Beaumont-Hamel One Hundred Years Later in Most of Our Country, July 1St 68 Were There to Answer the Roll Call

Veterans’Veterans’ WeekWeek SSpecialpecial EditionEdition - NovemberNovember 55 toto 11, 11, 2016 2016 Beaumont-Hamel one hundred years later In most of our country, July 1st 68 were there to answer the roll call. is simply known as Canada Day. It was a blow that touched almost In Newfoundland and Labrador, every community in Newfoundland. however, it has an additional and A century later the people of the much more sombre meaning. There, province still mark it with Memorial it is also known as Memorial Day—a Day. time to remember those who have served and sacrificed in uniform. The regiment would rebuild after this tragedy and it would later earn the On this day in 1916 near the French designation “Royal Newfoundland village of Beaumont-Hamel, some Regiment” for its members’ brave 800 soldiers from the Newfoundland actions during the First World Regiment went into action on the War. Today, the now-peaceful opening day of the Battle of the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Somme. The brave men advanced Memorial overlooks the old into a thick hail of enemy fire, battlefield and commemorates the instinctively tucking their chins Newfoundlanders who served in the down as if they were walking through conflict, particularly those who have a snowstorm. In less than half an no known grave. Special events were hour of fighting, the regiment would held in Canada and France to mark Affairs Canada Veterans Photo: th be torn apart. The next morning, only the 100 anniversary in July 2016. Caribou monument at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. Force C in The Gulf War not forgotten Against all Hong Kong Our service members played a variety of roles, from crewing odds three Canadian warships with the Coalition fleet, to flying CF-18 jet fighters in attack missions, to Photo: Department of National Department of National Photo: Defence ISC91-5253 operating a military hospital, and at Canadian Armed Forces CF-18 readying more. It also marked the first time for take-off in the Middle East in 1991. that Canadian women served in combat roles. The active fighting The Gulf War of the early 1990s ended on February 28, 1991, when Kapyong was an important chapter in Coalition forces offered a ceasefire Canada’s military history, and this to Iraq after some six weeks of a th Canadians saw heavy action year marks the 25 anniversary of devastating air campaign, followed during the Korean War, but the Liberation of Kuwait and the by a ground campaign that quickly Photo: Imperial War Museum KF 189 Museum KF War Imperial Photo: the Battle of Kapyong stands end of the conflict. More than 4,000 liberated Kuwait. Canadian soldiers training in the hills of out as one of our soldiers’ most Hong Kong before the invasion. Canadian Armed Forces members intense experiences. On April served in the tense Persian Gulf Fortunately no Canadians were 24, 1951, the 2nd Battalion region in 1990-1991 as part of the killed in the Gulf War but it took of the Princess Patricia’s Our soldiers’ first major action international coalition of countries a lasting toll on many of those who Canadian Light Infantry, along during the Second World War that came together to push the were there. Canada remembers with other Commonwealth took place 75 years ago this year. invading forces of Iraq out of the men and women who bravely forces, defended the important ‘Force C’ was a contingent of neighbouring Kuwait. served. Kapyong River valley during an some 1,975 Canadians that was all-out enemy attack. largely made up of members of Manitoba’s Winnipeg Grenadiers on the battlefield. The action was Intense a success and Courcelette was soon and Quebec’s Royal Rifles of e Canada. They set sail for Hong taken, with the French-Canadian 22 Kong in late October 1941 to help Bataillon playing an important role defend the British Crown Colony fighting on in capturing the village. from the threat of Japanese invasion. The Canadians would capture a the Somme number of other enemy positions Only weeks after the Canadians in the weeks that followed in costly arrived in the Far East, the enemy battles that would take a high toll The Battle of the Somme was on our soldiers. More than 24,000 attacked on December 8. The launched in northern France on July outnumbered Allied defenders Canadians would be killed or 1, 1916, and was one of the bloodiest wounded in the Battle of the Somme, fought bravely before finally chapters of the First World War. The being forced to surrender on but our soldiers’ courage and skill fighting would drag on for more than added to our country’s reputation for Christmas Day. Approximately four and a half months. The Canadian Art. War Collection of Beaverbrook Image: Museum 19900084-001 War Canadian 290 Canadians were killed and having some of the best