My father, Sid Hampson of Moose Jaw spent five years in France in WW1 having spent his time on the battlefields and in hospital recovering from bullet wounds and being gassed in major battles. He fought at Vimy in April of 1917 and attended the unveiling of the great Vimy monument in the summer of 1936 attended by Edward V111. One of the people he met up was Mrs. Charlotte Wood of Winnipeg, the first Silver Cross Mother of Canada. Seven of her sons and stepsons had enlisted, two were killed in action including one at Vimy Ridge. I had always been impressed in reading my father's writings and particularly about the lady from Winnipeg who was so prominent in the 1936 ceremonies with the King and her wearing of a coat heavy with the medals of her sons. This is shown in the picture you placed in your article.
Fast forward to the April 9th, 2017 when my son and I were part of the Canadian contingent of veterans who journeyed to Vimy to commemorate the Centennial of the battle. We boarded the bus for Vimy and I took up a conversation with two veterans who sat across the aisle from us and who came from Winnipeg. I was surprised they did not know about Mrs. Wood and the contribution her family had made to the war. A gentleman who had just arrived from his home in England and sitting in front of my seat turned to me and said that he had overheard our conversation about Mrs. Wood and that he was her grandson. From the conversation that followed it was obvious that he knew little about his grandmother so upon my return to Canada I sent off copies of the Legion book which had featured Mrs. Wood on the 1936 Vimy pilgrimage. We have kept up a correspondence since that time. Among the many thousands who attended that ceremony, including Prince Charles and his two sons, was a contingent of students from Moose Jaw who witnessed first-hand the contribution of Canadian soldiers to the battle victory at the little village of Vimy, France.
I thank you for remembering Vimy and what that victory meant to all Canadians.
Best always,
Garth Hampson, retired RCMP Staff Sgt.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
