DEATH BY RANKS

More than 3,500 Canadian soldiers died at the battle of Vimy Ridge and most of them were brave, but ordinary men: 2,641 privates were killed, compared with 150 Sergeants and 143 Lance Corporals. Although a soldier’s rank was definitive, many in the Great War often performed the duties expected of those of higher rank, because of the casualties of officers. And while the heaviest battalion losses were of privates and non-commissioned officers (NCOs), there were also a number of Queen-appointed officers, such as Lieutenants and Majors, who died at Vimy. The military strategy employed during the battle consisted of the use of heavy machine guns and a slow progression by troops on foot. It was a strategy that lent itself to mass casualties. In addition to high death rates, Vimy was also an intensely laborious war, with soldiers traversing many kilometres on foot, digging trenches and carrying shovels and supplies — when enough rations were available.