Reaction To The Battle of Vimy Ridge

[@kronklemcgronkle5172]

In the words of one veteran: ‘We went up Vimy Ridge as Albertans and Nova Scotians. We came down as Canadians.’

[@darcymartin7608]

Very true.

[@Brentlearmonth-sg7mo]

Hellz yeah 🍻🇨🇦

[@JeffWaynee]

The French and British couldn't take the ridge in four months, and the Canadians alone took it in 6 days. Truly amazing. I served in the Canadian military for 8 years, including about 18 months in Afghanistan, and we always look to this battle as our greatest ever.

[@UkyoSensuke]

Thank you for your service. You're 100% correct.

[@petermontagnon4440]

Well said my Brother from a different Mother!!

[@johnp5990]

Thank you for your service. The French tried for 9 months. They took 250,000 casualties and revolted against their king, but they were pulled out before the revolt actually happened. Later, the British tried for 6 months and suffered 150,000 casualties. The following year they planned to fight the Battle of Arras, which was so close to Vimy Ridge that the Germans could launch attacks from Vimy, so they needed someone to fight Vimy in order to distract the Germans there. The Canadians were chosen as the ones to keep the Germans occupied. They were not expected to actually win. By early morning on the 4th day (April 9 to April 12), they had completely captured the ridge, and all 40,000 Germans had been killed or captured. Canada suffered 3,598 deaths and about 7,000 other casualties.

[@susans2599]

There were also Moroccans there and a large monument is at the site.

[@TheDylls]

Thank you. And thank all those in the comments. You may not have LITERALLY served alongside those on Vimy Ridge, but you DID "serve alongside them" nonetheless. My daughter gets to grow up happy and free because of people like you guys ❤

[@GarthKlein]

I have a, perhaps foolish, theory about the military and sport. The British fight like soccer players (set plays, re-form, go in again), the Americans like American football players (bash through again and again), and the Canadian like hockey players (incredible courage, clever plays, and, if necessary, take the penalty).

[@kyle381000]

The Vimy Memorial was so important to Canadians that in WW2 rumours circulated that the Germans had destroyed it. Unbelievably, these rumours made it all the way to Hitler himself. Hitler had been told that the memorial did not glorify a Canadian victory of Germans, but instead recognized the loss of Canada's sons. This impressed Hitler so much that he actually visited the memorial and had his photograph taken there to prove that the memorial was intact. He even went so far as to post special guards at the memorial to ensure that no one, including Germans, desecrated this unique place. The guards remained there until France was liberated, and the memorial was preserved.

[@WendyBrown-q4r]

OMG! The tall soldier in the middle (timestamp 6:59) is my GRANDFATHER! He was only 19 years old at the time. This image is of the Black Watch of Canada - 13th Battalion as they were loading on the truck to take them to the front line at Vimy Ridge. Notice that they are all wearing their kilts. He never talked about the war but he was proud of the fact that he served in the Black Watch.

[@Brentlearmonth-sg7mo]

That's awesome ' wish my family cared about my great grandfather service 🍻🇨🇦

[@pugle1]

The land on which the Vimy Ridge Memorial stands was actually ceded to Canada "in perpetuity" by France as a thank you and sign of respect. A little piece of Canada on mainland France.

[@UkyoSensuke]

Canada: we don't want to start a fight, but we'll finish one! As a military operation, Vimy was the first large-scale, prestigious victory for Canadian forces that weren't folded into British command. Some feel like it was, symbolically, when we truly became our own nation on the world stage.

[@illmakeyouuncomfortable7745]

Well said.🤜🤛

[@carodee9854]

When Britain declared war in 1914 there was no question of if Canada was going to join in. The British forces took for granted that they could use Canada's personnel. When WW11 started our Prime Minister said Canada was going to join the war as its own force and our men were not going to take orders from any other country's commanders.

[@christopher480]

@@carodee9854 Our pm did that because he was pressured to by Sir Sam Hughs our minister of militia.

[@warrenpeterson6065]

November 11th is fast approaching, a day we Canadians hold dear. We, as a nation, wear a red poppy over our heart on this very special day in remembrance of our fallen heroes. Personally I lost two uncles in WWII. Please join all Canadians on November 11th to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments our citizens and our brothers and sisters accomplished protecting you and me.

[@carmenbrown3437]

Yes.

[@DavidQuaile]

This Memorial is at Vimy Ridge in France and it is one of two Canadian National Parks outside of Canada - the other is also in France at Beaumont Hamel honouring the Newfoundland Regiment. Many Canadians consider a visit to Vimy as a pilgrimage to be done at lease once in their lives. After Vimy Ridge the Canadians were considered the shock troops of the allied armies and German intelligence was tasked with keeping tabs on the location of the Canadian Corps at all times. Canada had entered the war as a colony of Great Britain -- after Vimy it was a nation among nations and the following battles at Passchendaele and the 100 Days solidified it's place as a signatory to the Treaty of Versailles.

[@TheCanadiangirl4]

My family lost two brothers in the battle at Passchendaele.

[@obelisk21]

The Germans were so aware of avoiding head-on conflicts with the Canadian Corps that in order to get them to the front at Amiens for a counter-offensive, a decoy Canadian Corps was sent toward Belgium to draw the German attention while the real 100,000-strong Canadian Corps marched from Vimy to Amiens at night in silence.

[@davedowling8469]

The Vimy Memorial is inscribed with the names of 11,285 Canadians who were killed on French soil and have no known graves. In 1922, the French government granted use of the land for the Memorial and battlefield site to the people of Canada “freely and for all time.” The Memorial was unveiled on July 26, 1936 by King Edward VIII. An estimated 50,000 Canadian and French Veterans and their families attended the ceremony.

[@christopher480]

Allegedly the germans called us canadians the angels of death.

