Newfoundland’s National War Memorial and Tomb of Unknown Newfoundland First World War Soldier

Rose pursuant to notice of October 29, 2025:

That he will call the attention of the Senate to Newfoundland’s National War Memorial and the Tomb of an unknown Newfoundland First World War soldier.

He said: Honourable senators, St. John’s is home to one of only two National War Memorials in Canada, and the memorial in Newfoundland is the oldest one, having been unveiled on July 1, 1924, when Newfoundland was a self-governing dominion of the British Empire. The unveiling took place 15 years before the National War Memorial was built here in Ottawa.

Our war memorial is located on Water Street in the capital city of St. John’s on a piece of land formerly known as King’s Beach. This was the last place where many of our Royal Newfoundland Regiment soldiers stood on Newfoundland soil before boarding the waiting ship, the SS Florizel, and departing for war.

During World War I, approximately 12,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians enlisted to fight alongside Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

During the First World War, the battalion-sized Newfoundland Regiment was the only North American unit to fight in the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915. Later in the war, the regiment was virtually wiped out at Beaumont-Hamel on July 1, 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

The first recruits in the regiment were nicknamed the Blue Puttees due to the unusual colour of their puttees, which is the covering for the lower part of the leg from the ankle to the knee. The blue colour was chosen due to the shortage of dark khaki material on the island of Newfoundland at the time.

In December of 1917, George V bestowed the regiment with the right to use the prefix “Royal” before its name. It was the only military unit to receive this honour during the First World War.

Following World War I, the Great War Veterans’ Association and the Newfoundland Patriotic Association launched a campaign to have a national war memorial established. They developed a committee to establish the design and undertake the fundraising to pay for the proposed memorial, and within a very brief period of time, the donations began to pour in.

The memorial commemorates all of Newfoundland and Labrador’s wartime achievements on land and sea. Construction of the memorial was supervised by Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Nagle, who was the Roman Catholic padre of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and retired captain Gerald Whitty.

Designed by British artists Gilbert Bayes and Ferdinand Victor Blundstone, the female allegorical sculpture Victory, Liberty, or the Spirit of Newfoundland sits on a granite pedestal. She holds a flaming torch in her left hand, high above her head. The torch, which symbolizes freedom, is the memorial’s highest point, prioritizing freedom as a central motivation for Newfoundland’s wartime contribution. In her right hand, she holds a sword which represents both Newfoundland’s willingness to serve during the First World War and their loyalty to the British Empire. The sword is below her waist, but not completely lowered. It is poised for battle and is meant to depict that, while the war is over, Newfoundland was, and is, ready and willing to fight for its freedom and liberty.

The female sculpture rises above four lifelike bronze figures. We have a sailor from the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve, a lumberman from the Forestry Corps, a fisherman in oilskins and wellington boots from the mercantile marine and a soldier from The Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Altogether, they provide a tangible connection to Newfoundland and Labrador and those who served overseas and on the home front.

On the front of the monument below the figures are five plaques commemorating Newfoundland and Labrador’s contributions in different conflicts. In the centre, the original 1924 plaque honours those killed during the First World War. Plaques dedicated to those fallen in the Second World War, the Korean War, Afghanistan and the War of 1812 were added later.

In 2019 the memorial was designated as a national historic site based on the artistic significance and the fact that the memorial was inspired by John McCrae’s famous poem In Flanders Fields. Field Marshal Earl Douglas Haig, the former commander of the British Expeditionary Force during most of World War I, unveiled the National War Memorial in St. John’s on July 1, 1924. Twenty thousand people — 10% of the Island’s population at the time — came out to witness the unveiling.

In preparation for the centennial in 2024, the memorial received a $6.1-million restoration. Part of the project was entrusted to local St. John’s sculptor Morgan MacDonald. His difficult and time-consuming task was to bring the sculptures back to their original state after a century of being exposed to the elements.

The appearance of the sculptures had been altered, leaving them covered with a greenish tint, the result of a product called oxidation. Morgan MacDonald is well known nationally for his sculpting work, but says that this particular project was a true labour of love and that it was very personal. That was because Morgan’s great-grandfather Joe Babstock was a veteran of the First World War, who survived several battles and German captivity.

As he carried out his restoration work on the statues, Morgan said he felt a deep connection to the artists who originally constructed the statues over 100 years ago and considered it a great honour to have such a privilege to be the person restoring the statues to their original state. He said, “It’s from an era bygone. This is a quality of workmanship you don’t see anymore . . . .” He added, “It’s very humbling to me. I look up to this kind of craftsmanship.”

