CP marks Battle of Vimy Ridge centennial

Canadian Pacific On April 9 commemorated the centennial of World War I’s Battle of Vimy Ridge “and the ultimate sacrifice made by more than 3,500 Canadians in a military victory that many consider a defining moment in the history of the country,” the railroad said.

CP “put the resources of its entire globe-spanning freight and travel system at the disposal of the British Empire and allies at the outset of the war, contributing not only tracks and trains, but its ships, yards, shops, hotels, telegraph lines and—above all else—its people,” CP said. “Some 11,340 CP employees enlisted, with a stunning 1,116 railroaders (about 10%) losing their lives and another 20% wounded before the end of the war.”

During the war, two CP employees received the Victoria Cross, the highest award in the United Kingdom, for gallantry “in the face of the enemy,” and 385 others were decorated for valor and distinguished service. As part of its effort, CP also organized the first battalion of Canadian Overseas Railway Construction Corps (CORCC) to build and run railways through Europe during the war.

“I salute the thousands of Canadians and CP railroaders who served then and the many men and women of CP who serve their country still,” said CP President and CEO Keith Creel. “Many Canadians paid a terrible price for this historic victory at Vimy, and I am humbled and honored to be part of a company that has contributed so much to protecting the people and values we all hold so dear.”

To learn more about CP’s contributions to Canada’s war efforts, click HERE.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge

From Wikipedia: The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle, which took place April 9-12, 1917, was part of the opening phase of the British-led Battle of Arras, a diversionary attack for the French Nivelle Offensive.

The objective of the Canadian Corps was to take control of the German-held high ground along an escarpment at the northernmost end of the Arras Offensive. This would ensure that the southern flank could advance without suffering German enfilade fire. Supported by a creeping barrage, the Canadian Corps captured most of the ridge during the first day of the attack. The village of Thélus fell during the second day of the attack, as did the crest of the ridge, once the Canadian Corps overcame a salient against considerable German resistance. The final objective, a fortified knoll located outside the village of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, fell to the Canadian Corps on April 12. The German forces then retreated to the Oppy–Méricourt line.

Historians attribute the success of the Canadian Corps in capturing the ridge to a mixture of technical and tactical innovation, meticulous planning, powerful artillery support and extensive training, as well as the failure of the German Sixth Army to properly apply the new German defensive doctrine. The battle was the first occasion when all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force participated in a battle together and it was made a symbol of Canadian national achievement and sacrifice. A 250-acre portion of the former battleground serves as a memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Click HERE to access the full Wikipedia entry.