Stepping Into The Past

#OnThisDay, The Battle of Vimy Ridge was fought during the First World War from 9 to 12 April 1917. It was a defining moment for the country and is Canada’s mos...t celebrated military victory. The capture of Vimy was more than just an important battlefield victory. For the first time all four Canadian divisions attacked together: men from all regions of #Canada were present at the battle. Canadian troops also earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of their stunning success. But it was a victory at a terrible cost, with more than 10,000 killed and wounded. Today an iconic memorial atop the ridge honours the Canadians killed in France throughout the war who have no known graves a venerated symbol of the birth of Canadian national pride and awareness. The image below, painted by Australian Captain William Longstaff, depicts soldiers' ghosts marching up Vimy Ridge from the Douai Plain, returning to the memorial. #CAF #CanadaRemembers #LestWeForget #RememberThem #FlashbackFriday #History #Friday

#ThrowBackThursday - Canadian Second World War prisoners of war participated in the Great Escape at Stalag Luft III prison camp on 24-25 March 1944. Thousands... of Canadians were captured by the Germans during the Second World War. Many of them felt they had a duty to try to escape so they could rejoin their units and return to action. One of the most famous of these efforts was the so-called Great Escape that saw 76 Allied prisoners sneakily slip out of the Stalag Luft III camp in March 1944. Canadians played a central role in this daring caper that was later the inspiration for a popular Hollywood movie. Pictured is a cart used to remove dirt while digging the secret escape tunnel. Photo: Imperial War Museum Learn more about prisoners of war in the Second World War: http://ow.ly/7Mox50E8d3M #CanadaRemembers

Every day, we can see and admire the perseverance, self-sacrifice and dedication of the nurses who care for patients with COVID-19 as well as other patients. Th...roughout our history, Canadian nurses have been examples of compassion, sacrifice and courage. During the First World War, women who wanted to join the Army could only do so as nurses. They became officers immediately. Canada was an exception in this regard, as the only country at the time to grant this status to nurses. Our blog pays tribute to the Nursing Sisters of the Canadian Army Medical Corps who served in the First World War, especially those who died in service. Nursing Sisters of the Canadian Army Medical Corps in the First World War, Part 1: http://ow.ly/rKBH50CfrmK Nursing Sisters who died in service during the First World War, Part 2: http://ow.ly/J8qH50CfrmJ Podcast episode 63 - Call to Duty: Canadian Nursing Sisters: http://ow.ly/wBV830rjJEK : http://ow.ly/U8ZU50CfrmI

Today is a day for all Canadians to remember the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country, during times of war, conflict and peace. Lest we Forget.

"When you go home, tell them of us and say, for their tomorrow we gave our today." So many answered the call, so many lost their lives. Today, we remember all Veterans and thank them for their service and sacrifice. #RemembranceDay #CanadaRemembers #LestWeForget

Did you know that when the Allies landed 156,000 troops on D-Day, one woman also made the landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944? Prior to D-Day, the British gover...nment accredited hundreds of journalists and photographers to cover the landings but all women who applied were turned down. One woman, Martha Gellhorn, a seasoned American war correspondent for Collier's magazine who was born on this day in 1908, refused to take no for an answer. She stowed away in the bathroom of a hospital ship and later landed on the beach disguised as a stretcher bearer. As a result, Gellhorn was the first woman on the front lines and the only female journalist who covered D-Day firsthand. Gellhorn later traveled across Europe with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division and was among the first to enter the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau. She also witnessed the fall of Prague, Czechoslovakia and covered the Nuremberg war crimes trials. Gellhorn reported on nearly every major world conflict during her 60-year journalism career. She passed away at the age of 89 in 1998. Martha Gellhorn was the author of many books including "A Stricken Field: A Novel" (https://amzn.to/2DrHwol), "The Face of War" (https://amzn.to/2DtAoYv), and "Travels with Myself and Another" (https://amzn.to/2qI31ch) She is also the subject of the fascinating biography "Gellhorn: A Twentieth-Century Life" (https://amzn.to/2Dtqdn0) and a historical fiction novel focused on her tumultuous relationship with Ernest Hemingway (https://amzn.to/2ImeO8k) Gellhorn is one of 16 courageous female journalists whose stories are told in the excellent book, "Reporting Under Fire: 16 Daring Women War Correspondents and Photojournalists," for teens and adults, ages 13 and up, at https://www.amightygirl.com/reporting-under-fire For hundreds of true stories of trailblazing girls and women who refused to conform to the conventions of their times, visit A Mighty Girl's "Role Model" biography section at https://www.amightygirl.com/boo/history-biography/biography

First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples have a proud tradition of service to our country, having made significant contributions to Canadian military history. Whi...le exact statistics are difficult to determine, the rate of Indigenous participation in Canada’s military efforts over the years has been impressive. For example, our First World War records show that more than 3,500 First Nations individuals voluntarily enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, representing more than a third of the First Nations male population of military age living on reserve. While more difficult to ascertain, this number grows to around 6,000 when including Métis, non-Status Indians and Inuit soldiers. You can consult the military files of Indigenous soldiers here: http://ow.ly/5Yla50Cdydk