The Canadian Expeditionary Force distinguished itself in the Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and at Passchendaele, among other sites.
Canadian troops and others stormed Vimy Ridge in April 1917. This site, 11.5 km north of Arras (map), recalls the service and sacrifice of these men, including the names of 11,285 Canadian soldiers with no known graves.A portion of the battlefield is preserved, with guided tours of explanation. Other memorials and cemeteries are nearby.
The Royal Newfoundland Regiment performed heroically during the Battle of the Somme, with one battalion sacrificing 86% of its full strength in the savage fighting—a huge loss for the small population of this then-British, now Canadian island. The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial Park commemorates the service of the regiment, especially the 820 soldiers with no known graves.
During the D-Day Normandy landings of World War II, Canadian troops went ashore at Juno Beach in Normandy. The Juno Beach Centre exhibits explain Canadian participation in the war. More...
