I live in the city of Vimy, where this battle took place. There’s a beautiful memorial for Canadian soldiers who died during that war, surrounded by battlefields where wholes from bombings are still visible. A very beautiful place where you can visit trenches and imagine how the soldiers must’ve lived. To this day, we continue to discover bombs that didn’t explode in our gardens. Thank you for the soldiers who gave their lives to help us save our country. They’d be proud to see how our citizens respect them and make sure to never forget their names. I pass by this memorial everyday going to work and I never forget to say “good morning soldiers” when I drive past the trenches and the memorial. A heavy place filled with memories and probably some ghosts
As a Newfoundlander, I want to thank you for including the The Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Beaumont Hamel is one of the most tragic and heroic incidents in our history. It's not often mentioned in the greater context of the war as Newfoundland was not part of Canada at the time.
I visited Beaumont Hamel as part of my trip to Flanders in 1915. The Newfoundlanders’ sacrifice there reminded me of the Australian’s fruitless attempt at the Nek, Gallipoli and the Brits on the Somme. Some have called it docile stupidity but the men at that stage of the war were told that bravery would win the war. They hadn’t factored in machine guns or high explosive artillery rounds at that stage. The men got up, showed their bravery and died in the hope their assured death would somehow win the war for their mates, family, countries and the good of the world. You can only sit in awe of their courage and selflessness. Newfoundlanders should, and no doubt will, be forever proud. Respect Brisbane, Aust.
My great uncle was there. He later died at Amiens. He was one of the Gaelic speaking Newfoundlanders who sailed to Nova Scotia to enlist with fellow Scots in the Canadian army. My Great Grandfather, meanwhile, was one of the "First 500" of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and made it through the war, the Somme and Gallipoli included.
@@Ddrumzzz12 My Grandfather was 17 when he went to France as an ambulance driver he came home with the remains of an Ambulance nd 5 wounded men imbedded his back, thanks to a German gun battery firing from out of sight at the hospital crossroad.. He went back a few years later to repair Canadian Tanks.
Wouldnt want it any other way. In Britians time of need, Canada will always be there as I assume Britian will be for Canada. Youre like our mother. Australia and New Zealand are our brothers. CANZUK!!!!!
@@554account That is how it should be but sometimes it reaches a point when it seems as if GB contribution is less than it was reading some of the posts. We all contributed to a stunning victory of a skillful and powerful enemy. Were must never forget that. Cheers to Diggers, Canucks Kiwis Indians and not forgetting the French who a bore largr part of the fighting right in their own backyard.
Because they were canon fodder for the Brits, Passendale, Normandy, just like the Polish in Arnheim, Monte Cassino or the Scots and Kiwis in North-Africa. Montgomery nearly always put the commenwealth troops in the first lines of an attack to maintain morals on the homefront. And because of the main historicans on those events were Brits. And because of history is written history.
jcmangan I don’t think we should discredit the brits. They fought and died like everyone else. No canadian cities were ever bombed and there is no biased from historians either. Everyone who fought in ww2 should be commended for their bravery no matter what side they fought on.
My grandfather was there , he left at 17 years old . Wounded twice he survived, . He was in Europe until 1919 when he finally came home. Unfortunately he would not tell anyone war stories and no one knew he had so many medals until he died, his one and only response to my request was " hope you never have to go and see for yourself" the way he said it and his face meant, don't ask again.
My Grandfather served in the Canadian 11th Field Ambulance as a stretcher bearer. I can only imagine the horrors he witnessed. He was at the Somme, Vimy, Passandaele among other killing fields. He too wouldn't speak about the war. WWI was a terrible conflict
I heard somebody say once that you'd have more chances talking to a Veteran of the Second World War to get their personal truths on what happened during that conflict than getting what happened from a soldier of the Great War. Sometimes, it makes me wonder why since both World Wars were absolutely horrific, but seeing images of what happened during World War I makes me realise just how traumatising this war really was.
For anyone who's confused by the pictures of soldiers lying on the ground with their rifles standing up in the mud next to them, it's because of a tradition that grew up among the Canadians: if you were advancing, and you came upon a comrade who'd been wounded, you picked up his rifle and stuck it in the ground by the bayonet so the stretcher-bearers could locate him.
Both of my parents immigrated to Canada in the 1950's. I am a first generation Canadian. I don't know if I have the right to, but this is part of my identity as a proud Canadian. What these men did for us cannot be overstated, and I intend to honour every one of them for the rest of my life. To the soldiers of the CEF and Allied Forces in The Great War - thank you.
I live on Vancouver island British Columbia , Canada . A few months ago , I pulled into a parking spot in the local Wal- mart . The car in front of me was a studibaker , A man got out in full uniform , with veteran plates on his car . He and his wife were so beautifully dressed in WW2 attire . I don't know were they were going , or as why they were dressed in full uniform . I guess he was in his late 80's . As I got out of my truck , I said , sir , Thank you for your service , and I saluted him . He and his wife cried as I said that . And as I saluted him , he returned my salute . Sir , Thank you for your service .
Legion hall is for retired vets that taken in more then vets now but might of been where he was going or saddly a funeral for a comrade. And I live in bc aswell
Canada has some high speed operators. Feel a kinship with my neighbor. One ally that has fought side by side the US for last 100 years. Canadians are nice people till you threaten those they have swore to fight with. They will forever be my brothers
I visited Vimy October 2019 with my cousin and her husband from Toronto. A breathtaking experience never to be forgotten. Canada's greatest hour. It will remain with me forever.
One of my great-uncles served as a piper in 16 Bn(The Canadian Scottish). Arriving in Flanders in February 1915...he remained with the Battalion until September 1918. When he was severely wounded and returned home. He was one of the pipers who led off the assault on Vimy Ridge, the morning of April 9, 1917. Advancing alone and unarmed ahead of the first attack wave, he piped the men of his battalion into battle. All of the pipers who survived that day, carried on right through to the Ridge....nearly a mile from their jump off point. The courage and determination that took, can only be imagined. For his part in the Great War, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Plus, Military Medal/ bar. Another piper(and one of his closest friends) was awarded the Victoria Cross. Posthumous. Of the 17 16 Battalion pipers, only three were to survive until the end of the war. It has been said that on Vimy Ridge, Canada became a nation. And why we are proud to be called Canadians.
It is sad that governments have used the bravery, solidarity, and the pressure of poverty to uphold the structures that created the conflicts to begin with. I love to think of what these men would have accomplished in another environment. It's depressing. Lol
I'm a Canadian with a Scottish name. I've always thought, I always knew the bravest guy on the battlefield was the Piper. I think that every time I hear the pipes.
Piper Richardson, was he your uncle’s friend? There is a statue of him near city hall in Chilliwack, erected there only a few years ago. A friend of mine guarded his VC at a regimental function in Vancouver once.
Been to VIMY I WEPT with pride and sorrow Never felt more CANADIAN Saw the graves of CANADIANS from 16 to 39 years old The monument is very special We should never forget. The Canadian Corps ' record of victories is LEGENDARY
I went there too and it was obvious what a critical victory it was, topographically. Whoever held that ridge could see for miles in any direction. The Germans valued it greatly and to shift them off it at that stage of the war was a true feat of arms. Respect! Brisbane, Aust
Sometimes you must step away to see where you are from. Your freedom and nation were gained in lives of the men who gave their all. We will never forget.
A wonderful documentary on the taking of Vimy Ridge. The courage and sacrifice will always be remembered by this 70 year old Canadian. I know in my heart that the fallen had found true peace and brilliant love when they passed.
Great respect to Canadians from Britain 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 many war memorials in London and across the country to Canadians. I have visited Vimy Ridge, was struck by the bravery. I hope we never face these futile wars again. ‘Lest we forget’.
I'm a Mexican from Nogales, Sonora Mexico. I live in California and I used to drive long haul for KLLM out of Jackson, Mississippi, very often our company would send us north to Canada and I was always impressed by the Canadian people and I have in my heart the sweetest and best times. While I believe the United States is very possibly the best in the world, our friends in the north are just as good a people as those in the States. May God bless Canada Forever!
My grandfather, a CEF volunteer and Vimy vet, never spoke about the battle or his role in taking the ridge. He fought for his buddies and the Canadian Corps. Planning and leadership under Byng and Currie were resourceful, innovative, and brutally effective. Currie, warts and all, would be a celebrated national hero in any other country and this is part of the Canadian enigma. For a small country, Canada punched well above its weight class and made horrific sacrifices for the Empire - especially over the 100 days offensive. Vimy Ridge should have been made into a feature film, like 1962's "The Longest Day" from the perspective of the major combatants. Unfortunately the world has forgotten the Great War and those with a living connection to it through family are decreasing in number as well.
this is why our P.Mwants to eradicate our history ,reminds him of the commonwealth that his father and he despise ,,the old stock canadians ,,the boys from the bush ,,try as you will nov 11 th we will remember them ,sorry to bring politics into this but ,when i see the distain our so called leader showsto our forces on nov 11th ,didnt even turn up one year ,,,,,,god bless canada the mighty dominion ,,the bravest of the brave ,the makers of a country envied by the free world CANADA true patriot love ,well these vimy boys did just that ,,,,
The only story my grandfather told me about Vimy was grim, he was an ambulance driver, he got to the field hospital with 5 casualties in his truck, one German shell and he got into the hospital directly, the ambulance and his 5 casualties kept leaking out of his back for the rest of his life. And then he went again, A Sgt Tank Mechanic with the Southern Alberta Rgt through to Antwerp.
