Military dinner will pay tribute to Battle of Somme victims

It was an unmitigated catastrophe. Legions of troops flooded towards the enemy dugouts, expecting an easy rout of the Germans they had just bombarded. Instead, they were met by rounds of machine-gun, rifle and artillery fire.

The first day of the Battle of Somme ended with 60,000 casualties.

No Canadian troops were involved in the first day’s disaster but by the end of the four-month war in November 1916 more than 24,000 Canadians were among the million-plus dead on both sides of the conflict.

“The Somme, while a devastating battle, helped to prepare the Canadians for the fighting in 1917 at Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and later in the Pursuit to Mons in the final stages of the war,” said Barry Ashton, past president of the PPCLI Foundation.

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, The Military Museums Foundation and the PPCLI Foundation are co-hosting a gala to raise funds for youth education programs.

The formal military dinner and auction on Sept. 24 will pay tribute to the soldiers who fought in the deadliest battle of the 1914-1918 conflict.

A VIP reception before the dinner will be held in the Victor Taboika Exhibit where more than 100 First World War uniforms are on display, including all four infantry divisions and the Canadian Cavalry Brigade.

Proceeds from the event’s tickets sales and donations help support education programs at the Museum, field trips to Europe and leadership training within the PPCLI cadet corps. There are sponsorship packages available, with individual VIP tickets costing $250. For tickets and table purchases, contact Tom Dodd at 403-605-9705 or tom@brooksanddodd.ca