Rum Ration

In this episode of The Rum Ration, hosts Colin Robinson and Rejoy Chatterjee tackle one of the most controversial, brilliant, infuriating, and undeniably influential figures in Canadian military history: Sir Sam Hughes.Teacher, newspaper editor, politician, militia fanatic, and unapologetic brawler, Hughes helped build the Canadian Expeditionary Force at breakneck speed in 1914, turning the wilderness of Valcartier into a military city in mere weeks and sending tens of thousands of volunteers overseas. His fierce belief in the “citizen-soldier” helped shape Canada’s wartime identity.But Hughes’s legacy is anything but simple. From his disastrous defence of the Ross Rifle and the infamous MacAdam shovel, to accusations of patronage, nepotism, and his bitter feud with Sir Arthur Currie, Hughes often proved as destructive as he was visionary.Was Sam Hughes a patriot, a madman, or both? This episode dives deep into the man who helped launch Canada’s army—and nearly tore it apart in the process.

In this episode of The Rum Ration, Rejoy and Colin explore one of the darkest and least understood chapters of Canada’s First World War: the 25 Canadian soldiers executed by their own side, “shot at dawn.” Through the story of Private Fortunat Auger of The Royal Montreal Regiment, we examine the brutal logic of military discipline in trench warfare and the impossible strain placed on ordinary volunteers. Auger was not a simple victim, nor a villain. He was a Montreal architect, an early volunteer, and a man who endured the horrors of Ypres and Festubert before repeatedly deserting the line. His execution in March 1916 became a warning to others, meant to preserve discipline in a citizen army under unbearable pressure. This episode looks beyond easy judgments to ask harder questions about fear, duty, morale, and how armies chose to enforce obedience. It is a sobering reminder that the war claimed lives in more ways than one.

On this episode of The Rum Ration, Rejoy and Colin take on one of the most revered and sobering subjects in British and Commonwealth military history: the Victoria Cross. Beginning with the astonishing story of Charles Upham, the only combat soldier to receive both a Victoria Cross and Bar in the same war, they explore what the VC is, why it was revolutionary, and why it still carries such weight. The episode traces the medal’s origins in the Crimean War, its place as an all-ranks award for conspicuous valour, and the myths and meaning wrapped up in its bronze cross. Along the way, they highlight Canadian recipients, including Alexander Roberts Dunn, William Hall, Smokey Smith, and Robert Hampton Gray, before, of course, coming home to The Royal Montreal Regiment’s own VC heroes: Francis Scrimger and George Burdon McKean. It is ultimately an episode about courage, sacrifice, and the human choices made under the worst imaginable pressure.

In this episode of The Rum Ration, Colin and Rejoy explore the story behind one of Canada’s most iconic wartime rifles: the Lee-Enfield No. 4. Joined by military industry researcher William Patterson, they look beyond the weapon itself to the vast Canadian supply chain that made it possible. From the rifle’s early roots in James Paris Lee’s design work to the industrial demands of the Second World War, the episode traces how the Lee-Enfield evolved into a weapon built for mass production.The conversation focuses especially on Long Branch’s Small Arms Ltd. in Ontario, where nearly a million No. 4 rifles were produced. But this is not just a story of steel and machinery. It is also a story of yellow birch, labour shortages, mills, kilns, and the civilians who kept production moving under wartime pressure.More than a tale of manufacturing, this episode reveals the “other army” behind the front lines: the workers, loggers, inspectors, and factory hands who helped turn a rifle into a legend.

At Waterloo, Napoleon’s Old Guard crested the ridge and met a silent wall of British red. In this episode of The Rum Ration Podcast, Colin and Rejoy unpack the real story behind that iconic colour: not vanity or intimidation, but logistics. Red had long signalled English authority, but in 1645 the New Model Army made it policy—cheap wool, durable dye, and easy mass production, with facing colours to distinguish regiments. In smoke-choked, black-powder battles, bright coats helped commanders track lines, reduced friendly fire, and made desertion harder. They also bust the myth that red “hid blood” (it doesn’t). Over time, practicality became prestige: by the 18th century red meant British power, until rifled weapons and smokeless powder made visibility fatal and khaki took over. The red coat survives today as ceremony—less about tactics, more about memory. Expect practical history, dark humour, and a few imaginary sponsor breaks along the way.

