Photos

This is a photo of members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment firing party "Presenting Arms" in the annual Battle of Beaumont-Hamel Parade held at the Curling War Memorial, just outside Corner Brook. In the background you can see Members of The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Royal Canadian Army Cadets and Royal Canadian Sea Cadets. It was a warm, windy and sunny afternoon. Many residences attend the parade before going to the Canada Day Celebration.

The War Memorial is in a scenic location overlooking the Bay of Islands.

Canada Day is celebrated on the 1st of July. But in Newfoundland and Labrador it is a day of remembrance of those that fell in Battle at Beaumont-Hamel on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916.

The casualties sustained on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme totaled 57,470, of which 19,240 were fatal. No unit suffered heavier losses than the Newfoundland Regiment, which had gone into action 801 strong. When the roll call of the unwounded was taken next day, only 68 answered their names. The final figures gave a grim count of 255 killed or dead of wounds, 386 wounded, and 91 missing. Every officer who went forward in the Newfoundland attack was either killed or wounded.

The photo was level adjusted slightly cropped and saved to the web.