Military History of Newfoundland – Beaumont-Hamel

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The date was July 1, 1916; it was the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

It was the Newfoundland Regiment's first major engagement. In about 30 minutes, the regiment was all but wiped out.

There were approximately 800 soldiers who went into battle; only 68 answered the roll call the next day, meaning more than 700 were killed, wounded, or missing.

At home, people were left with a sense of loss that marked an entire generation. Today, we are a Canadian Province. In Canada, 1 July is celebrated as Canada Day; in Newfoundland and Labrador, the date is Memorial Day, in remembrance of the Newfoundland Regiment's losses at Beaumont-Hamel.

Memorial University was originally established as a memorial to Newfoundlanders who had died in the First World War.

There are seven caribou memorials and the National War Memorial in place, and the establishment of the preserved battlefield park at Beaumont-Hamel.