Guest Simon Bull Posted 14 May , 2003 Share Posted 14 May , 2003 In another thread Paul Reed mentioned "the 'forgotten' 44th CEF memorial on Vimy Ridge". Could someone tell me whereabouts on Vimy Ridge this memorial is? I would hope to try to visit it when next in the area. Simon Bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Thompson Posted 14 May , 2003 Share Posted 14 May , 2003 Simon, I don't quote from personal experience but from the Battleground Europe publication on Vimy Ridge. The 44th Bn CEF Memorial is on The Pimple a few yards inside Givenchy Wood, about a hundred yards down the track towards Souchez, coming down the north side of the ridge. Access to the memorial is difficult. There are two alternatives. Take the road to Givenchy from the Canadian Memorial; on entering the village there is a sharp left turn (Rue de Gallieni) which is marked as a cul de sac. The road rapidly becomes very poor quality but is usually passable. Stop at a crossroads where a track falls away towards Givenchy and a wood commences on the right. The 44th Bn memorial is in a meadow a hundred yards or so from the crossroads. Access seems to be no problem, although this is private land. Another approach is from Souchez. Follow the signs to Givenchy-en-Gohelle Canadian Cemetery but turn left as soon as you go under the motorway. Follow the road until it comes to a dead end. The memorial is clearly visible in the field on your right, and it is easy to walk over a vehicle block to examine the memorial more closely. Regards Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Bull Posted 15 May , 2003 Share Posted 15 May , 2003 Thanks Marc. Simon Bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 18 May , 2003 Share Posted 18 May , 2003 Another approach is from Souchez. Follow the signs to Givenchy-en-Gohelle Canadian Cemetery but turn left as soon as you go under the motorway. Follow the road until it comes to a dead end. The memorial is clearly visible in the field on your right, and it is easy to walk over a vehicle block to examine the memorial more closely. This is the best route; the other one is really only possible on foot. I used to take a mini-coach up there to visit the memorial during the two years we did a Hindenburg Line tour; so there is plenty of space to turn around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 19 November , 2004 Share Posted 19 November , 2004 Has anyone been by this marker to get a picture? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 19 November , 2004 Share Posted 19 November , 2004 I will post a photo of it this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 19 November , 2004 Share Posted 19 November , 2004 Found it sooner than I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 Thanks Paul, but oh my God was this monument there before the war? What happened to it that it looks so worn? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southafricawargraves Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 The 44th Bn memorial I'm dead certain was saved or at least the plaques from it were. It nows resides in Vimy Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. A few years back the honour roll plaques were cast into bronze and re-affixed to the memorial. As for as I know this is the "Pimple" memorial or what was reclaimed years ago. So the shell that is left at the battle site may have bene left like that on purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 What you see here is the remains of the original battalion memorial, built by the 44th Bn pioneer section in early 1918. You can just make CANADA and 44 etched into the concrete. The hole is shell damage. As Ralph says the cross and wooden name panels were taken back to Canada in 1919. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkristof Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 Are there no plans to restore it? Or place a new monument on the same spot?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.S.Regt. Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 Paul I never seen this memorial but was interested in Knowing was the shell damage a result of WW1 or WW2. Regards N.S.Regt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 Are there no plans to restore it? Or place a new monument on the same spot?? As it is a very rare example of a wartime battalion memorial, I would personally not like to see it replaced; it is actually in quite good condition. But it is not a registered memorial and is on private land, so there is nothing to stop the owner knocking it down any time he/she wanted to. I did speak to the WFA about this some time ago and also the Vimy Memorial Park authorities, but there was little interest from either. N.S. Regt, I suspect the damage is WW1, as this was near the front line in 1918 (March-April), and it is in an isolated spot where there was no WW2 action to my knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Juice Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 What is the 44th or the 46th that was nicknamed the "Suicide Battalion"? JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 It was the 46th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andigger Posted 20 November , 2004 Share Posted 20 November , 2004 As it is a very rare example of a wartime battalion memorial, I would personally not like to see it replaced; ... But it is not a registered memorial and is on private land, so there is nothing to stop the owner knocking it down any time he/she wanted to. I did speak to the WFA about this some time ago and also the Vimy Memorial Park authorities, but there was little interest from either. Paul, I didn't know this was a war time memorial. That being the case I absolutly agree with you that it should be preserved as it is. As it is on private land, what were you hoping the WFA would be able to do to help preserve it? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 21 November , 2004 Share Posted 21 November , 2004 As it is on private land, what were you hoping the WFA would be able to do to help preserve it? Well, we are talking quite a few years ago now when the WFA had a five figure sum fund available for memorials on the Western Front - presumably there to use to fund the restoration or preservation of memorials like this (or so I thought at the time). Some of it was indeed spent on private memorials, but not on this one... and now nothing remains of the fund, I understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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