A PROLIFIC AUTHOR

Michel Litalien is a prolific author: he has written no less than 17 books and numerous articles related to the military history of Quebec and French Canada. His most important book is Écrire sa guerre: Témoignages de soldats canadiens-français, 1914-1919, which deals with the First World War.

and his vocation was found: this amateur historian will dedicate his life to the study of the Quebec military life of yesteryear.

In parallel to his military career as a reservist (he specializes in logistics and serves in service battalions and logistical support units), he turns to specialized studies: he obtains a bachelor's degree in history at the University of Montreal, then a master's degree at the University of Ottawa. Later, for personal challenge and accomplishment, he completed a doctorate in military history at the University of Montpellier, France. The title of his thesis? For Whom to Fight? French-Canadian volunteers between affirmation and indifference, 1914-1919.

Valcartier During

THE SECOND WORLD WAR

For the Adsum, in the midst of the commemorations of the Allied landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944, Dr. Litalien looks back at the place of Valcartier during this period!

In 1939, Valcartier was an almost abandoned base. Since the end of the First World War, it had become a temporary military structure:

"Militia units came to train there in the summer," while in the mid-1930s, "unemployed workers were put to work there and built a few buildings. The real military nerve centre was the Citadelle, HQ of the Royal 22e Régiment. But everything changed with the declaration of war in September 1939: Valcartier would regain its essential importance for the Canadian war effort.

In 1940, the camp was transformed with the arrival of thousands of young Canadians: "the call was made to single young men for a 30-day training period. This period was quickly extended to four months, then indefinitely, before the arrival of conscription in 1942. That year, "Valcartier became a centre specializing in infantry" and trained in the use of different types of weaponry, "such as grenades and mortars.

Michel Litalien describes Valcartier as a "soldier factory" at that time, where thousands of conscripts came to learn the military profession. In total, "at least 5,000 soldiers" were at Valcartier at the same time: "conscripts, staff and regiments in transit". But unlike the voluntary recruits, the conscripts were to join

But Dr. Litalien, who has a special affection for the Base Valcartier, dedicated Semper Fidelis - Valcartier d'hier à aujourd'hui (1914-2014), a book for the centenary of the birth of the base.

"regiments dedicated to national defence", that is, "the protection of Canadian territory", and the surveillance of "the Atlantic and Pacific coasts". Some of them wanted to go to war, especially in Europe, and volunteered, especially at the request of the Canadian army, which was cruelly short of soldiers.

It was not until the end of 1945, after the total victory over Germany and Japan, that operations at Valcartier slowed down considerably. In 1946, even though the camp remained operational, it gradually fell back into oblivion, as conscription was over. It wasn't until 1950 and the war in Korea that the camp came out of its lethargy! And in 1952, Valcartier finally became a permanent base, with the attachment of regular units, the construction of new buildings and housing, etc.!