troops on the Corps would take part, with our Western Front. ‘Holding at Kapyong’ war painting almost 500 wounded in the heavy soldiers’ first major battle beginning by Ted Zuber. fighting. Life for the survivors in on September 15 when they attacked Japanese prisoner of war camps the village of Courcelette. The Canadians came under would be incredibly harsh. More intense fire during the night than 260 more of our men would The soldiers advanced behind a from waves of charging enemy lose their lives due to malnutrition, creeping barrage, a new tactic that soldiers on the hills above the hard labour and physical abuse saw attackers closely follow a line Kapyong. At times our soldiers over the next four years before of artillery fire that moved forward Collection Beaverbrook Image: War Canadian Art. of War Museum 19710261-0142 were completely overrun and finally being liberated with the on a carefully timed schedule. Tanks ‘Canadian Artillery in Action’ war the situation so desperate they end of the war in August 1945. were also used—the first time in painting by Kenneth Keith Forbes even requested their artillery history these new weapons appeared depicting fighting on the Somme. to fire on their own positions to drive off the attackers. They The volunteers came from the Maritimes. Today, the dedicated service of the later became surrounded and Eventually, more than 600 men “Black Battalion” is remembered as their ammunition ran low, so “Black Battalion” enlisted. an important chapter in the proud they had to get new supplies tradition of military service by dropped by air. Black Canadians were eager to The unit was intended for support Black Canadians in our country. serve their country during the First roles and served honourably in France During the fight, 10 Canadians World War. In an era when our attached to the Canadian Forestry were killed and 23 wounded, society was less inclusive, however, Corps. They provided lumber to but against all odds the Princess it was difficult for them to enlist maintain trenches on the front lines. Pats had maintained their in the Canadian Expeditionary They also helped construct roads position and held back the Force. On July 5, 1916, the No.2 and railways. Some of the members enemy. The Battalion received Construction Battalion was formed would go on to distinguished service the United States Presidential in Pictou, Nova Scotia—the first in combat units and earn medals Unit Citation for their bravery Black battalion in Canadian history. for bravery, as would other Black in Kapyong, a rare honour for a Recruitment took place across the Canadians who had managed to Public Domain Photo: non-American military unit. country, but the majority of the directly join front-line infantry units. No. 2 Construction Battalion soldiers in 1917. canada.ca/rememberthem 2 Six decades In the heat of battle in Afghanistan of fostering More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in a variety of roles on the ground, in the air and peace at sea in the Afghanistan theatre of operations from 2001 to 2014. The challenges and dangers these brave men and women faced were great and they were frequently targeted by roadside bombs and suicide attacks. They also took part in major combat with the Taliban forces who were trying to destabilize the country. Operation Medusa was a Canadian- Photo: Department of National Defence Department of National Photo: ZK-1946-17 Photo: Department of National Defence Department of National Photo: AR2006-P005-0011 led offensive in Kandahar Province Canadian peacekeepers patrolling the Canadian Armed Forces members during Operation Medusa. Egypt-Israel border. that was launched in September 2006. The goal was to clear insurgents operation in more than 50 years and lives in Afghanistan. Those who 2016 marks the 60th anniversary of from the Panjwai district. The many our soldiers took heavy fire, but the served have been remembered in large-scale United Nations (UN) hostile villages, irrigation ditches, Taliban was pushed from the district. many ways, from the “Highway of peace support efforts. Our country trenches, tunnels, extreme climate and The cost was high, however, and 12 Heroes” commemorative roads to has been involved in these special improvised explosive devices made it Canadians were killed in the two-week the dates of the Afghanistan mission missions from the start, dating a difficult place to fight. More than offensive. being inscribed on the National War back to the Suez Crisis of 1956. 1,000 Canadians, along with over 400 Memorial. This tense Middle East standoff soldiers from other countries, took Sadly, a total of 158 Canadian between Egypt on one side and part. It was Canada’s largest combat Israel, Britain and France on the Armed Forces members lost their other threatened to draw the international community into war.

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