Remembering on the South Shore
With Remembrance Day coming up next week, I thought it might be a good idea to look at how we remember on the South Shore. There’s a deep military history in our area, and many people are affected by the holiday in different ways.
History
First, I did a little bit of research on the military history in our area. Turns out there’s a lot to talk about! Here are some highlights from an article I found in on the website South Shore Now, by Robert Hirtle:
• The first foreign protestants came to Lunenburg around 1753.
• During the early years those settlers were under protection of British regular troops.
• Soon they formed their own militia unit to protect the town and surrounding area.
• In 1808 that team became called the 23rd Battalion, Nova Scotia Militia.
• In 1807 there was a reorganization and renaming of the unit to the 75th Lunenburg Battalion of Infantry.
• This name lasted until 1923 when the name was changed again to simply the Lunenburg Regiment.
• This regiment served with the 16th Battalion of the Canadian army during the First World War.
• They earned battle honours at Arras, Hill 70, Ypres, Amiens, the Hindenburg Line and the Pursuit to Mons.
• The regiment joined the Annapolis unit to create the West Nova Scotia Regiment in 1936 and served during the Second World War.
• The West Nova Scotia Regiment serves and protects Canadians from the headquarters in Aldershot, to this day.
The South Shore Remembers
Looks like Lunenburg and other towns on the South Shore have been involved in the military for many, many years. There are families in our area have ancestors who served hundreds of years ago, as well as families whose members who are currently serving in the Canadian Forces. The number of Remembrance Day ceremonies on the South Shore I think reflect the importance of this day to our residents.
One of the largest ceremonies near us is in Bridgewater at the cenotaph, as well events both in Lunenburg and Mahone Bay.
More Information
For some great coverage on Remembrance Day services on the South Shore, check out part of South Shore Now‘s website dedicated to documenting this day. There are stories told by veterans, wartime recipes, videos, and artwork.
There are also some great stories as well as information on the Government website for Veteran’s week.
