95 years ago: the battle that gave Canada its identity.

[dennilfloss]

Remembering The Battle of Vimy Ridge.

The French had tried to take that impregnable position and failed. The English too. But the Canadian units, fighting together for the first time and with the soldiers that the Germans feared the most, did take and hold it, albeit at a heavy cost.

Cadets have been standing guard at the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier here in Ottawa the last few days to commemorate this. The massive Vimy Ridge monument is one of the few that Hitler did not order demolished when the Wermacht conquered France in 1940. I think the ridge is Canadian territory in France.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge has considerable significance for Canada.[120] Although the battle is not generally considered the greatest achievement of the Canadian Corps in strategic importance or results obtained, it was the first instance in which all four Canadian divisions, made up of troops drawn from all parts of the country, fought as a cohesive formation.[121] The image of national unity and achievement is what initially gave the battle importance for Canada.[122] According to Pierce, "The historical reality of the battle has been reworked and reinterpreted in a conscious attempt to give purpose and meaning to an event that came to symbolize Canada's coming of age as a nation."[123] The idea that Canada's national identity and nationhood were born out of the battle is an opinion that is widely held in military and general histories of Canada

And the tank got used. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Canadian_tank_and_soldiers_Vimy_1917.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_National_Vimy_Memorial

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/04/09/vimy-ridge-anniversary-canada-johnston.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vimy_Ridge

 

[SunnyD]

Canada! Fuck Yeah!!!

:hmm: Oh wait...

 

[sixone]

So many brave men, willing to fight and die to protect others. Gone forever.

 

[FoBoT]

not to disrespect the victory/battle, but as far as the tanks were concerned:

All eight of the tanks available to the Canadians at Vimy broke down or were
knocked out by enemy fire. The slow-moving tanks were nevertheless useful in crushing barbed wire, terrifying the enemy, and supporting the infantry.

http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/pdf/4-b-4-a-resources-photographs_e.pdf

 

[brianmanahan]

i believe that the canadians attacking alkemyst was their greatest victory:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2227595

 

[OutHouse]

intersting, i just got back 2 pictures of my grandfathers infranty unit from WWI. fricking things cost me a fortune to get restored and reprinted. they were badly damaged and an unusual size. 8" high by 40" long. i can now rest easy that these two pieces of my family history are now preserved for another 100 years.

my wife and i took them down to the frame shop to have them custom framed which cost a little over 300 bucks more.

i cant wait to get them home and hang them next to his flag.

 

[mmntech]

My great grandfather fought in the trenches for Great Britain. Survived the war. My grandma has his trench spoon. Probably not worth anything but it's an interesting historical trinket. Apparently is the perfect measure for instant custard.

 

[sdifox]

intersting, i just got back 2 pictures of my grandfathers infranty unit from WWI. fricking things cost me a fortune to get restored and reprinted. they were badly damaged and an unusual size. 8" high by 40" long. i can now rest easy that these two pieces of my family history are now preserved for another 100 years.

my wife and i took them down to the frame shop to have them custom framed which cost a little over 300 bucks more.

i cant wait to get them home and hang them next to his flag.

You didn't drum scan them?

 

[Analog]

 

[SillyOReilly]

Gave who it's identity?

 

[lozina]

I disupte that claim.

I think this gave Canada it's identity: