Come Help Us Plant a VIMY RIDGE Oak Tree - Wednesday, May 10 @ 3pm

We're pleased to announce that on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 we will be planting a Vimy Oak tree in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The tree was made available through the Vimy Oaks Legacy Project with the cooperation of Landscape NB/PEI.  The Vimy Oak Trees were grown from scions cut from oak trees grown from acorns gathered on the Vimy Battlefield by Lieutenant Leslie H. Miller in 1917. The planting will take place during the Anglophone East School District Heritage Fair.

After the Battle at Vimy Ridge was won, many soldiers realized that they had been part of something truly great. Lieutenant Leslie H. Miller, born in 1889 in Milliken, ON, looked around for a souvenir on the Ridge, which was completely devoid of structures or vegetation due to shell fire but he did find a half buried oak tree. He gathered up a handful of acorns.

Those acorns were subsequently planted by him on his farm which he called ‘Vimy Oaks Farm’ and are now large majestic oaks. The First World War wiped out all but one native oak in the Vimy region, and the Vimy Oaks Legacy Project was created to repatriate the native oaks to Vimy Ridge to create a living memorial to honour the memory of all those who fought, connecting modern Canada and modern France, and reaffirming our comradeship with France and her people.

Arborist collecting scions.

In January 2015, the process began with professional arborists taking cuttings (scions) from the crowns of the oaks which were grafted onto base root stock – Quercus robur. Today, the trees are almost 5 feet tall and are ready for their journey back to France and to various places across Canada.  

Landscape NB & PEI was able to obtain 40 trees out of a stock of 200 from the foundation and brought them to New Brunswick to be shared across the two provinces. In April, they sent out a request for appropriate locations to plant them and were overwhelmed with requests.

When asked about the Vimy Oaks Legacy project, Executive Director of Landscape NB&PEI, Jim Landry said, “Last June I had the opportunity to visit the grave of my great uncle and his best friend who were both killed at the battle. Also, I have worked my entire life in the horticulture industry. This project links those two things together so beautifully. “.

A Vimy Oak at the Nursery

Stuart Liptay, President of the Albert County Historical Society says, “We were fortunate that Brunswick Limestone out of Hillsborough, NB contacted us about the potential for getting one of the Vimy Oaks through Landscape NB&PEI, as we had no idea some were even available. I immediately called Jim Landry at Landscape NB&PEI and asked him for a tree. Once Jim heard the story about our Vimy Ridge gun he was really excited about the prospect.” Liptay went on to say,” The museum is in the process of restoring a gun that was captured at Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. The gun was captured by the 27th Battalion at Vimy Ridge and was awarded to Albert County in the 1919 Victory Loans Competition. The addition of a living oak tree descended from the great oak trees at Vimy Ridge is an amazing addition to the story of our Vimy Gun.”

The oak tree is going to be planted across from an English Oak which was planted in 1939 to commemorate the Royal Visit of King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth when they toured across Canada by train. The two oak trees, one from England and one with roots at Canada’s great battle in France are a great symbol of unity for our country in its 150th year.

The planting ceremony will take place at the Albert County Museum on Wednesday, May 10 at 3pm just before the awards ceremony for the Anglophone East School District Regional Heritage Fair. Viewing of the Heritage Fair projects begins at 2pm and is open to the public. The Heritage Fair highlights projects developed by middle school students around historical and heritage related themes.

We hope to see a crowd out on Wednesday afternoon!

A Window on the Great War - A Letter from the Front, April 29, 1917 France

This World War One letter was written by Hugh C. Wright of Shepody (Hopewell) Albert County on April 29, 1917 while he was in serving in the Canadian Garrison Artillery (CGA) in France. Hugh had enlisted in the 26th Battalion on November 17, 1914 when he was 19 years old. He sailed with the 26th Battalion from Saint John on June 13, 1915 aboard the steamship “Caledonia”. They arrived in England on June 24, 1915 where they underwent rigorous training in preparation for going to the battle front.

Hugh served in the 26th Bn, 5th Infantry Brigade in Belgium and France spending 17 months in the trenches. In February 1917, he transferred to the 4th Siege Battery, 2nd Brigade CGA and was a gunner for the remainder of the war. He was discharged on May 10, 1919...on his 24th birthday!

