The unknown soldier will begin his journey home to his final
resting place
OTTAWA, ON, May 21, 2024 /CNW/ - Over 12,000 Newfoundlanders
served on land, sea and air during the First World War. Hundreds of
young men rushed to join the newly formed Newfoundland Regiment and
the Royal Naval Reserve, while women signed up to work as nurses or
with the Voluntary Aid Detachment overseas. Families and
communities back home stayed active, supporting the troops from the
home front. Their sacrifices and achievement will never be
forgotten.
From May 22 to 25, delegations
from the Government of Canada and
the Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador, and a team from the
Canadian Armed Forces, will participate in a commemorative program
to recognize and honour all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who
served in uniform, in particular those with no known grave. The
delegations, supported by the Canadian Armed Forces, include
Veterans; representatives of Veterans organizations, remembrance
institutions, Indigenous groups and the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police; and parliamentarians—many of them from Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Government of Canada
delegation will be led by Minister Seamus
O'Regan, on behalf of Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, and Randeep Sarai, Parliamentary Secretary to the
Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National
Defence.
Delegations will depart from St.
John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and travel to northern France to begin the process of bringing an
unknown Newfoundland soldier home
to rest.
The delegations will visit and pay their respects at memorial
sites and cemeteries for Newfoundlanders who served, fought and
died in the First World War. These sites include four of the six
memorials informally known as the Trail of the Caribou. At the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Ancre British Cemetery,
delegates will learn about and honour Captain Eric Ayre. His brother Bernard, as well as their
cousins Wilfrid and Gerald Ayre, all
of whom fought during the Battle of the Somme, were killed on 1
July 1916.
On 24 May 2024, the delegations
and invited guests will attend a reception at the Beaumont-Hamel
Newfoundland Memorial. The Governments of France, Canada, and Newfoundland and Labrador will deliver speeches, and the Royal
Canadian Legion-Newfoundland and Labrador Command will provide
greetings, during this reception.
On 25 May 2024, the Government of
France will formally transfer the
remains of an unknown soldier to the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in a public ceremony at the
Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. The same day, the delegation
will attend a ramp ceremony in France before the unknown soldier is flown in
a Canadian Armed Forces aircraft back home to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The delegation will also participate
in a ramp ceremony in St. John's
when the unknown soldier arrives on Newfoundland and Labrador soil.
Follow the Canada Remembers social media channels and use the
hashtags #NLMemorial100 and #CanadaRemembers to join us
in activities in Canada and
in France. Share your connection
to Newfoundland during the First
World War and learn more about Newfoundland and Labrador's unique military history.
Quotes
"We're going to bring our son home."
The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr.
Minister of Labour
and Seniors, on behalf of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor,
Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National
Defence
"I am honoured to make this historic journey to France with the Canadian delegation to
repatriate an unknown Newfoundland First World War soldier. I look
forward to hearing the stories of the brave service members who
gave so much. Together, we will always remember their sacrifices
and achievements and preserve their legacy."
Randeep Sarai, Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate
Minister of National Defence
"Falling in combat is the ultimate sacrifice a person can make
for their country. The Canadian Armed Forces understands the
profound importance of this event, and is honoured to carry out the
transfer of remains and coming reburial of our fallen member at the
Newfoundland National War Memorial in its soon to be inaugurated
tomb of an unknown soldier. Every person who makes this ultimate
sacrifice for their homeland deserves a place of peaceful,
dignified, rest for eternity. We are deeply proud to bring him home
to his permanent place of rest."
General Wayne D. Eyre
Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Armed Forces
The unknown soldier's journey home to Newfoundland and Labrador is deeply meaningful to the people of
our province. On the morning of July
1 each year, we observe Memorial Day – honouring the
contribution of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians' sacrifices during
the First World War. This year's ceremony will commemorate the
centennial of the National War Memorial in St. John's and will include the burial of this
soldier, creating a moving and unforgettable event in our
province's history."
The Honourable Steve Crocker
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation
Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador
"The Royal Canadian Legion Newfoundland and Labrador Command is
extremely proud of its role, over the past five years, in this
historic Centennial Remembrance Project and in the completion of
Lt. Col. Thomas Nangle's dream. It
would be remiss of me if I didn't publicly acknowledge the
unwavering crucial support of Premier Dr. Andrew Furey and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. I also want to sincerely thank the
Government of Canada, Veterans
Affairs Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission, and the very hard-working Centennial Project
Steering Committee. I assure our proud Veterans, their families and
loved ones, and the serving men and women of our renowned Canadian
Armed Forces that, "At the going down of the sun and in the morning
– We Will Remember Them!"
Gerald Budden
President, Royal Canadian Legion – NL Command
"As the centennial anniversary of the National
War Memorial approaches, we feel privileged to be part of these
special commemorative events. We are proud to have been able to
facilitate this exceptional step for the repatriation of an unknown
Newfoundland soldier from the
Western Front. He represents the collective contribution and
sacrifice of all those from Newfoundland and Labrador who lost their lives in conflict, for
the freedoms we all enjoy today."
Claire Horton CBE, Director General,
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Quick facts
- During the First and Second World Wars, Newfoundland was a separate member of the
British Empire and not yet part of Canada.
- The tomb of an unknown Newfoundland soldier will symbolize
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians from all branches of service who
have no known grave.
Associated links
- News release - Government of Canada announces $3.5
million to honour the legacy of Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians who served in uniform - Canada.ca
- News release - 2024 marks the
centennial of the Newfoundland National War Memorial; commemoration
to include the repatriation of an unknown Newfoundland First World
War soldier - Canada.ca
- For information about events in France and in Canada, visit the Repatriation of an unknown
Newfoundland First World War soldier web page.
SOURCE Veterans Affairs Canada - Ottawa