RichB
Well-known member
As always, a day of mixed emotions. It begins in Newfoundland with memorial services commemorating the Battle of Beaumont Hamel. On 01 July 1916 the Newfoundland Regiment went "over the top" as part of the British 29th Division on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. In less than a half an hour the regiment suffered 80% casualties, killed, wounded or missing. Only 68 were able to answer roll call the next morning. For their actions at Gallipoli and Beaumont Hamel the Newfoundland Regiment was granted the "Royal" prefix in Dec 1917, the only regiment of the British and Imperial Armies to be granted that honour during the war.
Today, the focus of the ceremony was the interrment of the repratriated remains of an unkown Great War Newfoundland soldier at the St John's War Memorial and the consecration of the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier.
This afternoon things change to a more celebratory tone to celebrate Canada Day (officially Dominion Day until 1982). The RCAF will be conducting numerous flybys nation wide today with the largest being in Ottawa featuring 45 aircraft of the RCAF, past, present and future.
On Dominion Day 1944, Gen Eisenhower sent the following message to Canadian Forces in Europe,
"To you Canadian members of this Allied Force, all your team mates send you Dominion Day feliciatations. We are proud of the fighting record that you are everyday establishing by land, by sea and by air. On this the 77th anniversary of the dominion's birth you are adding new glories to the name of Canada and standing true to the principles that have made her great."
Dominion Day 1944 passed with little fan fare by the regiments in the line in Normandy. Some made no mention of it in their diaries, some acknowledged that the day was passed by consolidating their positions while under sporadic German fire. One regiment did note that there was a rum ration issued to the troops in honour of the day.
Cheers,
RichB
Today, the focus of the ceremony was the interrment of the repratriated remains of an unkown Great War Newfoundland soldier at the St John's War Memorial and the consecration of the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier.
This afternoon things change to a more celebratory tone to celebrate Canada Day (officially Dominion Day until 1982). The RCAF will be conducting numerous flybys nation wide today with the largest being in Ottawa featuring 45 aircraft of the RCAF, past, present and future.
On Dominion Day 1944, Gen Eisenhower sent the following message to Canadian Forces in Europe,
"To you Canadian members of this Allied Force, all your team mates send you Dominion Day feliciatations. We are proud of the fighting record that you are everyday establishing by land, by sea and by air. On this the 77th anniversary of the dominion's birth you are adding new glories to the name of Canada and standing true to the principles that have made her great."
Dominion Day 1944 passed with little fan fare by the regiments in the line in Normandy. Some made no mention of it in their diaries, some acknowledged that the day was passed by consolidating their positions while under sporadic German fire. One regiment did note that there was a rum ration issued to the troops in honour of the day.
Cheers,
RichB