Hugh Wright was the youngest son of James and Jane Wright. Hugh's letters are addressed … “Dear Father” because his mother had died when he was only 7 years old.

The letter was written in pencil and unlike the last letter the censor did not cut anything out of this one. You can see it was read by the sticker applied to the envelope. 

“I am very fortunate to have over 50 letters that my Great Uncle Hugh wrote to his family while serving in WWI”. Great Niece Dawne McLean

With many thanks to Hugh Wright's great niece, Dawne McLean who kindly submitted the letter.

" Somewhere in France

April 29th/17

Dear Father & all ~

Well another week has rolled by & it is my turn to write this Sunday

so here I am trying to scratch off a few lines before dinner.

Well at last the cold weather appears to be about all over & now it

is nice and warm so a fellow can lay out on the grass and enjoy himself

(that is when not working) but a fellow does not mind working when

it is nice and dry underfoot.

I suppose Clarke told you last week about us being up to the Batt and saw

Billie R and Walter D but did not see Joe as he was in the hospital sick and

I am glad that he is, as there has been some pretty tough scrapping going on

here lately and he is better out of it. I have never heard whether Guy R has

ever come to France or not. I suppose Jim is in England yet training.

We haven't had any mail from home for nearly two weeks so it must be delayed

somewhere. I wish you would get me a couple of suits of underwear like I

used to wear when home. The stuff that we get here at the baths is not much,

so I will get my own and do my own washing this summer.

I have not seen or heard anything more of Blair. Their Battery is quite aways

from us so it is pretty hard to see them.

Well, it will soon be a year since I went on leave. Last year I went on the

10th of May, but I don't expect to get any leave this summer although I

would like to have a few days in blighty.

A fellow gets so tired and sick of this place. It will soon be two years since

I came to France & it certainly seems a long time but maybe it will end this fall

and I hope so.

Well I can't think of anything more now so will close.

Hope we soon get some mail.

So long for this time

Hugh

We received your letter of April 4th today and was glad to hear from you.

Hugh

(the signature of the Censor is also written on this last page of the letter)"

Lest We Forget - Arthur Everett Tingley - Killed in Action 100 Years Ago Today 04.28.1917

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Arthur Everett Tingley, 830262 was from Midway, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born June 26, 1896. He was the son of Otis K. and Huldah Tingley, of Midway, Albert County, New Brunswick. He enlisted with the 144th Battalion on December 21, 1915. His occupation was listed as student. He served overseas with 8th Battalion (Manitoba Regiment). He has no known grave and is remembered on the Vimy Monument. 

 You can find his attestation papers by clicking here.

He is listed on page 339 of Canada's Book of Remembrance.

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

#1: The Beginning

It has been three weeks and two days since I began my role as Manager/Curator of the Albert County Museum. I fully intended on blogging sooner but time and tasks ran away with me. Over the course of this, my first year, my goal is to give you, dear reader, a look into my daily life, activities, and reflections as you would find in the journal or diary of any ship's captain. There will continue to be educational articles but, in the Captain's Log, I invite you to share with me in the ups and downs, ins and outs, successes and mistakes (!!!) of my first voyage.

If we haven't met yet, let me introduce myself. My name is Melody Land. I have a husband, a child, and a dog.

Some of my earliest memories are shaped by the land in Albert County. In my oldest memory, I am sitting on someone’s knee (my Great Grandfather Guy, a farmer) and there is well-worn brown work-pants and a hand, lined and leathery with age and hard work in the elements. He pinches the skin and it stands up! Then he wiggles his fingers and it is erased, like some form of magic.   

My family history is rooted in Albert County. Originally, my Mother’s family lived in West River where they farmed. Eventually, they moved to Hillsborough where work in the mill awaited the men and indoor plumbing awaited the women. My Father’s family hailed from Hopewell Cape. On Valentine’s Day in World War II my Great Grandfather Albert immigrated here from England – literally a person brought here by the tides. To make the long story short, a house boy fell in love, married, and ended up working for the post. Since then, the Lands have always resided in Hopewell Cape. Now I do as well, nestled in the web of generations of people whose stories and lore are as much a part of our county as our county is a part of us.

