A new world had opened up for John. He relished army life. He loved participating in the training sessions, which included marching, rifle drill, courses, bayonet practice and shooting. He thoroughly enjoyed the two-week long jaunts to Barriefield Army Base, near Kingston, to camp out with soldiers of all ages. When the company travelled to these events by train, he took particular pride in the fact that he, a non-drinker and mere Private, was often chosen to guard the doors to prevent soldiers from disembarking at whistle stops to get “liquored up”.
That fall he displayed his independence once more by announcing that he was heading for the lumber camp for the winter. His father predicted that he would be so homesick he wouldn’t last 10 days. John stayed four months and not only survived, but liked the rugged life. Returning in the spring he handed all his earnings ($120) to his father as he said he had no use for the money.
In September of 1910 he and a friend went to work in the E.B. Eddy Lumber Camp at Stubb’s Bay, Quebec on the Dumoine River, about 80 miles from Moore Lake, Ontario. He states, “We were 4 days’ walking in over bad and mountainous country roads. There were 200 men in the camp. Alex drove a team and I was one of his rollers. This went well for about a month when they fired the clerk for being drunk. The Agent, George Munro, spotted me as one who could do the job, but I was not sure. However, I decided to take it on, and got along very well. I got $40 a month and my duties included keeping the time, recording the daily cut of logs and numbers skidded, statements of food, hay, oats, scaling of logs with the official scaler, managing the store-tobacco, clothing, etc., and requisitioning all the supplies. When camp broke in the spring I was glad to come home. Again I gave my cash to my father.”
He returned once more 1911, but he was appalled by the decadent existence that most men in the lumber camp led. Many used their free days to rush into the nearest town to get drunk, returning to camp dead broke after squandering their entire earnings on wine, women, and carousing. When he was invited back to the lumber camp in 1912, he declined, saying that he had had enough of that lifestyle. Instead he joined some friends to head out to the Prairies for the Western Harvest in the fall of 1912. He remained there for 150 days, earning $3.50 per day. When he returned he bought a steel roof for his father’s barn and helped him install it. To keep busy and earn money for the next few months he installed steel barn roofs for neighbouring farmers, while continuing to participate in militia training, his first love. Eventually he was promoted to Corporal.
Ominous war clouds began appearing over Europe, signs that fate was about to intervene and catapult John towards his life-long dream of becoming an active soldier. The Great War (1914-18), best known as a senseless, useless war fought in the mud, resulting in millions of casualties, was about to consume all his energies.
When Britain declared war on Germany, August 4, 1914, Canada, as part of its colonial empire, soon dutifully followed suit. One month later, September 1, 1914, John enlisted for active service. He was given the rank of Colour Sergeant-Major. Events moved swiftly for him. He yearned to be sent overseas. In 1915 he passed a 6-week course and was commissioned as a Lieutenant. He was assigned the job of recruitment officer in the Cornwall area and later in South Mountain, Dundas County. One year later he was promoted to Captain, his 5th promotion since joining the militia in 1909.
On October 31, 1916 John and his Battalion landed in Liverpool, England to undergo more training. Keen to get to France, he voluntarily accepted a demotion from captain to lieutenant in order to be fast-tracked to the war zone. On May 21, 1917 he sailed to La Havre, France as part of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, Eastern Ontario Regiment. He soon found himself, along with his Battalion, in the trenches, his first taste of warfare. He said, “It was strange to be out in the night and hear shells and bullets flying around. In daytime it was very hot keeping low in the trenches. About my second night, I was standing near my men when several shells exploded quite near. A piece of shrapnel hit my helmet causing a dent and I jumped about 10 feet into the trench.”
The fierce Battle of Amiens, beginning on August 8, 1918 was the pivotal Allied action of the Great War, signalling the end of this vicious conflict. The last three months of the war are sometimes referred to as “Canada’s Hundred Day” because of the Canadian forces’ prominent role in those battles. The German General, Ludendorff, called August 8 “the black day of the German Army.” This day was also pivotal for young Captain Franklin who was recognized for his outstanding leadership in directing his company that day. Capt. Franklin’s Military Cross citation reads: This officer led his company with great skill, overcoming machine gun nests and reorganizing his men for attack on the final objective. The success of the operation was largely due to his skill and energy.
Franklin described in sharp detail the action that led to his citation. “That night the Battalion moved forward out into no man’s land to within 50 yards of the enemy trenches ready to attack at 4:20 a.m., August 8, 1918. There was a terrific shell fire by both sides and so much smoke that we, Number 1 Company, advanced guided by a road heading into the enemy area until daylight came. We were there, in about 3 miles, and arrived at the river, Luce, which we crossed walking knee deep and occupied the high ground beyond. It was then about 9:00 a.m. Many prisoners had been taken, also guns. Some of our men were lost in the fog for hours.
