Category: Brave Canadians
They Are the Dead
| 4/6/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
This entry is about 30,000 dead Canadians, actually it is about 1.5million dead Canadians, my grandfather was among them, but I’m only going to talk about 30,000 of them. Ninety years ago this weekend, these 30,000 Canadians, four divisions of soldiers, were mustering around a ridge in France called Vimy where over 150,000 Allied soldiers of other countries had already died trying to dislodge the well dug in Germans.
They had come from across this country, there were troops from all the then nine provinces, all volunteers to fight for King and country. To fight to protect those at home, to keep them (and us) free to live our lives in peace.
Back home, their friends, families, loved ones were attending Good Friday services throughout the land, for in those days the majority of Canadians attended church regularly. They were preparing for Easter Sunday and the celebration of the risen Christ on Easter Sunday. In a land of only 8 million people, there were few of those people who weren’t thinking about people they knew ‘over there’.
Back in France, the Canadian troops had been training behind the lines for weeks. This would be the first time that a unified Canadian force would go into combat together. It would be the first time in Canadian history that a major battle would be devised and commanded by a Canadian, Gen Arthur Currie. Among those troops was a young soldier I would eventually come to know, Charles S. Rutherford.
It was a daunting task they were about to engage in. There wouldn’t be a man among them who wouldn’t look around at their comrades and wonder which ones would not be there when the battle ended, or if he’d be there.
When not doing the work of preparing for the battle to start, those young Canadians would be preparing themselves. Hunkered down in tunnels and trenches, part of some 10,000km of them built during the war, some would write letters home, mindful that it might be the last letter they ever wrote. Others would spend time in prayer, or trying to distract themselves from dwelling on the coming danger. Still others would cover their fear with bravado and cutting up.
I expect the Chaplains would have been leading worship services, although not in churches like the folks back home would be attending. They would be whatever space was available and whatever setup could be put into place. Some of the men would have had a quiet word with the Chaplains, making their peace with God, setting their minds to some ease.
The artillery bombardment would have been going on for almost a week while all this was happening. The largest bombardment in history, over 1million shells were used. The Germans responded in a counter bombardment that sent some of the troops diving for cover while others watched carefully where the shells came from and then brought shelling to bear on the locations resulting in the knocking out of about 80% of the German guns. No one would be able to forget the task ahead of them.
In the cold wet pre-dawn of Easter Monday the order came that they had been training for. The advance was to begin –30,000 Canadians and a division of British troops were on the move to do for real what they had been doing in their training, only this time, the enemy fire was for real.
They moved in what became known as the ‘Vimy glide’, artillery barrages just ahead of the troops sent the Germans scurrying for cover allowing the Canadians to advance across no mans land between the trenches. Without the radio communications the troops would have today, the glide took incredible coordination. The artillery barrage too far in front of the advancing troops and the Germans would have time to emerge from their cover and put up a tough fight as the Canadians advanced. Too close to the troops, the Canadians became ‘friendly fire’ deaths.
When Queen Victoria was commissioning the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth’s highest battle honour, she decreed it would be for ‘valour’ as all who went into battle are ‘brave’. There was no question our 30,000 Canadians were brave, they were being thrown against an objective which had already claimed more than five times their number. About 10,000 of their number fell that day — 3,600 of them dead.
I can’t begin to even know or imagine the horrors of what those Canadians experienced that day. They attained their objectives. The Germans were dislodged from the ridge but not before 20,000 of them were killed and another 4,000 captured. Hundreds of the dead would remain where they fell, even today there is so much unexploded ordinance in the ground, it isn’t safe to try to remove them for proper burial.
The battle was a major victory for several reasons not the least of which was it was the first major battle honour for Canadian troops fighting together as Canadian units rather than dispersed throughout the British units. It established a reputation for the abilities of our Canadian troops that endures to this day. For the Allies it was the first major victory they had attained in almost 18 months, it served as a turning point for the war. The end would not come until another nineteen months of horrors had passed.
