Sunday 29 July 2012

Eugenia

 

Location:  Grey County, Grey Highlands   N 44° 18.773 W 080° 31.495  
In the parking lot for the Eugenia Falls Conservation Area, west of County Road 13.

This memorial is dedicated to the Local Veterans from the First and Second World Wars. Names of the dead of the Great War appear on the front, those who survived on the back.  Names of the soldiers from the Second World War appear on the right side, on the bottom.  It was erected by the Eugenia Ladies' Community Group. Limestone base with life-sized statue of a soldier on guard above.  A black metal fence surrounds the memorial.  Beautiful memorial in a wonderful park setting, with a scenic waterfalls not far away.

Marker text:
Front:
"UNTIL THE DAY BREAK AND
SHADOWS FLEE AWAY"

WALTER FISHER
FRED SMITH
EMERSON C. SMITH
DAVE ARMSTRONG
ROBERT LEOPARD
JOHNSON HOWARD
W.J. BULLIVAN

ROBT. BELL
WES. WILSON
CHAS. ROY
EARL PARLIMENT
STANLEY PARLIMENT
FRED. FISHER

OUR GALLANT DEAD

Left:
THEY DIED AS FEW MEN GET
      THE CHANCE TO DIE,
FIGHTING TO SAVE A WORLD'S
      MORALITY.
THEY DIED THE NOBLEST
      DEATH A MAN MAY DIE,
FIGHTING FOR GOD.  AND RIGHT,
      AND LIBERTY.
AND SUCH A DEATH IS
     IMMORTALITY.

Right:
ERECTED AND DEDICATED
BY THE PEOPLE OF EUGENIA
AND COMMUNITY, TO THE
MEMORY OF HER SOLDIERS
WHO FOUGHT AND DIED
IN THE GREAT WAR
1914 - 1918

1939  OVERSEAS VETERANS  1945
D. CAIRNS
A. MARTIN
D. MAGEE
G. STEWART
G. HELMKAY
R. CLARK
B. CAMPBELL
M. WILLIAMS
J. JAMIESON
N. WILLIAMS
F. PARTRIDGE
J. PARK
W. JONES
E. BOYCE
W. SCORER
G. CROFT
E. CROFT

"THEY OFFERED THEIR LIVES
IN THE SERVICE OF HUMANITY"

Rear:
THOSE WHO DARING TO DIE SURVIVED

JOSHIAH PARLIMENT
JAS. FAWCETT
H. OSBORNE
F. OSBORNE.
N. OSBORNE
W. WILLIAMS
ALEX HOY
CHAS. HOY
W.D. CAMPBELL
HENRY TUDOR
ROY McMILLIAN
HENRY THORNBURY
HERB. FISHER
CHAS. FISHER
RUSSEL PARK

ELWOOD PURVIS
E. HOPPER
FRED. WILKINSON
CHAS. WILKINSON
V. FORD
ALF. GENOE
HERB. GENOE
W.E. MORGAN
W. SEMPLE
EDWIN SMITH
J. ARMSTRONG
CECIL MELDRUM
J.R. BULLIVAN
JACOB SLOAN












Thursday 26 July 2012

Singhampton


 
Location:  Simcoe County, Springwater Township   N 44 21.107  W 080 14.856 
On the south side of Highway 124, just east of Church Street, in the park with the ball diamond.

Dedicated to the men of Singhampton and district, who gave their lives in the two World Wars.

Marker text:
Front:
DEDICATED
TO THE MEN
OF
SINGHAMPTON
AND
SURROUNDING DISTRICT
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN WORLD WARS I AND II

LEST WE FORGET

1914 TO 1918
1939 TO 1945

Front left:
THEY SERVED UNTIL DEATH - THEIR GOD - KING AND COUNTRY
MERVIN E. HAMMILL  1946
DUNCAN B. SHARPE  1944
WALTER SHEARD
EDWARD HALL
KEITH EDWARDS
LEONARD LUCAS
CAPTAIN A.W. DOWNER
CHESTER SCHWANDT
WINSLOW McDONALD
ELMER KENWELL  1943
MAC EDWARDS  DIED 1948
WILLIAM G. JAQUES  DIED 1977
MARGARET ZEGGIL
GORDON HUSRT
EDWARD RIGNEY
DEAN TAYLOR
DONALD ZEGGIL
DOUGLAS BUIE
LEE SCHWANDT