Watching from Halifax, Canada the day before Remembrance Day 2020. Lest we forget. This was the event which truly gave Canadians a national identity and individual pride.
Just a little history lesson they don't teach you in school. My grandfather a Japanese Canadian was there at Vimy, he was in the 10th Canadian Infantry Battalion. When he came back home to Vancouver everything settled down and he became a fisherman and a carpenter. Then the WW2 started, they took everything and sent him and his whole family to interment camp. After the war his family had to move and this is why I was born in Toronto.
I grew up in the Okanagan with the children of some of the Japanese Canadians that were interred. Not a word was ever spoken about how the numerous families ended up living in the valley. The same thing was done to Ukranians in WW1. Another excellent documentary on Canada in WW1, is "The Last 100 Days". A proud Canadian, served 10 years.
One of the camps was in the Slocan Valley, north of Nelson, B.C. on what is currently the Leo Creek Forest Service Rd. David Suzuki's patents were interned there.
i rode my bike thru france, i stopped at many graveyards, the rain hid many tears from my face. so many graves, so many young men , i read the names and the ages. it really choked my up and i had known much of the truth before in my studies ,still i shed some tears for those fallen in such horrible ways. i always told myself i would at least try to know the truth as best i could to show a little respect for their lives. and to learn the whys' and the truths that led to these horrible events. so many hidden truths. our world is not what it seems. i keep on digging for the whole truth. seemingly a never ending quest.
My paternal grandparents had brothers at Vimy. Both survived and returned home. In 2019, I went to Vimy one hundred years after my uncles returned. I did not expect the visceral reaction I had at Vimy. It was 102 years after Vimy, but you feel the heaviness and you do walk among the ghosts. In near by cemeteries crosses row by row of Canadian, British and French young men. Across from the Vimy Memorial is a memorial to Morrocan young men who fought at Vimy before Canada. A German cemetery filled with crosses and Star of Davids. It is just an overwhelming sense of grief to know that the loss would be repeated ten fold within a generation. This year, wearing my poppy I honour my uncles and those whose spirits remain at Vimy. .. With the going down of the sun, I will remember them.
All I know from reports and things we have the Canadians were some of the most ingenious and cunning fighters during WW2. We never hear enough about our countrymen and their bravery, other than the stories of D-Day as they advanced farther than any other group.
I visited as well. Interestingly, I was talking to one of the young rangers and mentioned that my uncle had been at Vimy and was buried a few kilometres down the road. He said, "my great-uncle is as well". He asked, "when was he killed?" I said October 1, 1918, and he said "my uncle was killed on the same day". Amazing coincidence.
The message behind this is that it was the first time Canada was recognized as a Nation. It makes for a very important moment not only for the turn of the stale mate on the western front but the beginning of Canadians being seen as more then merely just British subjects. Some here in Canada say that it’s the day Canada was truly born.
It made me smile thinking that the idea that Canadians back then didn’t believe one man was greater than another. I feel like these ideals live on to this day, in our country; and in a way, they live on through these shared ideals, that they made the ultimate sacrifice for. We should never forget them, and may they Rest In Peace 🇨🇦
I have watched a lot of WW1 documentaries and they are usually very good but this one is outstanding. The attention to detail and the realism stand out amongst other things. This is not merely a celebration of the Canadian soldier but an in depth analysis of why the Vimy ridge offensive was a success. WW1 was a chaotic war and this is the first Documentary that has helped me to understand the mechanics of the command whilst also bringing home sharply the terrible experiences of the troops who fought there. Brilliant and highly recommended to the serious Military History student.
the Canadians have always stood shoulder to shoulder with Great Britain, the thought of taken on a regiment of ice hockey players would fill me with dread .
It was actually all a giant trick by the British. They dropped hockey pucks on enemy positions then told the Canucks the Germans had the puck. Was game over after that.
Ha ha ha ha. We’re awesome on ice. Grew up with a backyard rink, stick and northern lights. Count on us to be there. My parents were Airforce. Cold War. Radar Brat me be.
Respect to all the brave men who gave their lives on our continent, we salute you from scandinavia, as a former field engineer in a tank battallion you realize the endurance of these soldiers and all the hardship they had to overcome.
@@stnz908 I'm Greek, and very fond of Canada and Canadians. Australians as well. My comment wasn't so much an insult, but a statement of fact. Canada and Australia have been overrun by sissies. As always the pollution spreads from the US to the rest of the Western world, and Greece is sadly bound to follow down the same path you guys are on...
I live atOrpington in the UK. Our local hospital is known as the Canada Wing, built with donations by the people of Canada as during the Great War it formed 16th Canandian Gemral Hospital, the men are not forgotten, they are remebered every day.
11/11/2018 There was a Candian Military contigent at Orpington War Memorail and the Canadian Corner CWWG cemetry at Orpington to remember the 100th Anniversary of the Armisitice.
@@joshbottomley5327 No it is a seperate building located between Orpington and Green Street Green. Managerialy it is part of the King's College Hospital NHS Foundation trust along with Beckenham Beacon and PRU.
The Canadian's were considered the elite military forces on the Western Front; from both the Allied and the German side. They were the most feared army on the front. If the Germans detected the Canadians to their front, they knew they were about to be attacked. From Vimy Ridge to the end of the war, the Canadian Army never lost a battle. They were the spearhead force which lead to the surrender of the Germans. The German term, 'stormtroopers' was first used by the Germans to refer to the Canadians.
@@tomlast2906 i always thought that the germans were the stormtroopers till recently i learned it was the canadians and they were the main trench raiders and expert hand to hand fighters
Amazing battle! So many technical innovations. First creeping barrage. First mass counter battery fire. Those subway stations coming out halfway across no man's land. Nightly commando-style raids. Just incredible stuff. Top notch documentary that covered everything in quite a bit of detail.
I'm French Canadian ancestry but got to hear several first hand blurps I'll call them of the war from my maternal grandfather here stateside. This documentary is very well put together, worth the time, let us never forget. "That Lee Enfield, and Mauser were deadly!" he'd say "While the Springfield was so-so," he survived several gas attacks.
Super documentaire! Le meilleur que j’ai vu sur le sujet! Ma fille est dans les cadets des Black Watch de Montréal. Il y a un petit musée où l’on peut voir la grande carte carte originale en carton de la crête de Vimy avec les dénivelés en 3D. La préparation et le fait que chaque soldat avait sa carte avec lui démontre que chaque homme est important pour atteindre le succès. La devise du Québec est « je me souviens » en l’honneur des vétérans et ceux tombés au combat pour défendre nos valeurs. Des Black Watch ont formé des régiments en Ukraine juste avant la guerre. La tradition de bonnes pratiques et d’excellence se perpétue, ma fille vient d’appliquer au Collège militaire de St-Jean. Soyons fier de notre héritage, gardons le vivant! Gratitude!
So many Canadians have had family who fought or died at this battle. We did what the big nations couldn't do. To this day even new Canadians, learn that we are a nation of peace. In war we are what you don't want to fight.
I'm proud to be Canadian, no one else could do what we did. We took the somme and took vimy ridge no one else could could it. But the Canadians could. So proud of my country!!! Proud to be Canadian!!!!
@@Amoore-vv9wx Sorry but the British 5th Division supported the Canadians at Vimy Ridge. If you check whenever the Empire troops went in to action the British were with with them Check the cemeteries,
You took the Somme with a couple divisions.dont make me laugh. Don't even the Aussies have claimed that. Visit any cemetery on the W Front and ALL have British soldiers buried there. The British Army was the largest on the front. You colonials do puff yourselves up which is a sign of inferiority.
I thoroughly hate that "nobody else could do it" trope. Any commonwealth contingent in 1917 would have done as well, and it couldn't have been done without British artillery support and equipment anyway. And if the Germans hadn't placed their reserves too far to the rear when they adjusted their front before the Arras offensive, the result may have been little different than the Somme. It was a neat little victory in the end, but as a residual fringe operation of a larger offensive that never took place, it had little military importance.
@@anthonyeaton5153 I’m talking about vimy not the Somme the Somme was won by the British but it in my opinion at least was a at what cost situation it was a bloodbath for both side and while yes there were British in the attack of vimy ridge the primary force was Canadian and Newfoundlanders yes there was one division the Canadian had four divisions that was the first time Canadians from coast to coast fount together while yes the British played a part they didn’t play the main one in the taking of vimy sure they provided artillery some artillery support I’ll acknowledge so let’s just be civil and not start a flame war
As a Canadian, a guy who spent his entire teenage life in the Army Cadets, the corps specifically for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, thanks so much for this upload! It has inspired more patriotism in me.
Been to the memorial many times. Look up Trench Dtectives on youtube Andy Robertshaw and No Man's Land Group had a dig in the adjecent feild, you will not regret it.
From Canada : Aussies were great in WW1! - and fantastic for the Canadian Princess Patricia's to be stuck with at the battle of Kap Yong , both showing China that Australia and Canada don't mind a nice stinging fight now and then!
