Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917)

Since late 1916 the Canadian Corps had been preparing to storm German defences on the Vimy Ridge. The battle, which commenced on 9 April 1917, was thus far the largest operation mounted by Canadian troops on French soil. It was no walkover, with more than 10,600 casualties during a four-day period, but despite the fierce German resistance, the battle was a success. In 1936 the Canadian war memorial at Vimy was dedicated to the memory of the soldiers who died in the First World War.