Canadian historians use Google Earth to illustrate WWI
Matt Hartley Nov 11, 2011 – 6:30 AM ET
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As time goes by, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for Canadians to conceptualize the epic battles which claimed the lives of so many soldiers during the First and Second World Wars.
For many people, it is difficult to comprehend the challenges Canadian soldiers faced during the Battle of the Somme, at Vimy Ridge or during the Italian campaign.
Now, thanks to a trio of Canadian military historians at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. — with a little help from Google Inc. — a new guidebook featuring satellite imagery from Google Earth offers Canadians the chance to gain a better understanding of what those soldiers went through nearly a century ago.
Working alongside famed Canadian military historian Terry Copp, Laurier PhD candidate Matt Symes and undergraduate student Nick Lachance have put together a new guidebook, dubbed Canadian Battlefields 1915-1918: A Visitor’s Guide, which traces the steps of Canadian soldiers throughout Europe during the First World War.
“The first world war, the battles the Canadians participated in, terrains play such and important factor,” said Mr. Lachance.
“One look at these images from Google Earth, and you get a real sense of just how much terrain mattered in those epic battles.”
Using images from Google Earth, the guidebook illustrates not only the various battlefields as they appear today, but thanks to historical imagery, Canadians can also get a better understanding of the terrain as it appeared during the First World War.
The guidebook is the latest in a series that Mr. Copp has put together on the First and Second World Wars, but the trio say this will be the last print edition of the guidebook series; the next edition will be a digital version, designed specifically for tablet devices.
More on link
Matt Hartley Nov 11, 2011 – 6:30 AM ET
Article Link
As time goes by, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for Canadians to conceptualize the epic battles which claimed the lives of so many soldiers during the First and Second World Wars.
For many people, it is difficult to comprehend the challenges Canadian soldiers faced during the Battle of the Somme, at Vimy Ridge or during the Italian campaign.
Now, thanks to a trio of Canadian military historians at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. — with a little help from Google Inc. — a new guidebook featuring satellite imagery from Google Earth offers Canadians the chance to gain a better understanding of what those soldiers went through nearly a century ago.
Working alongside famed Canadian military historian Terry Copp, Laurier PhD candidate Matt Symes and undergraduate student Nick Lachance have put together a new guidebook, dubbed Canadian Battlefields 1915-1918: A Visitor’s Guide, which traces the steps of Canadian soldiers throughout Europe during the First World War.
“The first world war, the battles the Canadians participated in, terrains play such and important factor,” said Mr. Lachance.
“One look at these images from Google Earth, and you get a real sense of just how much terrain mattered in those epic battles.”
Using images from Google Earth, the guidebook illustrates not only the various battlefields as they appear today, but thanks to historical imagery, Canadians can also get a better understanding of the terrain as it appeared during the First World War.
The guidebook is the latest in a series that Mr. Copp has put together on the First and Second World Wars, but the trio say this will be the last print edition of the guidebook series; the next edition will be a digital version, designed specifically for tablet devices.
More on link