[@alexkilgour1328]

Beaumont-Hamel, part of the larger Somme offensive, was a devastating battle in the history of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. The Regiment took in excess of 90% casualties. The impact on such a small country (Newfoundland was independent at the time) was so severe that Newfoundland was given an exemption by the king from sending troops in WW2. Though Newfoundland sent no military unit in WW2, thousands of her young men volunteered in the Canadian British, and even American armies. In Canada, July 1st is Canada Day. A day when the birth of the nation is celebrated. In Newfoundland, Canada Day starts after 12 noon. Prior to that it is Memorial Day, because Beaumont-Hamel occurred on July 1st, and so that is our day of memory.

[@rickm8443]

My grandfather’s brother died at Vimy Ridge. Wounded on April 7 and died April 8. The day before the major offensive. But I …AM….. SO…….. DAMN….. PROUD that my ancestor was there.

[@margaretjames6494]

A video about the Canadian National Vimy Memorial is worthy of a follow-up reaction for sure. The ceremony on the 100th anniversary of the battle was very moving. That they put out a pair of boots for every fallen soldier was particularly moving and impactful to me. A friend attended, and got to bring home the boots representing her grandfather.

[@sharplisa5746]

My great Uncle Thomas Neale fought and survived the battle, however, according to his military records he was "Killed in Action" : While with his Battalion coming of the line at Vimy Ridge on the night of April 26th 1917, he was killed by a shell. I visited his grave and the Vimy Ridge Memorial in 2013. I could barely speak. The Monument is incredible. I have never felt more proud to be Canadian. There were only a few people there but I was especially impressed seeing a teacher with a group of young french students. They appeared mesmerized by every word he spoke.

[@susieq9801]

Hope to get there one day.

[@speedythree]

@@susieq9801 Well worth the visit!

[@susieq9801]

@@speedythree - Have been to France but never got to Vimy. I have a photo of my dad during WW2 visiting there in a trench. I have a cousin buried at Beny sur Mer.

[@speedythree]

@@susieq9801 My wife and I visited England and France in May and June of 2019. In France we spent several days in Normandy (visiting the Juno Beach Centre, among other D-Day sites) and then moving to on Boulogne-sur-Mer (to visit her great-great-great-uncle's grave in the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery), Ypres, and finally the Vimy Memorial.

[@susieq9801]

@@speedythree - There is a touching story about a chaplain named Lt C Jack Anderson who wanted to be buried with his men of the HLI at Beny sur Mer but since he did not die in battle he was not allowed. A French family adjacent to the cemetery donated some of their own property for his resting place and still maintains his grave! My cousin took a photo of it while visiting my other cousin's grave, Garnett Trimble. This was of course WW2. My dad was in a Mosquito Squadron and a friend of Ace Russ Bannoch who I met at the Hamilton Air Museum when they had the restored Mossie there in 2012. My dad died in 1999.

[@lindakeays2864]

Our Canadian military is and has always been equal to the British and the Americans. We are and have always had a brave, professional military, by sea, air and land. we left hundreds if not thousands dead and buried in Europe in Flanders Fields and then again in WWII. Yet the British and Americans have always treated us with disdain as though we are merely cannon fodder. Obviously, I grew up military. Very patriotic, very proud of my country. Former airforce.

[@gobeethoth]

my grandfather was at that battle. he lost one of his brothers, and lost one of his legs in that battle. and then he went back to ireland and found the irish fighting each other. and he decided to immigrate to canada. thank god he made that choice !!!

[@Sp33gan]

As a country, Canada was first conceived as a purely economic venture between the different British colonies of the time. That was, for the most part, our only bond. Even as Canada grew to encompass the west coast, it was still mostly in the name of economics. That's why Vimy Ridge was so important. We fought beside and for each other, survived or died together. We had never fought a war as a nation before, the country having only been created a mere 47 years prior to the opening of WWI in 1914. While it's true that many of the people of Canada had been born in the UK, they had left that behind to start a new life. But Canada was also comprised of people born here, as well as those born from, generally, all over Europe, including Germany. The city of Kitchener, Ontario, was even originally called Berlin. Before the beginning of WWI, the city even had a statue of the German Kaiser Wilhelm. Very quickly, the statue was destroyed and the city renamed in honour of the famed British general, Lord Kitchener. That said, Canada still had very strong ties to the UK with the Union Jack being a part of our national flag until replaced by the maple leaf in 1965. After the huge losses during WWI, Canada never again sent the forces to remain as one single entity, as the Canadian Expeditionary Force had been. Instead, the Canadians remained as their own units, but combined into the ranks of the British Army. This stance was hardened after the disaster of the Dieppe landing, where the Canadian attacking force lost more than half of the 5,000 men who landed on that beach. Many Canadians never forgot the blood that was on the hands of British Lord Louis Mountbatten for sending us there without proper planning or proper support, simply to stroke Mountbatten's colossal ego. The sole exception being Juno Beach during the D-Day landings, succeeding as all the landings of that day were, with lessons learned from the slaughter at Dieppe.

[@Tarragona1999]

Ortona is also an example of Canadian grit and fortitude. We invented mouseholing and had great success there in Italy.

[@craigmorris4083]

Speaking only for myself, I consider it THE moment in our military history. We showed the world our mettle on the battlefield. For me, it's like we had a job to do, and we did it. It was tough, it cost us, but damn, we got the job done right. No need to brag, no need to be triumphant, just remember our brothers, our sons. To those that have served, to those that are serving, Bravo Zulu.

[@Nosaj1978]

My Great Great Uncle fought at Vimy Ridge with the Royal Canadian Regiment, the same Regiment I spent 27 years with. He would later be killed near Ypres on 31 October 1917. His body was never recovered and his name is inscribed on the Menin Gate, he was 21. RIP Pte Silas DeWitt.

[@carmenbrown3437]

I don't know about Vimy Ridge but my Mom's brother was sent off to WW11 when he was 16. He never came back. I can't imagine how horrific that must have been.

