Sam Hughes should non be recognized as a hero, but an obstructor in the history of World War One. His? parts? to World War One were more like failures than successes. He did non believe carefully of how the different milieus would impact the new Canadian recruits. Hughes had problem telling proper equipment for the soldiers and his determinations on the battleground costed many lives. Sam Hughes should non be recognized as a hero in history.
Sam Hughes failed to maintain Canadian military personnels replenished with nutrient and heat ; hence, the soldiers lived under really rough and unfortunate conditions. Sam Hughes was the Minister of Militia and his responsibility was to prolong his military and to develop over 30 000 soldiers in Valcartier Camp. Valcartier cantonment was like a? tent metropolis? ( Canada: a state blossoming? page 82 ) . The topographic point was filled up with collapsible shelters that the soldiers would populate in. The Canadian winter caused utmost hurting for the military personnels. They? spent a moisture, cold winter? ( The Canadian Challenge? page 18 ) . Sam Hughes did non order adequate nutrient for the soldiers to eat ) ; hence many soldiers experient famishment due to the deficiency of nutrition ( Canada: a state blossoming? page 83. Every forenoon, the military personnels would hold to rinse off the dried clay on their covers ( Canada: a state blossoming? page 83 ) . This day-to-day modus operandi was an illustration of the horrific fortunes these soldiers lived by. Valcartier cantonment had a big power and H2O supply but there was non adequate heat and nutrient for the Canadian military personnels.
Hughes had a batch of trouble buying equipment that suited the soldiers? demands. He ordered boots that were merely for the military personnels? right pes doing it hard for the soldiers to travel efficaciously ( Canada: a state blossoming? page 82 ) . ? He was accused of providing his force with leaky boots and ill executing trench equipment? ( First World War? Who? s who? parity. 7 ) . Sam Hughes distributed his innovation, the MacAdam shovel. It was supposed to move as a shovel and a shield. There was a hole in the shovel so that the rifle barrel could be fitted inside and besides be used as a shield. Sam Hughes thought that this device would be highly helpful in the trenches but it proved to be uneffective. The? shovel? was excessively short and non crisp plenty to be used as a shovel. When the barrel of the gun was fitted inside the hole of the device, the angle made it impossible for the taw to hit at the enemy ( Goldi Productions ltd Index Page ) . Sam Hughes cost the authorities a big sum of money to reproduce his device because he wanted to administer them to the ground forces but it proved to be an uneffective method of warfare.
His judgement about the arms that were traveling to be used in the trenches was miscalculated and biased, taking to many deceases. His pick of arm to be used in the trenches was the Ross Rifle ( Historica? parity. 5 ) . The Ross rifle was a sniper rifle, non a close scope arm. When the Ross rifle was quickly fired, it would throng and the soldier would hold problem revenging ( Historica? parity. 5 ) . The gun was really heavy and soldiers could non run across? no adult male? s land? with it. The Ross rifle was highly defective. The bayonets attached to the rifle would merely fall off when it was shot, taking away the close scope defence ( Historica? parity. 10 ) . Sam Hughes was? in love? with the Ross rifle before the war. He was the? Champion of the Ross? ( Item expose? Para. 12 ) . He believed that the Ross rifle would outgun the German guns. After many ailments were thrown on Sam Hughes about the rifle, Sam Hughes still did non desire the soldiers to alter the gun that they were utilizing ( Historica – Background ) . He had a deep fondness with the Ross rifle. Many Canadians abandoned the gun and adopted the Lee Enfield rifle from dead British soldiers, or from their gun terminals ( Canada: a state blossoming? page 82 ) . The official switch of guns was eventually made when Robert Borden fired Sam Hughes for his irresponsibleness. It was changed from the Ross rifle to the Lee Enfield. His haughtiness and his obstinate personality slowed down the switch of guns and that led to many deceases that could hold been avoided.
Sam Hughes had an? irresponsible behavior? ( Item Display? Para 27 ) . If he took clip to believe about what he should hold done and did non trust on his colored sentiment, lives would non hold been lost. The finding of fact is that Sam Hughes should non be remembered as a hero in history.
Plants Cited
- Newman, Garfield, Bob Aitken, Diane Eaton, Dick Holland, John Montgomery, and Sonia Riddoch. Canada: A State Unfolding. Ontario erectile dysfunction. Canada: Patty Pappas, 2000. Print.
- Quinlan, Don, Doug Baldwin, Rick Mahoney, and Kevin Reed. The Canadian Challenge. Ed. Theresa Fitzpatrick Meikle, Kenneth Garlick, Sherida Hassanali, Zainab Jamal, Rocky Landon, Ian Pettigrew, Shane Pisani, and Matthew Trans-Adam. Canada: Oxford, 2008. Print.
- “ First World War.com – Who ‘s Who – Sam Hughes. ” First World War.com – A Multimedia History of World War One. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.firstworldwar.com/bio/hughes_sam.htm & A ; gt ; .
- “ Sam Hughes Minister of Militia and Defence WWI. ” Canadian Anglo-Boer War Museum Welcome. Web. 10 Dec. 2009. & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.angloboerwarmuseum.com/Boer70u_hero22_hughes_sam..html & A ; gt ; .
- “ The Ross Rifle and the Equipping of Canadian Soldiers in World War One. ” Historica. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //histori.ca/prodev/lp.do? id=19229 & A ; cview=pf & A ; gt ; .
- “ Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. ” Welcome to the LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA website | Bienvenue au site Web BIBLIOTH & A ; # 200 ; QUE ET ARCHIVES CANADA. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php? & A ; id_nbr=7927 & A ; gt ; .