Four Victoria Crosses were awarded at the Battle of Vimy Ridge — Pvt William Johnstone, Pvt John Pattison, Lance Sgt Ellis Sifton and Cpt Thaine McDowell. Johnstone and Sifton both died at Vimy, Pattison was killed in June 1917 and McDowell survived the war.
Of the remaining 20,000 Canadians left standing after the battle some would fight and die or be wounded another day. There are no figures available how many survived the war and returned home without physical injury. None of them came home the same people who had marched off to war. Of the wounded, some would recover and carry on their lives more scarred from their experience than their wounds. Others would never recover, living out their lives with varying degrees of disabilities.
They came home to a country which welcomed them back with open arms, threw victory parades and made speeches about a country’s undying grattitude, that their service and sacrifice would never be forgotten. Time moved on, the country was eager to get back to some semblance of normal. Memories faded, other Canadians, the veteran’s memories would always be carried with them.
France, in gratitude for the bravery of the Canadians at Vimy deeded Hill 145 to the Canadian government in perpetuity. On that piece of now Canadian soil, a huge monument to the memory of the 60,000 Canadians who died in the Great War was built.
The veterans went back to the cities, towns and villages they had come from. They farmed, worked in factories, started businesses, became captains of industry, entered politics. They did what was expected of them, they ‘got on with their lives’ — or tried to.
Some would never be able to ‘get on’. The experience of war overwhelmed them inhibiting their ability to settle into a normal life. Today we’d recognize them as suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and they’d receive some care to try to help them recover. Not back then, the guys had to cope the best they could.
It would be years before their ‘grateful country’ would provide these veterans any benefits. Some would never receive any benefits, too proud to apply or just didn’t know they could. Others would die before the benefits were even available, often from the effects of their service to King and country.
As the years passed and World War 2 and then Korea happened, the awareness of the service and sacrifice of the WW1 veterans started to fade into history. Those veterans who remained often felt like part of forgotten history in a country of people who no longer cared what they had done to secure their freedom.
Ninety years have passed now. Those who survived the Great War have all lost the war of time. They have lived out their lives in varying lengths and taken their first hand knowledge and experiences of that horrific war to their graves. Some have left behind their stories, none could leave their experiences. All wanted their war to be the one to end all wars. None got that wish.
Ah yes, Charles Rutherford. He returned home from WW1 as Lieut. Rutherford and holder of the Victoria Cross, the Military Cross and the Military Medal. During WW2 he rejoined and served guarding royalty in Bermuda ending his military career as Capt. Rutherford. In June 1989 he lost his war of time, the last Canadian WW1 holder of the VC to die. He was buried with full military honours not more than 2kms from where I write this.
My grandfather, Cyril Instance, he returned home from WW1, married my grandmother and raised a family of five children including three sons who served in WW2. He worked driving streetcar for the Toronto Transit Commission until he retired to Grafton, ON to run a small greenhouse. As the years advanced he suffered Alzheimers and eventually had to be put into care. He was in care before he received any benefits due him for his service some 70 years earlier from his ever grateful country.
Lest we forget.
Master Cpl Fitzgerald’s Cowardly Attackers Charged
| 3/16/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians, Canadian News |
The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) in Morrisburg, Ontario have now charged a total of three young people with the cowardly attack on decorated Canadian soldier Master Cpl Fitzgerald last Friday night. Police are still seeking at least on other assailant. I talked about the attack in this posting.
A member of the Morrisburg Junior B Lions hockey team, Trevor Baldwin, is the 21 year old initially charged with the assault. The stats on his hockey performance reported from the teams website seems to show a player more intent on being a team goon than a hockey player. The other two charged are listed as 22 year old Ian Tait and 19 year old Jeremy Stewart. Little seems to be known about these two.