Front right:
THEIR SACRIFICE WAS MATCHLESS - ALL THEY HAD THEY GAVE
CHRISTOPHER EDWARDS
CHESTER McKINNON
GORDON McKINNON
WILLIAM H. RIDDELL
H.R. TOMPKINS  DIED 1944
NELSON ARNOTT  DIED 1951
D.L. TOMPKINS  DIED 1964
RUSSELL LOUGHEED  DIED 1958
JOHN D. CAMPBELL  DIED 1966
HUGH SHARPE
T.J. SHARPE
NEIL SMITH
WILLIAM MOORE
SAMUEL A. TAYLOR
ALEX McBRIDE
ALEXANDER McQUEEN

Back:
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO SERVED IN CANADA
ELLIOTT CREVIER
DONALD McKINNON
HOWARD HAMMILL
HOWARD GOLDSMITH
BILL HAMMILL
RUSSELL LLOYD
JACK SCHWANDT
ALEX SHEARD
BOB EDWARDS
JUNE HAMMILL
BILL SHARP
FRANK HAMMILL
ALVIN HURST











Sunday 22 July 2012

Niagara Falls - Drummond Hill Cemetery



Location:  City of Niagara Falls   N 43 05.352 W 79 05.749 
On the west side of Lundy's Lane, near the top of the hill.

I have already posted the main memorial at this site(April 28, 2012), marking it as a National Historic to remember the pivotal Battle of  Lundy's Lane.
There remains several other smaller but no less important markers in this cemetery which must also be mentioned.  Namely the grave of hero Laura Secord, the U.S. Infantry line of advance, and a statue to Lieut-General Drummond who commanded the British troops.  Numerous graves of the fallen soldiers are found throughout the cemetery.

Oddly enough, both sides have claimed victory in this important battle, just as they have in the War of 1812 as a whole.  There is a movement to restore the U.S. Infantry Line, as well to erect monuments and interpretive plaquing to commemorate the Aboriginal, Black and Women’s History associated with the site.
More information regarding this can be found at  http://www.thebattleoflundyslane.ca/

Marker text:

Laura Secord's Grave:

TO Perpetuate the name and fame of Laura Secord
who walked alone nearly 20 miles by a circuitous, difficult and perilous route through woods and swamps and over miry roads to warn a British outpost at Decew's Falls of an intended attack and thereby warned LIEUT. FitzGibbon on the 24th, June, 1813, with less than 50 men of H.M. 49th Regt., about 15 militiamen and a small force of Six Nation and other Indians under Captains William johnson Kerr and Domonique Ducharme, to surprise and attack the enemy at Beechwoods (or Beaver Dams) and after a short engagement to capture Col. Boerstler of the U.S. Army and his entire force of 542 men with two field pieces.

Holding the  High Ground:
Early on the morning of July 26th, 1814,
Lieutenant-General Sir Gordon Drummond awaited
another attack on the Lundy's Lane hill near
Niagara Falls.  Throughout the previous night,
this hill had been taken and retaken in the
bloodiest, most hard fought battle of the war
of 1812-14.
The expected attack did not occur, the Americans
exhausted, withdrew to Fort Erie.  In November,
they abandoned Fort Erie and retired across the
Niagara River.
Drummond and his troops had successfully
maintained British sovereignty in the Niagara
Penninsula.

