The 1936 Vimy Pilgrimage

The 1936 Vimy Pilgrimage Eric Brown and Tim Cook anadians regard the Battle of poems have been produced about Choosing a Memorial CVimy Ridge as an iconic event Vimy as a central event in the in our nation’s history. The story of Canadian war effort. Individually he Great War killed an estimated Vimy has been taught to succeeding and collectively, these cultural Tten million combatants, of which generations in English Canada, to the products have shaped our memory Canada contributed more than 60,000 point where it has been embraced by of the battle. While almost every to that grim figure. As a result of many as one of our country’s founding component of the preparation and this sacrifice, and perhaps directly myths.1 The four Canadian divisions, fighting at Vimy has been dissected because of the agonizingly high consisting of soldiers from across the by historians, few have attempted to number of deaths, Canada was dominion, came together to attack the examine carefully the story of why said to have come of age during reputedly impregnable German-held Vimy Ridge matters to Canadians.3 the war. Canada was different after ridge in northern France over the How did a battle at the mid-point of the war, but these changes were Easter weekend of 9 to 12 April 1917. the Great War become a founding not immediately apparent. In 1919, Through meticulous preparation, myth that is now woven into our hundreds of thousands of veterans training, determination, and sacrifice, history and national identity? Vimy returned to a grief-riven and debt- the Canadians succeeded where both over time has become more than laden country plagued with social the British and French armies had a battle, because it represents to unrest. The conscription crisis had failed in the past. The Corps’ victory many Canadians, much like the 1915 revealed old and new fault lines with solidified its reputation among allies Gallipoli campaign for Australians, English pitted against French, labour and opponents as an elite fighting an event where the nation seemed against employers, farmers against force. But this was no glide to victory, to be fundamentally changed from urbanites. with the 100,000-strong Canadian a self-governing colony to a full- Corps suffering 10,602 casualties.2 fledged nation. In Canada, this is Countless newspaper articles, represented by the much-repeated Résumé : L’article analyse les activités histories, children’s books, phrase that Vimy was the “birth of a des membres du Corps expéditionnaire documentaries, novels, plays and nation.”4 This article seeks to unpack canadien pendant leurs temps libres en some of the strands of constructed Grande-Bretagne lors de la Première memory surrounding the battle and Guerre mondiale. Pour plusieurs de ces Abstract: This article explores soldats en poste outre-mer, ce pays the memorial. By examining the devint leur « chez-soi à l’étranger », et the significance of the 1936 Vimy pilgrimage to Vimy made by more Pilgrimage. More than 6,200 Canadian Londres, leur principal lieu de séjour. En veterans and their families voyaged than 6,200 Canadian veterans and dépit du fait que des milliers de soldats to France for the unveiling of Walter family members for the unveiling du Corps purent visiter la capitale britannique, les autorités canadiennes, Allward’s Vimy Memorial on 26 of the Vimy Memorial on 26 July fédérales et militaires, conservèrent une July 1936 by King Edward VIII. The 1936, we hope to shed light on how symbolism of the pilgrimage, along approche passive en ce qui avait trait the battle was infused with new with the messages presented during the aux activités des hommes en dehors de unveiling ceremony, played a key role in meaning, and perhaps how Vimy and leur service. Préoccupée de leur bien- establishing the importance of the Vimy the memorial became lodged firmly être, la philanthrope canadienne Julia Drummond mit sur pied le seul . Ridge memorial to Canadians. in the Canadian imagination.5 © Canadian Military History, Volume 20, Number 2, Spring 2011, pp.37-54. 37 The Vimy Memorial. remaining six Canadian monuments, each one constructed from blocks of rectangular, grey Canadian granite, Photo by Mike Bechthold Mike by Photo and bearing inscriptions related to the battle they commemorate. The CBMC had initially decided that Allward’s memorial was to be erected at Hill 60 in the Ypres salient, near the site of the June 1916 Battle of Mount Sorrel. While this was ground that offered a commanding view of the countryside, the battle itself was a costly draw at best, and certainly Because of the deep scars left of the late war to commemorate the not an inspiring victory. Vimy by the war, many Canadians felt gallantry of Canadian troops.” His Ridge was a better choice, although compelled to mark the nation’s motion received the unanimous not a universal one, because the sacrifice. Plaques, books and