Thank you. It is refreshing to have an American cover the battle at Vimy Ridge praising Canada's contribution. Too often the roll of Canadians in world wars are overlooked.
I think the most important battle of WWII was the Dieppe raid. It was a massive failure that saw 5,000 Canadians essentially getting shoved into a meat grinder. Over 3,000 Canadians were killed during that ill-fated battle. Yet it's the most important moment in the war. Because D-Day does not happen without it.
My great grandmother lost her two brothers and first husband during the First World War. She watched as men she knew and loved marched off, never to come home again. Last year I was the first person in my family to ever make it to France to pay my respects over their graves. Her dear older brother, Lieutenant Colin Stanley Campbell, was killed on February 22nd 1917 at Vimy Ridge following a famous trench raid conducted by the 38th battalion in the months leading up to the main April 9th assault. These were the very best that Canada had to offer, and this was their finest hour. We should never forget what so many young Canadians gave up. Rest in peace Lt Colin Stanley Campbell, Pte Newman Hall Campbell, and Lt George Arthur Ewens. The war is over now, we won, and now all your friends and family are with you again. Be at peace.
I had the privilege of interviewing and writing a biography of a man who was at vims ridge. George Carruth from Renfrew Ontario. He was in several other battles. I was honoured to hear and write about his role in those first world wars battles.
Both my friends August Caccavone and Eugene Iconetti's father's were in WW1 with the Army, Gene's father and his brother Nick in the Navy led the 1946 Ridgefield NJ parade for Memorial Day right after WWII ended
Many of em were born in the UK and had emigrated. Heck, they thought of themselves as English or Scot, but came down as Canadians. The Canadian Corps did what the others could not do.
As a Canadian Veteran (Who's father and 8 Uncles served in WW2, and both grandfathers served in WW1) - I THANK YOU for Highlighting a little of the Canadian contribution to WW1.
Thank you - Vimy Ridge was a defining battle that really birthed us as a nation - we weren’t a professional army but a volunteer army. Canadians truly made there mark at Vimy.
@thehistoryunderground I am 66. Canadian. Generally considered well educated. I took about this in my grade 10 high school history class, the Government education wanted us to fully understand our 🇨🇦🇨🇦 involvement in the first world war it made us both sad and proud of our involvement and over my life I’m amazed at the numbers of people who don’t know about our significance in both world wars. We were “the allies” or “the commonwealth” rather than an independent nation. That said in 1976 I had the opportunity to go to this magnificent monument. I just want to thank you for profiling this battle, the Canadians role and the monument to recognize Canadians achievement. As a Canadian I appreciate your contribution to educate people on what we did to help bring tyrants down. Not once but twice (a small part was Juno Beach), the pacific war and the Korean conflict. I had the privilege of interviewing and writing a biography of a man who was at vims ridge. George Carruth from Renfrew Ontario. He was in several other battles. I was honoured to hear and write about his role in those first world wars battles.
As a Canadian whose Grandfather fought there, it’s good to see people of all ages, taking the time to visit this place, where Canada became a nation. Thanks for the great video.
Very moving , thank you so much. That rainbow colored medal, I think my grandfather got one, similar. He was fighting for the South African forces in East Africa. He said most of their troops didn’t see any fighting, but they were decimated by famine and disease. He was the only one of 5 of them, who bunked out of boarding school to join up, who came home.
Thank-you for your excellent presentation. My grandfather served here as well as in many other battles. He was one of the many English- born in Canadian service. They proudly said that they went up the Ridge as part of the British Army, but came back down as the Canadian Army.
Thank you so much for going where some of us can never go and to places that some people have forgotten…and for taking bumps on the head for experiencing things we never will experience. Wish you’d wear a helmet
Thank you for sharing this. As a retired member of the CAF and a past member of the Nova Scotia Highlanders. You did a fantastic job on this video . I’ve had the honour of walking Vimy Ridge as a member of the CAF plus with my family. I feel every one should have a chance to walk these fields it really brings everything into perspective. What would be a video of you not hitting your head.
