The Battle of Amiens was a turning point in the First World War.
Described now as, the beginning of the end, it marked the last 100 days until the Armistice was declared on November 11th,1918.
4,000 Canadians died on this day in 1918
A commemoration ceremony took place today in Amiens Cathedral with Prince William in attendance.
2,000 guests filled the cathedral, listening to readings that included extracts from diaries, letters and poems as well as personal accounts from those who were there.
Canada’s Minister of Veterans Affairs, Seamus O’Regan, was the official representative for Canada.
100,000 Canadians took part in the four-day battle; 4,000 Canadians died on this day in 1918, as they fought along with Australians and British forces.
Battle of Amiens with Canadian troops clearing dug-outs in August, 1918.
(COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE/LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA/1964-114NPC)
The first day, German forces retreated over 7 miles and were forced to continue their retreat in the days that followed.
It is said it was this battle that convinced the Germans that the war was unwinnable.
When it was over, 1,036 Canadians had been killed, 2,803 injured and 29 taken prisoner
Prince William, said in his speech, the purpose of the service was to “honour the fallen of all nations” involved in the war.
The bodies of 8 Canadian soldiers who died in the battle were discovered by a French teenager in the backgarden of the family home.
In 2006, Fabien Demeusere, who was then 14, had a passion for the First World War and the history that had played out around him.
In the ground he found a bullet, a fountain pen and a button with a maple leaf on it, among other objects.
Demeusere’s discovery led to the recovery of the eight soldiers bodies and the contact with the families.
(With files from CBC)
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