[@adamrichard6724]

My great grandfather died on Vimy Ridge when my Grandfather was 5 years old. My other Grandfather served during WW2 and landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

[@lancerbiker5263]

A "defining" moment in Canadian history for sure. The Vimy Memorial in France is a story unto itself.

[@PaulGreening]

As a Canadian veteran I thank you for this

[@alitram5942]

We salute you for your service!

[@North-of-the-49th]

🍁 thank you 🍁

[@nancyrafnson4780]

I had an uncle who fought in France. I don’t know what battles, but he suffered all his life from having been gassed (“mustard” gas - sulfer gas). He would only talk about the War to my brother, who had joined the American Marines and served in Vietnam. Otherwise he never mentioned it. You may be wondering how someone still alive now could have had an uncle in WW1 - i am the youngest of 5. My parents were 45 and 38 when I was born in 1948. So I had uncles - and aunts - in both WW1 and WW2. As to Vimy Ridge, we have a park here (Winnipeg, Manitoba) named after it. Every year, on Remembrance Day, it is one of the places that has a Memorial Service. That is the one I usually go to. It’s very special.

[@howbeu]

My Dad fought at Vimy 10th Battalion CEF He was 64 when I was born.

[@nancyrafnson4780]

@@howbeu i just love this country so much 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦.

[@a-mellowtea]

If you're ever interested, the Library and Archives of Canada offer free online access to digitized service records from the First and Second World Wars. From there, or if you already know it, you can also track battalion movements through the equally digitized war diaries. I've done quite a lot of that during my time as a guide at Vimy and Beaumont-Hamel, and it's always fascinating.

[@1111awake]

I know a great deal about Vimy Ridge. Mainly from the great book with that name by Pierre Berton. My interest was piqued because my grandfather was with the Montreal Black Watch that fought there. When my husband and I visited, to our surprise it was their tunnel which had been preserved so I was able to stand at the exact spot he ran past on his way up into no mans land to lose a few ribs and a lung. Harry Reardon went on to get married and see his 5 children marry and begin families of their own. We were further surprised to learn he was decorated for reconnaissance work beyond their lines. He never spoke of the war. I was a baby when he died, but visiting his old neighbourhood in Dublin and where he fought a senseless has made me feel very close to him. I find myself deliberately living in a manner in which I attempt to honour his memory, but that no longer includes reverence for war. Quite the opposite in fact.

[@mako88sb]

I read Pierre Berton’s book about Vimy back in 1986. Excellent book and my introduction into learning about how important this battle was for the Canadian military.

[@katiem6773]

I read it as well. Excellent book. Pierre was really an historian Canadian treasure.

[@dmbthegurl]

Many Canadians do not know the facts of Vimy Ridge but many are aware it was the time our country was recognized for the goal of this tremendous battle. Every single person who served was a hero. I would love to go to the memorial and give my respects and thanks for all of them.

[@bizoumorte]

Over 15 years ago I was in sea cadets (we have youth programs that are kinda like scouts and kinda an on ramp to a military career. We have separate ones for land, sea, and air) and every year we would spend the whole month of November doing poppy drives with veterans for the Legion. I'm blessed to have shaken hands with some of the last survivors of this battle and many others. Their courage and bravery inspire the spirit to this day.

[@5th_Interaction]

Hey, man. Thanks for taking the time and genuinely caring about Canada. I'm learning about my own country through your channel.

[@JuandeFucaU]

the coldest winter in France in 40 years they say..... there was still snow in April..... for a Canadian, that's like a breakaway on an empty net.

[@BarnDoorProductions]

My great uncle, Norm Tracy, was gassed twice at Verdun in 1916 (part of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery was sent to reinforce the French there). At Vimy, he had a bullet enter the front of his helmet, follow the curve of his skull inside the helmet and exit out the back. He had that helmet and his uniform hanging in his back shed when I was a kid. He also had a permanent middle part in his hair where the bullet scarred him.

[@rogercrites8945]

Visiting the Vimy Memorial in France was a life changing experience for my family. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Sombre.

[@kyle381000]

I will be spending a day there in October 2024, and I very much look forward to the experience. It is #1 on my personal bucket list.

[@mom-ski-doodle657]

As a Canadian who did the pilgrimage to Vimy Ridge, my first impression of it was “Oh my!”. You can still the craters in the land from the bombs.

[@redelfshotthefood8213]

Viny Ridge Park is in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. The centre of North America. The park is small with a large memorial to the fallen. I attended a Remembrance Day ceremony there once. My grandfather lost 2 brothers there. The 3 were In the same unit. They got 3 weeks training. My grandfather survived the war. His brothers died within the first 3 weeks. For all I know, 3 weeks might have been a longer training period than most combatants had for that war...

[@NatoBro]

I had the privilege to visit the Vimy Memorial in 2008, while on leave from Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. My pipe band played on the memorial. It was very awe inspiring to say the least. And the tour of the tunnels and trenches was fascinating. The battle has been called "The Birth of the Nation". There are, however, some historians who feel that this wasn't the case. Even after they've presented a compelling thesis on their view, I can't help but think they are still wrong. lol It will always be that way, with the average public. There are other videos on YT that cover Vimy and the memorial. Thanks for taking time to view this one.

[@wmralder]

Though informative, it barely scratched the surface of the level of preparations. For weeks leading up to the attack, Canadians established range and bearing to most of the German big guns using oscillographs. In the opening salvos, 90%+ of those guns were neutralized. The soldiers were lead by a precise creeping barrage and they maintained there pace by a technique called the Vimy shuffle. Miles of tunnels were dug to hide the size and disposition of the Canadian Corps. The casualties were horrible but far less than similar battles before due to the planning and execution. Read Pierre Berton's "Vimy" for an enlightening background to the history.