This may be a bit off topic, but as a Yank I have always loved the Canadians. And make no mistake, Paul Gross is God's gift to the acting profession. All his movies are a treasure.
My Father was in the 4th division at Vimy. His friend was killed beside him and my Dad was wounded when a grenade exploded too soon on April 9th. Both were gassed as well. Remembering all our brave service members this 10th of Nov.
Your Father was at Vimy? I would never be so indiscreet as to ask a Lady her age but you must be moving it along a bit. My grandfather (NZ) and GUncles were at Gallipoli and in France and I am now 70 years old.
I went to Europe in 1995 with my dad and my surviving grandparents for the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII and it's an experience that's as crystal clear now as it was when I went. I was 15 and still remember that we visited two Dutch families my grandpa stayed with during his time in Holland in 1944-45. During one ceremony to mark the 50th I was trying to take some photos and a veteran asked me to move aside a bit as he'd been "waiting 50 years for this"! And on that trip we went to Vimy. It was absolutely awe inspiring. Not just the monument but the surrounding landscape. Shell holes, mine holes, museum exhibits showing bullets that had collided in mid-air. Can you imagine how many bullets were flying back and forth for some to have hit each other?! All the fields around Vimy belong to Canada, France has said as much, and I hope to take my son there one day. And I hope he never has to go through what ANY of the soldiers on either side had to go through.
I've heard the popular stories of Vimy but not before in this detail. Thank you for compiling this collection of first person stories, film, and photos.
I am a former member of HM Forces. I'm a decorated war 'hero' .( Though the hero bit I do'nt agree with, The REAL Hero's where left 'over there' either in totally or physically or mentally ) I've fought in 4 wars and a number of 'policing' actions. I'm thought of by my partner as a ' toughy'. I've seen death up close and personal. I've charged the enemy, screaming my lungs out bayonets fixed. I've been to VIMY RIDGE. I found my Great Uncle's name inscribed on its walls,,,J. ASHMAN and I wept as i traced my finger trough his name on that white wall. Jack was 1 of 7 brothers, 5 of which emigrated to Canada as boys, to Saskatchewan. BUT all had answered the call to arms. I felt on that sunny day at Vimy Ridge more Canadian than British. The only thing separating Jack and his brothers and me was 100 years. If you are reading this.... and your a Canadian,.....and you have the chance to go to Vimy Ridge,,,,,,GO ! ( If you do, ....please lay a poppy for Jack and his mates from me,,,,,Thank You Canada ) !!!
My late mother ' s father was at the " Ridge " Canadian Army Medical Corps , contract T. B. and was sent home shortly after . Thank you .He was captain , surgeon . My late mother ' s father rode a horse . Thank you .
My Grandparents are buried at Frazer view cemetery In Vancouver BC. Just down from their headstone is a large spire marker of a Canadian says Killed at Vimmy Ridge. RIP
My grandfather also fought at Vimy Ridge from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. 4 years of trench warfare took a toll on his physical health. He told me very little but did say he could feel the machine gun bullets all around him. Fellow soldiers dieing all around him. He did survive but was never the same man. Shell shocked, lost all his teeth and an alcoholic. Wonderful quiet man that I loved!
Canada even too this day is known to have one of the most effective military forces on the planet..... the French and British spent 3 years trying to take this ridge with somewhere around 250 000 casualties... we took it in four bloody days proud to be a Canadian🇨🇦
Having visited most of the WW1 sites in France and Belgium, Vimy Ridge is by far the most moving and awe inspiring. The memorial fits the enormity of the tasks delivered. Thank you for this fitting tribute.
My ancestor fought in the battle of Somme with the Newfoundland regiment. He's buried at Poelcapelle British Cemetery in Belgium 2719 private Ernest Toope 28yrs old
I have watched many videos from Timeline, I have rarely watched one twice… I have now watched this one 3 times, definitely one of your best, across the board. The footage, information, pictures, quotes, narration, the editing, even the music. Hitting on all cylinders as they say, excellent!
My grandfather James Sullivan was a Sgt Major and a part of the 4th division in taking Vimy Ridge and had previously fought in the Boar War. I was told later he was never the same after that final siege for Hill 145. He passed very early in my life. I so wish I had gotten to know him. #LestWeForget #VimyRidge
A fantastic documentary. God Bless the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. My great-uncle, a private in the RNFR was killed 27/09/17. His body was never found. He was only 19 years old. Lest We Forget.
@@anthonyeaton5153 I beg to differ, at least from a Canadian point of view. I recall learning about British battles in parallel with our own since our history is so closely tied to the UK.
Love Sir Arthur Currie, we defined ourselves as a new young nation after this battle, brought our country closer together, but damn if Currie wasn't a strategic genius, should get more respect.
@SURREY CROSSING No they dont honour him, My high school in Strathroy didnt even name the school after him. He was born or grew up just west of the town. Our history teacher said it was his scandals after the war that doomed him. They built a new high school 15 years ago or so, still named it Strathroy District Collegiate Institute
Just here to point out that the wars in the Middle East that we currently are fighting, are fought by millennials, but hey their sacrifices don’t count I guess
My cousin a piper ,72 sea forth high lander. Was killed on April 9 1917: he was born in beachburg Ontario Canada.belived to be buried in givenchie en goal,he was25. I have some of his medals.i think of him every April the 9th.
I visit the Great War battlefields fairly regularly, in my opinion the memorial at Vimy is the most beautiful, the figure of Canada looking over the Douai plain is particularly moving. As a Brit I sympathise with men and boys from all nations who went to fight for their countries, Canada’s participation and losses must never be underestimated. This is one of the best ever documentaries on the battle of Vimy Ridge I’ve ever seen, thank you for your outstanding work and ….. Thank you Canada.
... i took the train to Arras from Paris to Feb 2017, i was alone, at the Arras train station i met a cabbie, she had a daughter at school in Montreal, she drove me to Vimy... low clouds, cold, no wind...it was haunting and so incredible
If only you'd stayed on the train until the station at Lens, you would have had an awe-inspiring view. I hadn't noticed it on the way to Lens, but on the way back, as the train rises out of a cutting and the buildings stop, there, out the right side window, a few kilometers away, the gleaming white pylons of the monument and the rolling greens come in to view and float on the horizon until the track bends towards Arras and the train sinks into another grade.
@@23draft7 The TGV goes from CDG Airport to Arras. You have to get off the train there and catch a different train to Lens - unless you want to end up in Lille. Vimy is also a bit closer to Lens than Arras. I don't know if anyone does shuttle service to the Ridge (I had rented a car for the duration of my stay). It is about a 15-20 minute drive from the North side of Lens to Vimy. I can't remember my exact route, but leaving from the Hôtel Campanile Lens, I drove down through Liévin and up through the winding streets of Givenchy-en-Gohelle. The vista you will get out the left hand window as you come out of the village and the gleaming white pilons start to jut over the terrain is well worth having to follow google maps closely as you navigate the residential streets.
I always feel sooo bad for horses & mules & dogs & other animals that were/ are subjected to the carnage of man's wars. RIP to all the furry heros that are often not recognized for their bravery & sacrifices.
We in Britain owe a great deal to the men and women of Canada, just as our young men fought and died to protect Canada 200 years , they in turn fought and died for us. In the end it will come down to those Anglo Saxon countries to unite and by doing so the world will remain free.
My family landed with the RN at the Newfoundland Station at Quidi Vidi in 1790 and then homesteaded on Cape Breton Island in 1815. Every member of our clan family served in WW 2. Myself, later. It seems that we are in for the finals together again.... more dangerous than ever before...this time the first enemy is within. They are the Fabians. The 🐑n🐺's clothing that have successfully infiltrated every facet of our society, from Kindergarten right up, into the Palace, it's self. Slainte'🍻🍁
I've been to Vimy Ridge twice thanks to my good friends in France, Martine & Jean Yves. I will never forget what I saw. It was a heartbreaking experience. Certainly an eye opener for me. Thank you Paul Gross for narrating this documentary.
They were also a key element in the Last Hundred Days and, along with the Aussies, Haig and the tank, came up with what was a form of blitzkrieg. The Germans were beaten in the field, despite what they said about the "stab in the back" afterwards. My grandfather was a flier in the RFC, having transferred from the infantry (he'd been wounded twice). He would have been in the air in those last 100 days. I can't imagine it. The whole thing was a horror from beginning to end. This was our greatest generation, irrespective of which country they came from.
I have visited the tunnels at Vimy Ridge and the magnificent memorial twice. A very moving experience. The young Canadian guides were superb. Some of the best I have ever come across. I hope to take my Canadian relatives there next time they visit me in Europe.
Had Grandfather Archie Mcneaney fought at Vimy Ridge. was a machine gunner. didn’t know till yrs later.. was a good and loving grandfather. never metioned his experiences. all uncles and father never mentioned what went on. Uncle at Battle of the Buldge, uncles in Korea. Uncle on Destroyer off Halifax. saw German torpedo coming in while having a smoke break. but avoided it. hats off to all the brave Canadians who paid the supreme sacrifice in the 3 wars. God Bless.