The Niagara Parks Commision
1989

Ralph Sketch
Sculptor



U.S Line:
U.S. INFANTRY TRENCH JULY 25TH 1814
THIS MONUMENT ERECTED JULY 25TH 1991
BY THE AMERICAN LEGION, NIAGARA
COUNTY COMMITTEE & DEPT. OF NEW YORK.
IN MEMORY OF THE U.S. OFFICERS &
SOLDIERS WHO DIED AT THE BATTLE
OF LUNDY'S LANE.
CONNECTICUT 25TH, NEW YORK 23RD,
MASSACHUSETTS 9TH & 21ST,
PENNSYLVANIA 22ND, & VERMONT 11TH


National Historic Site:
This was the site of the bloodiest battle of the War of 1812. On the afternoon of 25th July, 1814, Lieutenant-General Gordon Drummond with about 2800 men engaged the invading American army which had recently been victorious at Chippawa. The armies were evenly matched and the six-hour battle lasted until darkness and heavy losses put an end to the fighting. Each force had lost over 800 men. Although each claimed victory, the Americans had failed to dislodge Drummond from his position. They withdrew the next day, ending their offensive in Upper Canada.









Saturday 21 July 2012

Fergus


 
Location:  Wellington County, Centre Wellington   N 43 42.170  W 080 22.597 
Located in a park at the north-east corner of Tower Street and Bridge Street.

This memorial was first erected in 1935, as a result of the efforts of Dr. Norman Craig, a former Flight-Lieutenant, whose play provided the proceeds to erect this memorial.  A stone is dedicated to Dr. Craig and his efforts.

The memorial itself consists of on original large shaft, and two shorter shafts on each side to list the names of those who died from the two World Wars.

Marker text:
Front central shaft:
TO
OUR
GLORIOUS
DEAD

1914 - 1918

WORLD WAR II
1939-1945

KOREA
1950- 1953

Front left shaft:
1939-1945
EDWIN HAYWARD
CECIL JACKSON
DOUGLAS MUIR
LESLIE McFARLANE
HARRY PREST
ARCHIE ROBERTSON
WALTER SADLER
PETER TAIT
ALVIN CAMPBELL
BURTON D. HOWARD

Front right shaft:
1939-1945
JAMES BERGIN
BERT CUDNEY
GLEN ELLIOT
JOHN FLANNERY
SETH FLANNERY
ALLAN GAULEY
ERNEST GIBBS
HAROLD BETTENSON
JOHN DRISCOLL

Main shaft left side:
PASSCHENDAELE
HILL 70
AMIENS
ARRAS
DROCOURT-QUEANT
CANAL DU NORD
MONS

THE RHINE

Main shaft right side:
YPRES
ST. JULIEN
GIVENCHY
SOMME
COURCELETTE
VIMY RIDGE

NORTH SEA
EGYPT
MESOPOTAMIA
SIBERIA

Main shaft rear:
ROBERT AIKEN  1ST BATTN.
JOHN ALLAN  87TH BATTN.
FRED BEATTIE  11TH BATTN.
WALTER BELLAMY  4TH DIV C.M.G.C.
DAVID J. BLACK 1ST BATTN.
HUGH H. BLACK M.M. 31ST BATTN.
ROBERT J. BLACK  54TH BATTN.
S.S. BLACK   1ST DIV C.M.G.C.
E.E. BLANCHETT  21ST RY. CC
ROBERT G. CLARK 1ST BATTN.
JAMES COLLIE 18TH BATTN.
RUSSELL L. COLLINGRIDGE  3RD BATTN.
RUSSELL COLTART  C.F.A.
HENRY CONLIN M.M. 18TH BATTN.
JOHN L. COOK  54TH BATTN.
WILLIAM J. COURTNEY  18TH BATTN.
R. STANLEY DASS  46TH BATTN.
ERNEST L. DAVIES  87TH BATTN.
R. DAVIS  9TH BATTERY
JAMES EDMISTON  18TH BATTN.
ERNEST E. FARLEY  54TH BATTN.
ISLAND B. FISH  28TH BATTN.
CECIL FLOOD  R.C.E.
DAVID GREGSON  1ST BATTN.
LAWRENCE T. HARRISON  18TH BATTN.
JOSEPH HOWARD  C.M.G.C.
EVERAD B. IMRIE  18TH BATTN.
WILLIAM JOHNSTON  47TH BATTN.
EVAN KERRUISH  R.A.F.
FREDERICK S. KIRVAN  87TH BATTN.
GEORGE B. LEECH  47TH BATTN.
HARRY MIDDLETON  4TH BATTN.
OLIVER NESBITT  43RD BATTERY
REX E. PERRY  74TH BATTN.
PETER PICK  1ST BATTN.
WILLIAM J. REA  C.F.A.
LUTHER A. READY  75TH BATTN.
JAMES M. RICHARDSON  8TH BATTN.
MICHAEL RYAN  26TH BATTN.
WILLIAM SIMPSON  75TH BATTN.
JAMES E. SKEOCH  C.M.G.C.
JAMES H. STEELE  P.P.C.L.I.
GEORGE STEWART  18TH BATTN.
ALEXANDER C. WHITELAW  3RD C.M.G.C.
WALTER E. WILLIAMS  75TH BATTN.
LLOYD W. YOUNG  18TH BATTN.

