It really is amazing what you can find on Wikipedia, a quick search on Fundy Royal brings up the entire voting history since the riding was formed in 1917. You can view it all by clicking on this link which will take you to the Fundy Royal page on Wikipedia.
If you haven't voted yet, Please do so! It's important to exercise your democratic rights!
The Albert County Historical Society is actively seeking people with an interest in local history and the preservation of our past to serve as Members of the Board of Directors for the Albert County Historical Society, which oversees the Albert County Museum and RB Bennett Commemorative Centre.
The Albert County Museum tells the stories of ‘The People of the Tides’ – the human and industrial history of Albert County. The RB Bennett Commemorative Centre highlights the accomplishments of RB Bennett, Canada's 11th Prime Minister 1930-35. The Museum is located in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, and consists of 9 buildings from the original Shiretown of Hopewell Cape.
The Board of Directors has four primary functions:
Purpose — establishing and implementing the museum’s mission and vision;
Continuity — providing continuity for managing and implementing the museum’s affairs;
Progress — setting the rate of progress the museum takes in reaching its mission and vision;
Identity — securing community support and appreciation for the museum’s mission, vision,mandate, beliefs and long-term direction.
As a member of the Board you would be required to attend regular scheduled Board meetings (Generally the First Monday of every Month) and to attend the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held once a year in October.
Experience – NO experience is necessary, just a love (or interest in) of history.
The existing board members will be happy to guide you and answer any questions you may have. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact us. Phone 506-734-2003 or email
PS THE A.G.M. IS THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 @ 7:30pm in the Community Hall
Did you know you can follow the 26th New Brunswick Battalion daily journey through World War One: day by day 100 years later on Facebook? If you're on Facebook you can find them by searching for newbrunswick26th or if you're not on Facebook just follow this link. CLICK HERE
Here is the entry for today, September 18th, 1915:
“Sept 18/1915 The men of the New Brunswick 26th Battalion are now in boxcars on a train moving slowly toward Flanders. (From New Brunswick’s Fighting 26th) “En route, the men crowded the partly open door of the car and, in spite of the language differences, exchanged greetings with the French inhabitants as they passed through, or stopped at, towns and villages. The children called out for “souvenir, bisk-wee” while the soldiers tried to buy extra food wherever they could. To keep up their spirits, they frequently resorted to singing many well-known songs of the day, together with their own soldier’s songs.”
Please like our page to get updates on the 26th Battalion as the war unfolds.
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Now that's a story worth following!
And just a reminder to check out our own 26th Battalion Stories and the Victory Cannon Campaign on our website.
The Victory Cannon Campaign is raising funds to restore the two captured World War One cannons situated in the square in Hopewell Cape. These cannons were captured by Canadians during the Great War, and were awarded to the people of Albert County. You can donate online to the Victory Cannon Campaign here, and best of all you'll be sent a tax receipt! Click Here to Donate!
The New Brunswick connection to the First World War cannon captured at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917 and now found in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, just got better. Recent research completed on the German 105 mm K14 cannon, shows that the damage on the barrel of the cannon was probably caused by shells fired by the 4th or 6th New Brunswick Siege Batteries .
The exact location where the K14 was captured on Vimy Ridge is well documented in the war diaries of the 27th Winnipeg Battalion. In fact the diaries give the exact coordinates where the cannon was captured, and when checked against fire mission records for both NB batteries it was discovered that both New Brunswick Batteries fired heavy concentrations of 8 inch high explosive shells on those very German gun positions. Thus it is very possible that the fire that cut the gouge in the barrel was inflicted by New Brunswick's not nearly famous enough Heavy Artillery!
Those NB Siege Batteries were formed in Saint John and included many men from Albert County, including Cyrus Gaskin (d. April 11, 1917). Gaskin is commemorated in the museum's First World War Roll of Honour, and was killed with the 4th Siege Battery not long after Vimy Ridge was captured as the heavies moved forward to help defend it.
The 4th and 6th New Brunswick Siege Batteries are perpetuated by the modern 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (The Loyal Company) in Saint John and Woodstock.
