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Where the Hell Are the Guns?: A Soldier's View of the Anxious Years, 1939-44

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Canada has prove to be one of the inexplicable backwaters in terms of any self-generated genesis of texts covering the wartime experience for Canadians as the dark storm clouds of war drifted over the British commonwealth and as one of the dominion states Canada became more and more drawn into the conflict in defense of Britain. In this sense the certainty of war loomed larger over our northern neighbors long before it appeared as either likely or inevitable to the average American. In this book, "Where The Hell Are The Guns? A Soldier's Eye View of the Anxious Years 1939-1944", former Canadian soldier George Blackburn retells the fascinating tale of how Canada began to prepare in earnest for the deadly and fateful conflicts to come.

Although this represents the first volume of a trilogy of works that spans the duration of the Second World War and Canada's participation therein, it I the last of the three volume work to be published, largely made possible by the critical and commercial success of "The Guns Of Normandy; A Soldier's Eye View, France 1944" and "Guns Of Victory: A Soldier's Eye View, Belgium, Holland and Germany 1944-45" before it. Here the reader is treated to a quite personal and detailed description of how Canada turned its quiet, placid and peace-loving population into the veritable contributors to the Allied war effort it became in the fateful years leading up to the conflict and beyond. By using the device of concentrating on one particular unit, his own 4th Field Regiment, he traces with great fidelity and poignant accuracy the evolution of this rag-tag collection of untrained and undisciplined young recruits into a formidable fighting force, the so-called fighting sharp edge of the Canadian Artillery forces, a group about to prove themselves to the Allies and the world at large as one of the most adept and battle capable in the world.

What is so memorable about Blackburn's account is the fact that it is so representative of so many young men and women who came of age in the clear cool autumn of 1939 following the blitzkrieg attack by Germany's Wehrmacht against Poland. Like all the Allied forces, Canada was dreadfully poorly equipped for the coming fight, and was forced by the dint of circumstance to remake it military force from nothing into an incredible something, and that story of that transformation is interestingly documented here. In the midst of an unrequited economic Depression shared with its brothers below the national boundaries in the United States, the volunteers quickly streamed in under the twin flags of patriotic fervor and the growl of empty bellies looking for regular meals.

From such inauspicious and humble beginnings the training starts in earnest, and without the stuff of war, without guns, or trucks, or artillery, they began the long and arduous training process that would later hold them in such good stead on the beaches of Normandy and beyond. Surviving in makeshift barracks that were hastily converted from barns, stables, and even pigsties in regional fairs and exhibition grounds, the troops learned to improvise and train as best they could with the limited resources at hand. Even as they were trained they wore the outmoded and moth-ravaged leftover uniforms remaining from the Great War of 1914-1918. Indeed, the chronicle of their training is an incredible tale of use of obsolete weaponry and outmoded tactics until their regiment is finally more fully equipped and trained in preparation for the invasion of Normandy in 1944, when they finally have the chance to prove their mettle under fire. This is an absorbing and entertaining book, one that is both well written and full of unusual material, and one I can highly recommend. Enjoy!

Although the last of Blackburn's three volumes about World War Two to be published (the others being The Guns of Normandy and The Guns of Victory), this one focuses on the "anxious years" beginning in 1939 when the Allies scrambled to respond to the rapid and extensive initiatives of the German army (e.g. the invasion of Poland) which nearly achieved victory both in continental Europe and then in Great Britain. What if there had been no Lend-Lease program? What if all of the British troops had been trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk? In that event, what if an invasion of England had then succeeded? What if Hitler had not invaded Russia? Blackburn never directly addresses questions such as these but they are nonetheless relevant to his core thesis that the Allies were ill-prepared in 1939 to fight what became World War Two. The question "Where the hell are the guns?" could well be re-phrased "Where the hell is everything and everyone we need to defeat the German army?" As in the other two volumes, Blackburn's focus is on his own experience with the Canadian 4th Field Regiment. The circumstances in which he and his comrades found themselves in 1939 are representative of virtually all other Allied forces at that time: Not having anywhere near enough of the materiel they needed...and most of what they did have was obsolete. Nonetheless, by the time of the Normandy Invasion in June of 1944, the Canadian 4th Field Regiment had become among the most highly effective of all Allied fighting units as, by then, an Allied victory was assured. This volume carefully traces that difficult process of preparation and subsequent achievement from May of 1939 through July of 1944.

