Pilgrimage to Vimy Ridge for Brandon piper

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This article was published 14/05/2015 (4042 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With bagpipes packed, 15-year-old Sergeant Evan Dyson of the 2520 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, knew he was only hours away from playing at the grave site of his great-great-grandfather, when boarding the plane for Paris on April 5. It was a 500-word essay submitted to the Vimy Foundation describing his years of dedication in the army cadet program, his involvement with pipes and drums and his family history that resulted in the unexpected phone call last December announcing that out of 220 entries, he was one of the 20 students awarded the Vimy Pilgrimage Award.

The Vimy Pilgrimage Award is presented to youth across Canada to recognize outstanding leadership, service, notable deeds, bravery or positive community contributions and is selected through an essay-writing competition, outlining the reasons why they are worthy of the award. Applicants must also include two letters of support by a school staff member, fellow peers, parents, member of the community or cadet program. Recipients are awarded a fully funded, week-long educational tour to various sites in France to study Canada’s efforts in the First World War. Classroom education and daily field trips to important First World War sites are a crucial part of the trip.

After landing in Paris, the students and their chaperones were bused to the city of Arras, the same city where Sgt. Dyson’s great-great-grandfather, R.M. Dyson, died in the Battle of Arras 98 years ago on April 9, 1917. Lance Sergeant R.M. Dyson served with the West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) 12th Battalion, an infantry regiment of the British Army. Standing at his forefather’s grave site at the Faubourg D’amiens Cemetery was a tender moment for the young piper. “It was an emotional experience, one I’ll never forget, playing my bagpipes at my great-great-grandfather’s grave.”

Dyson also found his ancestor’s name on the newest international war memorial, called the “Ring of Memory”, built at Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, It was inaugurated one hundred years after the start of WWI, on November 11, 2014, by French President, Francois Hollande. Inside the giant 328m elliptical ring are engraved, alphabetically, the names of 580,000 soldiers who lost their lives on the battlefields of northern France, the site of one of the bloodiest conflicts of the First World War. This war memorial pays tribute to all nationalities, including Canadians, who fought and perished here between the years of 1914-1918.

As part of the educational aspect of the trip, the team was escorted by a world war historian when visiting various sites in France and Belgium. “He told us war stories throughout the tour when we visited places like Passchendaele Cemetery, John McCrea’s field hospital and other smaller memorials,” says the Grade 10 student from Vincent Massey Secondary School. “I researched the museums and memorials before we left, and seeing the pictures on the internet, you kind of get to feel the heaviness of the war, but when you’re there it’s a really humbling experience. Actually being at those memorials, where thousands of people sacrificed themselves for the sake of their country, was a very emotional experience. And then to know that my great-great-grandfather was there and experienced that, it just makes it all the more real.”

A highlight of the trip for Sgt. Dyson was the visit to the Canadian War Memorial of Vimy, the most prestigious Canadian monument in Europe that pays tribute to all Canadian soldiers who risked or gave their lives in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 9-12, 1917. The recipients took part in the medal ceremony, each receiving a Vimy Pilgrimage medal. Of the 20 young people, six are members of the Cadets Canada youth program. Four of them, including Dyson, attended the ceremony in full dress uniform to stand with their military counterparts, the Canadian veterans, in participation of the 98th anniversary of this famous battle in Canadian history. “The tour guide told us that this trip would change our patriotism towards our country and how we feel about world war remembrance,” says Dyson. “And I definitely see the difference between knowing about the history and then actually knowing what the cause of the war was and knowing what the actual sacrifice was by being in those very places. It was an amazing experience!” he said. “One I will never forget!”

Sgt. Evan Dyson has been involved in the 2520 RCACC in Brandon for three-and-a-half years and piping since he was eight years old. He performs annually at the Scottish Pavilion during the Lieutenant Governor’s Winter Festival in February as well as the Highland Festival in April. He has won numerous medals and trophies for his skill on the highland bagpipe within the Cadet Program and through civilian piping competitions.

The Cadet Program is a national youth development program which aims to foster in youth the attributes of good citizenship and leadership, promote physical fitness, and stimulate an interest in the sea, land and air activities of the Canadian Forces. 2520 RCACC parades each Wednesday night from September to June at the Brandon Armoury and at the MPTF on CFB Shilo from 6:30-9:00 pm. Visit 2520armycadets.com or .cadets.ca.  For more information on the Vimy Pilgrimage Award visit vimyfoundation.ca

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