Thanks for this great video. The Vimy Ridge monument is absolutely striking. It is depicted on the canadian $20 bills. As you mentioned, before Vimy was assigned to the Canadians, the place was already a graveyard. 35000 French died fighting for Vimy on their first try, then 18000 on the second attempt, and the German still held the place. Vimy was the first time all 4 Canadian battalions fought together. Allies didn't want another loss at Vimy, so this time battle preparation was largely changed and improved. Many new tactics and technological advances were implemented at Vimy for the first time, with success. Soldiers went through a lot of battle simulations. As you mentioned, they dug kilometers of tunnels up under the enemy lines, some tunnels actually had rails, electric lights and water pipes, ammunitions and weapon storage areas, etc. On March 20th, about 3 weeks before the attack, Allied artillery opened fire on Vimy. For the next 3 weeks, allied guns shelled german positions on the ridge, non-stop, with more than 2500 tons of shells PER DAY. From April 2nd, shelling intensified. Allied fire power at Vimy was absolutely phenomenal: on a front line that was more than 6 km long, there was a heavy gun every 60 ft, a light gun every 30 ft. On total, they had 983 cannons shooting towards the germans a seemingly endless flow of shells. After 3 weeks, on the morning of April 9, shelling suddenly stopped. More than a million shells had been thrown at the germans on Vimy ridge on the last 7 days alone. As you mentioned, the weather was cold on the morning of April 9, with some rain and snow. More than 15000 Canadian fighters piled up in the muddy trenches and tunnels, shivering, in a eerie silence. Then at 5:30 sharp, a single cannon shot. The signal. An instant later, it was hell on Earth. 983 artillery guns opened fire, simultaneously. Explosives in underground tunnel under the lines blew up. In a mind blowing thunder, the Allied guns lit up the sky like a continuous lighting bolt. Nobody had ever seen anything like this. A steel and fire storm rained down on german lines, lifting tons of dirt everywhere. Through this absolute hell, Canadian soldiers jumped out of their trenches and crossed the no-man's-land, where so many French and British soldiers have died. The last machine gun position was finally taken on the next day after an epic bayonet charge. The Battle of Vimy Ridge isn't the most important battle of the Great War, but it's the battle that marks the change from old classic tactics to modern and total war. For Canadians, Vimy was a turning point. Brigadier-General Ross said after the war, “in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.” This quote is now printed in the Canadian Passport (page 22-23). 3598 Canadian soldiers were killed on Vimy in 1917, and 7104 were injured. After the battle, the Canadian Army erected a wooden cross on the battle site. After the current memorial was erected, the wood cross was given to the Royal 22nd Regiment and is in display at the Québec Citadelle, in Québec City. The cross is used at every Vimy Ridge Battle remembrance ceremony. In Canada, on every April 9th the flag atop the Peace Tower at the Canadian Parliament is lowered in honor of the Vimy soldiers.
Wow, that was amazing! As a Canadian it has always been considered our finest hour during the war, when menfrom east coast to west coast came together to fight for freedom, and it's often said this is where we truly became a nation. I have yet to visit, hopefully someday. Thank you for taking us for a glimpse of this hallowed ground.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I never noticed his name and unit being engraved on the side of the world war I medal until your video. Checked my grandfathers medals and 4th Infantry Divison!
Thank you JD for the excellent presentation as always. Vimy Ridge and Newfoundland's Beaumont-Hamel are part of a long list of memorials for Canada in France and are defiantly the most prominent. They are a tribute to what Canadians call today as a highlight of our participation during the Great War. Albeit the Newfoundlanders that served and died at Beaumont-Hamel during the Great War where part of their own separate British Dominion and are very proud of that fact and not a Province of Canada until March 31, 1939. A highlight of my personal life was when I was given the privilege of placing a wreath at the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 2017. Garth Wetherall, Waterdown, Ontario Canada
As a proud Canadian, I thank you. Did you know that in WW2 the German army wanted to destroy monument. Hitler forbade it and ordered it to be protected.
I’m glad you made it, JD! I knew you wouldn’t be disappointed by the Vimy memorial. Thank you for showing this and adding a nice touch, with medals of A.Taylor.
Incredible! I have been there twice and it was jaw dropping both times. You did a great job covering it and as a Canadian vet, this episode meant a lot. Not sure if you were aware but in WW2, this was the only military memorial Hitler protected from vandals as he respected what the memorial stood for, mourning and loss. Next time you are there, walk barefoot in the grass so you can commune with the fallen. Thank you for this episode.
The Hitler thing is a myth. There were rumours the memorial was destroyed in the fighting in 1940. Hitler went there for a photo to show the memorial was still there for propaganda purposes. There’s no indication he mentioned or thought about the memorial ever again.