In The Divine Comedy, Dante reserves the last and worst ring in hell for those who, in a moral crisis, preserved their neutrality. I was reminded of that as I read and then re-read the three volumes. Although each was written from Blackburn's perspective with the material anchored in his personal experience with the Canadian 4th Field Regiment, he fully understands and appreciates difficulties concerning logistics throughout the Allied military forces. My previous use of the word "scrambled" correctly describes Allied efforts (1939-1942) to assemble the men and (yes) women needed to train, equip them, and then deploy to greatest military advantage. Errors of judgment were obviously inevitable. However, Blackburn never hesitates to criticize certain military leaders who, in a moral crisis, preserved their neutrality. Throughout World War Two, so many courageous Allied troops were needlessly killed or wounded because of their leaders' timidity and indecision or concern for their own image. (Churchill once referred to then prime minister Neville Chamberlain as being "a sheep in sheep's clothing.") At best, war is messy and often brutal. Casualties are inevitable. Nonetheless, Blackburn correctly asserts that much of the anxiety during 1939-1944 could have been alleviated by more efficient and more effective leadership at all levels of Allied military operations.

In the concluding chapter, Blackburn includes a brief excerpt from James Hilton's Good-bye, Mr. Chips when the dying schoolmaster recalls happier times long ago: "What a host of little incidents, all deep-buried in the past -- problems that had once been urgent, arguments that had once been keen, anecdotes that were funny only because one remembered the fun. Did any emotion really matter when the last trace of it vanished from human memory; and if that were so, what a crowd of emotions clung to him as their last home before annihilation! He must be kind to them, must treasure them in his mind before their long sleep." More than 60 years ago, Blackburn and his comrades in the Canadian 4th Field Regiment began a process of preparation, together with millions of other Allied forces, to face arguably one of the greatest military opponents throughout history. In the three volumes, Blackburn (like Charles Chipping) reflects back on his experiences, recalling persons and events with respect, appreciation, and affection. By sharing his wartime reminiscences and reflections, his joys and irritations, as well as the lessons he learned and the values which prevailed throughout those "anxious years" long ago, the significant "little incidents" will remain vivid for generations to come, rather than "deep-buried in the past."

"Where The Hell Are The Guns? A Soldier's Eye View of the Anxious Years, 1939-44" is the very first book written by George G. Blackburn from his award-winning trilogy of war books but was the last one to be published. It was awarded "The Best Non-Fiction Talking Book of the Year" by The Canadian National Institute for the Blind in 1997.

"The night is frigid, and the crystal-clear sky, drenched in stars, is criss-crossed with the silent shifting shafts of searchlights. Memories of past Christmas Eves are inextricably mixed up with wondering what is going on in Canada. Was the child stillborn, and they are not telling you until after Christmas - or it is something even worse? ~ George G. Blackburn ~

These were the thoughts and feelings of Mr. Blackburn on Christmas Eve of 1942. When he joined Canada's 4th Field Regiment, his wife was pregnant with their first child, who was born on Christmas Day. It was so disheartening for him not to be able to be with his wife at the time of her delivery of a baby girl. He had morbid thoughts about his wife dying of complications having her first child, but was so relieved when he received a cable three days after Boxing Day that his wife delivered an eight-pound baby girl and she was feeling wonderful.

Here Mr. Blackburn chronicles what transpired in the years 1939 thru 1944 after joining Canada's 4th Field Regiment deployed in England during the Second World War. Although in the early stages the troop had very limited warfare and equipment, and worn out and incomplete uniforms, they still came out as the "Best Field Regiment in Britain."

He relives the war in a very detailed manner in a way the reader would be guaranteed an undivided attention while reading this book. He has a very special ability of retelling his story vividly and clearly. At one point in time, he couldn't conceal being overly emotional, nostalgic and homesick and composed a song dedicated to his wife, the late Grace Blackburn. It's called "Are You Really There?" His fellow trooper, Wally Driemel, a Baker troop signaler, loved the song, which was often played by the Regimental Orchestra at Saturday night dances. Another fellow trooper, Signaler Ralph Cooper, used to play his song and do impromptu solo performances on pub pianos. So impressed with his own composition, he offered it to Jerry Wilmot, host of the BBC Armed Forces Network weekly musical show, who was also very impressed and promised him to have it orchestrated by none other than a great conductor and arranger, Robert Farnon, one of Frank Sinatra's finest arrangers/conductors. He advised him to listen each week, which he did faithfully until he had given up, but Wally Driemel did not give up and continued listening to the show until it was finally played. And sadly, Mr. Blackburn missed listening to "a great presentation of his song" played on the show. A music video of this song was made and won three major awards: Silver Award at the 1999 Worldfest - New York, Silver Award at the 1999 Worldfest - Arizona, and Bronze Award at the 2000 CINDY Competition - California.

"There's no such thing as the present
We live by the past in the future
Memories arranged by our hearts,
Bring dreams without effort or tutor.
I have memories too, but they are too good to be true
Are you really there?
Or are you just illusion?