On this special Valentine’s Day episode of Rum Ration, retired infantry officers Colin Robinson and Rejoy Chatterjee celebrate a different kind of “Valentine”: the Infantry Tank Mk. III. They start with the martial origins of February 14th, from Saint Valentine’s defiance on behalf of soldiers to wartime traditions that kept troops connected to home. Then the story shifts to steel and diesel as Dunkirk’s disaster forces Britain to lean on Canada, a country with no tank-building tradition, to produce a finished design at speed.At CPR’s Angus Shops in Montréal, 3,500 workers assemble 40,000 parts into the Canadian Valentine, swapping in a GM 6-71 diesel and a Browning machine gun while wrestling with early production growing pains and design changes like cast armour. The twist: most Canadian Valentines ship to the USSR via brutal Arctic convoys, where Soviet crews praise the tank, improvise solutions, and fight on. The episode closes with the Archer variant and the remarkable journey of Montréal-built Tank #838—lost in 1944, recovered decades later, and preserved today in Ottawa. Support the Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your friends. And as always...Cheers to history! 🥂

Episode 37, is the third of a three-part series where the Rum Ration Podcast works to correct the myth of French-Canadian reluctance in the world wars. Social scientist and Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Garon joins the hosts for this episode to explain how the record-keeping in the First World War itself made francophone service “invisible”: CEF attestation papers never captured first language, so researchers leaned on crude proxies like Quebec enlistments or the 22nd Battalion's service records, when in fact there were more than 43 additional units in artillery, cavalry, engineers, medical services, signals, and support roles. The French-Canadian effort was massive, but much of it was absorbed into reinforcement pools, home defence, or imperial garrisons — roles that were essential, yet far less visible than front-line infantry combat — and overshadowed by the powerful symbol that the R22eR (Vandoos) has become of French-Canadian military service. But when Richard re-checks individual files across Canada’s “archipelagos of francophonie,” the picture flips. He estimates roughly 76,000 francophones served in the CEF, including about 48,000 volunteers—equal to, or higher than, English-Canadian enlistment rates. The episode also revisits the Royal 22e’s impossible burden as the lone French-speaking front-line infantry battalion, paying for its reputation at Courcelette and Regina Trench, while still working inside an English command system. We close with a reminder that courage looked like the 14th Battalion's (RMR) Sergeant François Narcisse Jérôme: three Military Medals, earned during the war. It’s a reset of remembrance, and a toast to countrywide sacrifice today.📬 Have Questions or Suggestions? Send us a message at info@rumration.ca.Support the Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your friends. And as always...Cheers to history! 🥂

Episode 32 kicks off a three-part Rum Ration series that shatters the myth that French-Canadians were unwilling to serve in Canada’s wars. Hosts Rejoy Chatterjee and Colin Robinson sit down with historians Richard Garon (First World War) and Julien Lehoux (Second World War/Hong Kong) to explain why the story is less about “reluctance” and more about barriers.They unpack the pre-1914 climate: an English-only military culture, limited advancement for Francophones, and political flashpoints like Ontario’s Regulation XVII. Then they follow the call to arms, from the hard-won creation of the 22nd Battalion (“Van Doos”) to strong volunteerism again in 1939, even as “one-way bilingualism” persisted. The episode also confronts the bitter legacy: conscription, riots, and how collective memory elevated Dieppe while Hong Kong’s Quebec volunteers faded from view. Next up: stay tuned for episodes that will focus on Richard’s new numbers for WWI participation, and Julien’s deep dive on Hong Kong: Québec's Forgotten Battle.

In this special Christmas episode of The Rum Ration, Colin and Rejoy head to Ortona, December 1943, the “Italian Stalingrad,” where Canadians fought for every doorway. A minor port guarding Highway 16 became a fortress held “at all costs” by the German Fallschirmjäger “Green Devils,” as record rain and the Moro River’s mud turned approach routes into misery. Inside Ortona, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and the Seaforth Highlanders improvised “mouse-holing,” blasting through adjoining walls to stay off kill-zone streets. The cost was savage: leaders exposed, buildings booby-trapped, civilians trapped in cellars, and over 1,300 Ortonesi killed. Yet on Christmas Day, the Seaforths staged a proper dinner in a ruined church, officers serving troops, while machine guns rattled outside, a moment that even impressed nearby Germans. Days later the enemy slipped away, leaving “Bloody December” and a legacy of resilience, ritual, and hard-earned truth about the famous Ortona Dinner photo, for Canada today.Shout out to Petula Clark for her musical inspiration!

