Annual Pilgrimage to Europe Honours Fallen Newfoundlanders and Labradorians

At a moving ceremony today (Monday, July 1) in Beaumont-Hamel, France, the bravery and sacrifices of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in the First World War were honoured. The Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, was joined by veterans, members of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, along with youth delegates from all over Newfoundland and Labrador for the ceremony. The Premier spoke at the event and laid a wreath at the war memorial.

“It is difficult to articulate the emotions that arise when you stand at such a sacred site as Beaumont-Hamel that honours the many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom – their lives,” said Premier Dunderdale. “It was a privilege to pay tribute today to the countless soldiers who, on that fateful day in 1916, made an indelible mark on our province. Our Regiment distinguished itself at other battles during the First World War, but the centrepiece of Newfoundland and Labrador’s wartime sacrifice was here at Beaumont-Hamel. We will forever be indebted to these soldiers and the role they played in defining who we are today as a people.”

The ceremony at Beaumont-Hamel is part of the province’s annual pilgrimage to Europe with the Royal Canadian Legion to recognize the efforts of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment during the First World War. The pilgrimage includes wreath layings along the Trail of the Caribou, a total of five bronze caribou statues that were established throughout Europe to commemorate the bravery shown by Newfoundlanders during the First World War. Four of the statues are located in France at Beaumont-Hamel, Gueudecourt, Monchy-le-Preux, and Masnières, while a fifth statue stands in Kortrijk, Belgium. A sixth statue is located in Bowring Park, St. John’s. The statue of the caribou is the symbol of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment and was created by English sculptor Basil Gotto.

“It is so important that we continue to tell the story of these heroic Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to keep this part of our military history alive, along with those who served in the Royal Naval Reserve and the Forestry Corps,” said Premier Dunderdale. “Throughout France and in Belgium, bronze caribou stand in tribute to the Regiment, and I am humbled to have the opportunity to visit these sites along our pilgrimage. Certainly, the gratitude and respect of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians is enveloped in the wreaths I will lay at each of these monuments.”

The Trail of the Caribou pilgrimage to Europe will conclude on July 4 with the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate Monument in Ieper, Belgium.

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2013 07 01                            10:00 a.m.