The Soldiers General

Self-doubt so plagued him that he suffered a nervous breakdown even before fighting his first combat action. But by the end of the Second World War, Bert Hoffmeister had exorcised his anxieties, risen from Captain to Major-General, and won more awards than any other Canadian officer in the war. Fighting from the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 to the final victory in Europe in May 1945, this native Vancouverite earned a reputation for being a fearless commander on the battlefield, one who led from the front and was well loved by those he commanded. How did he do it?

Major Douglas E. Delaney is Assistant Professor of History at the Royal Military College of Canada