian war effort.
• Visual History: He successfully lobbied the British War Office to allow official photographers and artists at the front, resulting in a legacy of nearly 8,000 photographs and 1,000 works of art.

Critical Perspective

While his reports made him famous, some historians have since scrutinized his accounts. Critics, such as A.J.P. Taylor, noted that while his "inside" testimony was detailed, it often bordered on fabrication to enhance his own political influence and the prestige of the Canadian forces.