Do you breathe and smile - do you feel warm emotion?
Was there really music in the air?
Did that bellhop really see confetti in our hair?
Were there drives by moonlight - did you wear blue chiffon?
Do you go for autumn? And did we dance till dawn?
There are many things to prove to me you care,
But, darling, I can't help repeating: Are you really there?"

I'm so grateful and sincerely thank Mr. Blackburn for sending me an inscribed copy of this remarkable and interesting book as well as "The Guns of Normandy" and "The Guns of Victory," which I wholeheartedly recommend. It's a must-read for every generation. Thank you, Sir, for the kind gesture! It's much appreciated.

I was reading a short story that Mark Blackburn wrote, using some portions from his father's books. Mark has been doing a short biography on his parents George and Grace Blackburn. By sharing these stories with a few of his family friends, Mark has made George, his father, and Grace, his mother, come to life again.

George Blackburn, the author of the Trilogy THE GUNS OF NORMANDY, THE GUNS OF WAR, AND WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GUNS, left all of his family and friends in 2006. Below is the quote from some of the writing Mark has done from WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GUNS.

"You try to talk with her, but for some reason that too is difficult. So you turn on the little`Viking' radio [a tube radio that would remain in the service of our family, functioning perfectly for another half century] - you turn on the radio and lie back with your arms around each other, listening to dance bands - from far-off New York and Chicago, where life is carrying on as though no crisis exists . . ."

(p. 18 "Where the Hell are the Guns?") -- George G. Blackburn

I wrote to Mark, "George Blackburn's writing is some of the best writing I have ever read. The time has come for me to read all three of your father's books - slowly. They are absolutely poetic. Thanks for the sharing of George G. Blackburn's heart!"

After reading some of the things Mark has written, I know it is now my hour to read these three wonderful books. I have short letters from George Blackburn and even short stories that others have not read, but these books, and the things I am reading from them, must be kept alive. It is the way we honor the dead - the heroes of the wars - history!

I appreciate your reviews. For those of you who have read these books by George Blackburn, you might write to Mark Blackburn (check his reviews on Amazon) and share the things you have enjoyed about his father. You may want to see the tribute to him in his Obituary and Mark can point you in that direction. This might work: [...]

And now to the first book!

If asked, one is unlikely to name Canada as a warrior nation. Sort of like Belgium. However, WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GUNS? testifies that the country's citizens are fully capable of daubing on the warpaint.

At the 1939 outbreak of WWII, author George Blackburn was a journalist. Seeking to enlist, he was turned down by the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force because of substandard vision. However, he sneaked into the army reserve on the basis of a sloppy eye exam administered by a reserve medical officer. Recommended for a commission, he went into officers' training in August 1941, and was subsequently assigned to the 4th Field Regiment of artillery already training in the United Kingdom. This book is the story of the 4th Field from it's formation at the war's outbreak to July 1944, when the unit shipped to France, and Blackburn's personal involvement from August '41. Two other books by the same author, THE GUNS OF NORMANDY and THE GUNS OF VICTORY, chronologically narrate his wartime adventures following the 4th Field's insertion into battle post D-Day.

Blackburn's style is unusual. When describing the experiences of others, he naturally uses the third person. However, when describing his own, he uses the second person - the only time I've ever come across such in an autobiography. So, the text has a semi-detached tone, as when George describes his reception at the 4th Field as a replacement subaltern of unproven worth:

" ... you are an untried greenhorn whose opinion is not sought nor welcome when volunteered. You feel abandoned ... you burn with resentment ... Until you are accepted as a full-fledged member of the mess ..., you retire to your cot each night after dinner to write letters, read and put down diary notes..."

Even the photo section containing twenty-three pictures includes not one of the author. Frankly, I found Blackburn's visual absence puzzling and his lack of first-person involvement in the narrative a bit stilted. Sort of like the Queen's use of the royal "we". But don't let this distract you from the underlying excellence of the story.

If you're expecting a combat narrative, WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GUNS? isn't it. Except for a relatively brief aside about the August '42 Dieppe debacle, this volume is a revealing and sympathetic look at the life of an army unit training in the rear far from the front trenches. Indeed, George's outfit was resident in Britain preparing for the Big One from September 1940 to July 1944 - almost four years! Life for the 4th Field's troops was an endless round of training and rigorous field exercises cemented together by the morale-busting drudgery and monotony of camp life, and enlivened only by letters and parcels from home, visits to London or nearby pubs, and fraternization with the English citizens, e.g. dances with the local ladies and Christmas parties thrown for the local kids.

A student of World War II should find this volume a valuable look at a side of the conflict infrequently given print recognition. And who knew that the Canucks could be so feisty?