N.L.’s loss, sacrifice at Beaumont-Hamel remembered on both sides of the Atlantic — 110 years later

More than a century after Newfoundland and Labrador soldiers far from home in northern France lost their lives, their sacrifice is still being honoured.

On July 1, 1916, the Battle of the Somme campaign, a co-ordinated British and French offensive, commenced and went on to become one of the bloodiest days in the First World War.

The Royal Newfoundland Regiment fought on the first day at the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel. Of the approximately 800 soldiers who stepped into No Man’s Land, only 68 were able to answer the roll call the next day — the rest were dead, injured or missing.

The site of the battlefield is now the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial.

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To mark 110 years since those battles, commemorations were held at the memorial, drawing in hundreds of people, including dignitaries, military officials, veterans, youths and Indigenous elders.

In solemn silence during the ceremony, dignitaries laid wreaths at the base of the monument in a steady procession, including Princess Anne in her role as colonel-in-chief for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

In her remarks, Princess Anne said “the human tragedy” unfolded at the site on July 1, 1916.

“It falls therefore to us not only to remember but to keep faith for those who did not return,” she said from a podium.

“We stand here, 110 years on, beneath the watch of the caribou on ground that bears witness not just to a single moment but to lives lived, lost and remembered.”

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She added the loss from that day didn’t just end, but impacted families through absence for years to come.

“Places such as Beaumont-Hamel allow us to stand where others stood and to understand the cost of war. Not as numbers, but as lives interrupted and futures never lived,” said Princess Anne.

As part of the ceremonies, there were also musical performances of Newfoundland and Labrador music by the Shallaway Youth Choir and Jacob Neil of Veterans Affairs Canada, who performed Great Big Sea’s Recruiting Sergeant.

Ella Clark, 16, of St. John’s was in attendance through the Historic Sites Association. She earned the spot on the trip by creating a felt banner for an art project.

She said it was “hard to find the words” what being at Beaumont-Hamel Memorial Park has meant to her.

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“It has been phenomenal,” she told CBC News, adding she was at the unveiling of the Danger Tree replica on Tuesday and it was a memory that will stay with her.

“It was truly special. Being a part of that, like being there in that moment in history is something that I’ll never get to experience again.”

While Clark doesn’t have family who served in the First World War, she credits the life she has now to those who did.

“And I want to pay that forward in the way I live,” said Clark. “Truly, the life I get to live now would not have been possible for them. I’m so grateful.”

Also part of the day’s events was a nod to the world-wide significance of the memorial.

Three years ago, the memorial was designated a UNESCO world heritage site and on July 1, the plaque designating the honour was unveiled near the entrance to the site. It will later be moved to a fixed spot.

Some 4,023 kilometres away in what was once the homefront of Newfoundland, events to commemorate the war were also held.

While July 1 is celebrated as Canada Day across the country, in Newfoundland and Labrador it is also mourned as Memorial Day.

Hundreds gathered at the National War Memorial to honour those lost in the First World War.

Sandra Locke was one of several with familial connections who attend each year. She told CBC News her great-grandfather was buried at Beaumont-Hamel.

“They gave their lives, most of them, and left families behind to stand for service. And I respect that, and I thank them every time I see a serviceman with a uniform on today,” Locke said.

Cathy Corcoran said she was watching with great pride.

“It’s more important today than ever to, you know, commemorate this special day,” Locke said.

“That we have so much freedom because of these people,” she said.

Those taking part in the ceremony also feel the impact. Kent Peyton, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Singing Legionnaires, said he loves seeing the support from the community each year.

His father was a veteran, he said, and died on July 1, 2000.

“I think about him a lot today, and also [how] it’s great to be part of this lovely ceremony,” Peyton said.

“The fact that Newfoundlanders are so proud of their heritage, they would all come out on a beautiful day like today, I think that is wonderful. We can never forget the sacrifice that has been made.”

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