British Columbia: First Day of the Somme

| June 29, 2022

The Darkest of Days The Battle of the Somme lasted for 141 days ending 18 November 1916. During its time the British Army and associated units of the British Commonwealth, including Canada, suffered some 650,000 casualties…200,000 lost their lives. It is, however, the first day…1 July 1916 that speaks with the loudest of voices…54,740 British […]

The Crunch and the Silence

| August 9, 2018

Thread Five The steady crunch of loose gravel beneath our feet announces our arrival to the names recorded here. As we move across from stone to grass the silence is heartfelt…it is respect. A mist upon the horizon, silhouettes at the Stone of Remembrance…the shock of looking upon the Thiepval Memorial for the first time. […]

France and Flanders 2017

| September 18, 2017

It’s Better When it Rains We wander over to the car rental to acquire our rolling steed for the day and head out for Vimy (September 18, 2017). This is the first time I have ventured onto the frontier, driving and navigating myself and my friend towards various landscapes of conflict. Certainly there are challenges, such as the GPS path, wonderfully […]