Transcript of the Ceremony of Remembrance at Givenchy Road

Transcript of the Ceremony of Remembrance at Givenchy Road Canadian
Cemetery
30:27
MC:
Perfect. Alright. Hello everybody. My name is Sarah Colquhoun and I am happy to
welcome you to the Givenchy Road Canadian Cemetery. Originally called Canadian
Cemetery Number One, the Givenchy Road Canadian Cemetery contains the graves of
111 Canadian soldiers, of whom two are unknown, who fell on the first day of the Battle
of Vimy Ridge on April 9th, 1917, and on the four following days.
(4:10) Bonjour, je m’appelle Sarah Colquhoun et j’aimerais vous souhaiter la
bienvenue au cimetière canadien du chemin de Givenchy. Le cimetière canadien
du chemin de Givenchy, initialement appelé le cimetière canadien numéro un,
renferme les tombes de 111 soldats canadiens, dont deux soldats inconnus, qui
sont morts sur le champ de bataille le 9 avril 1917, premier jour de la bataille de la
crête de Vimy, et au cours des quatre jours qui suivirent.
Emily Park et Rachel Moss vont maintenant présenter leur recherche sur Albert
James Lawrence, qui a été enterré ici, Thomas Ricketts, qui est le cousin au
cinquième degré d’Emily et le plus jeune récipiendaire de la Croix de Victoria
dans un rôle de combat, Bugler William Edward Dailey, ainsi que d’autres jeunes
Canadiens qui ont perdu la vie durant la Première Guerre mondiale.
Emily Park and Rachel Moss will now present their research on Albert James Lawrence
who is buried here, Emily’s fifth cousin Thomas Ricketts who was the youngest Victoria
Cross recipient in a combat role and Bugler William Edward Dailey, as well as other
young Canadians who died in the First World War.
Emily Park
Thomas Ricketts who is my fifth cousin, was born in Middle Arm, Newfoundland on April
15, 1901. When he volunteered for service with the Newfoundland Regiment in 1916,
he was only 15 years old but told recruiters he was 18. 15 is the same age as Lukus
who is here today.
In fact, Private Ricketts had still not celebrated his 18th birthday when he earned the
Victoria Cross on October 14, 1918 near Ledeghem in Belgium. For this, he became
one of the youngest-ever recipients of the Victoria Cross, one of the most famous
medals for bravery in the world.
Tommy Ricketts is known as Newfoundland’s most decorated war hero for his
courageous acts on these battlefields 100 years ago. There is a street named after him,
and even a school. Generations of Newfoundlanders have heard the story of his bravery
in the Great War.
However, we can’t find that this soldier, my relative, went from a being a 15 year old boy
growing up in a small fishing village in Newfoundland to fighting in muddy and
dangerous battlegrounds on the Western Front. He would have observed death,
destruction and violence – experiences that teenage boys should never have to live
through.
Luckily though for Thomas Ricketts, he did return home to a future as a pharmacist and
businessman in St. John’s Newfoundland, until his death in 1967.
Some young soldiers were not as lucky. Canadian Private William Edward Dailey was
only 14 years old when he enlisted, making him possibly the youngest Commonwealth
soldier to serve in the First World War.
He was halfway through his summer holiday from school, when Dailey decided to leave
his home in Gananoque, Ontario to go off to war. He was assigned to the brass and
bugle band.
However, Dailey was a good – if adventurous – son and wrote often to his mother
Florence back home. He also exchanged many letters with his girlfriend Leona.
On July 16, 1916, he joined the 4th Battalion and he wrote to his mother “I am going to
the trenches tonight as a bugler. I suppose I will see some great sights over there. I
didn’t have to go unless I wanted to but I volunteered.”
The sights that would have greeted Dailey, however, were anything but great. Rather, it
was grim rat-infested trenches and intense shelling.
On September 7, 1916, Dailey would have had a lot to live for and likely dreamed of
going home to his parents and his girlfriend Leona. Sadly, it was not to be. The fifteen
year-old was taking part in one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War – the
Battle of the Somme, and Daily was killed instantly by a sniper’s bullet.
Private Dailey was killed less than two months after joining the 4th Battalion. The
Captain at the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade wrote to his mother:
“The 4th Battalion did some great work of importance during these days, and your son
was killed in the midst of very valuable duty at a time when men of his work were
needed.”
Rachel Moss
(9:15) William a laissé dans le deuil ses parents, Timothy et Florence Dailey, et sa
petite amie Leona; ils ont été plongé dans la douille.