While initial reports were that Fitzgerald had only just arrived at the bar last Friday night but now there is some indication that a previous verbal altercation may have occurred but appeared to have been resolved. Baldwin’s mother claims it wasn’t her son’s fault. Maybe she might be wise to expect her son to take some responsibility for his actions. The injuries Fitzgerald sustained were too severe to be able to blow the incident off as not anyone’s fault.Â
Canadian Hero Attacked by Cowards
| 3/13/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians, Canadian News |
One of the first Canadians to have received the Medal of Military Valour for his service in Afghanistan was jumped and beaten by four cowards in a bar in his hometown of Morrisburg, Ontario. Master Cpl Collin Fitzgerald, now stationed at CFB Trenton, was visiting his dad on the weekend and accompanied his fiance’s brother to a local bar. While there he met up with a childhood friend who introduced him to those around as a medal recipient and heroic soldier.
He was apparently hit from behind and knocked out as he was jumped by up to four others. Currently a 21 year old has been charged and released on a promise to appear. Investigation continues with more charges pending against the 21 year old and others.
Released? Geeze… this lout needs to be cooling his heels in jail for this unprovoked attack. Witnesses reported that he was heard saying “What kind of f—–g hero are you now?” as he was being pulled off. He’s the kind of hero that doesn’t have to take part in cowardly attacks like this lout engaged in.
Master Cpl Fitzgerald was one of three young soldiers who received the Medal of Military Valour, which is awarded for an act of valour or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy, in a ceremony held by the Governor General on February 19th.
The citation attached to the Medal reads:
Master Corporal Fitzgerald deployed with 5 Platoon, B Company, 1 PPCLI Battle Group in Afghanistan. He is recognized for outstanding selfless and valiant actions carried out on May 24, 2006, during an ongoing enemy ambush involving intense, accurate enemy fire. Master Corporal Fitzgerald repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire by entering and re-entering a burning platoon vehicle and successfully driving it off the roadway, permitting the remaining vehicles trapped in the enemy zone to break free. Master Corporal Fitzgerald’s courageous and completely selfless actions were instrumental to his platoon’s successful egress and undoubtedly contributed to saving the lives of his fellow platoon members.
This incident is unbelievably disgusting. That anyone would suffer such a cowardly attack is bad enough, but it certainly appears that this attack was triggered by the fact that Fitzgerald had been honoured for his selfless actions takes the cowardice to a new level. While my first inclination is that this coward needs to have his ass in jail for a good long time, second thought strikes me that about 500 hours of community service might be a better lesson — 500 hours of working with our young men and women who have been injured in Afghanistan.
Should be long enough for him and his cowardly cohorts to start to get a clue.
We Will Remember Him
| 3/6/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them
In memory of our fallen Canadian:
Cpl Ronald Megeney –Afghanistan Mar. 07, 2007
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
Canadian Soldier Newsmaker of the Year
| 12/28/2006 | Posted by Patti under Afghanistan, Brave Canadians, Canadian News |
Canadian Press has named the Canadian Soldier newsmaker of the year. Canadians have been acutely aware of the work of our men and women in the military this year. Nothing brought that awareness into sharper focus than the arrival home from Afghanistan of 36 of those brave men and women in flag draped coffins borne on the shoulders of their comrades in arms.
Not since the Korea War has Canada suffered so many combat deaths in one year. During the three years of that war we lost 516 Canadians, all volunteers. We have been in Afghanistan since 2002 in varying degrees but it has only been in the last year Read the rest of this entry »
We Will Remember Them
| 11/27/2006 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them
In memory of our fallen Canadians:
WO Robert Girouard — Afghanistan Nov. 27, 2006
Cpl Albert Storm — Afghanistan Nov. 27, 2006
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
We Will Remember Them
| 10/14/2006 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them
In memory of our fallen Canadian:
Sgt. Darcy Tedford — Afghanistan Oct. 14, 2006
Pte Blake Williamson — Afghanistan Oct 14, 2006
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
We Will Remember Him
| 10/8/2006 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them
In memory of our fallen Canadian:
Tpr. Mark Wilson — Afghanistan Oct. 7, 2006
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
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