I feel confident in saying that my fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and I look up to Morgan MacDonald’s craftsmanship as well. The final result from his hours of hard work in restoring the statues on the war memorial is, indeed, the highest quality of workmanship, and we are forever grateful for what he has accomplished. He has created his own legacy and should be very proud of it.

The restoration project beautified the whole area, saw the installation of new lighting and was completed by adding new accessible walkways and stairs. It is difficult to explain with mere words the elegance of the finished product. It is a credit to those who designed, constructed and financed the project, but much more important than that, it is a most fitting tribute to those brave men and women who fought and died for the peace and freedom we enjoy in this country today.

Another major component of the restoration project was the creation of the tomb of the unknown soldier.

The unique military history of Newfoundland was recognized by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and for the very first time, the commission approved a second tomb of an unknown soldier within the same country.

The tomb is built of Caledonia granite originally quarried in Rivière-à-Pierre, Quebec. The granite was selected for its colour, matching that of the war memorial itself. The bronze work, showing a medieval sword, a First World War helmet and branches of the maple and laurel leaves, symbolizing both victory and defeat, was designed by Canadian artist Mary Ann Liu and cast in Roberts Creek, British Columbia. Three of the corner pieces show the different variants of the Memorial Cross during the reigns of three Canadian monarchs since the cross’s inception — that of George V, George VI and Elizabeth II — while the fourth corner piece is that of a poppy.

The cover stone of the tomb, weighing approximately 1,100 kilograms, is made of Labrador granite with a stone called “blue eyes.” The tomb is inscribed with the words “Known Unto God” in both English and French. A forget-me-not — a symbol of remembrance for the Newfoundland Regiment — is also carved into the granite. Newfoundland’s coat of arms is carved into the front of the tomb. It is indeed a spectacular piece of art, and with its completion, the time had arrived to bring our hero home.

The process of accomplishing that goal of bringing our hero home is a story in itself, but while many were involved in making it happen, three respected and admired sons of Newfoundland and Labrador, who are members of the Royal Canadian Legion, were the driving force behind its successful conclusion.

Frank Sullivan, Berkley Lawrence and Gary Browne had a dream, and they were not going to rest until it was realized.

As a 40-year veteran, Sullivan was inspired by the repatriation of other nations’ unknown soldiers and felt a strong personal connection because his own great-uncle Private Charles Canning had served with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment in World War I and was killed in 1918. He has no known gravesite. Sullivan felt the unknown soldier in Ottawa did not represent Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique and proud history, particularly the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, so it was he who first came up with the idea of repatriating a Newfoundland soldier.

Berkley Lawrence comes from a Newfoundland family with four generations of military service that started with his grandfather Private Stephen Lawrence, a soldier who survived the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel. A quarter of a century ago, when the tomb of the unknown soldier was being established at the National War Memorial here in Ottawa, Berkley was a serving member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

A call went out to his unit, asking for volunteers to stand guard over the tomb, and Berkley raised his hand. He then spent many hours as a sentinel over the Ottawa tomb, and that experience created a yearning to bring one of our boys home to Newfoundland.

Gary Browne, a retired Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Deputy Chief and veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, is a well-known author of military and police history. As the author of three books on Newfoundland and Labrador’s military history, he is recognized from Newfoundland to Gallipoli. He has been involved in building monuments in Newfoundland and Labrador, Belgium and Türkiye.

The first request to Veterans Affairs Canada here in Ottawa, asking for their assistance in the repatriation of a Newfoundland soldier, was turned down flat, with a firm “no.” However, those government officials surely underestimated the resolve and passion of Frank, Berkley and Gary.

Securing the early support of Newfoundland and Labrador’s federal minister Seamus O’Regan and Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial Minister of Tourism and Culture Steve Crocker, the dream of these three men was beginning to feel like a possibility. A short time later, Minister Crocker took the request to a meeting in Ottawa with the then-Minister of Veterans Affairs Lawrence MacAulay, and he also arranged for Frank, Berkley and Gary to sit down and discuss the proposal with our then-premier Andrew Furey.

Gary Browne told me that, following the meeting with Premier Furey and with the guaranteed support of Minister MacAulay, he was confident that the wheels were in motion to fulfill the dream of bringing one of our boys home to Newfoundland.

Award-winning Newfoundland author Michael Crummey, who co-wrote Newfoundland at Armageddon, a documentary film about the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel, said he was struck by how personal the loss still seemed to be for many people he spoke to during his research.

