End of an era - Canada in the First World War

[PMedMoe]

CBC has an excellent slide show and other related articles about the Canadian military during WWI.

Remembering Canada's WW I veterans

Vimy Ridge: Four days in April

Vimy Ridge: Building the towers

Edited to add other links.

 

[mariomike]

I have been thinking about my grandfather. He was in Number 1 Construction Battalion C.E.F. and was wounded at Passchendaele. I have his I.D. discs, his two medals, and a photocopy of his personnel record from the National Archives of Canada. I was 18 when he passed away, so I got to know him.

I recently read "1918: Year of Victory" by Malcolm Brown. It's a wonderful book. They did what had to be done. It was certainly a filthy job.
As they said, "After the war to end war, came the peace to end peace."

 

[dangerboy]

CANFORGEN about it:

CANFORGEN 083/10 CDS 010/10 071804Z APR 10
END OF AN ERA COMMEMORATING THE PASSING OF THE LAST CANADIAN
UNCLASSIFIED



DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR, OVER 600,000 CANADIANS SERVED IN THE CANADIAN MILITARY. OF THIS NUMBER, OVER 60,000 DIED AND OVER 170,000 WERE WOUNDED. MR. JOHN (JACK) BABCOCK, THE ONLY REMAINING CANADIAN VETERAN OF THIS WAR TO END ALL WARS, PASSED AWAY IN HIS HOMETOWN OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ON 18 FEBRUARY 2010


HIS PASSING MARKS THE END OF AN ERA, SEVERING OUR LIVING LINKS TO AN EVENT AND A GENERATION THAT, THROUGH THEIR ENORMOUS SACRIFICE, RAISED CANADA’S INTERNATIONAL STATURE AND HELPED WEAVE THE FABRIC OF CANADIAN NATIONHOOD


VETERANS AFFAIRS CANADA HAS MADE PREPARATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE PASSING OF ALL VETERANS OF HIS ERA, AND THE LOSS OF CANADA’S LAST LIVING LINK WITH THE FIRST WORLD WAR, ARE APPROPRIATELY COMMEMORATED, TO HONOUR THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICES OF THE GENERATION OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO ANSWERED THEIR NATION’S CALL DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR


COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONIES WILL BE HELD AT THE VIMY MEMORIAL IN FRANCE, AT GREEN PARK IN LONDON, ENGLAND, AT KANDAHAR, AT THE NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL IN OTTAWA, AND AT CAPITAL CITIES OF EACH PROVINCE AND TERRITORY. ALL CEREMONIES IN CANADA WILL OCCUR ON 9 APRIL 2010, VIMY RIDGE DAY


I EXPECT THE CF TO PAY INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE RESPECTS, AS A SYMBOL OF OUR APPRECIATION, RECOGNITION, ADMIRATION AND RESPECT FOR THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR NATION AND OF OUR SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND AIRMEN WHO FOUGHT IN A WAR THAT DEFINED OUR COUNTRY 

 

[karl28]

    Those Troops of the Canadian Armed Forces during the first world war did amazing work under horrible conditions hopefully we as a country will never forget their sacrifice .

 

[gcclarke]

As well, the following message from Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, via the Governor General's website.

Message from Her Majesty The Queen - End of an Era

April 9, 2010


Message from Her Majesty The Queen


As proud and grateful Canadians, we pause today to mark not only the ninety-third anniversary of this Nation’s victory at Vimy Ridge but also to pay tribute to the passing of a truly remarkable generation who helped to end the most terrible conflict the world had ever known.

These gallant men and women went off to Europe to fight in what was often considered to be “the war to end all wars”; to defend the principles of peace, freedom and justice for their Country and, indeed, for all mankind.  Theirs was a story of unspeakable horror, unmitigated heroism and – ultimately – of inspiring victory. This tremendous sacrifice can rightly be regarded as a defining moment in the history of Canada and is one which we will never forget.

And now, they are gone –and all Canadians mourn our collective loss.  Yet they will remain forever etched in the hearts of a grateful people and on the pages of our history as symbols of service, honour and dedication.

In our minds and in our hearts always, we will remember them.


ELIZABETH II.

 

[Greymatters]

    Those Troops of the Canadian Armed Forces during the first world war did amazing work under horrible conditions hopefully we as a country will never forget their sacrifice .

The reason why a lot of European immigrants were free after WW1 and WW2 to move to Canada is a result in part due to our soldiers' sacrifices.  Too many who moved here have forgotten that (and as the son and son-in-law of immigrants I know first hand that some of them have...)