As a US Army officer with a little war experience...I must say that the Canadian leadership was absolutely brilliant (though the Raids may have been excessive)! But nonetheless, for this era, it sounds like Canada was well represented. Officers taking the time to train their troops on new tactics, plan and rehearse down to the lowest level so that all Soldiers new the task and phase line objectives probably saved countless lives! US senior commanders on the other hand...horrible in WW1! A rehearsal like this was critical for the D-Day invasion that the US, UK, and Canada successfully executed in 1944.
*As a United States Marine NCO with extensive combat experience I apologize for this rear echelon officer with zero combat experience. But if you've been in the military you already know that the most useless thing in the military is indeed the officers.*
@@grizzlycountry1030 i think the thing that happened here is the revelation of the platoon allowing them to read and react to a situation in real time ! Breaking away from a crippling central command
I visited Vimy Ridge last year. As a Canadian the history of our troops makes me very proud. If you visit overseas you quickly find out that the Europeans have tremendous respect for Canadians and all the allies contributions. But I have to say that all soldiers fought proudly from their respective countries. Enduring WWI and/or WWII took a tremendous toll on them and they all need to be remembered and respected forever. The Greatest Generation that ever lived. We don't need a half-witted politician to try and take the limelight or attempt to apologize for past history. They can stay at home on November 11th (especially the ones in the West).
Pointless slaughter for everyone who stepped on the battlefield. I can't say not one soldier wasn't brave. Even the cowards to retreated were brave. Armies today wouldn't step foot on the field in these conditions today an thats for sure. Lived brave died brave for countries who didn't understand modern warfare. Salute to courage
@@anthonyeaton5153 @ANTHONY EATON the only fighting that came close to this brutality during WWII were Stalingrad and Leningrad. No where else soldiers had to suffer constant shelling months at a time. This doesn't make the WWII soldiers less brave then the WWI one's. But it means that there struggle was not the same
I have 3 great grandads who faught, one a tunnler with the 3rd tunneling corp, one in the 4th bycicle platoon and one in the trenches of Ypres, Im glad Canada gets a view, all sons of the same mother
The 85th Nova Scotia was a labour battalion and the only reserve left. They were ordered to take Hill 145, as the attack had stalled. Captain Anderson leading the 85th said, "we will take it or never come back". The story begins at 1:10:42
Lost 2 great uncles in the Somme gased my grandfather was a major in the queens own rifles reserve battalion he came back a changed man. The tactics used at vim were cutting-edge creeping barrage indirect fire snipers propositioned
Brave and heroic Canadians from all over Canada . These are the true Canadians of our proud country .To those of you not of European heritage our Canadian history and our distinct people are ours and ours alone .
To our cousin's south of the border and across the sea in Great Britain and Europe , the best allies Canada could ever hope for . Long live the USA , G . B and Europe .
Not sure what you're trying to say, but I suggest you read up on many of our Native troops that fought in the war. As pointed out by a previous comment, we have Pegahmagabow for example, who was the deadliest sniper of the Great War.
My great grandfather brought supplies and ammo up to the front lines during this battle. He was also one of the first public transit bus drivers in southwestern ontario
I remember my Grandmother Maude Windling who died years ago, who told me about my Grandfather who died in the war 1 , I never met. He died before I was born. She showed me a picture of him. I Remember you grandpa and I am sure you would have been a wonderful grandfather to me. Thank you for your Love for our Country. I feel in my heart deep sorrow, that war took your life and I never met you my grandfather. War took you from me grandpa. I Love you and God has made us close in Spirit and Truth. Peace Be With You Grandpa, In Jesus Name. Help Me Find a Picure of y Grandfather
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@adam rule
.
My great grandfather fought around the area of Vimy Ridge
You're using the wrong flag. Canada's flag was the Red Ensign until 1965
@@geoffnorman1384 o¡€¡¿¿¿¿¿¿¿
My cousin fought in this battle as a member of the 50th battalion, 4th division
I live in the city of Vimy, where this battle took place. There’s a beautiful memorial for Canadian soldiers who died during that war, surrounded by battlefields where wholes from bombings are still visible. A very beautiful place where you can visit trenches and imagine how the soldiers must’ve lived. To this day, we continue to discover bombs that didn’t explode in our gardens. Thank you for the soldiers who gave their lives to help us save our country. They’d be proud to see how our citizens respect them and make sure to never forget their names. I pass by this memorial everyday going to work and I never forget to say “good morning soldiers” when I drive past the trenches and the memorial. A heavy place filled with memories and probably some ghosts
Very beautiful comment, thanks for posting.
Thankyou from a Canadian rancher
That's sick honestly, good you make sure they get greeted every day
🙏🙏
Much love from canada stay blessed! 🇨🇦 ❤️
As a Newfoundlander, I want to thank you for including the The Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Beaumont Hamel is one of the most tragic and heroic incidents in our history. It's not often mentioned in the greater context of the war as Newfoundland was not part of Canada at the time.
I visited Beaumont Hamel as part of my trip to Flanders in 1915. The Newfoundlanders’ sacrifice there reminded me of the Australian’s fruitless attempt at the Nek, Gallipoli and the Brits on the Somme. Some have called it docile stupidity but the men at that stage of the war were told that bravery would win the war. They hadn’t factored in machine guns or high explosive artillery rounds at that stage. The men got up, showed their bravery and died in the hope their assured death would somehow win the war for their mates, family, countries and the good of the world. You can only sit in awe of their courage and selflessness. Newfoundlanders should, and no doubt will, be forever proud.
Respect
Brisbane, Aust.
My great uncle was there. He later died at Amiens. He was one of the Gaelic speaking Newfoundlanders who sailed to Nova Scotia to enlist with fellow Scots in the Canadian army. My Great Grandfather, meanwhile, was one of the "First 500" of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and made it through the war, the Somme and Gallipoli included.
My papa was born there before confederation. Loved hearing his stories
Newfoundlanders also fought at Gallipoli.
Well your part of Canada now! And we are proud to have you!
The Canadians did us English so proud, but more importantly, they did Canada immensely proud.
Thankful for everything they did for us.
We were, we are and will always be standing guard for thee
@@Ddrumzzz12 My Grandfather was 17 when he went to France as an ambulance driver he came home with the remains of an Ambulance nd 5 wounded men imbedded his back, thanks to a German gun battery firing from out of sight at the hospital crossroad.. He went back a few years later to repair Canadian Tanks.
@@jerryslater3447 and Britain did Cana da proud
Wouldnt want it any other way. In Britians time of need, Canada will always be there as I assume Britian will be for Canada. Youre like our mother. Australia and New Zealand are our brothers. CANZUK!!!!!
@@554account That is how it should be but sometimes it reaches a point when it seems as if GB contribution is less than it was reading some of the posts. We all contributed to a stunning victory of a skillful and powerful enemy. Were must never forget that.
Cheers to Diggers, Canucks Kiwis Indians and not forgetting the French who a bore largr part of the fighting right in their own backyard.
As a brit, I have always felt that the canadians never got the recognition they deserved in both world wars.
Because they were canon fodder for the Brits, Passendale, Normandy, just like the Polish in Arnheim, Monte Cassino or the Scots and Kiwis in North-Africa. Montgomery nearly always put the commenwealth troops in the first lines of an attack to maintain morals on the homefront. And because of the main historicans on those events were Brits. And because of history is written history.
jcmangan I don’t think we should discredit the brits. They fought and died like everyone else. No canadian cities were ever bombed and there is no biased from historians either. Everyone who fought in ww2 should be commended for their bravery no matter what side they fought on.
@@chippin_in5015 ffs why would you commend the s.s.
Shane bernard Faulkner
Anybody who is brave enough to die for their country should be commended even if they are morally bankrupt
Its seem extremely braindead for Canadians to go and fight and die is this European war. I mean why and for what???
My grandfather was there , he left at 17 years old . Wounded twice he survived, . He was in Europe until 1919 when he finally came home. Unfortunately he would not tell anyone war stories and no one knew he had so many medals until he died, his one and only response to my request was " hope you never have to go and see for yourself" the way he said it and his face meant, don't ask again.
My Grandfather served in the Canadian 11th Field Ambulance as a stretcher bearer. I can only imagine the horrors he witnessed. He was at the Somme, Vimy, Passandaele among other killing fields. He too wouldn't speak about the war. WWI was a terrible conflict
I heard somebody say once that you'd have more chances talking to a Veteran of the Second World War to get their personal truths on what happened during that conflict than getting what happened from a soldier of the Great War. Sometimes, it makes me wonder why since both World Wars were absolutely horrific, but seeing images of what happened during World War I makes me realise just how traumatising this war really was.
@@TiffWaffles in my opinion due to ww1 being trench warfare, soldiers would see more horrors
None of us do 9 times out of ten they don't want to hear it or don't believe it anyway so its best to just smile and say nothing
From the son of a Vietnam vet God bless your Grandfather.
For anyone who's confused by the pictures of soldiers lying on the ground with their rifles standing up in the mud next to them, it's because of a tradition that grew up among the Canadians: if you were advancing, and you came upon a comrade who'd been wounded, you picked up his rifle and stuck it in the ground by the bayonet so the stretcher-bearers could locate him.
for stretcher-bearers yes but later in the war so tanks wouldn't run over wounded soldiers
My grandfather taught me that trick, he was an Ambulance driver in the first one, and a Sgt Tank Mechanic the second time. 49th South Alberta Reg.
