Armistice

Heroes Remember

Armistice

I was at a place called Frameries eight miles from Mons on Armistice Day and that was because we were the same level in the front sort of thing but eight miles farther north. The 1st Division was at Mons and the 2nd Division was at Frameries. There wasn't anything to drink very much that was handy. This Frameries place was, you know, the French, the Belgium, they were walking around the streets there and everybody was feeling good, of course. And then we moved into Mons and we stayed there for, the armistice was signed and we stayed there for maybe ten days or something like that and then we started to Germany. There was quite an argument about it. They were going to send two divisions to Germany and the other two divisions would go home. And the 1st and 2nd Division said they'd been there long enough, send the 3rd and 4th Divisions to Germany and let the 1st and 2nd go home but Currie and the rest of them didn't see it that way so the 1st and 2nd Divisions went to Germany and the 3rd and 4th Divisions went back to Canada.

Mr. Burton describes being in Frameries, near Mons, when the Armistice is signed. He goes on to discuss the controversy that arose over which divisions should occupy Germany and which should return home.

Robert Burton

Robert Burton was born on February 21, 1896 in Dundas, Ontario. After public school, he was accepted into university which he attended from 1914 to 1916, in the Canadian Officer Training Corps. For a time, he worked at Massey, checking shrapnel shells. Despite being shortsighted, Mr. Burton was recruited into the 13th Brigade in Mar, 1916. In England, he joined the 5th Division, a reinforcement unit, and deployed to France with the 2nd Division as a sapper. Mr. Burton became a mounted courier at Courcelette, and had several interesting experiences in that capacity. He witnessed and was attacked by Gotha bombers at Arras, and was shelled at St.Pol. Mr. Burton also served in the trenches at Amiens. During the 2nd World War, he was a very successful engineering instructor at camp Petawawa, where he attained the rank of Major.