Today is Vimy Ridge Day; the battle was fought on April 9, 1917.
Here’s a poem I wrote.
***
The Battle of Vimy Ridge
Snow fell gently as dawn broke on Easter 1917,
The soldiers, the Ridge, and no man’s land in between.
Thousands were killed that day, the fighting hard and terrible
And the courageous Canadians did the impossible.
It was the Battle of Vimy Ridge, where Canadians fought
All four divisions together; and united they sought
To take the impregnable Ridge! A lofty undertaking,
The British, the French, they tried, and left the Germans still standing.
A breakthrough must come for the Allies; Vimy Ridge it shall be.
And the Canadians in trench warfare had fought fearlessly.
So on them the task did fall, to take the impossible Ridge,
With Sir Julian Byng at their head, they would take it inch by inch.
But first came the treacherous training, and there must be a plan.
So Byng sent Major-General Currie, to learn what he can,
About the battles of 1916. A good man was he,
His motto being “Neglect nothing,” for then must success be.
They drew up a plan, which was almost detailed to a fault.
Everything must work together, and none must forget his lot.
Timing was essential, for a creeping barrage was planned.
Behind the lines there was built, a scaled replica of the land.
The soldiers, they practiced, they rehearsed that battle every day.
The Canadians were here to win; they were not here to stay.
Above, pilots were fighting for air superiority.
Below, men were digging caves and tunnels very stealthily.
On April 2nd, the guns unleashed their fury, shattering,
The German defenses, during the week of suffering,
The Allied artilery continued to fire and bark, until
Zero Hour approached on April 9th, when everything went still.
General Currie addressed the troops the evening before,
And said, “With God’s help you shall achieve victory once more.”
They took their places in the trenches, and silently waited.
Looking at that miserable Ridge, they remained undaunted.
The minutes ticked on and Zero Hour was drawing very near.
The whole Canadian Corps stood together; what need they fear?
“Fix Bayonets,” the order came, whispered through the trenches.
The battering guns had stopped their noisy barrages.
Big snowflakes fell, heedless of the fury about to explode.
Many a Canadian looked around, and thought of their abode
Across the sea, in dear Canada, now so, so far away.
Would I live to go back home, or would I be here to stay?
Time stood still, as a collective breath was taken.
Then the world exploded, and the wretched ground was shaken.
The soldiers poured over the trenches, each holding out his gun.
They ran forward together. The creeping barrage had begun.
The artillery worked its magic, and the soldiers pressed on,
Through heavy fire, as the Germans fought back, but not for long!
By 13:30 hours, three divisions had reached their objectives.
Victory was in sight, but the fourth division, what gives?
The fourth division was struggling on to Hill 145.
They had been given the toughest target; their lives were on the line.
The hill bristled with machine guns, it was heavily fortified.
The Canadians charged again, and the fight intensified.
They had to take Hill 145 before night descends.
They cannot let the Germans reinforce their defense.
In desperation, the officers called in the 85th –
The work battalion! Can they fight and reach the objective?
Artillery was requested, but not one answered the call.
The Nova Scotians charged anyways, though many did fall.
They ran right into the machine guns, and despite the heavy fire,
Managed to drive the Germans away, and the world to inspire!
The Pimple was left; it was take on another day
By soldiers from Western Canada, with a snowstorm in their way.
They charged up the hill, the Germans being blinded by the snow,
Hand to hand they fought, until the hill was Canada’s to show.
T’was the Battle of Vimy Ridge, where proud Canadians fought,
The whole Canadian Corps was there; and united they sought,
To take the impregnable Ridge, and to do the impossible.
And they promptly showed the world that it was indeed possible.
Thousands dead, and thousands more wounded; oh how great the cost!
The land tells her sad story of brave men, forever lost!
What good did the battle do, did it help the Allies at all?
Or was it just another waste of that awful international brawl?
Perhaps nothing was accomplished; we might just as well be sorry.
But to the soldiers who were there, it was a different story.
For the first time they fought all four divisions together.
The True North united for once, united forever!
It was Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific on parade,*
Respect for the Canadian Corps was solidly laid.
It was Canada who bravely charged that infernal, deadly slope
And returned victorious to give the world that beautiful hope.
T’was the Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 9th, 1917,
That Easter Monday where good men died, never again to be seen.
T’was the Canadians who were there, who fought on so bravely,
And united they strove towards that one great goal: victory!
* This line comes from a quote by Brigadier-General Alexander Ross
– Tiffany Chan