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WWII vet recounts family’s war service

South Surrey’s Ed Peck shares challenges Canadians faced during war
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WWII Veteran Ed Peck speaks about his experience at the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge at a South Surrey/White Rock PROBUS meeting last Wednesday. (Aaron Hinks photo)

As a representative of Canadian veterans, South Surrey resident Ed Peck was invited to attend the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge ceremony in France last April.

While the 92-year-old is a veteran of the Second World War – he was shot in the wrist during the Battle of the Scheldt – he said it’s likely that he was invited to the ceremony on behalf of his late father, Cyrus Peck.

Cyrus Peck (1871-1956) was one of seven Canadians to be awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award of the United Kingdom honours system.

Cyrus went overseas in 1914 as a major, then lieutenant colonel in 1915 in the 16th Canadian Scottish Battalion. On Sept. 2, 1918 at Cagnicourt France, he went towards enemy lines on a reconnaissance mission – under heavy fire – to gain intel on the enemy forces. He came back and redirected his troops, helping his battalion to capture their first objective and progress to the further objective. He was also able to intercept friendly tanks and give them necessary directions, thus paving way for the Canadian Infantry to push forward.

Wednesday morning, at a South Surrey/White Rock Probus meeting at Hazelmere Golf Club, Ed gave a presentation of his father’s war history, and a detailed description of his visit to Vimy Ridge.

Ed said it was unusual for a colonel to advance with his troops in the fashion that his father did.

“They’re supposed to stay behind because they’re commanding the action,” he told the gathering of Probus club members. “His rational was very simple, he said he would set an example. There’s nothing more impressive to subordinate troops than the colonel himself being up front.”

While overseas fighting in the war, Cyrus was elected as a Member of Parliament for Skeena in B.C.

Ed, a war historian, talked about the difficulties Canadian and Allied forces faced while fighting in both world wars.

A particular portion of his presentation that captivated the crowd – demonstrated by a follow-up question from the audience – was on the Battle of Somme, the “highest death rate of any battle in the history of the world.”

Ed said some 20,000 men were killed on the first day of that battle, and the fault lays partly on “certain British generals in high command.”

He said the generals “did not believe in machine guns,” a devastating mistake in the early days of automatic weapons.

“As a result, the soldiers ran across the field towards the German position, en masse with rifles. They were met with furious machine gun fire with a result that 20,000 dead,” Peck said.

Peck then spoke about the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

“Not only were boulders to be found there, but the bleached bones of soldiers. The French had tried at least twice to attack it and lost 200,000 causalities in the process. The Canadian army arrived, this time under General (Arthur) Currie.”

Peck said that for the first time, Canadian generals ordered a “very complicated, but long study of the attack.” Every man was issued a map, and as a result, Peck said, they knew what to expect.

“At 5:30 in the morning, April 9, the attack was launched. The artillery barrage that followed was the result of 983 guns firing at once. The noise was incredible. One journalist said the noise was heard as far away as London, if you could imagine. As soon as the firing was over, the Canadians attacked. They knew exactly what their objectives was.”

Canadians took over the ridge in four days, “an incredible feat. That’s the thing that’s always struck me as more than noteworthy. After that battle, it’s said that Canada came of age.”

The 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 9, was attended by 40 Canadian veterans, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Prince William.



About the Author: Aaron Hinks

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