To the bone: An amateur military archeologist in Ypres describes a memorable dig

Leave a reply

An item from the Legion Magazine.
Weekly Feature
Observation Post

Pol Lefevre at Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ypres, Belgium. Tyne Cot holds the graves of nearly 12,000 Commonwealth soldiers who died in the First World War, including more than 8,000 that are unidentified. [Richard Foot/LM]

To the bone: An amateur military archeologist in Ypres describes a memorable dig

STORY BY RICHARD FOOT

Ypres, Belgium—Pol Lefevre remembers the first time he found human remains beneath a once blood-stained field in Flanders. He could tell by the unusual resonance of his spade that he had struck neither rock nor a piece of buried metal.
“Hitting a human bone sounds different,” he said. “I cannot explain it, but you can hear the difference—and feel it.”

What Lefevre discovered that day was actually three skeletons lying on top of each other—the remains of two German soldiers and one British, who died during the First World War near the Yorkshire Trench, a section of the front line from 1915 to 1917 just north of Ypres.

“We don’t know exactly how they died,” said Lefevre. “It could have been hand-to-hand fighting. Or perhaps they were trapped in an explosion.”

 READ MORE

More from observation post

Remembering war: “Its glory is all moonshine.”

Every year as Remembrance Day approaches, memories surface of my childhood growing up in the shadow of war. One memory stands out.

Unclassified secrets: Report shows how U.S. intelligence duped Canada into accepting Nazi war criminals and collaborators

It took five years of hard sacrifice for Canada and the Allies to defeat the Nazi regime. Yet somehow, it took more 70 years

Winged victory: How a wonder of nature helped win the Second World War

They served bravely in the Second World War on secret flying missions deep inside Nazi-occupied Europe. Thousands perished. Others made it home safely to Britain
The Briefing
The Briefing

The cover of photographer and author Len Wagg’s latest book. [Courtesy Len Wagg]

Photographer and author Len Wagg on his new book honouring Canada’s war dead

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

Photographer and author Len Wagg believes that “every Canadian” should visit the war cemeteries of Europe, should walk between the rows of headstones, should comprehend the sacrifices made on the sacred ground on which they died. He contends that those same Canadians should gaze upon the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and all it represents, should walk among the monument’s 20 allegorical statues—embodying values such as honour, justice and peace—and should contemplate the still-crater-pocked landscape that surrounds it.

Most critically, Wagg hopes that the human stories of conflict—both overseas and back in Canada—won’t be forgotten. It’s a sentiment that underpins his latest book At Home and Beyond: Honouring Canada’s War Dead.

READ MORE

More from The Briefing

Canadian diplomat Bushra Saeed-Khan on overcoming life-changing wounds sustained in Afghanistan

Canadian diplomat Bushra Saeed-Khan remembered the trees and the path that cut between them. The trail was initially “very simple” as she strode through..

“Canada doesn’t get the credit it deserves”: Historian Dan Snow on the country’s role in the world

“I’m not even the best historian in the family,” said Dan Snow, an acclaimed figure in the field. The British-born TV broadcaster, whose documentaries, podcasts,

Veterans with Cancer co-founder Jim Hutton on carcinogenic exposure in the CAF

Retired commander Jim Hutton recalls the mess deck where he relaxed aboard HMCS Assiniboine. Then an ordinary seaman serving in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Cold War, he was well prepared for peril—but not for what loomed above his berth.

Member Benefit Partner
HearingLife
 

Email sent to: mkbarbour@gmail.com

Canvet Publications Ltd.
86 Aird Place |
Kanata, Ontario | K2L 0A1 | Canada |
1-844-602-5737 | 613-591-0116 | magazine@legion.ca

Poppy Campaign 2026: Canadian Women’s Club

Leave a reply

Yesterday the Canadian Women’s Club of the San Francisco Bay Area held their November meeting of their Speakers & Luncheon Series at Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco.  The club had reached out to Branch 25 last month to obtain Poppies that they were able to distribute at their meeting.

National Updates from The Royal Canadian Legion

Leave a reply

An update from Dominion Command on this Remembrance Day.

Liberty Elementary School Veterans Day Assembly 2026

Leave a reply

Liberty School District and Liberty Elementary School are located adjacent to Liberty Cemetery in Petaluma, which the Royal Canadian Legion US Branch #25 helps to maintain.  Yesterday the branch once again distributed poppies at the school’s annual Veterans Day assembly.