"Only dropped once."
And if you come upon the enemy wounded, you stick the bayonet in him to honour your fallen brothers behind.
@@MrLoobu no way Jose.....these are Canadians not A.............s
Both of my parents immigrated to Canada in the 1950's. I am a first generation Canadian. I don't know if I have the right to, but this is part of my identity as a proud Canadian. What these men did for us cannot be overstated, and I intend to honour every one of them for the rest of my life.
To the soldiers of the CEF and Allied Forces in The Great War - thank you.
Eh you’re Canadian man, be proud
You’re just as much of a Canuck as the rest of us, be proud ❤️
You are canadian, you enjoy the winter running in the snow at -20 C as running at +25C.
If you were born (or even just live) here and are willing to go out of your way to help you those in need then it is your blood right
You were born in Canada, making you just as Canadian as I am and my family has been living in Canada since its beginning.
I live on Vancouver island British Columbia , Canada . A few months ago , I pulled into a parking spot in the local Wal- mart . The car in front of me was a studibaker , A man got out in full uniform , with veteran plates on his car . He and his wife were so beautifully dressed in WW2 attire . I don't know were they were going , or as why they were dressed in full uniform . I guess he was in his late 80's . As I got out of my truck , I said , sir , Thank you for your service , and I saluted him . He and his wife cried as I said that . And as I saluted him , he returned my salute . Sir , Thank you for your service .
@GoldHunter, also live on Vancouver Island and that was a awesome story. Thanks.
Legion hall is for retired vets that taken in more then vets now but might of been where he was going or saddly a funeral for a comrade. And I live in bc aswell
Canada has some high speed operators. Feel a kinship with my neighbor. One ally that has fought side by side the US for last 100 years. Canadians are nice people till you threaten those they have swore to fight with. They will forever be my brothers
we did not fight with you.......you fought with us........Canada was in both WWs before the united states.....we thank you for your service
@Ronald Watson thank you Iam a veteran myself 20 yrs gulf wars and bosnia
@@TheMrfreedomrequired he's just saying we stand up and fight for our allies. In WWs we fought with UK, more recently we've helped the US.
We can reach out and touch you from over 3000m away with just a rifle. ;)
Thank you brother am god bless america
I visited Vimy October 2019 with my cousin and her husband from Toronto. A breathtaking experience never to be forgotten. Canada's greatest hour.
It will remain with me forever.
I'm not sure I'd say one of Canada's greatest hours, surely one of its saddest.
One of my great-uncles served as a piper in 16 Bn(The Canadian Scottish). Arriving in Flanders in February 1915...he remained with the Battalion until September 1918. When he was severely wounded and returned home.
He was one of the pipers who led off the assault on Vimy Ridge, the morning of April 9, 1917. Advancing alone and unarmed ahead of the first attack wave, he piped the men of his battalion into battle.
All of the pipers who survived that day, carried on right through to the Ridge....nearly a mile from their jump off point. The courage and determination that took, can only be imagined.
For his part in the Great War, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Plus, Military Medal/ bar. Another piper(and one of his closest friends) was awarded the Victoria Cross. Posthumous.
Of the 17 16 Battalion pipers, only three were to survive until the end of the war.
It has been said that on Vimy Ridge, Canada became a nation. And why we are proud to be called Canadians.
What was his name??
I always love hearing pipes whenever there is a parade or something. Stirs something in ya
It is sad that governments have used the bravery, solidarity, and the pressure of poverty to uphold the structures that created the conflicts to begin with.
I love to think of what these men would have accomplished in another environment. It's depressing. Lol
I'm a Canadian with a Scottish name. I've always thought, I always knew the bravest guy on the battlefield was the Piper. I think that every time I hear the pipes.
Piper Richardson, was he your uncle’s friend? There is a statue of him near city hall in Chilliwack, erected there only a few years ago. A friend of mine guarded his VC at a regimental function in Vancouver once.
This battle honestly deserves its own movie
If Hollywood made it now Currie would be played by Denzel Washington...
@@conveyor2 LOL wrong it would be played by a woman.
@@anonymouscoward7559 Neither, by a horse.
Agreed, and a biopic of Currie would be nice as well.
It's been done and nobody noticed, it was just about Canadians.
Been to VIMY I WEPT with pride and sorrow Never felt more CANADIAN Saw the graves of CANADIANS from 16 to 39 years old The monument is very special We should never forget. The Canadian Corps ' record of victories is LEGENDARY
I went there too and it was obvious what a critical victory it was, topographically. Whoever held that ridge could see for miles in any direction. The Germans valued it greatly and to shift them off it at that stage of the war was a true feat of arms.
Respect!
Brisbane, Aust
On my Travel List now. A Stark, Visual Memorial
The British were also at Vimy
A beautiful monument, impressive!
Sometimes you must step away to see where you are from. Your freedom and nation were gained in lives of the men who gave their all. We will never forget.
A wonderful documentary on the taking of Vimy Ridge. The courage and sacrifice will always be remembered by this 70 year old Canadian. I know in my heart that the fallen had found true peace and brilliant love when they passed.
Great respect to Canadians from Britain 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 many war memorials in London and across the country to Canadians. I have visited Vimy Ridge, was struck by the bravery. I hope we never face these futile wars again. ‘Lest we forget’.
🍻🍁...Luv ya Blighty.
Amen.
I'm a Mexican from Nogales, Sonora Mexico. I live in California and I used to drive long haul for KLLM out of Jackson, Mississippi, very often our company would send us north to Canada and I was always impressed by the Canadian people and I have in my heart the sweetest and best times. While I believe the United States is very possibly the best in the world, our friends in the north are just as good a people as those in the States. May God bless Canada Forever!
Jesus Silva I'm a Canadian and my dad ran long haul produce loads from Nogales to here most of his lifetime.
Thank you JESUS!
My grandfather, a CEF volunteer and Vimy vet, never spoke about the battle or his role in taking the ridge. He fought for his buddies and the Canadian Corps. Planning and leadership under Byng and Currie were resourceful, innovative, and brutally effective. Currie, warts and all, would be a celebrated national hero in any other country and this is part of the Canadian enigma.
For a small country, Canada punched well above its weight class and made horrific sacrifices for the Empire - especially over the 100 days offensive. Vimy Ridge should have been made into a feature film, like 1962's "The Longest Day" from the perspective of the major combatants. Unfortunately the world has forgotten the Great War and those with a living connection to it through family are decreasing in number as well.
this is why our P.Mwants to eradicate our history ,reminds him of the commonwealth that his father and he despise ,,the old stock canadians ,,the boys from the bush ,,try as you will nov 11 th we will remember them ,sorry to bring politics into this but ,when i see the distain our so called leader showsto our forces on nov 11th ,didnt even turn up one year ,,,,,,god bless canada the mighty dominion ,,the bravest of the brave ,the makers of a country envied by the free world CANADA true patriot love ,well these vimy boys did just that ,,,,
@@petermoyes8766 o
100 days to finish WWI, 95 Days at Antwerp Estuary, Colonials get it done.
The only story my grandfather told me about Vimy was grim, he was an ambulance driver, he got to the field hospital with 5 casualties in his truck, one German shell and he got into the hospital directly, the ambulance and his 5 casualties kept leaking out of his back for the rest of his life. And then he went again, A Sgt Tank Mechanic with the Southern Alberta Rgt through to Antwerp.
D Ashcroft I was talking to my dad and he said his great grandfather maybe was in ww1
Watching from Halifax, Canada the day before Remembrance Day 2020. Lest we forget. This was the event which truly gave Canadians a national identity and individual pride.
Just a little history lesson they don't teach you in school. My grandfather a Japanese Canadian was there at Vimy, he was in the 10th Canadian Infantry Battalion. When he came back home to Vancouver everything settled down and he became a fisherman and a carpenter. Then the WW2 started, they took everything and sent him and his whole family to interment camp. After the war his family had to move and this is why I was born in Toronto.
jesus, the things people will never know.
I grew up in the Okanagan with the children of some of the Japanese Canadians that were interred. Not a word was ever spoken about how the numerous families ended up living in the valley. The same thing was done to Ukranians in WW1.
Another excellent documentary on Canada in WW1, is "The Last 100 Days".
A proud Canadian, served 10 years.
One of the camps was in the Slocan Valley, north of Nelson, B.C. on what is currently the Leo Creek Forest Service Rd. David Suzuki's patents were interned there.
Tell us about the fate Canadians of Japanese decent, who chose to go back to the home islands.
It’s a horrific chapter in our history. Blessings to your Grandfather and to you.
i rode my bike thru france, i stopped at many graveyards, the rain hid many tears from my face. so many graves, so many young men , i read the names and the ages. it really choked my up and i had known much of the truth before in my studies ,still i shed some tears for those fallen in such horrible ways. i always told myself i would at least try to know the truth as best i could to show a little respect for their lives. and to learn the whys' and the truths that led to these horrible events. so many hidden truths. our world is not what it seems. i keep on digging for the whole truth. seemingly a never ending quest.
