Jul 1, 2011
The Other Part of Canada Day

Herb Davis usually has his portrait taken with Voyageur on Canada Day, not least because of his connection to the piece from the Christmas Seal floating clinic from Newfoundland that's in the guitar: his mother was a nurse on board. I'd asked about the Blue Forget-Me-Nots on his lapel and that has lead to this important addition to Voyageur's guitar strap, especially significant today.

On July 1st, 1916, at Beaumont-Hamel France on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the Newfoundland Regiment (established in 1795 and fighting under a British flag) launched an assault on German defenses. Within 20 minutes, the regiment was virtually wiped out. Of the 780 men who went forward only 110 survived unscathed – a devastating 90% casualty rate. On September 28th, 1917, King George V bestowed upon the regiment the "Royal" prefix. When NL joined confederation in 1949, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment became part of the Canadian Forces. On August 30th, 2010, Corporal Brian Pinkson died of his wounds after being injured by an IED in Afghanistan – the regiment's first combat fatality since WW1.

All of this means that July 1st in Newfoundland always begins with a memorial before turning into the Canada Day holiday and it's a sacrifice I think it's important for all Canadians to recognize. I'm very proud that the shoulder tile and ensignia of the RNR are now mounted on the strap next to those of the PPCLI. And while we're not engaged on Parliament Hill as per usual this year, we're there in spirit and recognizing both aspects of July 1st.

Thanks to Lt. Col. Alex Brennan and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment with help from Herb Davis. Thanks also to Robert Chafe for being the first to tell me about the significance of Beaumont-Hamel.

Posted at 11:15 AM

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