Day 4 - 158 -- Wonderful Remembrance Exhibit

Earlier this week I visited an excellent museum exhibit dealing with the World War 1 battle at Beaumont-Hamel -- part of the Battle of the Somme. It was here that the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was decimated. After a 30 minute battle, only 68 of the 801 troops answered the roll; over 700 were killed, injured or missing.  The regiment came from the Dominion of Newfoundland and consisted mainly of volunteers. The battle occurred on July 1, 1916. Since joining Confederation in 1949, the current province of Newfoundland and Labrador remembers this sacrifice in the morning and celebrates Canada Day in the afternoon. The symbol of remembrance is a blue forget-me-not. The regiment was known affectionately as the Blue Puttees. When making uniforms for the many volunteers, it is said that the khaki material was in short supply so navy fabric was substituted to make the puttees, the wrapping used on  the lower legs from boot to mid-calf over the trousers. Thus, the addition of the navy puttees led to the nickname and the choice of a blue flower of remembrance. The museum exhibit began at the end of a path of forget-me-nots along the ceiling -- the rest of the section lived up to this creativity and attention to detail.

I visited The Rooms to experience the exhibit. Interactive aspects allowed visitors to hear the stories of several soldiers, officers, nurses, and family members. Recorded voices were  included along with touch-screens to hear more of specific stories. This brief battle changed the island forever. Having a population of 240,000, the losses were significant and nearly wiped out a generation. Luckily a photography business in St. John's took photos of all who deployed, so families had those for remembrance. If the chance presents itself, I recommend a visit to this and the other historical exhibits at The Rooms. There is a wonderful cafe with excellent views of the narrows leading into the harbour.

In 2016, a song and video commemorated the 100 years since the battle. A musical family from NL (Newfoundland & Labrador) provided a stirring song with a video made especially for this milestone event. Enjoy!

I will Sing You Home -- Ennis Sisters