1915-05-31qq

 

“Thousands of people gathered in Woodland Park on the Sabbath afternoon to hear and take part in the memorial service for the brave boys of this city who have shed their life blood in the defense of the Empire; and for the men, women and children who were plunged to a terrible death when a torpedo, fired by murderous hands, struck and sunk the Lusitania.”

Hamilton Times.   May 31, 1915.

It was a memorial that had been planned for weeks, a chance for the community to honor all those local men who been wounded, gone missing or had been killed, in warfare during the last few months.

Then with the tragic sinking of the Lusitania, the memorial focus was widened to honor those local victims as well.

A major part of the memorial preparation involved contacting the following individuals and organizations to participate and then to gather for a parade : the Boy Scouts East End Progressive Band, Army veterans, Knights of Sherwood Forest, A.O.F., Knights of Pythia and Alpha Division, Sons of England, Sons of Scotland, Orangemen, Canadian Order of Foresters, Knights of the Maccabees, Laidlaw Memorial Brotherhood, Robinhood Drill Corps, Independent Labor Party, St. John’s Ambulance brigade, Salvation Army band and members of the Salvation Army plus members of the Hamilton city and Barton Township government, plus, notably because their home country had officially entered the war, a large number of Italians.

All the invitees to the event gathered in the vicinity of Gage avenue and Barton street, where parade marshals lined up participants into the planned order.

 Sharp at 3 p.m., the procession began, heading west:

“Barton street was lined five and six deep. As the parade passed, the bands played the Dead March in Saul, and not only the men in the parade, but also those watching, removed their hats. The grand old parade, for which so many lives were willingly laid down, was carried triumphantly aloft.”¹

¹”East Hamilton Memorial at Memorial Park : Thousands Paid Tribute to Canadian Soldiers and the Victims of Lusitania”

Hamilton Times. May 31, 1915.  

Along the ten or so blocks of Barton street from Gage to Woodland Park, the parade passed along slowly and somberly. Many of those watching from the sidewalks, or in Gage Park, were related to, or friends with, those people being honored by the memorial.

The weather, fortunately was ideal, and an estimated five thousand citizens were in attendance.

Once at the park, it was only a very few minutes before the formal part of the memorial began :

“Rev. Dr. S. Banks Nelson officiated at the service and opening the proceedings with the singing of Lead, Kindly Light and also several verses of Abide With Me, accompanied by the bands, followed by prayer, which was listened to in complete silence.”

“Dr. Nelson said that by the blessed  mercy of God, those who had given their lives for the cause of right and the empire would rest in eternal peace.

“At the conclusion of the prayer, Dr. Nelson read the number of Canadian casualties up till Friday last, which consisted of 983 killed, 3892 wounded and 1217 missing. The names of the Hamilton soldiers killed and local passengers on the Lusitania were then readout, which occasioned considerable emotion, many people being visibly affected. He made brief reference to the loss sustained by James Lindsay who lost four sons killed, and Mrs. Keaton, one son killed and another wounded.²

² “Great Crowd at Memorial”

Hamilton Herald.   May 31, 1915.

A stirring sermon by Dr. Nelson was then delivered, and listened to with rapt attention. He congratulated all present for entering so solemnly into the spirit of the event., then declared emphatically that the allies were waging “the most righteous of all wars and the most terrible.

Dr. Nelson noted that when the war began the soldiers of Canada were widely dismissed as being only volunteers, unfamiliar with the way of military life:

“Now they were the Empire’s sons. By their glorious and never-to-be-forgotten charge at Langemark, they had saved the day – saved in the face of odds that were ten to one.”³

³ “Thousand Pay Honor to Dead : Tribute to War Heroes and Lusitania Victims”

Hamilton Spectator.  May 31, 1915.

Dr. Nelson had the following thoughts for those who might wonder what happened to the souls of those who died at the front:

“ ‘And those who fell on the field of battle and went to heaven still have a mighty interest in the war, and don’t you believe they haven’t, ‘ said Dr. Nelson. ‘If after going to heaven, they were cut off from the battles here below, heaven would be too tame for them. They are up there cheering and urging on their old comrades. Like Nelson, dying, asked, ‘Did we win?’ so also do they ask as they reach the gates of heaven, ‘Did we win? Were we victorious?’ ”

After the conclusion of Dr. Nelson’s address, all present joined in singing the beautiful and inspiring hymn, Lead, Kindly Lead. That was followed by the national anthem, sung with fervor.

The parade then reformed, marched back to the starting point and were dismissed. Soon after the sidewalks of Barton street east were back to the normal state of pedestrian traffic, and the streetcars  and other vehicles were allowed back on the roadway.