Berlin becomes Kitchener The city bell rang for 10 minutes when the post office’s clock struck midnight on 1 September 1916. This was the extent of the public celebration that marked Berlin’s passing and Kitchener’s arrival. “Greetings to the citizens of Kitchener” Union Jacks encircled The Daily Telegraph’s banner greeting on 1 September. Approximately half […] Read more…
Kitchener will come in quiet The city would inaugurate its new name in silence. The aldermen held a special meeting to discuss the momentous day. Alderman Cleghorn introduced a resolution that declared the city fathers were “of the opinion that no greater tribute could be paid by the residents of this city to the memory of the […] Read more…
Nothing but a flimsy excuse As far as the name changers were concerned, the renaming’s delay was the attorney general’s fault. Waiting for the postmaster general’s okay was nothing more than a “flimsy excuse.” It seems the head postie would be proud to have a hand in commemorating the great British war hero through renaming the […] Read more…
What’s the holdup? One could easily imagine the name changers stamping their feet and stirring the air with pointed fingers, as they tried to rile local Britishers. Why hasn’t the name changed yet? How could the important and patriotic city of Berlin be subjected to such indifference? Who was to blame? The Berlin Daily Telegraph’s doggedly […] Read more…
4 August 1916: Two years of war If you asked most people two summers earlier, many wouldn’t believe the war would last longer than six months. Experts poo-pooed the idea: all the numbers pointed to bankruptcy for any nation that embarked in an extended conflict. If the main players foresaw years of fighting, they might […] Read more…
Sir Sam, you need to reconsider who your friends are The Royal Commission that investigated the fuse and shell scandal released their findings. Both Militia Minister Sir Sam Hughes and Colonel Carnegie, the Shell Committee’s ordinance expert, were cleared of negligence. The minister was in the dark; the ordinance expert was overworked and “under-qualified” to […] Read more…