Happy Canada Day!!!
Today will be a mixed day of celebration and memorial, so 1st off I will be attending a memorial service for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and the Battle of the Somme - after that I'll be watching England win
- and finally ending the day off relaxing on the patio with a few beers...
For those who don't know, today is the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme - and in particular the day that 90 years ago that some 60000 British Empire troops became casualities when they went over the top... this tremendous number of casualties was made all the more horrible because many were "Pals" Battalions (so some towns lost almost all the men between the age of 17 and 30).
Of particular significance to Canada are the actions of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (then known as the 1st Newfoundland Regiment) at Beaumont Hammel where in 30 minutes they suffered a 91% casuality rate (in about 25 minutes) trying to press the attack... or in simpler terms: of the 800 that went over the top, on 68 answered the roll call later that day. Because of their valour in this battle, and at Gallipoli the regiment was granted the title Royal by order of the King, the only unit so honoured during waritime (during the 20th century). Also because of the impact of the tremendous casualties, the regiment was forbiddent to participate in WWII in order to spare Newfoundland further loss...
"It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and its assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no further." Major-General Sir Beauvoir de Lisle (commander, British 29th Division) regarding the Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel.
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