My paternal grandparents had brothers at Vimy. Both survived and returned home. In 2019, I went to Vimy one hundred years after my uncles returned. I did not expect the visceral reaction I had at Vimy. It was 102 years after Vimy, but you feel the heaviness and you do walk among the ghosts. In near by cemeteries crosses row by row of Canadian, British and French young men. Across from the Vimy Memorial is a memorial to Morrocan young men who fought at Vimy before Canada. A German cemetery filled with crosses and Star of Davids. It is just an overwhelming sense of grief to know that the loss would be repeated ten fold within a generation. This year, wearing my poppy I honour my uncles and those whose spirits remain at Vimy. .. With the going down of the sun, I will remember them.
It is heavy you can feel there presence almost hear them on the wind the sight of that memorial is enough to make you weep
Glad to see WW1 from the Canadian point of view. Hope to see some Canadian WW2 videos. Not enough on UA-cam about your contributions.
Yea, we never see enough footage of the Canadian point of view
There might be a few good Dutch documentaries on the subject...
with good reasons
All I know from reports and things we have the Canadians were some of the most ingenious and cunning fighters during WW2.
We never hear enough about our countrymen and their bravery, other than the stories of D-Day as they advanced farther than any other group.
@@Nintendofan570 which is?
You can always count on the Canadians to give their all. I have visited Vimy Ridge twice and can’t imagine what horrors they went through.
I visited as well. Interestingly, I was talking to one of the young rangers and mentioned that my uncle had been at Vimy and was buried a few kilometres down the road. He said, "my great-uncle is as well". He asked, "when was he killed?" I said October 1, 1918, and he said "my uncle was killed on the same day". Amazing coincidence.
I went too. It's the most magnificent war memorial I've ever seen.
If your ever in Canada see Niagara falls and Queenstown heights
@@LankyAssMofka Don't forget our awesome mountains too
@@gwine9087 You mean Canadian Rangers? Cause there are only 5,000 of them and they are spread across the prairies of Canada cool you got to meet one
The message behind this is that it was the first time Canada was recognized as a Nation. It makes for a very important moment not only for the turn of the stale mate on the western front but the beginning of Canadians being seen as more then merely just British subjects. Some here in Canada say that it’s the day Canada was truly born.
It made me smile thinking that the idea that Canadians back then didn’t believe one man was greater than another. I feel like these ideals live on to this day, in our country; and in a way, they live on through these shared ideals, that they made the ultimate sacrifice for. We should never forget them, and may they Rest In Peace 🇨🇦
Peace🍁🍻🏒
God bless Canada, best wishes from Delaware, USA.
Thank you sir. We are shoulder to shoulder as always! God bless America/Oh Canada!! Cheers!!
God Bless you America. Trump 2Q2Q !! God Bless us all . Amen
Anytime you want your Whitehouse burned down again, just call us.
Damn right you better praise us
@@JB-yb4wn will do!
Here’s a like from California. God bless Canada and all her sons and daughters past, present, and future!
thank you from Canada.
Thank you, from Canada 🇨🇦, as well.
Thank you.
Blessings and Love from Nova Scotia
Right back at you my American cousin.
I have watched a lot of WW1 documentaries and they are usually very good but this one is outstanding. The attention to detail and the realism stand out amongst other things. This is not merely a celebration of the Canadian soldier but an in depth analysis of why the Vimy ridge offensive was a success. WW1 was a chaotic war and this is the first Documentary that has helped me to understand the mechanics of the command whilst also bringing home sharply the terrible experiences of the troops who fought there. Brilliant and highly recommended to the serious Military History student.
the Canadians have always stood shoulder to shoulder with Great Britain, the thought of taken on a regiment of ice hockey players would fill me with dread .
Always.....smooth on ice🍻🍁🏒
We never say "ice hockey".... just hockey 🏒
It was actually all a giant trick by the British. They dropped hockey pucks on enemy positions then told the Canucks the Germans had the puck. Was game over after that.
Ha ha ha ha. We’re awesome on ice. Grew up with a backyard rink, stick and northern lights. Count on us to be there. My parents were Airforce. Cold War. Radar Brat me be.
Respect to all the brave men who gave their lives on our continent, we salute you from scandinavia, as a former field engineer in a tank battallion you realize the endurance of these soldiers and all the hardship they had to overcome.
Canadians are extremely tough soldiers and warriors. We don't die fighting, we die winning. True north strong and free !
Justin has turned you all into cheerleaders.
@@JohnGeometresMaximos Our boys would tear yours a new one.
@@stnz908
I'm Greek, and very fond of Canada and Canadians. Australians as well. My comment wasn't so much an insult, but a statement of fact. Canada and Australia have been overrun by sissies. As always the pollution spreads from the US to the rest of the Western world, and Greece is sadly bound to follow down the same path you guys are on...
@@JohnGeometresMaximos My country is overrun with sissies? Ok (backing slowly away)
Angus Osborne In Afghanistan too ?
I live atOrpington in the UK. Our local hospital is known as the Canada Wing, built with donations by the people of Canada as during the Great War it formed 16th Canandian Gemral Hospital, the men are not forgotten, they are remebered every day.
11/11/2018 There was a Candian Military contigent at Orpington War Memorail and the Canadian Corner CWWG cemetry at Orpington to remember the 100th Anniversary of the Armisitice.
Great story 51 Cheers!
Thank you
@@rowzielynwho202 Hey, the genresotiy of the people of Canda gave a hospital that keeps me alive. I won't forget that it came at the blood of others.
@@joshbottomley5327 No it is a seperate building located between Orpington and Green Street Green. Managerialy it is part of the King's College Hospital NHS Foundation trust along with Beckenham Beacon and PRU.
What a remarkable story! I had no idea the Canadians played such a pivotal role in WW1. God bless Canada, from your neighbor to the south.
Yes we were in it automatically with Britain in 1914. The cause: the eternal neutrality of Belgium.
Now do this Canadian a favour and look up thier roles in WW2.......thanks
The Canadian's were considered the elite military forces on the Western Front; from both the Allied and the German side. They were the most feared army on the front. If the Germans detected the Canadians to their front, they knew they were about to be attacked. From Vimy Ridge to the end of the war, the Canadian Army never lost a battle. They were the spearhead force which lead to the surrender of the Germans. The German term, 'stormtroopers' was first used by the Germans to refer to the Canadians.
@@tomlast2906 i always thought that the germans were the stormtroopers till recently i learned it was the canadians and they were the main trench raiders and expert hand to hand fighters
@@tomlast2906 do you have any links of videos related to your comment please?
Amazing battle! So many technical innovations. First creeping barrage. First mass counter battery fire. Those subway stations coming out halfway across no man's land. Nightly commando-style raids. Just incredible stuff. Top notch documentary that covered everything in quite a bit of detail.
I've seen a lot of World War 1 documentaries and this one was really good.
I'm French Canadian ancestry but got to hear several first hand blurps I'll call them of the war from my maternal grandfather here stateside. This documentary is very well put together, worth the time, let us never forget. "That Lee Enfield, and Mauser were deadly!" he'd say "While the Springfield was so-so," he survived several gas attacks.
@@robertrichard6107 oh Really? I'd say that it has a lot to do with the Man behind it 🤔👍😘
Super documentaire! Le meilleur que j’ai vu sur le sujet! Ma fille est dans les cadets des Black Watch de Montréal. Il y a un petit musée où l’on peut voir la grande carte carte originale en carton de la crête de Vimy avec les dénivelés en 3D. La préparation et le fait que chaque soldat avait sa carte avec lui démontre que chaque homme est important pour atteindre le succès. La devise du Québec est « je me souviens » en l’honneur des vétérans et ceux tombés au combat pour défendre nos valeurs. Des Black Watch ont formé des régiments en Ukraine juste avant la guerre. La tradition de bonnes pratiques et d’excellence se perpétue, ma fille vient d’appliquer au Collège militaire de St-Jean. Soyons fier de notre héritage, gardons le vivant! Gratitude!
So many Canadians have had family who fought or died at this battle. We did what the big nations couldn't do. To this day even new Canadians, learn that we are a nation of peace. In war we are what you don't want to fight.
I'm proud to be Canadian, no one else could do what we did. We took the somme and took vimy ridge no one else could could it. But the Canadians could. So proud of my country!!! Proud to be Canadian!!!!
@@Amoore-vv9wx Sorry but the British 5th Division supported the Canadians at Vimy Ridge. If you check whenever the Empire troops went in to action the British were with with them Check the cemeteries,
@@anthonyeaton5153 😑 well the brits couldn’t take it and we did it’s the pride of our nation
You took the Somme with a couple divisions.dont make me laugh. Don't even the Aussies have claimed that. Visit any cemetery on the W Front and ALL have British soldiers buried there. The British Army was the largest on the front. You colonials do puff yourselves up which is a sign of inferiority.
I thoroughly hate that "nobody else could do it" trope. Any commonwealth contingent in 1917 would have done as well, and it couldn't have been done without British artillery support and equipment anyway. And if the Germans hadn't placed their reserves too far to the rear when they adjusted their front before the Arras offensive, the result may have been little different than the Somme. It was a neat little victory in the end, but as a residual fringe operation of a larger offensive that never took place, it had little military importance.