I visited the area 2 years ago...the Wellington tunnels in Arras and the Vimy ridge. Very touching for the Canadian that I am. Thanks for this great video. Well done JD !
Thank you JD. This one Easter in 1917 was the event that made Canadians take notice that we were not a colony, we were a nation. It is our Battle of Bunker Hill. When we knew we could be what we aspired to . I have a tear in the eye knowing what my forefathers went through and how it created a national identity. Proud Canadian
Terrific video JD. We were there on April 9, 2015. A very moving experience to be sure. Someone else mentioned Beaumont Hamel. Well worth a visit. The Newfoundland Regiment was wiped out without getting to the British front line. To this day July 1 is not only Canada Day but a day of mourning in Newfoundland
Great video. As a Canadian, I’ve had the honor to visit Vimy on two separate occasions. As a Newfoundlander, I hope you’ve gotten the chance to visit Beaumont-Hamel near by.
So an interesting story about those concrete sandbags. There was no intention of preserving those trenches originally. The building of the Vimy Memorial took so long and there were some many pauses in the work that some working on it got bored and laid those sandbags filled with concrete. The issues with the memorial led to more of the site being preserved.
@@TheHistoryUnderground You’re welcome. I learned that after digging into the archives about why the memorial was built there and how it was built. I should really do a video on that.
Thank you JD. I appreciate the time and energy you put into all your videos. As a Canadian this one is special and I look forward to the next few episodes in this area
As another proud Canadian, thank you for another amazing episode! We are proud of all those that served in both world wars as well as those who currently serve our great nation! God bless you JD
Really interesting episode, JD, that enlightened and educated me about this particular Canadian battle. Its length didn't concern me. Thanks for what you do to present all of your episodes.
Terrible losses. Magnificent monument. My cousin's name is on it. Thank you for this. The carvings in the tunnels by Canadian soldiers are beautiful- and very moving.
The Canadians did in 3 days, what the British and French had tried to do for 2 years. A testament to the tenacity, skill and determination of the Canadian Corps. Weeks of preparations, countless trench raids, effective use of all the tools at there disposal. Great work on this little snippet history. One that definitely needs to remembered.
How come you keep bumping your head when I watch? I saw you do it on a ship the first time. I can't watch most of your videos do to lack of time, but as usual, you give the best stories with humility, accuracy, some spirituality and just a touch of humor. Thank you!!
Excellent, excellent JD the memorial was finished and dedicated in 1936, in September of 1939 it started up (not here specifically) in Europe all over again. The word that keeps ringing in my brain is "insanity".
Our brothers to the north!!!! I cried at the end of this video! I am here today at 64 years old because my grandfather came home alive!!! Rest peaceful brave warriors!!!
Outstanding video!! In 2008, I had the privilege to visit with my pipe band. We were in the Netherlands for their big WW2 parade and planned to include a quick trip to Vimy. Yes, if you are a big history or military history buff in this country (Canada), it's a bucket list item. We were able to play on the memorial and got the full tour of the tunnels. I really want to go back. Thanks JD for this.
Thanks for this, got the Vimy memorial tattoed on my arm in honour of these brave men. ❤ Always wanted to know how many Canadians in WW1 were actually born in Canada or were born in England/ Ireland or other places then immigrated to Canada before 1914....?
For most of the war British born soldiers made up most of the CEF. Not until the end, especially when conscription starts, did the numbers of British and Canadian born reach parity.
My great Uncle (who was American) joined a Liverpool regiment at the outbreak of the war…they were part of the Canadian Corps 4th division, the day before the Vimy assault was when the US declared war in Germany and my great uncle attached a small American flag to his bayonet for the assault…it was the first instance of the American flag flying on a wwI battlefield
Would love it if you back there one day to do a piece on the smaller countries who served, like South Africa who were involved in Delville wood as part of the Somme battle. There is quite an imressive meuseum on the site.
Excellent video on Vimy, well done. For your American audience it should be known that many many Americans travelled over the border to join the ranks of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and fought side by side with not only Canadians, but also British ex-pats that only settled in Canada a few year prior. One example I have in my personal collection is a veteran on the Spanish-American War of 1898. He married a Canadian, resided in Toronto and served with a local militia unit; The 10th Regiment, Royal Grenadiers. In 1914 he volunteered to serve in the CEF and was awarded a gallantry medal for saving men from an enemy grenade exploding in a trench. Sadly, he was killed in action on June 13th, 1916 at the Battle of Mount Sorrel.