[@howbeu]

My Dad fought at Vimy Ridge. First Division 10th Battalion C.E.F. He went over the top 7 times. Wounded twice and was nominated for the Military Medal for single handedly attacking a machine gun nest on Hill 70 killing all the Germans manning the gun. He never took prisoners. He lost count of the enemy he had killed in hand to hand combat while defending Hill 70. Prior to losing count the number was 27. He never got in a fight after returning knowing that he would likely kill his opponent. He was 64 when I was born.

[@philerator]

My grandfather was there in the 13th bn of the 2nd div. To give credit where it's due, the Corps commander, Sir Julian Byng, later Governor General of Canada, warned the troops before hand, "Chaps, you shall go over exactly like a railroad train, on time, or you shall be annihilated." And also to give credit where it's due, the 51st Highland Division went ahead with Canadians on the Canadians' right flank. That said, it was the Canadians who, as mentioned, did the detailed planning and training. It was the first time the four Canadian divisions acted as the Canadian Corps. The large white monument shown in the video is the Vimy monument which is located on the pinnacle of the ridge, in France.

[@WendyBrown-q4r]

My grandfather was in the 13th Battalion as well. There is a picture of them loading onto a truck @6:59. He is the tall man in the middle of the picture.

[@philerator]

@@WendyBrown-q4r Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@toliveanddieindcuo7474]

The Vimy Ridge Memorial is one of the greatest war monuments, in my opinion. It does not glorify war, violence or even victory. Instead, we see Mother Canada weeping for her lost sons. I do hope to visit it someday.

[@leslieshand4509]

It’s well worth the trip.

[@John-z9b3k]

Go to Vimy.Your heart will shatter and you will be surrounded by light.

[@bibes777]

One of my great uncles was in the 10th battalion at Vimy Ridge. He was wounded, then MIA and presumed dead after the main battle. His name is on the Vimy Memorial in France. His brother was also in the 10th Battallion and killed in France by machine gun fire in an attack from Villers-de-Cagnicourt to Canal-du Nord in Sept 1918, and his grave is at the Dominion Cemetary in Pas de Calais, France. Both were from Edmonton, Alberta.

[@susieq9801]

My mother's uncle Simon Clarridge was shot in the head (fortunately grazed) and leg at Vimy but lived. Luckily for him it was during reconnaissance the day prior to the battle or he may well have died. Canadians were often used as cannon fodder and lumped as "British" even in WW2. Not all were born in Britain. My great uncle was a farmer from Alberta. The family was already in Canada for well over a century. During WW2 Hitler forbade desecration of the memorial finished in the 1930's.

[@TiffWaffles]

What I find interesting is how some Canadian propaganda made it seem that the Vimy Ridge memorial had been destroyed by Hitler's army. Yet, Hitler himself was inspired by the monument since it was a memorial dedicated to the memory of a nation's soldiers. It didn't have guns or a figure with one foot upon the head of an assumed enemy soldier. It was a memorial with names dedicated to those thousands of Canadian soldiers who have no known graves. That's one reason for why Hitler made the order to not have the memorial destroyed- because he ordered for the destruction of other memorials all over occupied Europe, including France and Belgium.

[@susieq9801]

@@TiffWaffles - Interesting. I never heard such propaganda.

[@nathanthomson1931]

It's not just how important this battle and the Canadians' success was to Canadian national identity, but how important it was to the development of modern warfare. How the Canadians succeeded laid the blueprint not just for the future Allied successes and how they won the war in the end, but it also then laid the blueprint for modern warfare and revolutionized how armies fought and achieved battlefield success

[@luckyskittles8976]

The Vimy Ridge Memorial was constructed by Canada in France, at the time of its construction 11,285 names were carved on the monument representing those whose resting place is unknown.

[@dawnwennberg9884]

And the French still come to it. Isn't there a big deal there every year?

[@pdog547]

The land on Vimy Ridge was also ceded to Canada by France in 1922 - since then it has officially been Canadian Soil.

[@dawnwennberg9884]

Thank you. I forgot that.

[@markwager8294]

Arthur Currie was probably Britain's best general in WWI. The Canadian Corp was constantly the tip of the spear for British offensives after Vimy.

[@BrianR.]

My grandfather and great uncle both signed up for WWI in 1915. They both fought in this battle, my great uncle was killed in action on the first day and my grandfather received a couple of shrapnel wounds but made it through the battle and the rest of the war. He didn't talk of it often but he did open up a few times before he passed away in the 1970's.

[@kyle381000]

God willing, I will visit Vimy, Normandy and Dieppe in October 2024. Doing so in #1 on my personal bucket list, and as a Canadian I will be very proud to be there.

[@TiffWaffles]

The Battle of Vimy Ridge is very interesting. I recommend watching the Timeline- World History Documentaries video on Vimy Ridge (if you haven't watched it already). Very interesting information there. They say that Canada's assault on Vimy Ridge was one of the well rehearsed battles in history.

[@canadianmike626]

The French could not take it, nor the British, but a new nation built from both, did take it. Vimy showed Canadians that a people who entered the war as British citizens, left the ridge as Canadians. We as a people saw our selves as a people who could stand as equals to the most powerful. We were Canadians, and we became Canadians through blood. The men who fought on Vimy and the women who treated the injured left the ridge as heros. We must honour their sacrifice and their courage for without them we would not be the Canada of today. They did not fight for personal gain, they fought for King and County. I will alway support the Crown, because i know these people died for that Crown, and in doing so forged the spirit of a nation. I hold our military and veterans as heros and I fly our flag. Every day I look at that flag and I am thankful to those who's blood was left on Vimy, because I know they are the spirit of Canada. They are the wind in the skys, the water in the lakes and rivers, and they are feels of the people. I wish I had the fortitude of those heros. I hope Canada will alway honour and cherish the memories of Vimy. Long live Canada, God Save The King.

