Article by LCol Doug Wright, CD (Ret'd)
Earlier this spring, I embarked on a battlefield tour of First and Second World War sites, including Flanders, Vimy, Somme, Normandy, Dieppe, Breskens Pocket and Scheldt, with each site holding memories, from the sombre trenches of the Somme to the strategic beaches of Normandy.
The tour culminated in the Netherlands for the 80th anniversary of Liberation, where we attended the celebration at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and then the national ceremony at Holten Canadian War Cemetery. The ceremony at Groesbeek was also the official unveiling of the Faces to Graves project. This initiative aims to honour every Canadian soldier buried in the war graves of the Netherlands by sharing a photo and their individual stories. There are 143 Sappers buried in these cemeteries. Ken Holmes has been actively working to support this initiative. It is poignant when one sees the photo beside the tombstone. Our Governor-General and Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, along with thousands of Dutch and Canadians, attended the national ceremony at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery. Both ceremonies were very moving and displayed the enduring gratitude of the Dutch.
In addition to these ceremonies, we took part in several other commemorative activities. One particularly meaningful moment for me was laying a wreath during the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate, a tradition that pays homage to the countless fallen soldiers whose names are etched into the monument's walls. It was an honour to be formed up for the Ceremony beside Panel 10 where the names of the fallen Canadian Engineers are etched.
As we travelled, we visited several cemeteries including Bény-sur-Mer, Dieppe, Cabaret Rouge, Tyne Cot, Essex Farm, Thiepval, Bergen-op-Zoom, Groesbeek, and Holten. A practice I started during our trip in 2017 for the Vimy 100th anniversary and continued on other trips to Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium and the Netherlands is the placing of a Canada flag at the headstones of Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE). Prior to the trip, I search out the graves of the RCE in each cemetery and make a selection based on various criteria such as youngest (18 yrs), oldest (55-year-old Sapper), sapper, NCO and Officer, married, etc. A selection is made due to the number of graves and time available at each site.
An unscheduled stop at Villers Station Cemetery, within sight of the Vimy Memorial, was most fortunate. Here lies Lieutenant Colonel Kemball, CO 54th Kootenay Battalion and for whom the Trail, BC, Lieutenant Colonel Arnold Henry Grant Kemball, CB, DSO Armoury is named after. As a former CO of 44 FES in Trail, I was pleased to have found his headstone.
As members of the military, we have studied many of the First and Second World War European battles and visited some of the memorials and cemeteries. It is always sobering to visit, no matter the number of times. I was very fortunate to visit again this year and be in the Netherlands for the 80th Anniversary of liberation.