In this episode of the Rum Ration Podcast, we tackle one of the most decisive half-hours in North American (and global) history: the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, 13 September 1759.Colin and Rejoy are joined by Professor Hal Klepak, Professor Emeritus of History and Strategy at the Royal Military College of Canada, to unpack how a global struggle between empires—fought in Europe, India, on the oceans, and in the forests of North America—came to a head outside Quebec City.We explore the wider Seven Years’ War, why the conquest of New France was increasingly inevitable, and how a sickly young James Wolfe and battle-hardened Louis-Joseph de Montcalm approached command in utterly different ways. From the brutal, fumbling siege of Quebec to the daring night ascent at L’Anse-au-Foulon and the disciplined British volleys that shattered Montcalm’s line, we dig into tactics, luck, and consequences.Listen in as we trace how this brief clash reshaped Canada—and helped set the stage for the American Revolution.📬 Have Questions or Suggestions? Send us a message at info@rumration.ca.Support the Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your friends. And as always...Cheers to history! 🥂

Remembrance Day is more than a moment of silence—it’s a story, and the poppy is its narrator. In this episode of The Rum Ration, Colin and Rejoy trace the red flower from the churned mud of the Western Front to today’s lapels. We begin with Lt.-Col. John McCrae at Ypres and the poem that launched a symbol, move to American educator Moina Michael who vowed to “keep the faith,” and meet Anna Guérin—the French organizer who scaled the idea into an international movement. Along the way, we unpack how post-war veterans’ groups competed to own remembrance before unifying around the poppy. Finally, we compare how Canada, Britain, and the United States run their campaigns today—different designs and calendars, same mission: honour the fallen, support the living. If you’ve ever pinned a poppy to your coat, this is the story behind that simple, powerful act—and why it still matters today.Support the Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your friends. And as always...Cheers to history! 🥂

In this 27th episode of The Rum Ration, hosts Rejoy and Colin raise a glass to the century-old home of The Royal Montreal Regiment (RMR) — and the extraordinary fight it took to build it. Joined by Assistant Curator of the RMR Museum, Amynte Eygun, they uncover how the RMR nearly vanished after the First World War, saved only by the determination of its veterans and the people of Westmount. Through civic votes, creative financing, and one indomitable general, Major-General Charles Basil Price, DSO, a memorial armoury rose from blueprints to copper-roofed reality in just 209 days. Dedicated in 1925 to the 1,192 RMR soldiers who never came home, the armoury became more than a building — it was a living memorial, community hub, and symbol of resilience. A century later, its walls still echo with service, sacrifice, and the timeless reminder that some battles are fought not abroad, but at home.📬 Have Questions or Suggestions? Send us a message at info@rumration.ca.Support the Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your friends. And as always...Cheers to history! 🥂

To mark The Rum Ration’s 25th episode, Colin and Rejoy swap trenches for theatre seats in “Popcorn and Powder Smoke: Our Favourite War Movies.” They explore how films—from A Bridge Too Far and All Quiet on the Western Front to Three Kings—shape how generations remember courage, chaos, and sacrifice. Colin’s picks focus on the cost of bravery and the absurdity of war, while Rejoy’s choices—Journey’s End, All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Charge of the Light Brigade—highlight quiet endurance amid despair. Between “fantasy sponsor” breaks from Trench Brew Ale and Foxhole Flicks, they remind listeners that war movies aren’t just about explosions—they’re about humanity under fire. It’s a cinematic toast to storytelling, memory, and the soldiers who inspired them all. Grab your rations and popcorn, and join The Rum Ration for a spirited salute to our favourite war films ever made.Available now at rumration.ca or wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Amazon, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and YouTube).📬 Have Questions or Suggestions? Send us a message at info@rumration.ca.Support the Podcast - If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your friends. And as always...Cheers to history! 🥂