WHY DO CANADIAN KEEP SO MUCH
IMPORTANCE FOR VIMY RIDGE?
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a World War I battle fought in 1917 near Arras in northern France .April 9th, 1917, Easter Monday, four Canadian military divisions attacked Vimy Ridge in northern France during the first world war.The reason why it means so very much to Canadians in ww1 and even now was because of the tactical aspect of the war the Germans had control over that area of land and if the Canadians had captured it witch they did the advances to south by the British third army would become a little more trouble free and these are the reasons why Canadians give the battle of vimy ridge so much importance
FACTS
FACTS
- The assault on Vimy Ridge, the northern part of the wider battle of Arras, began at 5:30 am on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917.
- Four Victoria Crosses (VC) were awarded for bravery. Of these, three were earned on the opening day of the battle:
- Private William Milne of the 16th Battalion.
- Lance-Sergeant Ellis Sifton of the 18th Battalion.
- Private John Pattison of the 50th Battalion (April 10).
- Captain Thain MacDowell of the 38th Battalion. MacDowell had also earned the Distinguished Service Order on the Somme. Of the four Vimy VCs, only Captain MacDowell survived the War.
- The Canadians destroyed 83% of the German's artillery.
- The Germans had almost double the casualties of the Canadians.
- Some of the artillery shells fired at the Battle of Vimy Ridge didn't explode and are still dangerous.
- Canada lost about 10% of their forces at Vimy Ridge.
- There is a large memorial at Vimy Ridge to remember the lives lost.
- An estimated 15,000 Canadians rose from the trenches and advanced towards the ridge in the first wave, with thousands more behind them.
- In early 1917, British High Command ordered the Canadian Corps to capture the position as part of a larger spring offensive in the Arras area
- Over four days of fighting, the Canadians had taken control of Vimy Ridge at the cost of more than 10,600 killed and wounded.
- Previous unsuccessful French and British attacks had suffered over 150,000 casualties.
- Having learned from the Battle of the Somme, intense training better prepared soldiers for what they might find on the battlefield, and helped them to make quick decisions on their own that were still in keeping with the overall plan
- Lieutenant-General Sir Julian Byng, the Canadian Corps commander, ordered new tactics for the coming assault.
- vimy ridge was seven kilometers long
- Small units and individual soldiers were given much more information about the battle, and were expected to exercise initiative in keeping the advance moving, even if their officers were killed or wounded.
LETTER TO UNKNOWN CHILD
Dear unknown child,
As I rest on this hospital bed thoughts bounce within the walls of my skull, I ponder, and ask questions to myself of you, the past and the future. What sport do you play? Do you go to the movies with your friends? And something we don’t know about yet or maybe will never know, when did the war end?
I should not talk about war as it’ll take you then swing you around till you’ve given up just like it did to me that’s why I’m seated here in this hospital in a bed pondering over my myself and writing this letter to you . Future child you will be surrounded with love and freedom which is something I will and never have received but for you I have joined this war so remember us soldiers, please.
I thank you future child as you gave us a reason to fight, go away from our families, and suffer the lonely nights with loads of fright I . The bullets that we have shot are a count of the many lives we will save and you will be one of them. I hope you grow up with everything that I didn’t have and will live your life to the fullest.
As I rest on this hospital bed thoughts bounce within the walls of my skull, I ponder, and ask questions to myself of you, the past and the future. What sport do you play? Do you go to the movies with your friends? And something we don’t know about yet or maybe will never know, when did the war end?
I should not talk about war as it’ll take you then swing you around till you’ve given up just like it did to me that’s why I’m seated here in this hospital in a bed pondering over my myself and writing this letter to you . Future child you will be surrounded with love and freedom which is something I will and never have received but for you I have joined this war so remember us soldiers, please.
I thank you future child as you gave us a reason to fight, go away from our families, and suffer the lonely nights with loads of fright I . The bullets that we have shot are a count of the many lives we will save and you will be one of them. I hope you grow up with everything that I didn’t have and will live your life to the fullest.