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Old 07-01-2006, 06:12 AM   #8
Bęthberry
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Bęthberry is wading through snowdrifts on Redhorn.Bęthberry is wading through snowdrifts on Redhorn.Bęthberry is wading through snowdrifts on Redhorn.Bęthberry is wading through snowdrifts on Redhorn.
Thanks for the mention of the First Newfoundlanders, Squatter. At that time, Newfoundland was still a colony of Britain--it did not join the Canadian Confederation until 1949. Although July 1--once called Dominion Day and now Canada Day--is the offical day celebrating Confederation, Newfoundland still observes July 1 as a day of mourning and commemoration of the July 1 offensive at Beaumont Hamel. The first battalion of the Newfoundland Regiment lost two thirds of its men in one hour of shelling from German artillery. On a per capita basis, Newfoundland had the highest casualty rate of all the Allies. The repercussions of that loss, some say, cost Newfoundland its hopes of becoming an independent nation on its own.

At Notre Dame Cathedral I saw plaques commemorating the sacrifice of soldiers from both Newfoundland and Canada for World War I and World War II. I couldn't find anything at St. Paul's about any Canadian contributions, but there is a huge memorial to the American participation, which to me was bitterly ironic as the Americans were last in, so to speak (although this memorial is I think more for WWII). Canada was automatically included with Briain's declaration of war for WWI; however, the exact form of participation was decided by Canadians and the Canadian government. By the end of war the effort of her soldiers at Ypres, Regina Trench, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and Mons won for Canada international status as an independent nation. Canada had a separate signature on the Verseilles Treaty. Nearly one out of every ten Canadians who fought did not return. A nation of eight million people had sent 619,636 men and women to the battles and 66,655 gave their lives.

The Somme accounts for 24,029 of those lost.

Newfoundland's contribution is told in David Macfarlane's new book, The Danger Tree, of which I have read just excerpts. Five of Macfarlane's great uncles went to war. Two were wounded. Three were killed. Almost every family on the Rock suffered similarly.

Last edited by Bęthberry; 07-01-2006 at 11:52 AM.
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