Another great video, JD. Loving the WW1 stuff. When you came across the German Bunker, i looked over to my wife and told her, JD is going to hit his head. And you did. We know you too well. Keep up the good work, JD
I'm no historian on WW1 but wasn't it the Canucks that introduced the 'creeping barrage' tactics of moving forward with artillery just in front of the troops?
@@fraserthomson5766 It was unfortunate. It often took time to learn lessons from previous wars or battles. Currie really studied the creeping barrage with the French after the Verdun.
I own a complete 1916 dated Mk1 Mills grenade (no longer live!) that came from excavations at Vimy ridge in 2002 2 cases of complete grenades still in greased paper found in a collapsed area of trench network The markings confirm it was made at Acton vale works in London It makes a great book end 🙂
Wow, I am truly feeling speechless after this video. A fascinating story and beautiful memorial to the sacrifice of so many. Even from the video, there definitely seems to be a weight to the place - kind of like what I experienced at Gettysburg or Antietam with the monuments of DC’s National Mall. Thank you so much for sharing!
I am loving this WWI content! Thanks for the I close perspective. New question, though. If JD goes to a spot and DOESN'T bash his head, has he really even been there?!?!
What would a history underground video be without JD bumping his head 😂 I saw it coming too lol. Also I did love the sheep. What a great memorial. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for such a thoughtful and informative video. My Great Uncle James Given died of wounds in the weeks after Vimy. He was with the 46th Battalion, a part of 4th Division. I have searched his service records and the Battalion war diary but there’s no indication of where or when he was wounded. I suspect that the huge volume of wounded prevented accurate records from being kept. Generally, in the diary only officers were listed by name together with the number of “other ranks”. The 46th was nicknamed the Suicide Battalion because they suffered 91% casualties during the war.
One of my relatives was killed the morning of April 9, 1917 at 24 years of age, just over a year after he had signed up in River Hebert, Nova Scotia on March 29, 1916. He arrived in England on the S.S. Olympic on October 18, 1916. His original battalion was the North Nova Scotia Highlanders (193rd Battalion) before being sent to the 42nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) on December 5th, 1916. His service record states: “This soldier was killed in action during our advance on VIMY RIDGE…” He is buried alongside his brothers in arms in the Givenchy-en-Gohelle Canadian War Cemetery. My father and I had the opportunity to visit this piece of hallowed ground in 2018 and left a Canadian flag along with a flag of Nova Scotia and Alberta at his final resting place. As a proud Canadian, being able to visit Vimy Ridge and other battlefields from the First and Second World Wars, brought about an immense sense of pride. The contributions our brave soldiers have made throughout history will never be forgotten. My family has a strong Canadian Military lineage and I thank you for highlighting our country’s contribution during World War One. RIP Private Fredrick Joseph Belliveau, 901900, 42nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
Being a farmer I loved the sheep.😀 What a beautiful place! Looking at it now it’s so hard to believe all the devastation that took place. That the monument made it through WWII without being destroyed is amazing. Thank you for bringing us to this battlefield. It’s nice seeing the lesser known ones. Great video as always.👍😊
That scene of that German observation point was a real head banger! Fortunately, for the Germans, they had helmets. A two for one for our illustrious JD! On a serious note, those observation posts for the Canadiens and Germans were practically on top of each other considering the weapons that both sides had and used!
I’m learning so much about WW1 that I never knew or heard about. I’m English but my history lessons at school hardly touched on the First World War. I hope the quality of the history syllabus has improved for today’s students. 🇬🇧❤️ (I was waiting to hear the first bang and “dang” on this video and was treated to two “dangs”! Oh JD when will you learn to watch your head! Hope you were ok)
Me and a friend day tripped to Vimy from London back in 2022. It was literally just us two in vimy. it was sombre, it started snowing. The craters in the forest are enormous and eerie
I had three great uncles fight at Vimy Ridge. One came home with the Military Medal for bravery, one was killed and another obliterated from the face of the earth. His name is on the memorial
Really superbly captured JD. I couldn’t help but reflect on the suffering of Ukrainians currently as they struggle to free their country from Russian invaders when I visited this site. Btw The staff at the Vimy memorial and Visitor centre (all young Canadian students) were so helpful and well informed when I visited in Dec ‘23. They spend 3-4 months there and I cant think of a better education or act of national service. What is more, it is heavily oversubscribed with many more applications than places available which is a testament to how WW1 still resonates proudly with Canadians.
