The Yukon was one of the most isolated parts of the British Empire but when news came by telegram that war had been declared against Germany, the response to the call for volunteers was immediate. It was boasted that more Yukoners volunteered per capita than any other jurisdiction in the country. Of the five thousand inhabitants scattered over an area twice the size of England, more than a thousand signed up for service.

High school students enlisted, some lying about their age to do so. Brothers joined up, as did fathers and sons. Two men mushed all the way from Herschel Island to enroll in Dawson. Miners answered the call from the Klondike, Mayo, Atlin, Forty Mile, Kluane, Livingston Creek, Carcross, Carmacks and Whitehorse. Americans, Serbians, Frenchmen and Montenegrins living in the Yukon also rallied to the flag. Several members of the Yukon Council took up the flag, leaving barely a quorum to carry on the business of government. From the most humble, to the most prominent, they all responded to the call to arms.

This collection of short biographies will be published to mark the hundredth anniversary of the end of the conflict—November 11, 1918. Yukon Fallen honours the individual sacrifices made by those soldiers who did not live to see the end of the war. It will appeal to collectors, readers of military history and anyone interested in learning about Yukon’s contribution to World War I.

Michael Gates is the author of From the Klondike to Berlin (Harbour Publishing, 2017) which was shortlisted for the Canadian Authors Fred Kerner Book Award. He is also the author of Dalton’s Gold Rush Trail: Exploring the Route of the Klondike Cattle Drives (Harbour Publishing, 2012) and History Hunting in the Yukon (Harbour Publishing, 2010). He was formerly the curator of collections for Klondike National Historic Sites in Dawson City and pens the popular column “History Hunter” for the Yukon News. He lives in Whitehorse, YT.

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D. Blair Neatby is a retired Master Warrant Officer and member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. During his illustrious career, Neatby was awarded numerous medals of honour including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, A Canadian Peacekeeping Medal, and a Special Service Medal for four years of work with NATO in Germany.

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