The large German First World War 105 mm K14 Cannon that sits in the square in Hopewell Cape, was captured at Vimy Ridge, April 9, 1917, and won by the Citizens of Albert County during the Victory Loans Campaign of 1919 for raising the greatest percentage of monies over their set goal. The people of Albert County raised $347,000.00 tripling their goal of $110,000.00. That is a pretty impressive resume for a gun.
Now that's a story worth saving!
The Victory Cannon Campaign is raising funds to restore the two captured World War One cannons situated in the square in Hopewell Cape. These cannons were captured by Canadians during the Great War, and were awarded to the people of Albert County. You can donate online to the Victory Cannon Campaign here, and best of all you'll be sent a tax receipt! Click Here to Donate!
“This information was provided to us thanks to a joint research project between The Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick and 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA (The Loyal Company). The complete findings of this research project will be published in 2016 as a book tentatively titled “Loyal Gunners: A History of 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (The Loyal Company and New Brunswick’s Artillery, 1893-2012.” Once it is published we’ll do a Blog on it. ”
If you were driving through Hopewell Cape this Thursday, you would have seen the sparks flying around the large German First World War Cannon as repairs were made to its metal work. The almost 100 years sitting in the square in Hopewell Cape were not the kindest to the large cannon, with considerable rust and corrosion around the base of the cannon where it rests on the concrete pillar.
Thankfully we have local expertise to take care of that, Todd Steeves of TP Downey & Sons (Hillsborough) was able to come to the museum and make the necessary repairs without having to move the cannon. It is fantastic that we were able to find someone local with the skills and equipment necessary to do the job right so that it lasts another 100 years.
Todd replaced the center brace and carriage bolts, the 2 brackets above center brace, and fixed the holes on side of cannon facing the road. When asked how the work went, Todd said, "The metal is a bit soft but with proper paint the metal should last another hundred years."
The large 10.5 Cm K14 German Cannon was captured at Vimy Ridge, April 9, 1917, and was won by the Citizens of Albert County during the Victory Loans Campaign of 1919 for raising the greatest percentage of monies over their set goal. They raised $347,000.00 tripling their goal of $110,000.00. Pretty impressive for a county of less than 10000 people!
Next on the list of repairs are the concrete pads!
Now that's a story worth saving!
The Victory Cannon Campaign is raising funds to restore the two captured World War One cannons situated in the square in Hopewell Cape. These cannons were captured by Canadians during the Great War, and were awarded to the people of Albert County. You can donate online to the Victory Cannon Campaign here, and best of all you'll be sent a tax receipt! Click Here to Donate!
On June 13, 1915, the 26th Battalion - which contained many men from Albert County - set off for England and the First World War. On June 12 and 13, 2015, the Albert County Museum in Hopewell Cape commemorated the 100th anniversary of this sailing with a celebratory dinner and parade.
The Victory Cannon Campaign just passed the 2/3 mark in the goal to restore the Hopewell Cape War Trophy Cannons, by going past $10000.00. Fundraising efforts during the two day Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Sailing of the 26th Battalion June 13, 1915 raised $5258.20 bringing the campaign within $5000.00 of the final goal of $15000.00.
Did I say PARADE? This Saturday (June 13) at the Albert County Museum featuring the Royal New Brunswick Regiment, the RCMP Pipes and Drums, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 32, the Riverview Veteran's Association, the 560 Moncton Army Cadets and others; in a COLOUR PARADE - Commemorating the Sailing of the 26th New Brunswick Battalion 100 Years-to-the-Day, June 13, 1915. The events begin at 2:00 pm with a General Call to Assembly, followed by presentations on the 26th New Brunswick Battalion, known as the Fighting 26th and continues until the highlight of the day, the Colour Parade at 4:15 pm (sharp).
For more details call the museum 506-734-2003, or click here.