[@margaretroberts5985]

Thank you for saying that. I lost an uncle at Vimy Ridge and my Dad was wounded. They were both teenagers🇨🇦

[@TheCanadiangirl4]

We learned about Vimy Ridge and the rolling barrage in school. The Vimy Ridge memorial at the end of the video is located in France and is featured on our $20 bill. I want to visit the site along with Juno beach when I travel to France.

[@PeterDrake]

I went in March. I highly recommend it. The Vimy Ridge visitor's centre is run by the Canadian Government and they do excellent tours of the underground complex showing how the soldiers could live close to the front and still be safe. Juno Beach is a good visit as well. Interesting, profound, and solemn at the same time.

[@Lynne.E.Davies]

I don't know if it was because of Vimy Ridge, but the term "Storm Troopers" was coined by the Germans to describe the way that Canadian soldiers fought against them in WW1.

[@dns7655]

They were called "Storm Troopers" before Vimy Ridge .

[@waynerobinson7057]

My grandfather was born in London he moved to Canada then returned at the start of the war as a British solder. He transferred to the Canadian army when they arrived. He survived 5 major Canadian engagements. He was at Vimy Ridge. He never spoke about the war. I have his service metals and a few things he brought back from the war.

[@colleencomeau-edison7625]

I went to Vimy Ridge in the early 90s and it was such an eye opener. How close the lines between the Germans were to the Canadians. There is still places that you can’t walk as there is unexploded ordinance. Huge respect to soldiers that gave their lives. Definitely a war memorial worth visiting. Proud to be a Canadian.

[@MrYoup11]

Vimy Ridge was the first battle that was fought by strictly Canadian troops, before that they were split up filling in on British lines.

[@darcymartin7608]

I had several ancestors who fought in W.W. I. 3 of them died at Vimy Ridge, once of them was only 19 years old. If you watch a KZbin video on the carvings some of them Canadians made in the tunnels/trenches in W.W. I, one thing always stands out. They always carved a Maple Leaf.

[@cheryla7480]

A little known fact about the war memorial at Vimy Ridge . Hitler admired this monument so much, all of his military were ordered not to bomb or damage it in any way. His admiration for it was that it was about peace and not the glories of battle.

[@1111awake]

Vimy was a noted battle for the successful execution of the barrage technique. Soldiers were trained to stay under the canopy the barrage created and only advance as the barrage did. This offered soldiers more protection as they made their way towards the enemy. My grandfather's brother had the misfortune of enlisting with the British instead, being sent to the battle of the Somme, where soldiers marched out in a long line and were mowed down without a chance in hell. I saw Matthew O'Reardon's name on the wall at Thiepval, a sober memorial to the 19,500 killed in one afternoon. He was one of the approx 2,500 whose bodies were never found. The largest loss of life in British Military history. I hate the stupidity of war, and here we are at the brink of another one.

[@Dimcle]

I have been to Vimy and it was a highlight of my life. The French gave the land around the trenches, memorial, and cemetary to Canada in perpetuity. You should check out the videos about the building of the memorial. Fascinating.

[@mitchd4929]

By born in Britain he meant we, all Canadians from the end of the 7 Years War until Jan 1 1947, were born British Citizens. We were a Dominion but very much British in 1914

[@mmorrison9176]

Mert...Thank you !🇨🇦 The actual ridge is a officially a piece of Canada out of respect for our brave boys by France !

[@trevorberry8656]

the disrespect continued in WW11; the cancks called themselves the cinderella army, because they were never invited to any allied victory parties.The Canadians were told to halt their advance on Rome so the great american hero Patten could catch up and ride into the city, which the Germans had already abandoned {they were scared of the Canadians}

[@BK32Kingz]

The double barrel my great uncle carried while fighting up Vimy, carried back down, and eventually back home; sits high and proud not only in his memory but also in memory of those he fought along side.

[@JC-cu4ek]

I've been to Vimy's Ridge. I think it was in 1997. There's a square plot of land that's Canadian territory that France granted Canada as a way of saying thanks. If you commit a crime on that square lawn, you'll be sent to Canada to face charges!

[@leslieshand4509]

The Vimy memorial is Canadian soil in France. It is simply stunning

[@buutich1]

My grandfather was born in Dundee and fought in the Canadian Army at Vimy Ridge. He came to Canada as a boy.

[@oldbari2604]

This is a simplified version of this battle. Check out some of the more in-depth videos about this battle.

[@sirdavidoftor3413]

The Memorial at Vimy is for all the soldiers that died there, not just for the victors! Vimy Ridge was the first in war, that all Canadian battalions fought together as one army. Before, battalions were paired with English or French divisions. In WW2, Hitler would destroy all memorials in occupied territories dedicated to WW1 victories. He order Vimy to stand because it was dedicated to soldiers, not the victory. In fact, there are rumours that he had the memorial guarded by SS troops so no could deface it. Stay safe, stay sane, stay strong Ukraine 🇺🇦

[@jean-rochdion4898]

you can find the original Cross of Vimy Ridge at the Citadelle de Québec, home of the R22R "Van Doos". it's in a other cross to protect it and it's a military law to salute the cross everytime you pass by.... i mean every f****** time no matter if you did it 100 time in a day!! Je me Souviens 2R22R 1995-2009 Recon

[@adamfromcanada9393]

Thank you for featuring this moment in Canadian history. At the same time, I feel it necessary to mention that Canada isn't proud of the many many lives we've lost in defence of what's right. We acknowledge that the men and women who lost their lives defending what is just, but we don't celebrate the fight; only that the fight was *necessary*. It's the reason why Canadian soldiers are so respected; we don't fight for the sake of fighting, we fight for what's right. And if the Canadians think you're on the wrong side of an international conflict, you're probably going to lose.

[@ll7868]

In order to set up for the main assault at Vimy Ridge they had to take Arras, Verdun, Artois and Notre Dame de Lorette. The French fought for and lost Artois 3 times and 150,000 troops died before the Canadians and British arrived to take it for good. The most famous story was of Manfred von Richthofen aka The Red Baron being taken out in the Battle of Arras by Captain A. Roy Brown of the Canadian Royal Air Force. Aaaaand cue a continuous loop of "Snoopy vs The Red Baron" in my head.

