Salutes to the battle where Canada was ‘born’ a nation
PRINCE Charles and his sons walked in the killing fields of northern France yesterday to commemorate a First World War battle that helped forge the soul of the Canadian nation.
Around 20,000 citizens attended a day of ceremonies led by French President François Hollande, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and the British royals to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge.
“Hundreds of thousands of Canadians crossed the cold, grey Atlantic to take a stand against tyranny and oppression,” Prince Charles told the crowd gathered in sunny fields beneath a monument to the dead.
“Today it is hard to believe possible the horrors that unfolded here on 9th April, 1917,” he said.
A century ago, Canadian troops captured the heavily fortified German positions along the 108-mile ridge – where British and French attempts had failed.
“Under enemy fire, they advanced, fighting like lions,” Mr Trudeau said in a speech.
Crucial to the success was a warren of tunnels dug by New Zealand forces which allowed the Canadians to take the German troops by surprise.
But the victory came at human cost, by April 12, 3,598 Canadians had been killed and a further 7,000 injured.
“Canada was born here,” Mr Trudeau added. This was seen as a seminal moment in the country’s transformation from a British colonial outpost to a nation in its own right.
“Every school kid in Canada is taught about Vimy,” said Paul Roberts, who along with his wife Kathy was accompanying 40 students from Ontario.
The memorial is a revered national symbol for Canadians and features on the back of the 20 dollar note.
Throughout the day the names of soldiers who died there were read out, while Canadian and French youths took turns to lay pairs of Canadian armed forces boots to represent each fallen soldier.
Princes William and Harry placed the final pair of boots on the monument as a squadron of First World War biplanes staged a fly-past.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, representing the British government, also attended the ceremony, and paid tribute to the “power of Allied forces” that he said was as relevant today as it was in 1917.