@@anthonyeaton5153 I’m talking about vimy not the Somme the Somme was won by the British but it in my opinion at least was a at what cost situation it was a bloodbath for both side and while yes there were British in the attack of vimy ridge the primary force was Canadian and Newfoundlanders yes there was one division the Canadian had four divisions that was the first time Canadians from coast to coast fount together while yes the British played a part they didn’t play the main one in the taking of vimy sure they provided artillery some artillery support I’ll acknowledge so let’s just be civil and not start a flame war
As a Canadian, a guy who spent his entire teenage life in the Army Cadets, the corps specifically for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, thanks so much for this upload! It has inspired more patriotism in me.
Been to the memorial many times. Look up Trench Dtectives on youtube Andy Robertshaw and No Man's Land Group had a dig in the adjecent feild, you will not regret it.
@Alexander Challis Bless your heart for this! Thank you so much!
Marijuana Merlin I went to the vinyl ridge 100 anniversary went to the Somme Juno and etc it was beautiful
Marijuana Merlin and to the famous place of the Somme were the Newfoundlanders were almost whipped out during the first day of the Somme
says the weed wizard
Thank you, Canada...from the far flung corner of the British Empire; the former Australian Territory of Papua New Guinea.
MastodonManiac Much love and respect from this Aussie.
Greetings, I visited your beautiful country in 1967. I live in Canada
Cheers PNG!🍁🍻
Thanks brother. Commonwealth forever
From Canada : Aussies were great in WW1! - and fantastic for the Canadian Princess Patricia's to be stuck with at the battle of Kap Yong , both showing China that Australia and Canada don't mind a nice stinging fight now and then!
I have letters from my Grandfather about the Canadians and Australians. High praise!
From which war? What did it say?
@@gordonberry7284 Both won high praise in both wars.
This may be a bit off topic, but as a Yank I have always loved the Canadians. And make no mistake, Paul Gross is God's gift to the acting profession. All his movies are a treasure.
My Father was in the 4th division at Vimy. His friend was killed beside him and my Dad was wounded when a grenade exploded too soon on April 9th. Both were gassed as well. Remembering all our brave service members this 10th of Nov.
Your Father was at Vimy? I would never be so indiscreet as to ask a Lady her age but you must be moving it along a bit. My grandfather (NZ) and GUncles were at Gallipoli and in France and I am now 70 years old.
I went to Europe in 1995 with my dad and my surviving grandparents for the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII and it's an experience that's as crystal clear now as it was when I went. I was 15 and still remember that we visited two Dutch families my grandpa stayed with during his time in Holland in 1944-45. During one ceremony to mark the 50th I was trying to take some photos and a veteran asked me to move aside a bit as he'd been "waiting 50 years for this"!
And on that trip we went to Vimy. It was absolutely awe inspiring. Not just the monument but the surrounding landscape.
Shell holes, mine holes, museum exhibits showing bullets that had collided in mid-air. Can you imagine how many bullets were flying back and forth for some to have hit each other?!
All the fields around Vimy belong to Canada, France has said as much, and I hope to take my son there one day. And I hope he never has to go through what ANY of the soldiers on either side had to go through.
Emotion must be unbelievable. Going to try & get the when this pandemic ends.
I've heard the popular stories of Vimy but not before in this detail. Thank you for compiling this collection of first person stories, film, and photos.
I am from northern BC and I live in NS now and this just makes me so proud and thankful to be a Canadian.
I am a former member of HM Forces. I'm a decorated war 'hero' .( Though the hero bit I do'nt agree with, The REAL Hero's where left 'over there' either in totally or physically or mentally ) I've fought in 4 wars and a number of 'policing' actions. I'm thought of by my partner as a ' toughy'. I've seen death up close and personal. I've charged the enemy, screaming my lungs out bayonets fixed. I've been to VIMY RIDGE. I found my Great Uncle's name inscribed on its walls,,,J. ASHMAN and I wept as i traced my finger trough his name on that white wall. Jack was 1 of 7 brothers, 5 of which emigrated to Canada as boys, to Saskatchewan. BUT all had answered the call to arms. I felt on that sunny day at Vimy Ridge more Canadian than British. The only thing separating Jack and his brothers and me was 100 years. If you are reading this.... and your a Canadian,.....and you have the chance to go to Vimy Ridge,,,,,,GO ! ( If you do, ....please lay a poppy for Jack and his mates from me,,,,,Thank You Canada ) !!!
Tell us more where you did all these things.
God 🙏🙏 bless.
My Canadian Grandfather ( 151 Battalion ) was there and LIVED !!
Crazy how absorbed and interested i get watching this. I wish I had been this interested in history back in school.
My late mother ' s father was at the " Ridge " Canadian Army Medical Corps , contract T. B. and was sent home shortly after . Thank you .He was captain , surgeon . My late mother ' s father rode a horse . Thank you .
My Grandparents are buried at Frazer view cemetery In Vancouver BC.
Just down from their headstone is a large spire marker of a Canadian says Killed at Vimmy Ridge. RIP
My grandfather also fought at Vimy Ridge from Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
4 years of trench warfare took a toll on his physical health.
He told me very little but did say he could feel the machine gun bullets all around him. Fellow soldiers dieing all around him.
He did survive but was never the same man.
Shell shocked, lost all his teeth and an alcoholic.
Wonderful quiet man that I loved!
Canada even too this day is known to have one of the most effective military forces on the planet..... the French and British spent 3 years trying to take this ridge with somewhere around 250 000 casualties... we took it in four bloody days proud to be a Canadian🇨🇦
C R 3000 Canadians died in 4 days it was bloody
@Kit Kefner A nation at war should first master the art of keeping said nation's $hit together or risk facing hockey playing bears. ❤🇨🇦
@C R Bloody rights!!!!
it was a great achievement but it was not even close to 4 days.......if factor in the preparation time
@C R Well Damn
Canadian Forces are great Military men. I salute you all thank you for sharing this documentary of Canadian Forces in Vimy Ridge.
Born on Mexico
Raised American
God bless ALL these young MEN
TRUE HERO'S no matter where they came from
The WORLD'S GREATEST GENERATION....... AMEN
Viva Mexico,
Having visited most of the WW1 sites in France and Belgium, Vimy Ridge is by far the most moving and awe inspiring. The memorial fits the enormity of the tasks delivered. Thank you for this fitting tribute.
My ancestor fought in the battle of Somme with the Newfoundland regiment. He's buried at Poelcapelle British Cemetery in Belgium 2719 private Ernest Toope 28yrs old
I have watched many videos from Timeline, I have rarely watched one twice… I have now watched this one 3 times, definitely one of your best, across the board. The footage, information, pictures, quotes, narration, the editing, even the music. Hitting on all cylinders as they say, excellent!
It makes me smile to hear a modern Canadian accent from the reenactments.
My grandfather James Sullivan was a Sgt Major and a part of the 4th division in taking Vimy Ridge and had previously fought in the Boar War. I was told later he was never the same after that final siege for Hill 145. He passed very early in my life. I so wish I had gotten to know him. #LestWeForget #VimyRidge
My Great Uncle was there as a gunner with the 103rd Canadian Siege Battery. He was KIA that Sept. by German shell fire. Never Forget.
A fantastic documentary.
God Bless the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. My great-uncle, a private in the RNFR was killed 27/09/17.
His body was never found. He was only 19 years old.
Lest We Forget.
The Canadians don’t get half enough credit, they fought just as bravely.
The British despite having the largest army get virtually no recognition.
@@anthonyeaton5153 I beg to differ, at least from a Canadian point of view. I recall learning about British battles in parallel with our own since our history is so closely tied to the UK.
@@gage9171 what Imeant size for size and that the British were everywhere where the empire troops were. 60 fivisiond
Our country wasn't even 40 years old.
@@gage9171 I really meant when the war is being discussed by the Aussies.
Love Sir Arthur Currie, we defined ourselves as a new young nation after this battle, brought our country closer together, but damn if Currie wasn't a strategic genius, should get more respect.
@SURREY CROSSING I totally agree with you and I don't think they teach as much about it in school as they used to unfortunately
Brit PM Lloyd George said Currie was his best field commander and intended to make him overall Allied field commander.
'Guts and Gaitors' - well known in military colleges around the world
@SURREY CROSSING No they dont honour him, My high school in Strathroy didnt even name the school after him. He was born or grew up just west of the town. Our history teacher said it was his scandals after the war that doomed him. They built a new high school 15 years ago or so, still named it Strathroy District Collegiate Institute
Just here to point out that the wars in the Middle East that we currently are fighting, are fought by millennials, but hey their sacrifices don’t count I guess
Massive respect to the Canadians for their impressive work and the courage they showed in this battle!!
My cousin a piper ,72 sea forth high lander. Was killed on April 9 1917: he was born in beachburg Ontario Canada.belived to be buried in givenchie en goal,he was25. I have some of his medals.i think of him every April the 9th.
Doing research about my relative, Wilfred Brown, and this doc really helped me place certain dates and events.
very well done, and i believe, very respectful. this gives credence to those unaware, we are courteous, but resolute. rip lads.
Thank You Canada.
I visit the Great War battlefields fairly regularly, in my opinion the memorial at Vimy is the most beautiful, the figure of Canada looking over the Douai plain is particularly moving. As a Brit I sympathise with men and boys from all nations who went to fight for their countries, Canada’s participation and losses must never be underestimated.
