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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.