The Canadian army were quite significant in providing support to the Allied Forces in World War 1 and did earn a reputation for their brutality. This has been explored by the historical columnist Tristin Hopper who describes the conditions of the war and the Canadian response as ; 'But even in a war of unparalleled ferocity, enemy and ally alike would remember the Canadians as having been particularly brutal.' The Canadian army sent approximately 600,000 servicemen and women to the Western Front in which they participated in various campaigns against the German armies and axis powers beginning in 1915.

The idea that they fired against the Germans during the Christmas truce is regarded as true by historians using testimonies and letters from Canadian soldiers at the time as sources. Lance Cpl. George D’All of the Canadian Corps describes the event saying 'A sergeant, however, put a stop to it by opening fire and hitting two of their men, and when they returned it, one of our lads was shot through the head. That put an end to our Christmas gathering quickly, and night came.' This testimony is supported by other members of the Canadian 3rd Battalion who note that the Germans were 'shot through head and killed' when asked about what occurred on Christmas day*.*

The Canadians participated in many famous battles including Passchendaele and Ypres in which they fought alongside the allies notably with the ANZAC forces. Norman Leach notes in his book 'Passchendaele: Canada's Triumph and Tragedy on the Fields of Flanders' that the Canadians quickly learned to adapt to the 'organised disorder of war' and were 'always fighting and playing to the strengths of the natural terrain... and despite their inferior equipment fought with unmatched ferocity.'

However it is to be noted the Canadian Corps were not well respected by their British peers mostly for their lack of experience on the battlefield. A quote from Canadian Private Harold Peat encapsulates this notion with a quote saying; 'As far as discipline was concerned, we were a joke. Certainly we were looked upon as such by the [British] officers.' Contemporary historians have mostly agreed that the brutal and undisciplined Canadian attitudes on the battlefield were a chief contributor to this viewpoint.

Sources:

• The forgotten ruthlessness of Canada’s Great War soldiers by Tristin Hopper
• Passchendaele: Canada's Triumph and Tragedy on the Fields of Flanders by Norman Leach