THESE THOUGHT NOT OF SELF
BUT GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US

 
 Dedication Stone:
THIS PARK IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
DOCTOR NORMAN CRAIG  M.R.C.S.(ENG)
EX FLIGHT SUB-LIEUT.  R.N.A.S.
1895 - 1965
A BELOVED PHYSICIAN IN FERGUS FOR 43 YEARS
WHO DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO HIS PROFESSION
AUTHOR & PRODUCER OF THE PLAY
>YOU'RE LUCKY IF YOU'RE KILLED<
PROCEEDS OF WHICH WERE USED TO ERECT
THIS ORIGINAL WAR MEMORIAL
DIRECTOR OF THE UNVEILING CEREMONIES
AND THE DAWN PARADE  AUGUST 1935

HE IS GREATEST WHO SERVES BEST













Thursday 19 July 2012

Georgetown - The Lorne Scots

 

Location:  Halton Region, Halton Hills   N 43 38.742  W 079 55.643 
At the entrance to the Georgetown fairgrounds, on Park Avenue, west of Charles Street.

These gates and the entrance to the town park and farigrounds have been dedicated to The Lorne Scots Regiment on their 145 anniversary of service to the area.

Marker text:
LORNE SCOTS WAY
Dedicated October 24, 2011

IN HONOUR OF
THE 145TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE LORNE SCOTS
(Peel, Dufferin, and Halton Regiment)

by Mayor Rick Bonette
and Members of Town Council
 
 
 

This history is taken from their website:  http://www.lornescots.ca/army/history.htm