This Saturday, June 13, 2015 we're commemorating the Sailing of the 26th New Brunswick Battalion, 100 years to the day they left for the battlefields of Europe on June 13, 1915. On that day 1148 men set sail, comprised of 42 officers and 1106 other ranks, many would not return, and those that did were forever changed.
When the battalion returned home at the end of the war, only 4 officers of the original 42 and 113 of the original 1106 other ranks were still with the battalion, the others being killed, wounded or transferred to other battalions. Over all about 6,000 men served with the 26th Battalion over the course of the war.
It should be noted that the first member of the battalion to die was Lance Corporal George McKee of Fredericton. He died of pneumonia on April 21, 1915 and was buried in the Fredericton Rural Cemetery with full military honours. He was also the first resident of Fredericton to die on active service.
The first member of the battalion to die in action was Private Moses Gallant from PEI. He was killed on September 28, 1915 during the 26th’s first tour in the trenches near Ypres in Belgium. The first officer from the battalion to die in action was Lieutenant Charles M. Lawson, who was a teacher at Saint John High School before the war. On November 26, 1915 he died of his wounds received during a patrol in No Man’s Land.
Lieutenant Colonel A.E.G. McKenzie, the commanding officer of the battalion, was killed in action on August 28, 1918. The battalion losses on that day were 57 men killed and 199 wounded. The worst single day of the war for the 26th was September 15, 1916 when they lost 325 all ranks (killed, wounded and missing) helping to capture the village of Courcelette on the Somme.
The 26th Battalion never lost a battle the entire war.
What follows is a condensed history of the "26th New Brunswick Battalion 1914-1919":
October 25th 1914 Lt. Col. J.L. McAvity received word to recruit a Battalion for the Expeditionary Force to be known as the 26th.
November 1914 Recruiting carried on throughout the Province, Battalion well over strength.
December 1914 Battalion Billeted in Armouries, Saint John.
June 1915 Training carried on intensively.
June 13th, 1915 Battalion Sailed from Saint John on Anchor Line Caledonia.
June 24th, 1915 Landed at Davenport, England, proceeded by train to East Sandling in the Shorncliffe Area.
June to Sept. 13, 1915 Intensive training in England.
Sept. 13th, 1915 Advance Party of Battalion left for France including the Transport.
Sept. 15th, 1915 Battalion marched to Folkstone and embarked landing at Bolougne, France.
Sept. 15 – 18, 1915 Moved toward Firing Line.
Sept. 25th, 1915 Took over Front, East of Kemmel Vierstraat Road from 22nd Batt.
Oct. 13, 1915 Crater Fight Reconnaissance in Force, really one of the first daylight raids, heavy Casualties. Sgt. Ryder received D.C.M., first decoration in 2nd Canadian Division.
Oct. 1915 to Mar. 1916 Holding Line.
March 1916 Took over St. Eloi Front.
April 1916 Lt. Col. J.L. McAvity Invalided to England and command assumed by Lt. Col. A.E.G. MacKenzie.
April – May, 1916 Holding St. Eloi Front.
May 1916 Raid under Lt. Winter who was later decorated with the M.C.
June 3rd, 1916 Heavy German Attack on left of Battalion.
June 6 – 12, 1916 Holding Front prior to and after Counter Attack, heavy casualties.
June 15 to Aug 15 Back on St. Eloi Front, holding line.
Aug. 1916 Out of Line for Reorganization.
Sept. 1916 Move to Somme Area.
Sept. 15th, 1916 Attack on Courcelette, Battalion went in 555 all ranks and came out 174.
Sept. 28th, 1916 Second Tour in Somme, Battalion went in 374 all ranks and came out 78.
Oct. 2 to 9, 1916 Rest and reorganization Bertacourt.
Oct. 9 to 15, 1916 Move by route march north to Bully Grenay Front.
Oct. to Dec. 1916 Holding Line Bully Grenay Front.
Jan. 1917 Raid Enemy Lines for Identification Purposes.
Jan. 1917 Out of Line to Army Reserve for a month at Bruay.
Feb. to Mar. 1917 New Front East of Neuville, St. Vaast. Preperations for Vimy attack.
