Newfoundlanders at Gallipoli a Strong Bond
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Veterans’ Week Special Edition - November 5 to 11, 2015 Gas Attack! This year marks the 100th anniversary Newfoundlanders at Gallipoli of the 2nd Battle of Ypres in Belgium during the First World War. On the deadly front lines swept by machine When Britain declared war in August gun and artillery fire, the Germans 1914, Newfoundland, which was introduced a terrible new weapon a colony of Britain at the time and on April 22, 1915—poison gas. The not yet a part of Canada, responded Allied troops beside the Canadians’ quickly and began recruiting men for positions took the worst of the thick overseas service. clouds of yellow-green chlorine, forcing them back and leaving a The fighting in the First World War large gap in the defences. occurred in more places than just Western Europe. On September 20, st The Germans pressed forward, 1915, the 1 Newfoundland Regiment threatening a massive breakthrough. landed on Turkey’s Gallipoli All through the night and into the peninsula, joining British, French, next day, the Canadians fought to Australian and New Zealand troops close the gap and also drive the already there. Gallipoli would be the enemy out of nearby Kitcheners’ Newfoundlanders’ first experience Public domain Photo: of the horrors of trench warfare— Wood. Little ground was regained Soldiers in the trenches at Gallipoli. and casualties were heavy, but these artillery fire, snipers, punishing heat actions bought some precious time and cold, and disease caused by living after the animal that represented for the Allies to recover. in such harsh conditions. January 1916. Approximately 40 their regiment. These soldiers later Newfoundlanders had died there, a successfully covered the withdrawal On April 24, the Germans launched In November they earned their grim taste of the great casualties the of Allied troops from the region, another gas attack—and this time the first battle honour when they regiment would soon suffer on the being among the last to leave in Canadians would be hit squarely. In captured “Caribou Hill”—named Western Front. a nightmare of fighting that saw the Canadians gasping for air through soaked and muddy handkerchiefs, they held on against all odds until A Ukrainian-Canadian War Hero reinforcements arrived. Filip Konowal was born in the Ukraine in 1888 and immigrated to Canada In their first major action of the war, shortly before the First World War. our soldiers had begun building a When the conflict erupted, he enlisted remarkable reputation for skill and in the Canadian Expeditionary Force valour on the battlefield. It came at and served with the 47th (British a steep cost, however, as more than Image: 19710261-0161 Image: Art. War Collection of Beaverbrook © CWM Columbia) Battalion. During the 2,000 Canadians were killed and ‘The Second Battle of Ypres, 22 April to Battle of Hill 70 near Lens, France 4,000 wounded. 25 May 1915’ painting by Richard Jack. in August 1917, Corporal Konowal was leading soldiers in attacks when he courageously charged German machine gun positions that were 19710261-0410 Beaverbrook Image: © CWM Art. War Collection of taking a heavy toll on his men. Portrait of Filip Konowal by Arthur Ambrose McEvoy. Armed with his gun, bayonet and explosives, he personally took out 16 for valour that a Canadian could In Flanders Fields receive. Konowal died in Hull, of the enemy in these efforts before being seriously wounded himself. For Quebec, in 1959 and is still The famous poem “In Flanders To you from failing hands we his great courage, he was awarded admired as a true hero by many Fields,” widely recited every throw the Victoria Cross, the highest award proud Ukrainian Canadians. Remembrance Day, was written The torch, be yours to hold it high. a hundred years ago. Lieutenant- Colonel John McCrae, born and raised in Guelph, Ontario, A Royal Canadian Navy Pioneer was a doctor in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Victor Brodeur was born in Beloeil, Quebec, Brodeur retired in 1946 after 37 years in First World War. He was inspired in 1892. He enlisted in 1909 and became the navy and was honoured by being named to put pen to paper after being part of the first group of cadets in the newly- a Commander of the British Empire. The shaken by the battlefield death of formed Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). École Victor-Brodeur school in Esquimalt a close friend. During the First World War he served on is named in honour of this Francophone British warships in the Caribbean Sea and naval pioneer. Despite the passage of time, his the waters off Europe, later becoming a words have remained relevant to gunnery specialist. every conflict since