A Proud Past

On 14 September 1866 the 36th Peel Battalion was authorized and on 28 September the 20th Halton Battalion of Infantry was formed. These two regiments, some 70 years later, were to be reorganized to form The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment). The first Scottish connection was made on 27 September 1879 when the Halton Rifles were reviewed by His Excellency The Marquis of Lorne and permission was received in 1881 to redesignate the 20th Halton Rifles as the 20th Halton Battalion Lorne Rifles. In addition, the wearing of tartan trews and the diced Glengarry were authorized and a Pipe Band was formed.
During the Boer War the regiment, as a unit, did not go to war; however, many officers and men from both regiments served there. During the First World War, regiments as such were not mobilized but drafts from various units were called up and formed into numbered battalions.
The 36th Peel Battalion and the 20th Halton Rifles provided 16 officers and 404 other ranks to the 4th Battalion of the 1st Canadian Division. Subsequently many more men from the two regiments were allotted to the 20th, 36th, 58th, 74th, 76th and 81st Battalions. The 126th, 164th and 234th Battalions were raised exclusively in Peel, Dufferin and Halton Counties. After the war, the 36th Peel Regiment was reorganized becoming the Peel and Dufferin Regiment in 1923. The regimental badge adopted was the Demi Lion which was the personal crest of Sir Robert Peel.
The Halton Rifles was reorganized as the Lorne Rifles (Scottish) in 1931 and permission was received from His Grace the Duke of Argyll, the senior Duke of Scotland, to use his personal crest , the Boar's Head and his personal tartan, the Ordinary Campbell. On 15 December 1936, following a general reorganization of the Militia, the Lorne Rifles and the Peel and Dufferin Regiment were amalgamated to form the present regiment, The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment).
The Lorne Scots was one of the first units in Canada to be mobilized in 1939, proceeding overseas in January 1940. It was organized into defence companies and platoons at Brigade, Division, Corps and Army Headquarters and served in every theatre of war in which Canadian soldiers fought except Hong Kong. They were in France with elements of the 1st Division early in 1940. A platoon of the Lornes served with The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada at the capture of Boulogne where over 50 percent of the platoon was killed or wounded. Elements of the platoon with 6 Brigade took part in the raid on Dieppe in August 1942 and the platoon landed with 6 Brigade on the beaches of Sicily on 13 July 1943.
Since the war, the regiment has been well represented at all military functions and in 1955 had the largest attendance at summer camp of any infantry regiment in Canada. In autumn of 1963, the regiment was presented with its colours by the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, The Honourable W. Earl Rowe, in a ceremony at Caledon. This was followed by an upsurge of interest and prowess in marksmanship in the unit which immediately began to dominate competition shooting at all levels from local to national. This domination has continued to the present time with the unit being represented at various world Championships, Olympics, Pan-American Games and the Bisley Competition in England.
In the 1960s, the Lancashire Fusiliers, the allied regiment in England since 9 May 1929, suffered amalgamation and in the process bestowed its revered primrose hackle on the Lorne Scots for custodianship. It is now worn proudly on the headdress of all Lorne Scots infantry personnel. With the coming of the 1970s, the role of the Militia expanded, resulting in some Lorne Scots members serving in Germany.
The Regiment is first ever Colonel-in-Chief, Field Marshall His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent visited the Regiment in 1979 and 1983 and presented the unit with a new Regimental and Queen's colour on 14 September 1991 in Brampton on the occasion of the regiment's 125th birthday.
The Regiment has also provided troops to many of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces that Canada has contributed to. These include Cyprus, Cambodia, Namibia and, most recently, the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. A number of troops recently participated in the clean up of activities during the Ice Storm of 98 in Eastern Ontario.

    Battle Honors


    World War I
  • YPRES, 1915, 1917
  • HILL 70
  • Festubert, 1915
  • AMIENS
  • MOUNT SORREL
  • HINDENBURG LINE
  • SOMME, 1916
  • PURSUIT TO MONS
  • ARRAS, 1917, 1918


  • World War II
  • SICILY, 1943
  • NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1944-1945
  • ITALY, 1943-45


  • Order of Precedence: 14
The Regiment remains true to its motto:
"Air-Son-Ar-Duthchais"
For Our Heritage 

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Brooklin - Groveside Cemetery

 

Location:  Durham Region, Town of Whitby   N 43 56.214  W 078 57.605 
Located at the entrance to the Groveside Municipal Cemetery, on the east side of Baldwin Street South (Durham Road 12), between Brooklin and Whitby.

This memorial is dedicated to the members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 112 who died. This soldiers' plot was established by the Legion in 1931. A wooden cross was dedicated in 1936 and was replaced by the present stone cross in 1959.
The cross is surrounded by individual markers laid out in rows on the ground.

Marker text:
IN REMEMBRANCE
(LEGION CREST)
LEST WE FORGET.

ERECTED BY
BRANCH 112, WHITBY





Sunday 15 July 2012

Bala

 

Location:  Muskoka District   N 45 00.697   W 079 36.829 
In a small park on the west side of Bala Falls Road, at the top of the hill.

This memorial to the local war dead of the First and Second World Wars was erected by Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 424.

Marker text:
 1914 - 1918

LEST WE FORGET

1939 - 1945

IN MEMORY OF THE MEN
OF THIS AREA, WHO
MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE

W.W.I
ALFRED JACKSON JR.

W.W.II
ALFRED EDWARDS
KEITH McDIVITT
ALLAN McDONALD