This is one of the best ever documentaries on the battle of Vimy Ridge I’ve ever seen, thank you for your outstanding work and …..
Thank you Canada.
A truly profound film. Thank you.
... i took the train to Arras from Paris to Feb 2017, i was alone, at the Arras train station i met a cabbie, she had a daughter at school in Montreal, she drove me to Vimy... low clouds, cold, no wind...it was haunting and so incredible
If only you'd stayed on the train until the station at Lens, you would have had an awe-inspiring view. I hadn't noticed it on the way to Lens, but on the way back, as the train rises out of a cutting and the buildings stop, there, out the right side window, a few kilometers away, the gleaming white pylons of the monument and the rolling greens come in to view and float on the horizon until the track bends towards Arras and the train sinks into another grade.
@@funstuff2006 lol I fell asleep on the train and overshot Lens
So you go from Paris to Arras to get to Vimy Ridge? Do not know France.
@@funstuff2006 best way to Vimy Ridge? Through Lens on train? Thanks
@@23draft7 The TGV goes from CDG Airport to Arras. You have to get off the train there and catch a different train to Lens - unless you want to end up in Lille. Vimy is also a bit closer to Lens than Arras. I don't know if anyone does shuttle service to the Ridge (I had rented a car for the duration of my stay). It is about a 15-20 minute drive from the North side of Lens to Vimy. I can't remember my exact route, but leaving from the Hôtel Campanile Lens, I drove down through Liévin and up through the winding streets of Givenchy-en-Gohelle. The vista you will get out the left hand window as you come out of the village and the gleaming white pilons start to jut over the terrain is well worth having to follow google maps closely as you navigate the residential streets.
Battle of Vimy , deliverance of The Netherlands , so many battles were Canada stood up in the war ..
Fantastic documentry. Should be shown in schools on rememberance day
I always feel sooo bad for horses & mules & dogs & other animals that were/ are subjected to the carnage of man's wars. RIP to all the furry heros that are often not recognized for their bravery & sacrifices.
They have their very own war memorial in London,and that's absolutely as it should be.
We in Britain owe a great deal to the men and women of Canada, just as our young men fought and died to protect Canada 200 years , they in turn fought and died for us. In the end it will come down to those Anglo Saxon countries to unite and by doing so the world will remain free.
My family landed with the RN at the Newfoundland Station at Quidi Vidi in 1790 and then homesteaded on Cape Breton Island in 1815.
Every member of our clan family served in WW 2.
Myself, later.
It seems that we are in for the finals together again.... more dangerous than ever before...this time the first enemy is within. They are the Fabians. The 🐑n🐺's clothing that have successfully infiltrated every facet of our society, from Kindergarten right up, into the Palace, it's self.
Slainte'🍻🍁
I've been to Vimy Ridge twice thanks to my good friends in France, Martine & Jean Yves. I will never forget what I saw. It was a heartbreaking experience. Certainly an eye opener for me. Thank you Paul Gross for narrating this documentary.
The Canadians showed the British and French the value of proper preparation.
They were also a key element in the Last Hundred Days and, along with the Aussies, Haig and the tank, came up with what was a form of blitzkrieg. The Germans were beaten in the field, despite what they said about the "stab in the back" afterwards. My grandfather was a flier in the RFC, having transferred from the infantry (he'd been wounded twice). He would have been in the air in those last 100 days. I can't imagine it. The whole thing was a horror from beginning to end. This was our greatest generation, irrespective of which country they came from.
Also giving everyone a MAP so they know the objective. That makes everyone a private contractor.
@@jugbywellington1134 well said Sir!
My late mother ' s father was Captain George Claire Brink , R. C. A. M. C. 1915 to 1917 . Thank you .
Good chance he knew Col.McCrae in Flander's Fields.
1:31.30 . brothers dying together. Curry, the best General Canada ever produced.
If Canada needs another father, it would be Curry.
@@jerryslater3447 probably the best Allied general.
Then you treated him like dirt after war and he had to go to court to clear his name. You did the same to Bomber `command after WW2. Disgraceful.
I have visited the tunnels at Vimy Ridge and the magnificent memorial twice. A very moving experience. The young Canadian guides were superb. Some of the best I have ever come across. I hope to take my Canadian relatives there next time they visit me in Europe.
Had Grandfather Archie Mcneaney fought at Vimy Ridge. was a machine gunner. didn’t know till yrs later.. was a good and loving grandfather. never metioned his experiences. all uncles and father never mentioned what went on. Uncle at Battle of the Buldge, uncles in Korea. Uncle on Destroyer off Halifax. saw German torpedo coming in while having a smoke break. but avoided it. hats off to all the brave Canadians who paid the supreme sacrifice in the 3 wars. God Bless.
As a US Army officer with a little war experience...I must say that the Canadian leadership was absolutely brilliant (though the Raids may have been excessive)! But nonetheless, for this era, it sounds like Canada was well represented. Officers taking the time to train their troops on new tactics, plan and rehearse down to the lowest level so that all Soldiers new the task and phase line objectives probably saved countless lives! US senior commanders on the other hand...horrible in WW1! A rehearsal like this was critical for the D-Day invasion that the US, UK, and Canada successfully executed in 1944.
*As a United States Marine NCO with extensive combat experience I apologize for this rear echelon officer with zero combat experience. But if you've been in the military you already know that the most useless thing in the military is indeed the officers.*
@@grizzlycountry1030 i think the thing that happened here is the revelation of the platoon allowing them to read and react to a situation in real time ! Breaking away from a crippling central command
Whatever you say *Butter Bar*
My uncle there. Survived the battle but, unfortunately, not the war. RIP Edward Thomas Teggin MM
I visited Vimy Ridge last year. As a Canadian the history of our troops makes me very proud. If you visit overseas you quickly find out that the Europeans have tremendous respect for Canadians and all the allies contributions. But I have to say that all soldiers fought proudly from their respective countries. Enduring WWI and/or WWII took a tremendous toll on them and they all need to be remembered and respected forever. The Greatest Generation that ever lived. We don't need a half-witted politician to try and take the limelight or attempt to apologize for past history. They can stay at home on November 11th (especially the ones in the West).
Pointless slaughter for everyone who stepped on the battlefield. I can't say not one soldier wasn't brave. Even the cowards to retreated were brave. Armies today wouldn't step foot on the field in these conditions today an thats for sure. Lived brave died brave for countries who didn't understand modern warfare. Salute to courage
Amin, the later soldiers did just that in WW2.
@@anthonyeaton5153 @ANTHONY EATON the only fighting that came close to this brutality during WWII were Stalingrad and Leningrad. No where else soldiers had to suffer constant shelling months at a time. This doesn't make the WWII soldiers less brave then the WWI one's. But it means that there struggle was not the same
@@426shelby426 ortona, juno beach were terrible but the battle for the scheldt was world war one bad.
The enduring spirit of freedom I feel so innately as a Canadian!!
Never to forget the sacrifices made.
I have 3 great grandads who faught, one a tunnler with the 3rd tunneling corp, one in the 4th bycicle platoon and one in the trenches of Ypres, Im glad Canada gets a view, all sons of the same mother
The 85th Nova Scotia was a labour battalion and the only reserve left. They were ordered to take Hill 145, as the attack had stalled. Captain Anderson leading the 85th said, "we will take it or never come back". The story begins at 1:10:42
The conditions of what they lived and fought in. R.I.P .
I love these Timeline documentaries
Nothing boring about these Canucks.
Proud to be part of “The Highlanders with no kilts”
We have kilts now
We still have kilts and still play the cornemuse at Quebec's base 😂
Excellent very informative documentary. Thank you for telling the story of all those very brave men. RIP brian. NZ
Go ALL BLACKS....Love from Canada.🍁🍻🏒
Thanks you people for sharing this. Great series and nice to see some Canadian recognition
Lost 2 great uncles in the Somme gased my grandfather was a major in the queens own rifles reserve battalion he came back a changed man. The tactics used at vim were cutting-edge creeping barrage indirect fire snipers propositioned
Brave and heroic Canadians from all over Canada . These are the true Canadians of our proud country .To those of you not of European heritage our Canadian history and our distinct people are ours and ours alone .
To our cousin's south of the border and across the sea in Great Britain and Europe , the best allies Canada could ever hope for . Long live the USA , G . B and Europe .
Cheers also go out Australia and New Zealand proud and brave soldiers every one of them .
Hey bud search up Francis pegahmagabow
Not sure what you're trying to say, but I suggest you read up on many of our Native troops that fought in the war. As pointed out by a previous comment, we have Pegahmagabow for example, who was the deadliest sniper of the Great War.
My great grandfather brought supplies and ammo up to the front lines during this battle. He was also one of the first public transit bus drivers in southwestern ontario
I remember my Grandmother Maude Windling who died years ago, who told me about my Grandfather who died in the war 1 , I never met. He died before I was born. She showed me a picture of him. I Remember you grandpa and I am sure you would have been a wonderful grandfather to me. Thank you for your Love for our Country. I feel in my heart deep sorrow, that war took your life and I never met you my grandfather. War took you from me grandpa. I Love you and God has made us close in Spirit and Truth. Peace Be With You Grandpa, In Jesus Name.
Help Me Find a Picure of y Grandfather