Feature Letter of June 9th, 2026
Rowat, Thomas Alexander
[Writing of Sir Julien Byng saying goodbye to the Canadian Corps officers in France, June 9th, 1917.]
He came in quietly, walked up between the two lines, turned about and faced the Chateau, and, without looking at anyone, started to speak. It appeared that he was afraid to look at any one lest he become overwhelmed with emotion. After he had spoken, he walked away alone, head down and every one could only stand and stare, till one of the other generals walked off with him, and we all ran round to a road leading from the Chateau to see him pass, and cheer him. He is a wonderfully solid looking man, with, I should say, a rather large head, not tall, but rather stocky looking, simple, unaffected and, of course, sad looking and mannered as was natural. He said, when he started to speak, he had come to do one of the saddest and hardest things he had over done.
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As we move away in time from past conflicts and as our veteran population declines, it becomes increasingly difficult for Canadians to understand the sacrifices that men and women made, both on the battlefield and on the home front, during wartime. The Canadian Letters and Images Project has been sharing their stories, and Canada’s story, for the past quarter century.
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