In addition, the students created these posters for the veterans that were affixed to the fence.

On November 11th, we pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who served our country on D-Day, throughout the Second World War, and beyond / Le 11 novembre, nous marquons une pause pour réfléchir aux sacrifices consentis par ceux qui ont servi notre pays le jour J, tout au long de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et au-delà

Leave a reply

A Remembrance Day reflection from the folks at the Juno Beach Centre that may be of interest to members.

6a13bddb23840c5710837d8e_jbc bl_red.png
La version française de cette newsletter suit ci-dessous
Honouring Their Sacrifice, Carrying Their Legacy Forward This Remembrance Day 
©CJB Cérémonie (27)(1)_Cropped.jpg
On November 11th, we pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who served our country on D-Day, throughout the Second World War, and beyond. At the Juno Beach Centre, our thoughts are with the thousands of Canadians who stepped onto these shores and into history.

From the mountains of Hong Kong and Italy to the rough seas of the North Atlantic and the skies above Nazi-occupied Europe, their resilience and determination helped shape the free world we know today.

They left us a legacy.

It is a legacy of freedom, democracy, and peace. It is now up to the Juno Beach Centre and our community of supporters to carry that proud legacy forward. We do this by preserving their stories, educating new generations, and ensuring that the torch of remembrance is never extinguished.

Today, we also extend our deepest appreciation to the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, past and present. Whether serving in conflict zones, peacekeeping missions, or here at home, they continue to embody the same courage, dedication, and selflessness as those who came before them. Their service reminds us that the legacy of Juno Beach lives on in every Canadian who wears the uniform today.

As we remember the fallen and honour the veterans, let us renew our commitment to keeping their spirit alive.

Lest We Forget.

Alex Fitzgerald-Black

Executive Director

Juno Beach Centre Association
JBC Maple Leaves.png
FR memory grey.png
Honorer leur sacrifice, perpétuer leur héritage en ce jour du Souvenir
©CJB Cérémonie (27)(1)_Cropped.jpg
Le 11 novembre, nous marquons une pause pour réfléchir aux sacrifices consentis par celles et ceux qui ont servi notre pays le jour J, tout au long de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et au-delà. Au Centre Juno Beach, nos pensées se tournent vers les milliers de Canadiens qui ont foulé ces rivages et sont entrés dans l’histoire.

Des montagnes de Hong Kong et d’Italie aux mers déchaînées de l’Atlantique Nord et dans le ciel de l’Europe occupée par les nazis, leur résilience et leur détermination ont contribué à façonner le monde libre que nous connaissons aujourd’hui.
Ils nous ont laissé un héritage.

C’est un héritage de liberté, de démocratie et de paix. Il appartient désormais au Centre Juno Beach et à toutes celles et ceux qui nous soutiennent de perpétuer ce fier héritage. Nous le faisons en préservant leurs récits, en éduquant les nouvelles générations et en veillant à ce que la flamme du souvenir ne s’éteigne jamais.

En ce Jour du Souvenir, nous exprimons également notre plus profonde gratitude aux hommes et aux femmes des Forces armées canadiennes, d’hier et d’aujourd’hui. Qu’ils servent dans des zones de conflit, lors de missions de maintien de la paix ou ici même au pays, ils continuent d’incarner le même courage, le même dévouement et le même altruisme que ceux qui les ont précédés. Leur service nous rappelle que l’héritage de Juno Beach perdure chez chaque Canadien qui porte l’uniforme aujourd’hui.

Alors que nous nous souvenons de celles et ceux qui sont tombés au combat et rendons hommage à nos vétérans, renouvelons notre engagement à garder leur esprit vivant.

N’oublions jamais.

Alex Fitzgerald-Black

Directeur exécutif

Association Centre Juno Beach
facebook
instagram
website
Copyright © 2026 Juno Beach Centre Association (Canada), All rights reserved.
You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed on our website, a sign-up form, or through an event. Thank you for your interest in the Juno Beach Centre! Vous recevez cet e-mail parce que vous vous êtes inscrit sur notre site Web, un formulaire d’inscription ou via un événement. Merci de votre intérêt pour le Centre Juno Beach!

Centre Juno Beach:
Voie des Français Libres, BP 104
14470 Courseulles-sur-Mer, France