VIMY RIDGE

April 9th

AN ANNUAL COMMEMORATION PROJECT

ByThe Army Cadet League of Canada

THE ARMY CADET LEAGUE OF CANADATHE ROYAL CANADIAN ARMY CADETSTHE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGIONARMY NAVY AIR FORCE VETERANS IN CANADA (ANAVETS)THE VIMY FOUNDATIONMINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCEMINISTER OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

COMMEMORATING VIMY RIDGETHE BIRTH OF CANADA AS A NATION

APRIL 9TH, 1917

With images and quotes from“At Vimy Ridge” Canada’s Greatest World War 1 VictoryHugh BrewsterScholastic Canada Ltd.

At 5:30 AM, EASTER MONDAY, APRIL 9TH, 1917 IN A FREEZING RAIN, 100,000 CANADIAN BOYS, VIRTUALLY EVERY CANADIAN SOLDIER IN FRANCE, WAS IN FRONT

OF VIMY RIDGE FORMED UP IN WHAT WAS CALLED, FOR THE FIRST TIME:

“THE CANADIAN CORPS”

THE CANADIAN CORPS WAS COMPRISED OF FOUR DIVISIONS ALIGNED (FROM THE GERMAN VIEW) LEFT TO RIGHT.

A Division is approximately 25,000 soldiers.

ON THEIR SHOULDERS, COLOURED PATCHES IDENTIFIED THEIR DIVISION:

These Divisional patches continued in use by the Canadian Army during WWII.THE 1ST Division Patch continued to be worn by Canadian Forces Europe into the mid 1970’s and soon

will be worn again when the red patch will be used as a unit identification by special operations.

4th Division

3rd Division

2nd Division (The Iron Second)

1st Division (“Old Red Patch”)

TO COMMEMORATE THE BATTLE, THE VIMY FOUNDATION HAS STRUCK A LAPEL PIN .

NOTE THE DIVISIONAL PATCHES POSITIONED AS THEY WERE AT THE BATTLE FACING THE RIDGE. THE 1ST (RED) ON THE RIGHT OF THE CANADIAN ATTACK UP THE RIDGE.

A GERMAN OFFICER CAPTURED BEFORE THE BATTLE OF VIMY BRAGGED:

“You may be able to get to the top of Vimy Ridge, but I’ll tell you this: you’ll be able to take all the Canadians back in a row boat that get there”.

IN PREVIOUS ASSAULTS, OVER 160,000 BRITISH AND FRENCH SOLDIERS HAD DIED AT VIMY TRYING TO TAKE IT.

Canadian soldiers returning from Vimy Ridge May 1917(Library & Archives Canada / PA-001332

On Easter Saturday April 8th, 1917Lt. William George McIntyre of the 29th (Vancouver) Battalion, 2nd Divisionwrote home to his mother in Clearwater, Manitoba:

I hope not, but this may be a note of farewell, for we attack tomorrow morning. If this must be goodbye I must try to acknowledge the unrepayable debts I owe you for love and tenderness, encouragement and sympathy, and high ideals all through my life – you have been the best of mothers to us – and to ask forgiveness – I know it has been granted already – for the pain and trouble I have sometimes cost you. God bless you for all your goodness. I feel very cheery, and if my feelings are an index I should get through this alive, but one never knows.

Lt. McIntyre was killed the next day on Vimy Ridge. He was 29 years old.His Mother received the letter two weeks after being informed of her son’s death.

AT THE END OF THE BATTLE 10,602 OF THE BEST OF

CANADA WERE BLEEDING ON VIMY RIDGE. . . .

3,598 BOYS FROM VIRTUALLY EVERY CANADIAN CITY AND

TOWN LAY DEAD

GERMAN LOSSES WERE WORSE

THIS PRIDE AND INDEPENDENCE TRANSFORMED ITSELF INTO CANADIAN NATIONALISM AND THE RETURNING SOLDIERS SAW CANADA IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LIGHT AND NO LONGER AS A COLONY.

CANADA CAME OF AGE ON VIMY RIDGE!

Canadian troops advance under shellfire

Canadians enter Mons, 11 Nov 1918

INSPITE OF TREMENDOUS LOSSES, AN AMAZING PRIDE EVOLVED IN THE SURVIVORS OF VIMY RIDGE FOR WHAT WAS A SINGULAR CANADIAN ACCOMPLISHMENT. NEVER AGAIN WOULD CANADIANS SERVE UNDER DIRECT BRITISH COMMAND.

FOLLOWING VIMY CAME THE START OF WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS CANADA’S HUNDRED DAYS. FROM 8 AUG TO 11 NOV 1918, THE END OF HOSTILITIES. THE CANADIANS PURSUED THE GERMAN ARMY TO MONS, AND AT ONE POINT ADVANCED 12 MILES IN 3 DAYS; UNHEARD OF AT THAT POINT IN THE WAR.

THE ARMY CADET LEAGUE OF CANADA IS CHAMPIONING AN ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE OF THE BATTLE OF VIMY RIDGE EVERY APRIL BY ARMY CADETS, SIMILAR TO THE SEA CADETS’ BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC AND THE AIR CADETS’ COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

WHY SHOULD ARMY CADETS ADOPT THIS COMMEMORATION?

• TO STUDY A SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN CANADIAN HISTORY

• ALMOST EVERY AFFILIATED UNIT HAS “VIMY” AS A BATTLE HONOUR

• TO UNDERSTAND THE FUTILITY OF WAR

• TO APPRECIATE THE CONTRIBUTION OF MODERN DAY VETERANS

• TO COMPREHEND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE POPPY

• TO FOSTER PRIDE IN ARMY CADETS OF THEIR AFFILIATION WITH THE CANADIAN ARMY AND ITS ETHICS AND PRINCIPLES

What can Army Cadets do?