it was written in May 1915. The evocative He returned to Canada where he was poetry pulls at the heart strings, stationed at naval headquarters in Ottawa reminding us of the loss of those before taking command of his first ship who served. It also challenges the in 1929, HMCS Champlain. He would command other ships on the West Coast living to remember their sacrifice, LibraryPhoto: C-046284 Canada and Archives as seen in the powerful words from in the 1930s and eventually take charge of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae all destroyers based in Esquimalt, British the poem’s final verse: and his dog Bonneau. Columbia. Shortly before the start of the Second World War, he helped create the Fishermen’s Reserve to patrol the West Coast. In 1940, Brodeur became the RCN representative in Washington, D.C. before returning to the Library e002505830 Canada Image: and Archives Pacific in 1943 to command naval forces Portrait of Rear Admiral Victor Brodeur A Strong Bond there. in 1945 by Irwin Crosthwait. Jack Munroe was born in Nova back and earned what was called Munroe would write Mopping Up, Scotia and travelled widely before “the first Princess Pat’s victory a unique war story written through settling in Ontario. He was a of the war!” A strong fighter, just his dog’s eyes. In the book, he celebrated heavyweight boxer in like his master, he was named the wrote: the early 1900s. regiment’s mascot. “I had wondered what war was. Now At the outbreak of the First World Munroe went to France and was I knew. It had been war when I had War, he enlisted at age 41 in the severely wounded by a sniper’s been at the throat of the mongrel who Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light bullet in June 1915, losing the use had so wickedly assaulted me when I Infantry. Accompanying him was of his right arm. He would spend had not harmed him […] Somewhere, his faithful collie, Bobbie Burns— more than a year recovering in a some big mongrels of men must have smuggled in a potato sack. While hospital in England, where his old attacked littler dogs of nations, and at Camp Valcartier in Quebec, pal Bobbie had special visitation we were going to fight for the little Bobbie was attacked by a dog privileges. dogs!” twice his size. Bobbie had to fight Public domain Photo: Jack Munroe and his faithful friend. canada.ca/rememberthem 2 A Deadly Passage The Liberation of the Murmansk Netherlands This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War. In late USSR 1944 and early 1945, the Canadians Canada battled to push the Germans from Great the country they had occupied Britain Europe since the spring of 1940. With its LibraryPhoto: Canada and Archives PA-116668 challenging terrain of canals, dikes Canadians being welcomed in Rotterdam Atlantic and floodlands, the Netherlands was in May 1945. Ocean a tough place to fight. It was a memorable period, as one Dutch teenager at the time recalled: After opening battles in the fall of One of the most dangerous routes From 1941 to 1945, more than 40 1944, including the bitter Battle of “As the (Canadian) tank came nearer sailed by the Merchant Navy during the convoys sailed, transporting millions the Scheldt, bad weather brought […] there was a big hush over all the Second World War was the notorious of tons of supplies, such as aircraft, the Allied offensives there to a halt. people and it was suddenly broken by a Murmansk Run. Despite constant tanks, jeeps, locomotives, flatcars, That winter was a terrible time for big scream, as if it was out of the earth. German attack and extreme weather guns, ammunition, food, fuel and the Dutch—food and fuel supply And the people climbed on the tank […] conditions, supplies were shipped to millions of pairs of boots. This reserves were gone; people ate tulip and they were crying. And we were the Arctic port of Murmansk to assist support helped the Soviet Union to bulbs and scavenged through garbage running with the tanks and the jeeps all to survive. Thousands starved or the way into the city.” the Soviet Union in its fight against continue fighting Germany on the froze to death. Germany. It was so dangerous that if Eastern Front, thus preventing the Helping liberate the Netherlands was a ship was sunk, other vessels were not Germans from concentrating all Early in the new year, the push began a proud achievement for our country allowed to stop to help the survivors their forces against the Allies in the anew to liberate the entire country and one which the Dutch people still because they too could have become West. and finally end the war in Europe. remember today with great gratitude. an easy target for attack. The Canadian troops were cheered Sadly more than 7,600 Canadians as one town after another was freed.