“I think this place is so small, and the ties between everybody are so tight,” Crummey said in an interview.

Six degrees of separation does not apply here, it’s one or two at best. So it does feel like all of those losses affected all of us, that our lives would be completely different if the First World War had not happened.

The operation to bring the unknown soldier home was called “Operation DISTINCTION.” On May 13, 2024, the body of an unknown Newfoundland soldier was exhumed from a military cemetery in Cagnicourt, France. The soldier was a member of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who was killed during the First World War. He is believed to have died in northern France and was buried among other Newfoundland soldiers, but his identity was never confirmed. The remains were identified as belonging to a Newfoundland soldier through forensic archaeology and archival research, which discovered a Royal Newfoundland Regiment shoulder title near the grave.

The members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment had clear markings on their uniforms. To declare their allegiance to the mother country, a caribou button, or a Newfoundland flash, was attached to the shoulder of their uniform.

The effort to repatriate an unknown Newfoundland soldier dates back to 1920, when Thomas Nangle, the regiment’s padre, first advocated for the move. The goal was to provide a symbolic gravesite for the more than 820 Newfoundlanders who have no known grave.

On the morning of May 25, 2024, at a moving and solemn ceremony at Beaumont-Hamel Memorial, as the “Ode to Newfoundland” rang out over the former battlefield, the Government of France transferred the body of the unknown soldier to the Government of Canada, and later that day the proud son of Newfoundland touched down in St. John’s to a hero’s welcome more than 100 years after the First World War. It was a special and touching moment in the history of our province.

A hearse carrying the casket made a solemn procession past several sites of historical significance to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, including the training grounds in Pleasantville, the harbour where the S.S. Florizel would have tied up, the Sergeants’ Memorial, The C.L.B. Armoury and the National War Memorial itself. Large crowds lined the streets to see the hearse as it drove by. Many made the sign of the cross as the hearse passed, and you could read their lips as they said “thank you.” It was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

From June 28 to June 30, 2024, the remains of the unknown soldier lay in state at the Confederation Building in St. John’s, where thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians paid their respects.

Most Canadians know July 1 as Canada Day. However, in our province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the day has an additional and more solemn meaning. It is also known as Memorial Day and marks the anniversary of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel during the First World War, a battle in which hundreds of Newfoundland soldiers were killed in action.

The commander of the 29th British Division said of the actions of the Newfoundland Regiment on that July morning:

“It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and its assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no further.”

Each year on July 1, many Newfoundlanders wear a sweet forget-me-not flower in honour of the soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

As the sun rose over the hills of St. John’s harbour on July 1, 2024, you surely felt that the year’s Memorial Day would be like no other. A major ceremony was going to be held at the Newfoundland National War Memorial to commemorate its one‑hundredth anniversary, and during this centennial celebration we would inter the remains of the unknown Royal Newfoundland Regiment soldier.

The Governor General of Canada, the Prime Minister and the Premier of our province, who was designated as the next of kin, joined thousands of others as the soldier departed the Confederation Building and made his way to the Newfoundland National War Memorial.

There was a different feel in the air in St. John’s that morning. The silence of the crowd was deafening. Having the privilege to stand on the memorial that day was a moment I will cherish and never forget. I thought about all the families, especially the mothers and the wives who never saw their sons or husbands return home. I thought of the children who had to grow up in those tough economic times in Newfoundland without a father figure in their lives. I thought about what our province would be like today if those brave soldiers had returned home. As the casket was lowered into the tomb, I thought of the soldier who lay in it and how happy he must be on that day to be finally laid to rest in Newfoundland soil. It was a proud moment for Newfoundland and Labrador.

In the words of Frank Sullivan, whose dream of repatriating the soldier had now come to fruition, he had this to say —

Two minutes, please.

In the words of Frank Sullivan, whose dream of repatriating the soldier had come to fruition, he had this to say: “Newfoundlanders and Labradorians now have an individual to represent their collective service and sacrifice,” and “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we shall remember them.”

July 1 of 2024 will be remembered as a significant day in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador, and I want to express a most sincere thank you to all the people who made that day a reality, especially Frank Sullivan, Berkley Lawrence and Gary Browne. You have made us proud, so I will close with a few words of our provincial anthem, “The Ode to Newfoundland.”

As loved our fathers, so we love

Where once they stood we stand

Their prayer we raise to heav’n above

God guard thee Newfoundland

God guard thee, God guard thee

God guard thee Newfoundland.

Thank you.