The 105th ceremony of remembrance for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR) and Battle of Beaumont-Hamel was held on July 1st, 2021, at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, on a somewhat overcast morning that threatened rain but eventually cleared up to a beautiful summer’s day. All Covid-19 restrictions were observed.
The 1st of July is a day of remembrance first in Newfoundland and a day to celebrate Canada second. In the First World War, the Dominion of Newfoundland supplied 8,707 men to the three Dominion services including the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Royal Newfoundland Naval Reserve, and the Newfoundland Forestry Corps. As well 3,296 men volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 21 were known to be in the Royal Flying Corp/Royal Air Force, and 175 women served overseas in nursing and aid stations. In all, 36% of men of military age (19-35) went to war.
Beaumont-Hamel is significant in that the men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR) went “over the top” on this day in 1916 and 30 minutes later, only remnants remained. They left from a support trench (St. John’s Trench) which was 200 metres behind the jump off point because the dead and wounded from previous waves clogged the way to the front. After this, it was another 500 metres to the enemy through a no-man’s land criss-crossed with enemy machine gun fire. “It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour and its assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no further.” said LGen Sir Aylmer Gould Hunter-Weston.
While figures vary, the RNR website lists: Killed In Action – 14 officers and 219 other ranks, wounded – 12 officers and 374 other ranks and 91 missing. Out of 721 who went out only 68 were able to answer the roll call the next morning (85% casualties). Every officer who went into battle was either killed or wounded. Some of the dead were killed trying to crawl back to their own lines from no-man’s land as they had been made to wear metal triangles on their backs, so command could monitor their forward progress. As they crawled back, the sun reflected off the metal making them easy targets for enemy snipers and many were killed. It would be two weeks before the people in Newfoundland heard of the disaster.
The ceremony was hosted by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Advisory Council and MC’d by Col (ret’d) Gregory Burt. The official party to lay wreaths consisted of:
Canada – MP (Orleans) Marie-France Lalonde
Veterans Affairs Canada – Mr. Robert Lӧken
Canadian Armed Forces – MGen Richard Goodyear
Royal Newfoundland Regiment Advisory Council – BGen (ret’d) Bruce Ploughman
People of Newfoundland – Mr. Herb Davis
Youth of Canada and Newfoundland – Mr. Austin Stein
Korean Veterans Association – Mr. Bill Black
Memorial University of Newfoundland – Ms. Pamela Flynn
The Act of Remembrance was spoken by Mr. Bill Black and the Commitment to Remember was done by Mr. Austin Stein of Stittsville. Mr. Stein is the great-grandson of Sgt. Joshua Robert Goodyear who managed to live through the battle and answer the roll call the next morning. Of the five Goodyear brothers who served, three were killed in action and two survived. A sixth sibling, a sister, served as a nurse in a different battle area. The oldest son, Roland (the seventh of the seven siblings), was denied enlistment so that the possibility of the entire family’s progeny being wiped out would be avoided. Padré Gerald Peddle led the prayer and it was noted that he was the grandson of Pvt Stanley Budgell of the RNR. Following the prayer, last post, silence, lament and rouse, the wreaths were laid. MGen Richard Goodyear, laying the wreath for the Canadian Armed Forces, is the senior Newfoundlander in the Forces.
To end the ceremony, the poem “Only One Tree” was read by Mr. Herb Davis whose great uncle Pvt Lester Barber was killed at Beaumont-Hamel. Following the poem, Mr. Scott Richardson of the Atlantic Voices Choir sang “Ode to Newfoundland” and “O Canada” completing the ceremony.
While Newfoundland would not become part of Canada until 1949, as part of Canada now, it is important to remember the sacrifices made on behalf of the allies of this small part of the British Empire.
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