This year’s Vimy Lecture spotlights the Canadian Expeditionary Force and how a group of ordinary citizens evolved into a strong military unit.
The 14th annual lecture – in partnership with the Elgin Historical Society – will feature historian Eric Edwards and is titled, Timetable for Victory: The 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
The focus will be on the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade’s experience at Vimy Ridge, 109 years ago this week.
Edwards notes the involvement of soldiers from St. Thomas and Elgin who served in the 91st Battalion and fought at Vimy Ridge.
On display during the lecture will be the Ellis Sifton Victoria Cross medal. Sifton was born in Wallacetown ,and joined the 18th Battalion – part of the 4th Canadian Infantry – and fought and died at Vimy Ridge.
Sifton was one of only 69 Canadians to receive this honour during the First World War.
Edwards has created a blog dedicated to the 18th Battalion.
He explains, “This blog has been a journey and its intent is not to be the ultimate source of information about the 18th Battalion. The goal is to list every soldier that is mentioned in the War Diary and any subsequent soldiers that ongoing research finds.
“Since there is no nominal roll extant that lists all the soldiers that did serve in the 18th Battalion, it is hoped that the snapshots of these men that this blog furnishes and fills out not only my knowledge and understanding of this time in history but to be a resource, at least a starting point, for people interested in Canadian history and matters specific to the 18th Battalion.”
The blog can be found here https://18thbattalioncef.blog/
The Vimy Lecture is 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8 at the Elgin County Heritage Centre, 460 Sunset Drive. Free parking is available behind the Elgin County Administration Building.
Written by Ian McCallum
