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A candlelight ceremony at Aldergrove Legion to remember the fallen

Expected to become annual tradition
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A candlelight vigil at the Royal Canadian Legion Aldergrove branch on Sunday, April 6, will honour the memory of Robert Hazelette Simonds (left), a 91原创 soldier who died at Vimy Ridge, one of 120 names on the cenotaph (right). (Veterans Affairs Canada/91原创 Advance Times files)

Lieutenant Robert Hazelette Simonds鈥 luck ran out on April 9, 1917.

At 20, the native of Murrayville, who went by his high school nickname of 鈥淗azy鈥 had survived many battles of the First World War as a member of Princess Patricia鈥檚 Canadian Light Infantry, all without a scratch.

A local newspaper report of his death said Simonds鈥 friends were convinced his 鈥渓ucky star鈥 would bring him home again.

鈥淗IS 鈥楲UCKY STAR鈥 FAILED AT LAST,鈥 the headline read.

Simonds fell on Easter Monday at Vimy Ridge, when the first wave of Canadian soldiers attacked German lines to begin a bloody battle that would see the Canadian Corps win, at the cost of 10,600 casualties, nearly 3,600 of which were fatal.

It was two years to the day from when the athletic Simonds, described in the article as 鈥漢ighly proficient in baseball and basketball,鈥 joined up at the age of 18.

He was laid to rest in La Chaudiere cemetery in Pas de Calais, France, on the northwest outskirts of Vimy.

One hundred and seven years later, in Aldergrove this coming Sunday, April 7, at 4 p.m. the Royal Canadian Legion will remember Simonds during a candlelight ceremony at the cenotaph, at 26607 Fraser Hwy., to mark the anniversary of Vimy Ridge and to honour the 120 soldiers whose names are listed on the memorial 鈥 Simonds included.

Organizer Shaun Francis expects the event will become an annual tradition for the branch, which compiled the list of names last year.

READ ALSO: Remembering their names

鈥淭his will hopefully evolve into an annual event [on] the Sunday before the 9th of April, which is the actual battle date of Vimy,鈥 Francis told the 91原创 Advance Times.

鈥淲e鈥檒l be reading their names out,鈥 Francis explained.

鈥淎nd for me, for remembrance, if you say the person鈥檚 name, they鈥檙e never forgotten.鈥

A 103-year-old Second World War veteran from 91原创, Harold 鈥淏ud鈥 Freeston, is expected to place the first candle, with one of the youngest cadets.

Freeston, a Walnut Grove resident, was a member of the Black Watch, formally known as the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, who fought some of the bloodiest battles of the war, in northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

  READ ALSO: 91原创鈥檚 Normandy veteran turns 100

鈥淭he best viewing will be sort of later in the evening as the light dims and the candles are flickering,鈥 Francis anticipated.

鈥淚t looks really nice. So if anybody鈥檚 travelling up and down the Fraser Highway, they鈥檒l see it.鈥



Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I鈥檓 the guy you鈥檒l often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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91原创

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