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In Flanders Fields: John McCrae

© David Newman

Every year for Rememberance Day we speak his words. In grade school, we'd read both "In Flanders Fields" and its French translation, "Au Champs d'Honneur."

Its arguably the best war poem ever written, putting Canadian doctor John McCrae's name along with other war poets such as Owen and Sassoon.

John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario on November 30, 1872, to a military father, Lieutenant (note to Americans: pronounced Left-tenant) David McCrae. John was very interested in the military and joined the cadets at age 14 and later, at 17, the militia run by his father. A year before that, McCrae had started writing poetry at his high school. He then went to the University of Toronto on a scholarship. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts then went on to U of Toronto's Medical School. During this time his poems were being published by various magazines.

He'd been continuing his military career at the same time and by the time he graduated medical school in 1898 he was captain of a company in the Queen's Own Riffles. His medical career and further studies were interrupted by the South African War. He left for South Africa in December of 1899. He was disgusted by the unprofessional treatment of the sick and injured during the war. McCrae then went to McGill to study pathology. He became an associate in medicine at the Royal Victoria Hospital in 1904.

When war was declared on Germany, August 14, 1914, by Canada (who didn't have much choice; Borden chose military assistance to Britain), McCrae like many Canadians enlisted. He was appointed brigade-surgeon to the First Brigade of Canadian Forces Artillery and held the rank of Major.

In 1915, McCrae was stationed at Ypres. Chlorine gas was used against the Allied and Canadian lines. McCrae tended to the wounded and the dying. On May 21, 1915, a young friend of McCrae, Alexis Helmer, was killed by shells. This death affected very much our poet, who performed the funeral ceremony due to lack of chaplain. Helmer was buried near McCrae's station and the next morning, the famous poem was written, supposedly a perfect description of the scene, rows of crosses surrounded by red poppies.

"In Flanders Fields" was the last poem McCrae ever wrote and demonstrated that victory was needed to give meaning to the death of his comrades. That part of the poem is often left unread, giving the poem a more peaceful message rather than one of war in which we must "take up the quarrel with the foe." The poem was sent off to magazines in England and was published by Punch! in 1915.