[@DeborahHamilton-q1w]

You would add that last bit, wouldn't you! Now I'm going to have to dig through my 45s! LOL

[@terrygaudio1053]

An interesting aside. During WW2 the Germans destroyed many war memorials. However, Hitler had theVimy Ridge memorial guarded by an elite troop, so that no damage would come to it.

[@GoWestYoungMan]

The Canadian nation was born on that ridge as it spurred a sense of nationhood. The human toll pushed Canada for more sovereignty and control over foreign affairs. The 1931 Statute of Westminster limited the legislative authority of the British parliament over Canada, effectively giving the country legal autonomy as a self-governing Dominion. In 1922, the French government ceded to Canada in perpetuity Vimy Ridge, and the land surrounding it.

[@stevestruthers6180]

Canada was also one of the signatory powers at the Treaty of Versailles, where Germany formally surrendered to the Allies. That in itself is an amazing thing considering Canada was just a small country at the time, a fraction of the size of Britain, France and Germany and the United States in terms of population, and still more or less a British colony. Canada was awarded the status of signatory power as a recognition of its stunning and massive contributions on the battlefields of the First World War. When it comes to war, Canada has always punched well above her weight.

[@Stewart682]

The memorial for Vimy Ridge is on "The Pimple"

[@a-mellowtea]

Ahh, not quite. The memorial is on Hill 145, which is a different section of the ridge, and the highest ground. What became known as "The Pimple" is to the north, overlooking the Souchez valley.

[@Stewart682]

Really?! I looked it up, you're right! I love learning things!@@a-mellowtea

[@benny1459]

My great-granfather fought in that battle, and throughout the rest of the war too. Truly a defining moment in forming the Canadian identity, and I'm proud to say my family had a part in it

[@echogo]

I have visited the Vimy Memorial. It is an absolute beautiful, soaring tribute. Every sculpture has a meaning attached to it. The land has been given to Canada from France. As has Beaumont Hamel for the Newfoundlanders My grandfather turned 20 during the battle. He survived both WWs. He was British born but went back to fight as a Canadian.

[@atomant451]

What Canada did was to include NCO's at the planning table, not for their input but to insure the lowliest of Soldier were in on the plan, insuring that, to a Man, they knew their objectives, not demanding blind obedience and kept in ignorance as the French and English were want to do.

[@Stewart682]

VIMY RIDGE ... birth of a nation!!

[@rogerboudreau8496]

My father Emery Boudreau was wounded by a grenade and when he recover from that blast , he was back at combat with success but before the war end he was shot through his left arm and his liver and he survived . I am living in a free Canadian land thanks to men like my Father❤️🇨🇦

[@TrevorPalmatiershow]

That memorial was built in France to remember the Canadians liberating Vimy.

[@grumben123]

The Vimy Ridge Memorial is spectacular. It’s worth a visit, whether you are Canadian or not. Apparently Hitler told his troops not to f*ck with the memorial during WW2, because he admired the memorial and what it represented as well being careful not to p*ss of the Canadians he was fighting against.

[@jordanluyendyk1281]

A nation born from the baptism of fire on Vimy Ridge. Lest we forget. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@christopher480]

My grandpa was in both ww1 and 2, I remember doing a project for school so I had to ask him some questions and he wouldn't say much at all but i do remember saying to him that he was lucky he came home and his reply was "you wouldn't think that if you knew the dreams I have almost every night" and that was in the 80's

[@Gerhardium]

Both my grandfathers were there, one a scout with the 7th Battalion who cut gaps in the German wire then guided units in the first wave whilst the other was a gunner in the artillery. I also three great-uncles there, one in the artillery and the others in the infantry. All but one grandfather were Canadian born.

[@ianstewart1143]

Canada always punches above our weight class .

[@richardupcott9026]

After Vimy the Germans referred to the Canadian Corps as storm troopers. For where ever the Canadians were stationed there was to be a battle.

[@jomojojo6603]

Vimy Ridge is a famous Canadian story. Also, we mustn't forget that many American men went to Canada to join the fight in WWI. (Because their own country didn't want to join the war.)

[@SilvanaDil]

America's foreign policy wasn't under British control, so the country had no reason to be in the war until 1917, after which their presence ended the stalemate that had set in. Of note: Belleau Wood.

[@1111awake]

@@SilvanaDil I suggest you watch Grand Theft World's podcast entitled the Killbox broadcast a week ago. . There is evidence a deal was made where the Jewish bankers of the time were persuaded to fund the Brits in their fight with the Germans in exchange for the promise to eventually establish a Zionist homeland. This was to build on the secret purchase of Jerusalem from the Ottoman leader about 40 years prior. I saw the Niles Register newspaper which reported this. The Balfour declaration was the eventual result. I saw the documents and if you watch this podcast you can see them too. It's long but a real eye-opener, I assure you. We are mere pawns in a grand chess game that has been going on for a very long time.

[@sirdavidoftor3413]

@@SilvanaDil: this battle occurred only 2 days after America declared war on Germany. It was not until a couple months later that Americans saw action. By that time, the Canadians had other victories under their belt. Given their success at Vimy Ridge, Canadians were called in when the British and French failed. That is not to say that they were successful every time, but more often than not they were. Let us not forget the American troops though, because without them, the Spanish Flu wouldn’t have become a pandemic! Stay safe, stay sane, stay strong Ukraine 🇺🇦

[@1111awake]

And I will not reply to anyone who will not invest the time to see the evidence for themselves. The stakes are too high and there is no time to waste in arguing over which country won past world wars when we are about to stumble our way into a third world war. I want PEACE, and that starts with not engaging in useless arguments with YT trolls. If we fail to learn our TRUE history, by trusting self-interested sources that are motivated to cover up their war crimes, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past.