When I was young, there were a few things I could do well. I could talk the ears off anyone I met. I could tell imaginative stories. I could learn. I was intuitive. Those things, and an appreciation of local history led me into summer employment within the tourism industry, finishing at the Steeves House Museum in Hillsborough as acting Administrator. Academically, I pursued education in the Social Sciences (because “people” were my “thing”) and completed my last foray into academia when I graduated with a Master’s of Arts in Counselling Psychology. My employment history has been diverse, and my heart has been in working within non-profit agencies like Oxfam Canada, the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area (MAGMA) and the John Howard Society developing programming, teaching/facilitating, and working within my community to effect positive change.

As soon as I saw the advertisement for the position of Curator/Administrator of the Albert County Museum, I immediately began working on my application. With my background in employment training and management, program development, and administration combined with my love of our home, our environment, our history, and our future, I look forward to effecting positive change here in my own backyard.

Welcome on the journey, here's to the beginning!

~ Melody

Excellent Time-line Photos of the Vimy Gun! Adding to the story!

We have recently received some amazing photos of the Guns in Hopewell Cape which really helps in the guns timeline! One in particular from the photo collection of Verna Beaumont shows the Vimy Gun on May 9, 1943 sporting its green coat of paint. So we know from two dated photos the cannon was painted between 1935 and 1943 from the original camouflage colors to an army green. The cannons would stay green until they were refurbished at Gagetown in 1989 when they were painted grey.  

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Cyril Cook in Seaman's Uniform, May 9, 1943 with unidentified man in Air Force uniform. 

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Hopewell Vimy Gun Circa 1935  - Cyril Cook is in this Photo

Early Photos Circa 1920 of the Vimy Cannon in Hopewell Cape.

Special thanks to Justin Raworth who shared the images of the cannon from 1920 and Terry Smith, who shared  the pictures of Cyril Cook from his Mother's photo collection (Verna Beaumont). Cyril Cook was her uncle. Both pictures are dated 9 May 1943.

LEST WE FORGET - On This Day 100 Years Ago Norman Yeomans was Killed in Action - 04.17.1917

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Norman Yeomans was from Elgin, New Brunswick. He was born in 1891.  Son of Elias Millage and Catherine (Powers) Yeomans. He was Killed in Action in France at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. 

We were unable to find any further information on him. If anyone has any please forward it to us, so we can properly honour him. 

He is commemorated on the family tombstone in Elgin, NB.  

Amazing Photo Collection of Vimy Gun in Hopewell Cape - Circa 1935

We have just received some amazing photos of the Hopewell Cape Vimy Gun from the family photo collection of Susan Richardson. With special thanks to Kevin Snair of Creative Imagery for scanning and sending them to us! Five are from the 1930s and one from the 1960s. The photo of the five boys on the Hopewell Cape Vimy Ridge Gun is from 1935 and shows Douglas Higgins, Burton Fownes, Vernon Fownes, Cyril Cook and Harold Bishop on the gun. Isn't the camouflage paint job amazing!

Douglas Higgins, Burton Fownes, Vernon Fownes, Cyril Cook and Harold Bishop Circa 1935

Lest We Forget - Charles Lawson Fenton - Killed in Action 100 Years Ago Today 04.12.1917

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Charles Lawson Fenton, 817985 was from Hillsborough, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born September 3, 1893. He was the son of Lawson Fenton and Ruth Fenton of Edgett's Landing, New Brunswick. He enlisted with the 140th Battalion on March 22, 1916. His occupation was listed as quarryman. He served overseas with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regt.). He died as a result of wounds April 12, 1917 at Vimy Ridge, France. He is buried at LAPUGNOY MILITARY CEMETERY, Pas de Calais, France. 

 You can find his complete service records  by clicking here.

He is listed on page 236 of Canada's Book of Remembrance.

You can view his internment records here. 

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

LEST WE FORGET - On This Day 100 Years Ago James Harold Beck was Killed in Action - 04.09.1917

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James Harold Beck was from Elgin, New Brunswick and was born August 13, 1896. He was the son of Mr. James Beck. He was a farmer at the time of his enlistment. He enlisted with the 104th Battalion on September 24, 1915. He was Killed in Action in France at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Vimy Memorial.