April 9th, 1917 Attack on Vimy Ridge, Battalion in first place.
April 14th, 1917 Attack East of Vimy Ridge, Battalion established most forward line on British Front which was named New Brunswick Trench.
April to May 1917 Holding Front East of Vimy.
June 1917 Army Reserve in Estree Couche.
July 1st, 1917 Took over New Front East of Lievan towards Lens.
July 1917 Lt. Col. MacKenzie, D.S.O. goes on course to England and command assumed by Lt. Col. W.R. Brown, D.S.O.
Aug. 15th, 1917 Attack from St. Pierre towards Lens, very heavy casualties.
Aug. 20 – Sept. 8 Rest and Refit Maison Bouche.
Sept. – Oct. 1917 Holding Front East of Vimy.
Oct. 1917 Lt. Col. MacKenzie returns and takes command of Battalion, Col. Brown goes to England to command the reserve.
Nov. 1917 Move North to Ypres Salient.
Nov. 6th, 1917 Attack and Capture of Passchendaele.
Nov. 1917 Move back to Vimy Front.
Dec. 1917 Lt. Col. MacKenzie, D.S.O. Invalided to England. Maj. C.G. Porter, D.S.O. assumes command.
Dec. 21st, 1917 Battalion moves to Army Reserve, first Xmas out of Line.
Jan. 1918 Take over Front East of Vimy.
Feb. 1918 Move back to Lens Front.
March 1918 Battalion out for rest and refit, cut short by German Attack South on the 21st.
Mar. 24, 1918 Move South to Bienvilliers Aubois.
Mar. 26th, 1918 Move North again, S.E. of Arras, take over Telegraph Hill Switch.
April 7th, 1918 Lt. Col. A.E.G. MacKenzie, D.S.O. returns to Battalion, Col. Porter assumes duties of 2 I/C.
Apr. – July 1918 Holding Front East of Neuville Vitasse, many raids carried out by the Battalion.
July 1918 Hauteville for rest and refit.
Aug. 1918 Moves to Amiens.
Aug. 8th, 1918 Attack East of Amiens, great depths gained, many prisoners taken.
Aug. 18th, 1918 Moved North to Arras Area.
Aug. 26th, 1918 Attack East of Arras beginning of the end.
Aug. 28th, 1918 Lt. Col. MacKenzie Killed, leading attack.
Sept., Oct. to Nov. 11th, 1918 Continue attacks towards Cambrai Valenciennes, with Battalion at Wancourt when Armistice Declared.
Nov. 15th, 1918 Detail from Battalion in Official Entry into Mons.
Nov. 20th, 1918 Start March to Germany with Army of Occupation.
Dec. 3rd, 1918 Cross Rhine at Bonn Dursen, Inspected by Gen. Currie at the Bridge.
Jan. 1919 Germany East of Bonn, move back to Tamines in Belgium.
Mar., April 1919 Tamines moved back to England.
May 10th, 1919 Sailed from England on Olympic.
May 17th, 1919 Landed in Halifax, Moved by train to Saint John, great reception.
May 17th, 19th, 1919 Demobilization.
This Saturday, we are honouring the men of the 26th Battalion with a Colour Parade, on June 12, 1915 in front of cheering crowds in excess of 20,000 people, the 26th Battalion marched from the Armoury in Saint John to the Harbour. In the early morning hours on June 13, 1915, the 26th Battalion boarded the troop ship, “Caledonia” and sailed for England.
In commemoration of this historic event, the Royal New Brunswick Regiment will parade in full dress uniforms, along with the RCMP Pipes and Drums Band and local cadet groups (the 560 Moncton Army Cadets). The parade will be inspected by Brigadier General Peter Atkinson (retired). BGen. Atkinson served with the Canadian Forces for over 35 years, and still has strong ties to Albert County. This parade has special meaning for the Royal New Brunswick Regiment for they are the living embodiment of the 26th Battalion and hold their battle honours, which are extensive.
Come out and help us remember the Fighting 26th!
