Vimy Ridge and the battle that took place there in 1917 is for Canadians, one of the most well known and significant events that occurred for the country during WWI. It has been a symbol of national pride for the people of the country for many decades and continues to be a symbol of nationhood even to this day.
Interestingly the capture of the ridge isn't really considered to be among Canada's greatest achievement of WWI and it actually wasn't all that significant to the outcome of the war in general. When the German army lost their position on the ridge they didn't consider it a loss because no further breakthroughs took place thereafter. The German army also didn't bother launching a counter defensive to try an take back the position but instead they basically just shrugged their shoulders and wiped their hands clean of the location.
The significance of the battle and location was minor overall, yet the story of Vimy Ridge is told with vigor every Rememberance day and is considered to be one of the most significant WWI events for Canadians. Why is that?
In war there really are no winners. There is the taking and surrendering of land, sure, but the violence and destruction, the horror and death often leaves people wondering what was it all for? In the wake of it, people need to tell themselves stories in an attempt to try and make sense of the devastating situation in order to find meaning out of the chaos. They ask themselves did any good really come out of this?
The battle of Vimy Ridge is no different. It has been re-worked in the minds of the people over the decades in order to give the event a sense of importance and meaning.
The good that came out of Vimy Ridge is that it has come to symbolize the birth of a nation and is significant because it represents a unified country. At the time, four divisions of Canadian troops from across the country came together in order to achieve an important goal. Fast forward to today.
Canada Day 2021 was canceled this year after the remains of many indigenous children were found buried in an unmarked mass grave behind one of the country's many historic residential schools. It seems that this year is not one to celebrate. Perhaps it is one to reflect on?
Perhaps a visit to a symbol of national unity is the perfect place to reflect on life and history this Canada Day weekend. So that is what we did.
Location and Military History
Vimy Ridge is a 7km long escarpment located about 10 kilometers to the North of the city of Arras.
It has an elevation of approximately 145 meters and an extensive natural and unobstructed view that carries for tens of kilometers. It overlooks the Douai Plains and was a sought after location during WWI.
The Ridge was occupied by the German military in 1914 and it remained in their possession up until 1917.
Several major battles were fought between France and Germany at the site between 1914 and 1915 and the French army suffered a severe amount of casualties (150 000) in their attempt to take the ridge and its surrounding areas. In February 1916 the British army relieved the French from the position which allowed them to expand their operations in the area of Verdun.
Battle continued between Britain and Germany at the site for several months taking place mostly underground in tunnels, mines and trenches. In May of 1916 the German army ran an extensive mortar and artillery campaign and captured several British controlled mines, once again securing the area.
In October of 1916 four Canadian Corps were brought in to relieved the British army.
Battle of Vimy Ridge
In March 1917 a plan was devised to take the ridge using methods learned by the French at Verdun. A massive army of 170 thousand troops, made up of four Canadian divisions and one British, came together to launch the attack.
The plan would have the infantry advance in 90 meter increments under the protection of an advanced heavy artillery barrage on known enemy strongholds. The non-stop nature of the attack meant that units had to essentially leapfrog over one another after each round of artillery fire in order to uphold a continuous momentum.
A bombing raid in preparation for the attack began on 20 March and lasted two weeks. That was followed by a 2nd wave of bombing that began on 2 April and lasted for one week.
In total approximately 1.6 million shells were brought to the site in order to maintain a continuous barrage of fire. To this day the ground remains littered with pockmarked craters made by artillary fire.
Officials are unsure if and how many undetonated shells remain buried at the site with the potential to explode. A low electric fence surrounds the site and a dedicated walking path with clearly visible red signs warn visitors of the dangers of the surrounding area.
Sheep graze in the fields to tend the grass, presumably so humans don't have to.
On the morning of 9 April the infantry began its advance after a series of light bombing that occurred throughout the night. Artillary guns were recalibrated to create the needed barrage and at 5:30am all guns began firing in front of the advance.
At the same time mines under no man's land and enemy trenches that were rigged with explosives were detonated by the British in an attempt to clear the way for the infantry.
The Canadian troops secured three out of four objective locations (including the ridge) on the same day that the battle began. They secured the fourth location a few days later on 12 April. The German army continued to fight bravely throughout the entire battle even until all of their own artillary was used up.
7004 Canadian and British soldiers were wounded and 3598 lost their lives. The number of German casualties is unknown.
Vimy Monument
In 1922 France gave Canada a 250 acre portion of the Vimy Ridge battle ground to use in perpetuity as a memorial to Canadian soldiers who died in the war.
A large portion of the battleground, artillary craters, trenches and tunnels are open to the public today.
The monument at the site, which was described by its creator as a "sermon against the futility of war," was designed by a Canadian architect from Toronto Ontario. His name was Walter Allward.
The monument was unveiled in 1936. It took 11 years to build and cost 1.5 million dollars. It remains the most prestigious Canadian monument in Europe to this day.
From a personal perspective I was quite impressed with the overall experience at the Vimy Ridge memorial. The grounds surrounding the ridge are very well kept and have a natural beauty that feels like greenspace park.
The monument is tall and pristinely white against the expansive green backdrop of the ridge lawn. The view over the surrounding plains carries far into the horizon. Pyramid spoil tips, remnants from the coal industry, can be seen in the distance. It's really a beautiful monument in a really nice location.
Unfortunately we weren't able to see the tunnels due to covid but overall I was quite happy that we went.
I don't like to glorify war by any means. I'm strongly against it and feel that anything can be better resolved through civilized and diplomatic means. Nonetheless, I did have a sense of pride from my experience at the ridge; not from the battle itself but from the feeling of comraderie between nations and for the tribute to the soldiers who gave their lives during the war - the soldiers on all sides.
Overall I think that it was a good way to spend this Canada Day weekend and its one that I will not soon forget.