 You can find his complete service record by clicking here.

You can view his name on Canada's Book of Remembrance page 198 here.  

His page on the Canadian Virtual memorial here.

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

Come join us LIVE tomorrow on Facebook as we walk through the capture of our Vimy Ridge Gun at 12 Noon

Come join us LIVE tomorrow April 9, 2017 on Facebook as we walk through the capture of our Vimy Ridge Gun at 12 Noon. We will discuss the capture and how the gun arrived in Hopewell Cape, and the amazing story behind it. The Hopewell Cape Vimy Ridge Victory Cannon is one amazing story, don't miss it!

Lest We Forget - David Johnson Kane - Killed in Action 100 Years Ago Today 03.27.1917

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David Johnson Kane was from Parkindale, Albert Co., New Brunswick and was born October 2, 1894. He was the son of George Johnston Kane and Naomi Kane, of Parkindale, New Brunswick. He enlisted with the 145th Battalion on August 11, 1916. He served overseas with 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion. He was killed in action March 27, 1917 at Neuville St. Vaast, France. His death was recorded as being caused by a direct hit on a dugout. Sixteen other men died along with him. He is buried at Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. 

 You can find his complete service records  by clicking here.

He is listed on page 266 of Canada's Book of Remembrance.

You can view his internment records here. 

You can view the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion War Dairy entry for that day here. 

If anyone has any further information, photos or memories they would like to share please pass them along. 

A Window on the Great War - A Letter from the Front, March 11, 1917 France

This World War I letter was written by Hugh C. Wright of Shepody (Hopewell) Albert County on March 11, 1917 while he was in serving in the Canadian Garrison Artillery in France. Hugh had enlisted in the 26th Battalion on November 17, 1914 when he was 19 years old. He sailed with the 26th Bn from Saint John on June 13, 1915 aboard the steamship “Caledonia”. They arrived in England on June 24, 1915 where they underwent rigorous training in preparation for going to the battle front.

Hugh served in the 26th Bn, 5th Infantry Brigade in Belgium and France spending 17 months in the trenches. In February 1917, he transferred to the 4th Siege Battery, 2nd Brigade CGA and was a gunner for the remainder of the war. He was discharged on May 10, 1919...on his 24th birthday!

Hugh Wright was the youngest son of James and Jane Wright. Hugh's letters are addressed … “Dear Father” because his mother had died when he was only 7 years old.

The letter was written in pencil and the censor had cut out words that might give information of location if intercepted by the enemy. The censor also signed his name at the bottom of the last page of the letter.

“I am very fortunate to have over 50 letters that my Great Uncle Hugh wrote to his family while serving in WWI”. Great Niece Dawne McLean

With many thanks to Hugh Wright's great niece, Dawne McLean who kindly submitted the letter.

"

March 11, 1917  France

Dear Father,

I am writing tonight sitting outdoors and believe me it is one fine night, nice and warm and is really the first warm day we have had this spring so far.

It has been some time since I wrote but we are (words cut out by censor) that  a person does not get much chance to write, so I hope you don't worry much about me.

I like the Battery fine. I have had more time to myself since I came here that I had all the time I was in (words cut out by censor). Of course we are not idle all the time, we certainly have some hard work at times. 

I have not seen Clarke since I came here as he is a rear guard someplace, but I guess he is having a fairly easy time, but I imagine he would sooner be back with the boys.

I have only got one parcel since I came here and that was from Mrs. Paul Robinson. The last letter that I had from home was the  one with the clipping of Mr. McClelan in it.

I had a long letter from Uncle Silas yesterday and he said that he was sending me a box so  I hope that it soon gets here.

I saw in a Telegraph that one of the boys got where Mr. Carnwarth was running with Mr. Ryan and I hope he gets in this time. All of us are very anxious to know how the election went.

In my last letter I spoke about sending some money, it comes in very handy when we are (words cut out by censor) good little town (words cut out by censor) then is the time when a little cash comes in handy.

Well, Father I can't think of anything more tonight, in fact there is very little to write about anytime.

Well, I will close with
Love to all
Hugh

P.S. I suppose Hillman will soon be having a little colt to play with.
                                                                                        HW

(And the letter is signed at the bottom by the censor LW Bassler )