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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2017-04-12, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, April 12. 2017 �a'°� Seaforth's Sons at Vimy,April 1917 Huron Expositor PU84SNE�WEEItIY—ESi. 1960 `T � r' P.O. Box 39, 53 Albert Street Clinton, Ontario NOM 1L0 phone: 519-482-3443 www. seaforthhuronexpositor �J POSTMEDIA CURTIS ARMSTRONG Group Director of Media Sales 519-376-2250 ext 514301 or carrrtslrong@postmedia.com NEIL CLIFFORD Advertising Director nclifford@postmedia.com SHAUN GREGORY Multimedia Journalist sgregory@postmedia.com 519-482-3443 Ext. 527305 NANCY DEGANS Media Sales Consultant ndegans@postmedia.com 519-482-3443 Ext. 527306 TERESA SMITH Front Office TSmittl@postmediacom 519-482-3443 ext 527301 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 2 YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) SENIORS BOWERS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 39, 53 Albert Street, Clinton ON NOM 1L0 For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519-482-3443 Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. Seaforth Huron Expositor is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For more information or to file a complaint go to www. mediacouncii.ca or call toll free 1-844-877-1163. Member of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association and the Canadian Community Newspaper Association. We acknowledge the 1+1 financial support of the anaaa Government of Canada. ti�gi��.zr it V Ridge was the most heavily fortified position on the western Font. Its capture by the Canadian Corps on April 9, 1917 was the defin- ing moment in the young Dominion's history. Immedi- ately, its significance was understood throughout Can- ada. The 'Huron Expositor' wrote that the Canadians who 'stormed' the Ridge had "cov- ered themselves with glory." Yet, the `Seaforth News' in lauding the feat of Canadian arms warned that "in every great deed there is and must be sacri- fice:' Seaforth, like small towns and villages across the country, tempered its pride with sorrow at the losses sustained at Vimy Ridge that Easter Monday. A special celebration of the Canadian capture of V my Ridge was held at St Thomas' Angli- can Church on Sunday, April 15. The service was well -attended. The choir opened with the 'Te Deum' to give thanks for the vic- tory of Canadian arms followed by Kipling's 'Lest We Forget, Recessional' Reverend Thomas Brown compared the Canada's triumph on the Ridge with God's deliverance of the Israel- ites. Rev. Brown predicted that just as generations of Hebrews gave thanks for their Divine deliverance so generations of Canadians would ask their par- ents about the battles of Ypres, Festubert, the Somme and Vimy Ridge and "theywould be told of the glorious deeds the troops of Canada performed to pre- serve liberty, truth and right to the world'' The victorywas all the more sanctified, according to Rev. Brown, because it was fought on Easter Monday. Eager for news from the front, the local papers printed accounts of the battle written by Seaforth's soldiers. Seaforth Pri- vate Fred Taylor wrote his par- ents from his hospital bed that his battalion went over the top Huron History David Yates with 'fixed bayonets' and walked into "a withering fire" from machine guns. "Comrades were falling on both sides of me" Taylor got within five yards of the enemy trenches when he was hit. He was 'thankful' that he "did not see any of the Sea - forth boys falling" but thought that the Canadians "certainly did well that morning: Although Taylor lost the use of his arm, he described his sur- vival as a 'miracle' and thanked God for his deliverance. Private Nelson Davidson of Walton was also wounded in the assault He wrote his brother that his battalion attacked behind a 'sweeping' artillery barrage that wreaked havoc on the German lines. While passing through the German trenches, he passed over many German dead. Those Germans still shel- tering in the trenches were sur- prised at the speed of the Cana- dian attack and "were not hard to handle:' Davidson was hit about 150 yards within the Ger- man lines and walked back to a dressing station. On the way, he helped a fellow soldier who was badly "wounded in both legs and arms." A Seaforth machine gunner in the legendary Princess Patri- cia's atri- cia s wrote his mother that "no doubt you are anxious to know how I came through the big fight" The letter written and printed in the `Expositor' by a Seaforth Boy' said that after having been in the line for 11 days, he looked 'pretty wild' but did not not feel bad. Without the tra- ditional ruin ration before hat- tle, the Seaforth Boy's five man section advanced into No - Man's Land behind the Cana- dian artillery barrage into the German lines.. After their ser- geant was hit, the Seaforth boy' continued the advance carrying his machine gun while the oth- ers hauled ammunition when a "shrapnel shell burst right in our faces" wounding two of the oth- ers who refused to be evacuated. After capturing their objec- tive, the Seaforth Boy' and another unwounded machine gunner picked a position and setup their gun. They shook hands and marvelled at their luck. Before long, the other gun- ner was wounded. The Seaforth Boy' grimly reported that his "his only chums out here" were "gone now:' Exhilerated by his survival, the Seaforth boy con- cluded his dramatic account by writing that "it was a great Easter for me, mother, and one of the red letter days of my life." In another battle account in the 'Expositor; Gunner Charles Sills admiringly wrote that "to see the calm way our brave fel- lows walked across, was truly inspiring, no finer sight than the steadiness displayed by the infantry could possibly be pro- duced" Sills believed that "our Canadian boys added fresh glory and established a name for themselves which shall never be effaced" at Vimy Ridge. One of the most famous first hand accounts of the battle was written by Seaforth native, Ser- geant Wilfred Brenton Kerr serving in the Royal Canadian Field Artillery. As a signalman, Kerr relayed messages from the battery to the battery com- mander. Vimy Ridge was Kerr's first battle and wrote that although every man tries to steel himself for his first time in battle the sight of the corpses 'lyingii� strange in strange attitudes was a new and sickening sight' What caused him the 'most distress' was the wounded 'for whom nothing could be done.' Kerr later wrote two Great War clas- sics 'Shrieks and Crashes' (1929) and 'Arms and the Maple Leaf' (1943). Less fortunate was Private Andrew Archibald (25) of Sea - forth. With what would prove dark irony, Archibald, in his last letter to his mother, said 'don't be surprised if the next word you get from meisa 'whizz -bang' card:' A machine gunner, Archibald was mor- tally wounded by shell fire on the Vimy sector on April 4, 1917. His brother, Lieutenant S. W. Archibald comforted his distraught parents by writing that it was better to die in a noble cause "than to stay at home and do nothing:' A `BigVictoryConcert' cele- brating Canada's Vimy triumph was staged at Cardno Hall on May 22, 1917. A chorus of a hun- dred voices, patriotic readings, tableaux of Britannia and the allied nations played to a packed house. The `Expositor' reported that the concert was so successful that "people from the surrounding towns" demanded an encore performance. Despite the battle's horrors, there was tremendous pride in accomplishing what the French and British armies had failed to do, and that's capture the Ridge. One soldier wrote in the "Seaforth News" that "an American only belittles himself if he fails to recognize and applaud the great things Can- ada has done in this world cri- sis." Vtmy Ridge was a great and terrible day for Canada The Seaforth News' believed that the sacrifices made by Canadi- ans would ensure that "their names will live forever in the memory of a grateful posterity." If only that were true. SEAFORTH HURON EXPOSITOR/CLINTON NEWS RECORD - HOURS OF OPERATION P.O. Box 39.53 Albert St.. Clinton ON NOM 110 MONDAY: 9:00-5:00 • TUESDAY: CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: 9:00-5:00 • THURSDAY: 9:00-5:00 • FRIDAY: 9:00-5:00 ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAYS AT 2:00pm • PHONE: 519-482-3443 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com