The Best Sniper Of World War 1 - Francis Pegahmagabow I WHO DID WHAT IN WW1?

He joined the Algonquin Regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces nine days after Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, and by the end of the war he was not only the most decorated First Nations soldier in Canadian history, but also The most effective

sniper

in the entire war. I mean Francis Pegahmagabow. I'm Indy Neidell. Welcome to our "Who Did What in World War I" biography series. Today about Canadian war hero Francis Pegahmagabow. He was probably born on March 8, 1889 on

what

is now the Shawanaga First Nation reserve, located halfway between Toronto and Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He was found with his mother, who probably died during childbirth, and grew up in an adoptive family.

He was a member of the Parry Island band (now Wasauksing First Nation) and a descendant of the Ojibway. He played in a band in his youth and later worked on small freighters on the Great Lakes. When he was a sailor, they gave him a leather bag to protect him from great dangers. Francisco believed that the bag provided him with special protection and helped him in extremely dangerous tasks during the war. The war began and Francisco volunteered. I should note that at the beginning of the war the Indians were not recruited much and were sometimes even rejected, but on August 20, 1914, Francis was heading to Valcartier Québec, a training base for Canadian troops bound for Europe.

A few months later he was in England. February 1915 and the Canadian Expeditionary Force, including Francis, is learning trench warfare on the Ypres Salient. Two months later they resisted the first German gas attack on the Western Front. In every war there are soldiers who do

what

they are asked and soldiers who take great risks to fight the enemy. Almost immediately after his participation in the war in Europe, Pegahmagabow proved to be a soldier willing to take extreme risks and having exceptional skills, spending much time as a

sniper

, participating in missions in no man's land, and transmitting messages. between locations.

Of course, snipers are chosen for their eyesight, aim, and patience, but as a regimental sniper, Francis was also used to gather information on enemy activity. Mortars, machine gun nests, enemy snipers, patrols and defenses. He often seemed to seek out danger and was usually alone, sometimes entering German trenches and staying with their occupants or taking souvenirs by cutting a piece of their uniform while he slept. Believing that he was living under a spell, he remained sane during 1915 and most of 1916. On August 26, 1915 he was promoted to private. At that time the Indians were not even Canadian citizens, but in war they were all more or less equal and were rated by their comrades and superiors according to their bravery and exploits in battle.

Private Pagahmagabow clearly excelled in this. In March 1916 he was nominated for the Distinguished Conduct Medal. “Throughout the operations at Ypres, Festubert and Givenchy, he conveyed messages with great bravery and success. In all his activities he has constantly shown indifference to danger and his devotion to his duty is highly commendable.” This was his second highest decoration for bravery in the British Army and, although Francis did not receive it, he was part of the first group of 78. Canadian soldiers will receive the Military Medal. In September 1916 he was again deprived, apparently at his own request. He was also wounded in the leg and was out of service until mid-1917.

It might have been longer, but he led an active letter campaign to return to active service and returned to the front in May. In November, again a corporal, he fought at Passchendaele and received another Military Medal for his actions. To maintain liaison with flank units and guide lost replacement units. He was diagnosed with pneumonia at Christmas and was out of action until May 1918. Throughout the summer of 1918 he continued bombing and carrying messages. And at the Second Battle of Arras he obtained a second ribbon for his Military Medal. “On August 30, 1918, during operations at Orix Trench, near Upton Wood, when his company was almost out of ammunition and in danger of being surrounded, this non-commissioned officer, under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, emerged from the trench. and he brought sufficient ammunition to enable the company to continue the fight and help repel strong enemy counterattacks.” Three years of trench warfare began to take their toll and he began to have disciplinary problems.

Due to exhaustion psychosis, he was sent to England in early November. After the war he returned to Canada, still not a citizen, and spent much of the rest of his life fighting for Indian rights, either privately or in his two terms as chief of the Parry Island Band. . He continued his involvement in the armed forces when he joined the local militia regiment, the 23rd Engineers, where he served from 1930 to 1913 as a corporal. Francis Pegahmagabow died on August 5, 1952 and was buried on the Wasauksing First Nation, near where he was born. He was among 37 Canadian soldiers of the Great War to receive the military medal with two ribbons and was the most decorated Aboriginal soldier in Canadian history.

He claimed 378 sniper shots, more than any other country in World War I, and captured more than 300 soldiers. In recognition of his role in Canada's military history, the headquarters of the 3rd Canadian Ranger Group was named after Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow. Thanks again to Mike Hayes for helping with the background for this article. Mike has already helped us with the background on our special feature on combat communications, which is very underrated and you should check it out here. Don't forget to subscribe. See you next time.