James Gordon Lantz
Sapper
6th Field Company - Canadian Engineers
Shells whistled overhead and shook the earth as James Lantz and the rest of the men of the 6th Field Company, Canadian Engineers, toiled away at the days job in November 1918. Constant shelling was part of life at the front and the men had to get use to it as best they could. That day, the worn out 22-year-old sapper, sat and filled in a journal entry about the day’s events. He noted the extensive bombardment they had endured well performing their task, as if it wasn’t hard enough without it. The former carpenter was no stranger to hard work, but since departing Port Coquitlam, British Columbia after being called up, he had faced trials far greater than anything a civilian could comprehend.
Shells, death, and laborious projects were the lot in his life, the 6th being assigned mostly to trench repair and to shore up defensive works (1). But being an engineer meant flexibility and sometimes they worked on salvaging mine sets or installing horse water troughs (1). Whatever the task, the youthful engineer and his fellow soldiers performed it with professionality and tenacity (1). Undeniably, they were all relived when the conflict finally came to an end on November 11th, 1918. Again the blue-eyed sapper scribbled a quick note in his journal as he had done religiously everyday of the war. The worn little red book recorded everything from the rocky voyage across the Atlantic, which made James horribly sick, to his training in England, to the Western Front (1). Yet rarely did he speak of the dangers faced, typically keeping notes only on movements and the weather, perhaps the two things which were most important to him at the time (1). |
As the company settled into Germany, James enjoyed the luxury of a home cooked meal and pondered his future. Born in New Hampshire, but to Nova Scotian parents, he had been caught in-between the two nations, his time in the CEF having been completely by chance. Ultimately, he would choose to return to the United States, moving to Los Angeles, California where he put his expert carpentry skills to use well working for Republic Studios in Hollywood. Though far from Canada, he forever remained a proud veteran of the CEF and held onto both the German souvenirs he captured and more importantly to his journal.
Sources:
(1) “Canadian Great War Project, cgwp.uvic.ca/diaries/viewer.php?u=6th_battalion_canadian_engineers&m=07&y=1918&i=e001237159.
(1) “Canadian Great War Project, cgwp.uvic.ca/diaries/viewer.php?u=6th_battalion_canadian_engineers&m=07&y=1918&i=e001237159.