In 1897 Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) composed a poem entitled,“Recessional,” where he reminds readers not to forget what is not to be obliterated. In the poem, he underscores the phrase “lest we forget”: God of our fathers, known of old,Lord of our far-flung battle-line,Beneath whose awful Hand we holdDominion over palm and pine—Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,Lest we forget—lest we forget! During the transition of the seasons from autumn to winter, we individually and collectively…
A Day of Extraordinary Bravery at Passchendaele Four Heroic Canadians Awarded the Victoria Cross In A Single Day October 30, 1917, marked the renewal of the Canadian assault on Passchendaele. After a one-day pause for the two lead divisions to switch brigades, the 3rd and 4th Canadian Divisions continued their advance uphill. On this day there were countless demonstrations of bravery, but four Canadians would be recognized for their exceptional courage during this most…
The Victoria Cross was awarded to Corporal Filip Konowal for action seen between August 22-24, 1917 Filip Konowal was born in Kutkivtsi, Ukraine in what was then Imperial Russia on March 25, 1887, and came to Canada about 1913. Filip was trained as a bayonet instructor and then enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915. He served with the 47th Infantry Battalion and eventually was promoted to the rank of corporal. Corporal Konowal earned…
July 27, 2023, marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which ended over three years of fighting on the Korean Peninsula. The Korean War commenced on June 25, 1950, when North Korean troops invaded South Korea. Under the auspices of the United Nations, the United States sponsored a “police action” resolution for international action to support South Korea. The US State Department coordinated the contribution of 16 countries to this effort, of…
Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit On June 19, 1941, the Canadian Army created a special unit to document Canada’s role in the Second World War. The seventy-six still and motion photographers who made up the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit ensured that the war would be told from a Canadian perspective. The unit was tasked with “providingminformational and inspirational material for the maintenance of public morale and the stimulation of recruiting” and keeping…
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and collectively they accounted for 20,000 of the 70,000 soldiers that landed in Gallipoli, Turkey in April 1915. ANZAC Day was first observed in April 1916, one year after the Gallipoli landings in which 8,700 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders were killed over the next eight months, before eventually withdrawing at the end of 1915. Since 1916, ANZAC Day is the National Day of Commemoration of…
Canadian Women in Uniform The 2023 International Women’s Day was on March 8th. To celebrate and honour the outstanding achievements of the Women of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Friends dedicate its March Newsletter to the women in uniform who so proudly serve their country and unselfishly contribute so much for a better world for all. As 2023 is the 100th anniversary of the Naval Reserve, the focus this year will be on women leaders…
The Friends are pleased to inform our members and readers of the Newsletter that the documentary video “In the Company of Angels”, narrated by Charlotte Gray and featuring Dr. Tim Cook and Dr. Shirley Ann Brown, is now available for public viewing on YouTube. The video tells the story of the memorial window commissioned by the Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada from 1911 to 1916, to commemorate members of his staff who fell…
Canada’s Naval Reserve Celebrates 100 years in 2023 Under the auspices of the Naval Service Act the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was founded in 1910. The Naval Service Act, also authorized the creation of a naval reserve and a volunteer force. In 1914, the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Service (RNCVS) was founded. In 1923, the RNCVS was disbanded and the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) was founded.
Season’s Greetings and All the Best in 2023. Some members of the Friends may have known, but many did not; the Friends celebrated its 35th Anniversary in 2022. The Letters Patent (LP) were signed on July 14, 1987, and the LP were registered on October 21, 1987. In the early years after incorporation, the Friends initially raised $2M for the renovation of the existing War Museum on Sussex Drive. When it became apparent that the Sussex Drive location,…
