By Charles Lefebvre

BATUS marks 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge

Apr 11, 2017 | 3:00 PM

CFB SUFFIELD – Members of the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) gathered Tuesday morning to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Canadian and British Soldiers.

The soldiers paid tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge with a parade and service on CFB Suffield.

“It’s a really seminal moment for Canada and the Canadian army,” said Col. Marcus Evans, commanding officer with BATUS. “We wanted to celebrate that because we are hosted so well here at CFB Suffield.”

The Battle of Vimy Ridge, which lasted from April 9 to 12, 1917, was part of the larger Battle of Arras during the First World War. More than 60,000 British soldiers fought alongside the four Canadian divisions during Vimy Ridge, and Evans saying the battle is remembered by the British Army as well.

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BATUS soldiers were dressed in authentic First World War outfits and carrying historical weapons during the parade, which started at CFB Suffield. Evans said he wanted the soldiers to be able to understand and empathize what soldiers were going through.

The battle has been referred to as the time Canada became a nation, even though it was a Commonwealth territory. Evans says following the battle, the Canadian soldiers became the “shock troops” of the British Army.

“Prime Minister Lloyd George said in Parliament ‘Canadians aren’t fight for us anymore, they’re fighting with us,’” he said. “It was a recognition from the U.K. that Canada was becoming an independent nation, we were providing huge support as allies, and looking forward, I think that’s important to remember.

“We’ve been fighting side by side for 100 years for shared values, and that’s what we’re training to do right now.”