histories; support of the Commons.8 With CBMC selection committee believed, stained glass windows, statues and this vote, the House also agreed to strangely, that Allward’s memorial edifices; official medals, certificates the establishment of the Canadian “would be lost in the mass of the and awards – these and many other Battlefields Memorials Commission ridge.”13 Others agreed that Vimy forms of commemoration provided (CBMC), a seven-member body was not an ideal location for the meaning for Canadians.6 Memorials under the chairmanship of Sydney memorial. The influential Sir Arthur were erected in communities large Mewburn, a former minister of Currie had remarked in April 1922 and small, many with the names militia and defence.9 to a former Corps veteran – and also of the fallen engraved upon them. The CBMC was responsible for expressed this view to the members The Peace Tower of the Parliament drawing up the specifications for of the CBMC – that if Buildings and the National Cenotaph the proposed monuments, which, were commemorative structures, at that time, were conceived as they place the large memorial at but before their unveilings in 1927 stones of remembrance. The sites Vimy it will confirm for all time and 1939, there were also calls to were all significant Canadian Corps’ the impression which exists in the erect memorials on the battlefields battles: five in France, at Vimy Ridge, minds of the majority of the people of Europe. Bourlon Wood, Le Quesnel, Dury and of Canada that Vimy was the greatest Shortly after the Armistice on Coucelette, and three in Belgium, at battle fought by the Canadians in 11 November 1918, the commander St. Julien, Hill 62 (Sanctuary Wood) France. In my mind that is very of the Canadian Corps, Lieutenant- and Passchendaele.10 The public far from being a fact. We fought General Sir Arthur Currie, and a small competition for the design of the other battles where the moral and group of his officers met with British monuments was open to all Canadian material results were greater and military officials to select battle sites architects, designers, and sculptors.11 more far reaching than Vimy’s that were significant to the Canadian Two years later, during a sitting victory. There were other victories Corps, although not, it should be of the House in May 1922, Mewburn also that reflected to a greater degree noted, to those formations, like the informed members, and the nation, the training and efficiency of the Cavalry Brigade, that fought outside that the design of Walter Allward Corps. Vimy was a set piece for of the Corps. Eight sites were selected had been selected for the national which we had trained and rehearsed for monuments and recommended overseas memorial. 12 A second for weeks. It did not call for the same to the government in Ottawa.7 The memorial, designed by Regina degree of resource and initiative that minister of militia and defence, Hugh architect Frederick Clemesha, The were displayed in any of the three Guthrie, introduced a motion in the Brooding Soldier, was to be erected great battles of the last hundred days House of Commons on 21 April 1920, on the Second Ypres battlefield near - Amiens, Arras, Cambrai.14 “to consider and report upon the St. Julien where Canadians faced question of what memorials, if any, the first chlorine gas attack of the Although he was not alone in his should be erected on the battlefields war. Clemesha also designed the thinking, he nevertheless agreed that 38 the heights of Vimy Ridge would monument commemorating the shed their blood, was omitted from make an impressive setting. 1885 Northwest Rebellion. He was Allward’s conception, the monument It would appear, however, eighteen years old. This was followed would eventually be perceived as that the Canadian prime minister, by the stunning South African War not just a memorial for France and W. L. Mackenzie King, was the Memorial in Toronto, which was Canada, but as a memorial to the most influential champion for the erected in 1910.17 Upon being chosen sacrifices of an entire generation of Vimy Ridge site. While he had not to build the national monument, Canadians. While the construction fought in the war, and had never Allward was obliged to give up his and analysis of the memorial, with seen Vimy Ridge, King believed it work on several commissions already its many allegorical figures, is beyond was “hallowed ground” and that in progress, including Peterborough the scope of this article, Vimy is awe- Allward’s memorial should be placed and Brantford war memorials. After inspiring in conception, size, and there as “Canada’s altar on European selling his house and studio in design, and regarded by many as one soil.”15 These were inspiring, and Toronto, he moved with his family of finest war memorials of the Great perhaps surprising, words coming to London, England, during the War.

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