Le soldat Tom Haig a écrit à la mère de William Dailey à Gananoque, en Ontario :
« Je suis désolé de vous annoncer que le jeune Dailey a été tué le 7 septembre. Il
a été tué par un tireur d’élite dans une zone neutre; les hommes lui ont fait
{inaudible} dans un cimetière des environs. »
Le claironniste James McGee a également écrit ce qui suit à Madame Dailey :
« Nous nous ennuyons tous beaucoup de Bill, car il était toujours souriant et
prêt à aider tout le monde. Il a été blessé au cours de sa deuxième ou troisième
présence sur les tranchées, et nous avons été très durement affectés. Chère
amie, Bill a été touché par un tireur d’élite et n’a absolument pas souffert. »
William Dailey était simplement comme bien de jeunes Canadiens pendant la
Première Guerre mondiale, qui étaient partis outre-mer avec la tête remplie
d’idées…
Ils sont partis pour une grande aventure, pour faire leur part puis retourner chez
eux. Pour de nombreux jeunes soldats cependant, la fin a été tragique et ils ne
sont jamais retournés à la maison.
Le jeune soldat William Dailey, âgé de 15 ans, ainsi que 147 autres Canadiens,
sont enterrés au Cimetière de Sunken Road. Une feuille d’érable est gravée sur sa
pierre tombale, tout comme les mots « Mother’s Darling ».
Emily:
Private William Dailey, age 15, and 147 other Canadians are buried in Sunken Road
Cemetery. A maple leaf is engraved on his headstone, as are the words “Mother’s
Darling.”
We are wearing his dog tags today to remember him and all the young soldiers from
Canada and Newfoundland who have lost their lives.
Rachel:
(11:21) Ici au Cimetière canadien du chemin de Givenchy, on compte quelques
110 Canadiens enterrés qui ont perdu la vie au cours de la bataille de la crête de
Vimy.
Parmi eux il y a Albert James Lawrence, le fils de monsieur et madame James
Lawrence. Il est mort à l’âge de 17 ans, le 9 avril 1917. Sa tombe se trouve dans la
section B, au numéro 49.
Aujourd’hui, nous déposerons des croix ornées d’un coquelicot sur les tombes
de tous les braves jeunes hommes enterrés ici qui ont sacrifié leur vie pendant la
bataille de la crête de Vimy. Les croix ornées d’un coquelicot ont été fabriquées
par nos compagnons de classe chez nous à Terre-Neuve, et sur chacun on trouve
un message personnalisé de souvenir et de remerciement.
Emily:
The first cross we will lay today will be at the grave of Albert James Lawrence, the
youngest Canadian soldier buried here at Givenchy.
We are also wearing his dog tag today to remember him and other Canadian soldiers
buried here. We will remember them.
MC:
Thank you Emily and Rachel, Merci.
I invite you to follow Sergeant Jeremy Maitland to the Great Cross as he plays.
(13:02) Je vous invite à suivre le sergent Jeremy Maitland alors qu’il jouera.
Sergeant Jeremy Maitland will now play the Last Post followed by two minutes of
silence and the Rouse. Corporal Daniel Uren, will follow the Rouse with the Lament.
(14:19) Au cours des prochaines minutes, nous entendrons le sergent Jeremy
Maitland jouer la Dernière sonnerie et nous observerons ensuite deux minutes de
silence, puis ce sera le Réveil. Après le Réveil, le Caporal Daniel Uren jouera
l’Élégie.
Thank you all for joining us here today. Before going to lunch, I invite you to take a few
moments to visit the cemetery and place a poppy cross at one of the graves, as
Corporal Daniel Uren plays a song Bugler William Edward Dailey played during battle.
There are enough crosses to put one at each grave. Emily Park will lay the first cross at
the grave of Albert James Lawrence, one of the youngest Canadian soldiers buried here
at Givenchy.
(20:56) Je vous remercie tous de votre présence ici aujourd’hui. Avant de partir
pour le dîner, je vous invite à prendre un peu de temps pour visiter le cimetière et
déposer une croix de coquelicots sur l’une des tombes pendant que le Caporal
Daniel Uren interprète une pièce que jouait Bugler William Edward Daly durant le
combat. Il y a suffisamment de croix pour en déposer une à chacune des tombes.
Emily Park déposera la première croix sur la tombe d’Albert James Lawrence,
l’un des plus jeunes soldats inhumés ici à Givenchy.
Thank you. Merci.
{Inaudible}