A small group of about 20 people, mostly veterans and members of the Canadian Legion, took part in a wreath laying ceremony in Langley City today (Sunday) to mark the 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge.
Dave MacKinnon brought his grandfather’s military service award to the cenotaph in Douglas Park.
Fred Huffman gave the pin to his grandson when he was 92, in 1986.
It recognizes Huffman “For Service at the Front.”
“It’s very dear to me,” MacKinnon (pictured below) said.
He said he didn’t know much about his grandfather’s military service, only that he served in France.
MacKinnon described the ceremony as an “emotional moment” for him as a proud grandson of a veteran.
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At the site of the Vimy memorial in France, two Sopwith Pups, built by volunteers at the Canadian Museum of Flight at the Langley airport for the occasion were unable to participate as planned in the anniversary fly-past because they didn’t have enough flying hours to be certified.
However, one of the Pups was on display at the Vimy memorial while the other was sent to a nearby air show.
The lack of flying hours was due to an unexpected problem with the Pup engines that forced their replacement and delayed testing.
A replica SE5A single-seat fighter built by the museum was also sent to Vimy and was able to take part in the fly-past, the museum reported.
Also expected to be present at the event were Carol Madill of Langley and her daughter Kristina Vallance, who recently discovered her grandfather, George Soles was one of the most-decorated Canadian veterans of the First World War.