[@janiceRollison]

My great grandfather and his two sons (one being my Grandfather) and his nephew all joined the army together. The nephew died on Vimy Ridge. Since, the family have named the first girl born with the letter 'V" starting with my great aunt Vimy. We have Viola's, Vera"s and my oldest sister Valerie.

[@philpaine3068]

There had been a big wave of immigrants to Canada in the 1890s, many to the new provinces in the West. If you wanted to create a "typical Canadian at Vimy" profile, he would have been a pretty healthy, well-fed, lad raised on a farm by immigrant parents who came from the poorest corner of Scotland, Ireland, or Yorkshire, or the barren corners of Iceland, the shtetls and peasant farms of Poland and Ukraine, or the forests of Finland. Or he may have been raised in some rugged village in Quebec where hard work was the norm. He would have been raised with a belief in toughing out adversity, with an optimistic outlook on life, and a certainty that he was the unquestioned equal of any other. He would have been expected to turn his hand to any task, to improvise, and to think independently. If he was from immigrant stock, his parent's homeland would have been a sentimental memory, but he would have been raised playing hockey with "the boys" from all these different lands, and while his parents would have said "I'm Irish" or "I'm Ukrainian", he would have thought of himself as Canadian in a way that his parents could not. Social prestige, rank, "class", and pompous authority would have meant nothing to him. His first loyalty would have been to "the lads" --- the soldiers he was fighting with. His officers would not have been a separate social class, as they were in the British and French armies, but men pretty much like himself, just raised on different farms from his own. He would only obey the officers he respected, and it was his great fortune that most of his officers were worthy of respect. Among his pals there would have been tough, wiry French Canadians who had been wielding an axe since they were ten years old, Maritimers to whom blizzards and stormy seas were normal experience, Black Canadians whose grandparents had come up the Underground Railway and put a high value on personal dignity and courage, and First Nations boys who were raised to hunt and shoot and endure any hardship with a laugh (First Nations signed up for combat in disproportionately large numbers, and swept the field in military honours). He would have been well-fed all his life, and several inches taller than the British and French soldiers he came to relieve. All the surviving war diaries and accounts show this pretty clearly. The Canadians arrived at just the right time to turn the tide of the war at Vimy. They came back having suffered great losses, but with a sense of accomplishment, and this shaped the future of Canada.

[@LaurieLeeAnnie]

My Great grandfather immigrated from Italy and fought for Canada. He was short but feisty! 😂

[@philpaine3068]

@@LaurieLeeAnnie I'm a bit of a shorty myself, as is all of my family. Not every Canadian was a giant, but the British soldiers, recruited from the working class in smog-filled city slums, were notoriously underfed when they were called up. The Canadian troops, fresh off the farm, raised in a land of abundance, were on average taller and more fit --- but of course they were also greenhorns on the battlefield. They hadn't spent years stuck in the trenches in a stalemate, like the British and French troops had. Part of the high casualty rate at Vimy was probably due to their inexperience.

[@stevestruthers6180]

@@philpaine3068 But the interesting thing was that the Canadians, despite their relative lack of experience, took Vimy Ridge quickly and with far fewer casualties and deaths than either the British or French had experienced while trying (and failing) to take the same objective. The planning and training that General Sir Arthur Currie laid out for the Canadian soldiers tasked with taking the ridge was not only detailed and meticulous, but superb. And I would daresay, revolutionary in the field of military history, because no other country that was a combatant in the war had even tried to apply such planning and training. Without that planning and careful training, the Canadian Army might also have failed to take the ridge.

[@stevestruthers6180]

General Sir Arthur Currie, the commander of the Canadian Corps that took Vimy Ridge was a farm boy himself, having been raised on a farm near the hamlet of Napperton, Ontario, which is situated just a few kilometres west of the town of Strathroy. In nearby London, Ontario, there is a public school that is named after him.

[@philpaine3068]

@@stevestruthers6180 Yes, your analysis accords with the historical sources that I've read. Currie deserves a lot of credit, but his innovations wouldn't have worked if he didn't have those Canadian farm boys and their particular life experience that enabled those innovation to function. It's no disrespect to the Brits and French soldiers. They had been beaten down by exhaustion and a rigid class-based system of command. When a Canadian soldier, no matter how lowly, improvised some solution to a problem, it rapidly moved up the chain of command. This was not possible in armies where the soldiers and the officers had nothing in common with each other. Although the French didn't have quite the rigid class system that England had, its officers were still drawn from upper class families and trained at expensive military schools. The Canadians had great admiration for the "tommies" and "poilus," but that didn't extend to the officers.

[@MrLatebloomer59]

My grandfather was wounded in that battle. True story...

[@kirkrjb]

Norm Christie has a great documentary on Canada in the great war called, "For King and empire"

[@speedythree]

Well worth the watch!

[@waywardmind]

You can see the connection at 7:00 and for a while thereafter. Look at the guys in kilts. They take that historical connection with them. That's no accident. Canada has quite a few Scottish regiments -- the Camerons, the Highlanders, etc.

[@WendyBrown-q4r]

My grandfather is in that picture ...in his kilt. The 13th battalion, also known as The Black Watch of Canada.

[@qwerty04ca]

There were 6 Victoria Crosses given to Canadian soldiers. Heres one. From 22 to 24 August 1917 Corporal Filip Konowal, a member of the 47th Battalion, CEF, demonstrated the drive and intensity behind his Victoria Cross award. Konowal was the first member of the CEF not born in the British Empire to be awarded the Victoria Cross, an example of the diverse composition of the Canadian military during the war. Born in Kudkiv, Ukraine, in 1888, Konowal served in the Russian Army before coming to Canada in 1913. He enlisted in the 77th Battalion, CEF, later being transferred to the 47th Battalion. As his battalion fought for Hill 70, Konowal was a one-man army, leading an infantry section tasked with mopping up cellars, emptying craters and flushing out machine gun nests. He repeatedly struck at the enemy single-handedly, bayoneting three German soldiers in one cellar and killing seven others in a crater. He overcame one enemy machine gun nest by rushing forward alone, killing the gun crew and carrying the machine gun back. Konowal attacked another enemy machine gun nest the following day, killing three of its crew and destroying the position with explosives. In three days he single-handedly killed sixteen of the enemy and stopped only when he had been severely wounded.