Activity at a cadet corps can be as large as a parade in town in partnership with veterans’

organizations such as the Royal Canadian Legion Branch, the ANAVETS’ Unit or simply a cadet project to document the story of a Canadian

soldier that took part in the action on Vimy Ridge.

ACTIVITIES BY ARMY CADETS• Organize a Parade with the Legion or ANAVETS• Give a speech to a local service club• Start a class project at school• Lecture members of the affiliated unit • Prepare a historical lecture for junior cadets• Address members of the local Legion Branch• Start a Facebook page with a “virtual parade”• Tweet “Vimy” details from your cadet corps

RELATED OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Beaverbrook Scholarship15 to 17 year olds apply on-line in November

for study the following summer. This year’s qualifying essay:

“How WWI Affected my Community”

2. Encounters with Canada125 students from all over Canada come to

Ottawa for study of selected events and subjects

SUPPORT

1. The Army Cadet League site will feature help suggestions and useful research tips on its VIMY page on the website www.armycadetleague.ca

2. Other available support materials: Posters Brochures Advertising in print media

VIMYTODAY

View of Douai Plain from Vimy Ridge - Today

NOTE THE ROAD

View of Douai Plain from Vimy Ridge - 1917

IDEASHISTORICAL PROJECTS

IN ….

CABARET - ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY

…Near Vimy Ridge

ESTABLISHED IN 1916, CABERET-ROUGE CONTAINS THE GRAVES OF MANY CANADIANS . . . .

INCLUDING LT. FREDERICK G. SCOTT, THE SON OF CANON SCOTT (1 DIV PADRE), AND A CLOSE FRIEND OF CON SMYTHE, THE FOUNDER OF THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Norm Christie’s film series “For King & Empire”

THERE IS A PATTERN HERE . . . . . .

VIRTUALLY EVERY CANADIAN ARMY UNIT OF THE CANADIAN FORCES HAS VIMY AS A BATTLE HONOUR

THERE ARE 3,598 POSSIBLE STORIES TO BE TOLD BY ARMY CADETS FROM VIMY RIDGE ALONE

Entries in the book of remembrance at Cabaret Rouge cemetery

There is an army cadet corps in Buckingham, QC

CC# 1573Corps de Cadets Bassin de la Lièvre

Dedication of the 87th Battalion Cenotaph on Vimy Ridge

Capt Fred Hannaford, MC and BarJoined as a Private in the 24TH Battalion at 19 years of ageSurvived all the great battles including Vimy RidgeDied as a Captain at Canal du Nord at 24 years. . . . . one month before the war ended

The 87th Battalion is perpetuated by

The Canadian Grenadier Guards who have 2 affiliated cadet corps:

CC# 2709 and CC# 1979

ON THE PIMPLE AT VIMY RIDGE, JUST IN FRONT OF GIVENCHY WOOD, THERE IS AN ABANDONED CENOTAPH TO THE

44TH BATTALION (1st Bn The Carleton Light Infantry)______________________

The 44th Bn is perpetuated by

The Royal New Brunswick Regiment

There are a number of Army Cadet Corps in New Brunswick . . . .

Why was this monument “abandoned”?

MONUMENT CONSTRUCTED

BY MEMBERS OF THE 44TH

BATTALION AFTER THE

BATTLE

THE ABANDONED

MONUMENT IN 1988

FINAL THOUGHTS

VIMY PROVED TO BE THE TURNING POINT IN CANADA WHERE CANADA BECAME A MEMBER OF THE GREATER INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC SCENE AND EARNED A SEAT AT THE 1919 PEACE TALKS.

THE MEN WHO FOUGHT THROUGH THE FIRST WORLD WAR EARNED THIS FOR CANADA. THEY INSPIRED THOUSANDS OF CANADIAN CITIZENS BOTH IN THE MILITARY AND IN CIVILIAN LIFE.

IN HIS RECENT BOOK “LEADERSHIP” RICK HILLIER REFERS TO THIS AS “THE VIMY EFFECT”.

HILLIER GOES ON TO QUOTE A TALIBAN LEADER COMMANDER MULLAH HAJI MOHAMMED WHO WAS INTERVIEWED IN 2010.

THE QUESTION WAS “ WHETHER FOREIGN SOLDIERS WERE ALL COWARDS?”

“YES”, HE RESPONDED PREDICTABLY, “THEY ARE ALL COWARDS, AND WITHOUT THEIR MACHINES, THEIR PLANES, VEHICLES AND TECHNOLOGY, THEY WOULD NOT LAST A MONTH.” HE PAUSED. “ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU DO HAVE A FEW BRAVE INVADING SOLDIERS; FROM ALL THE INVADING COUNTRIES, THE CANADIAN SOLDIERS ARE THE MOST BRAVE”.

THE VIMY EFFECT . . . . . AT WORK TODAY IN CANADA’S SOLDIERS.

MOVING FORWARD:

1. COMPLETE GRANT APPLICATION TO DVA (Done)

2. ASSEMBLE SUPPORT MATERIALS (In Progress)

3. CIRCULATE INFO TO ALL INVOLVED (Started)

4. GET BUY-IN FROM LOCAL CIC OFFICERS (Ongoing)

5. CONTACT LEGION BRANCHES (After 11 Nov)

6. DO IT ACROSS CANADA ON/AROUND APRIL 9TH 2011 in partnership with VAC, the Legion and ANAVETS

Reproduction of the 1937 Pilgrimage medal

Remember them . . . . . .

Cabaret Rouge Cemetery, Vimy, at sunset

REMEMBER HIM

The Army Cadet League of Canada66 Lisgar Street

Ottawa, ON, K2P 0C11-877-276-9223

national@armycadetleague.cawww.armycadetleague.ca