I find Hastings' characterization difficult to understand except as a rather sloppy statement by someone who hasn't done any detailed reading or research. To my mind, if one wanted to criticize the Canadian Army in NW Europe it would be to characterize it as an army with excellent raw material, with enthusiastic and effective junior leadership, led by inexperienced, and in some cases incompetent, senior officers. Even those with talent, such as Simonds, climbed the learning curve over the dead bodies of their soldiers.
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