[@John-z9b3k]

Vimy is so much more than a text book case of planning, training and near perfect execution of warfare. More than anything it is an example of gallantry and sacrifice for the freedom of France. Canada's warriors conquer but when it is all over they go home to a land of peace. Visitors to the memorial at Vimy France are awestruck by the sacrifice and accomplishment.

[@cliffgraham9892]

One amazing thing about Vimy Ridge was when just prior to the assault, the Canadian Commander - Arthur Currie- has asked estimate the causaulties for the assault. He was off by total of 5 for the Canadians and less than 100 total.

[@angrycanadians]

I dont think I heard the video talking about the walking barrage, which the artillery used to assist the troops. basically they would bombard an area 100 meters in front of the infantry, and every 3 (i think) minutes move it forward 100 meters

[@standingthegaff]

The video totally misses the role of the extremely effective creeping barrage which protected the advancing Canadian infantry by keeping the Germans hunkered down in their trenches. My understanding is the creeping barrage was invented by the Canadians Expeditionary Force a year earlier during their part in the Battle of the Somme (specifically, the Battle of Courcelettes). The significance of Vimy at the time it happened wasn't that the British or French had failed to take the ridge. Rather, Vimy was the only outright victory scored in two failed Allied offensives in the spring of 1917 (British-led Arras Offensive and French-led Nivelle Offensive). The memory of Vimy in Canada is much mythologized by government and mainstream media (both corporate and CBC). It was an incredible military victory and that can't be taken away from Canadians. The war, however, was an incredibly disgraceful conflict between despicable European elites that left millions dead. A new nationalism was born of the war, but that nationalism broke down on the Home Front, as witnessed by the massive farmer and labour revolts of 1919 and the breakup of the corrupt two-part Liberal/Conservative hold on democratic institutions. Canadians mistakenly believe that freedom and democracy was won on the battlefields of Europe, when in reality it was won on the Home Front by workers, farmers, immigrants and women who fought war profiteers, corporate plunder and corrupt, dictatorial state power.

[@a-mellowtea]

Hope I'm not stepping on any toes by clarifying a bit, but the creeping barrage was invented during the Boer War, by General Buller in response to defensive positions and long rifle range that made it treacherous to cross terrain without the constant cover of artillery. Attempts to implement it were made on the Somme - including in several sectors on July 1st, well before the Battle of Courcelette - though to varying degrees of success given the limitations of artillery availability, weather conditions, and imposed strategies of the time. The Canadian Corps' insistence on and use of it during the Battle of Vimy Ridge was notably effective, but that's about as far as it goes.

[@michaelfink64]

I'm not Canadian but I wonder if "British born" refers to the fact that Canada was not completely independent of Britain during WWI. Canada's independence seems to have been a slow and somewhat complicated process. Although semi independent since 1867, formal recognition did not occur until 1931 and full independence with its own constitution did not occur until 1982. Australians fighting in WWI would also have been born British citizens, since Australia did not gain independence until 1901.

[@stevestruthers6180]

'British-born' refers to the fact that many had emigrated to Canada where they became Canadians, saw themselves as such, and joined the Canadian Army to fight not just for their former homeland, but for Canada as well. My great-great uncle, Robert Finnie Struthers, was born in Scotland in 1890. Sometime around 1911 or 1912, he emigrated to Canada. In early 1918, he was conscripted into the Canadian Army and sent to France, where he was a member of a reconnaissance battalion that was mounted on bicycles. While he was not a direct part of the assault on Vimy Ridge, he saw combat during Canada's storied '100 Days' and was wounded in action although thankfully not very seriously. He was amongst the many 'British-born' Canadian soldiers who served during the First World War.

[@DeejayScout]

I grew up at the edge of vimy woods , so close to vimy ridge, I respect canadian a lot for that because I know all of it, I was so proud when I went to Vancouver during my last year of High school and discovered the Monument on 20$ Bills ! Greetings from France

[@DeejayScout]

Ps : You wouldn't believe all the war items we found as kids in these woods without even trying to find them.

[@plow76]

It's too bad Shat didn't know how to pronounce "Lieutenant" the way Canadians do.

[@stevestruthers6180]

I noticed that too. This was probably due to the considerable time he spent living and working in the US. He probably forgot how to pronounce the word correctly, or deliberately change it so he would appear to be American in future Star Trek movies and other TV shows.

[@karmaMatters123]

I’ve read it explained by a KZbin user named Darcy Martin this way (not word for word). They wanted the Canadians to come in and attempt to defeat in the same way that the British, French and other allies had tried to win over the Ridge, an area that had an amazing advantage point, that was currently being held by the Germans. The Canadian military leaders said “no we’re doing it our way.” The Canadiens did it “our way” and we won. We thought for ourselves and we won. Canadians went up the ridge as a colony of Great Britain and came down as the country of Canada. These men were farmers, lumberjacks, labourer’s, born in other countries - not just the UK. They became Canadians on that hill. Canada became a country on that hill. This is the most poignant way I’ve ever heard this battle described.

[@lorrainericardo8680]

I'm so proud of my ancestors who fought the good fight even though many perished for the freedom of so many people , how can we forget our true heroes , ,,

[@jerkyd499]

Thank you friend❤️👊

[@scottnewton9060]

While there were many British-born Canadians at Vimy, there were also many men born in Canada, including two of my Great Uncles. Both were born in Toronto.