HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1967-04-20, Page 11T,F# G: ER14� stp:Nm STAR,, THURSDAY, APRP 201967
Obviously enjoying themselves at the table of honor for Vimy veterans are
old' pals Dave Wilson, Dave Allen' and Charles , Leach, caught in a lull -in
proceedings during the annual, Vimy night dinner at Branch 109, Royal
1:,' •, - jam:' '3..,,,d!a ) J :x ;it:eL'
Canadian Legion.. In background, branch president Harold Chambers seems
lost In thought, while .at right Ed Stiles, pianist for the event, kibitzes with a
fellow veteran of World War II. (Staff photo)
At the head table for•the 10th annual Vimy
dinner spor;sored . by Branch 109, Royal
Canadfan Legion, pictured from the left,
" were Rev. G. Lockhart' Royal, branch chap-
lain; guest speaker, Rev, Fred.: 'A. Miller,
padre -of the Owen Sound' branch of the
Legion; `Harold Chambers,'branch president;
Allen Nicholson, zone commander; Mrs.
Howard Carroll, ;zone president, Ladies'
Auxiliary; "Canon K. E. Taylor, former
branch padre; Fred Fester, toastmaster.
In the foreground, as honored guests, are
a few of the Vimy veteraris.
Typicalof the youhg lads 'who went overseas in World War I
were these.Goderich men, believed to be Roy Hunt, James Dean
,and Joe Beck, 'proudly posing' in their uniforms, as have many
thousands since.
fa
PHOTO STORY
BY ART ELLIOTT
An even score'of veterans of the
battle of. Vinzy. Ridge, ,fought over'.
50 years. ago 'by, the Canadian Corp
in what many have evaluated a's an
action that gave Canada. -With a ,
an independent nation, were guests
ofhon.or of Branch 109, Royal-Can-
adian
oyal-Can-
adian Legion ,. here April -12 -when
nearly 200 veterans of World Wars '
I and II gathered at the 10th annual
such banquet here.
For the most part, the aging
warriors appeared hale and hearty
at an informal reception immediate-
ly prior t� the banquet prepared by
the members 'of the Ladies' Auxil-
iary to the Legion.
There was only a slight delay
at the outset when Bill Kay, a Vimy
veteran, suffered what was believ-
ed to be a heart attack and was
taken to 'hospital for treatment.
Friends say he had spent an active
day fishing and no doubt was over-
tired when he climbed the stairs to
the upper floor banquet room. ' He
was reported improved the follow-
Displaying some of the impass-
ivity instilled into them on the drill
squares half a century ago, his. fel-'
low' veterans "carried on" immed-
iately with the formal program.
There are 29 Vimy veterans
in the Goderich area, some' of whom
are presently in hospital and some.
of -Whom were unable to attend for
other reasons. ' ..Those listed by,
Branch ' 109 are:
' David Allen, Charles • Bleach,
Robert Carey, R.' H. Cornish, C. F.
Chapman, John Cuthbertson, Arth-
ur George; William Gould,- Frank:
Glenn, Percy Johnston, Percy James,
Albert Kitton, William "Kay, . D. M.
Kitchen, George Rivett, WilliamM��c�-
Gill, Jack McLaren, Dave' McMill-
an, Clarence MacDonald, William
Moorhead, Reg. Needham Basil
Reynolds, Thomas Shields, Harold
Turner, Ross Tichborne, Cliff
Webb,_Dave Wilson and Max: Clair ,
mont. "
The Vimy veterans were- given
the position of honor at a table im-
mediately in front of thehead table..
Next in line were other veterans of
w <"
Worr'd War I who turned out in
good numbers. The remainder of
the hall was 'almost entirely taken
with theyounger men of World
War II.
"The call to -order was given by
Legion president Harold Chambers;
who introduced head table guests,
including Dr. G. F. Mills, mayor of
Godericli; Allen, Nicholson, zone
. commander, Royal Canadian
ion; Mrs. Howard Carroll, president.
of Zone C-1: Ladies' Auxiliary; Can- Y
-on: K. E. Taylor, -well- known to ythe ;® :.
gathering as former padre ' of ll
branch; Rev. G. .
Loelchart • RoYal,
branch padre; ',M. S., Sutherland,
vice-president; WilliamS' k i n n;e r
. past president.
Immediately following the, an
them and toast to. the Queen, ya mo-
ment of silence walk observed in tri-
bute to.' fallen comrades, marked by
Reveille and Last Post.
In response to a toast to the
Vimy veterans, Harold Turner drew
some chuckles from his comrades of
half a century ago when he describ-
ed participation of , his unit in the
drive through the west end of the
Vimy sector, . where they used .the
rubble from several destroyed
Freneh villages to build` roads
through the oozing mud and shell=
_holes. Several timesheused a sig -
observation" and all his listeners
knew: what :he meant.
He commented on some beards
showing in the audience, and re-
marked that l;oe_ wap not quite sure
whethertit was 50 years since . Vimy
or 50 years before Vimy.
In closing he said;
"Had I ' known on that eventful
day, that I' would be here 50 years
later, I am certain 1 would not have
been as frightened as L was on that
day"
The guest speaker, Rev.' Fred
A. ,Miller, an Irish, veteran of the
R -A -F., a Presbyterian minister and
chaplain of the Owen Sound Legion'
branch, rocked the hall with some
Irish wit of a somewhat more pun-
gent variety than anticipated; as
he reviewed the-, memorable, Vimy'
'
battle as described by historians in
recent articles.
- - He agreed that = the four Cana- --- —
dian army divisions, fighting to-
gether for the first time, a ccom-
. plished with casualties of 10,000
-- men what the French and other
allies had failed to do with casual-
ties mounting ' as high 'as 140,000: It
was the beginning of 'independent
nationhood. .
In charge of arrangements for
the 50th anniversary' Vimy dinner
were Neil Shaw,- committee chair-
man, assisted by' Harold Chambers,
James Sherratt, Stan Profit and
Dave 0. McMillan.
Animated conversations were the order
of the evening, as old comrades, some of
whom seldom _see 'ea 'h other, renewed
friendships and talked over their experi-
ences.
Old soldiers never die '- they entirely
fade away. 'Vimy, veteran Bill Kay was
gently removed from the hail when exer,
frons, taxed him unduly. 'After hlospltal
,treatmej t he was reported improved.
.Victorious fighting troop's of half a cen,$ury ago looked peaceful and .benign
as they preparred, to take on a substantial beef dinner with all the trimmings,
• so capably prepared and served, by the Auxiliary ladies. These ere some of the
Vimy veterans at fhb 'table of honor. lit background may be seen some of
"the other World War I veterans at the next table.