DID YOU KNOW,
All across Canada in cities, town, and hamlets on Sunday November 9th and/or Tuesday November 11, wreaths were being placed at memorials as we remember those who lost their lives in World Wars I and II. Selkirk was no exception and on Sunday the wreath was placed at the Memorial Gates by a person who really
 remembers, because he was there in World War I - Mr. Reg Corbett. Each year Reg proudly wears his medals: the General Service Medal presented by King George V, and a Victory Medal inscribed, "The Great War For Civilisation 1914-1918".
Reg came to Canada from England as a young boy of 17, with an aunt and uncle. In Toronto, he applied for work on a farm and the farmer who hired him was Amon Burke. World War I began in June 1914 and in January 1916 at 20 years of age Reg volunteered his services, was enlisted in the "114th Battalion", stationed with "B Company" in Dunnville. The "114th Battalion" had 4 companies of about 250 men each who were recuited from Haldimand County and the Six Nations Reservation. It was named "Brock's Rangers" in memory of General Sir Isaac Brock. The insignia was a maple leaf with name and number of the battalion and 2 crossed tomahawks in recognition of the large number of Indians. A copy of this insignia was in the Haldimand Press November 6, 1980.
In July of 1916, the whole battalion went to Camp Borden under the command of Lt. Col. A.T. Thompson, from the Thompson estate near Cayuga. It is really quite amazing that this whole battalion of about 1100 men and the commander all came from the Haldimand County area. At Camp Borden they lived in tents and trained before crossing the Atlantic to England later that year. In December they crossed the English Channel to LaHavre in France where they spent
winter in 10-man tents in the cold and snow. The 114th Battalion was not able to go into battle as a complete battalion because men were needed from it to fill in for the dead and wounded. Training intensified here, marching, exercising, rifle practice, bayonet practice on straw figures, and raids over trenches, etc.
Reg moved up to the Royal Canadian Battalion and with them went in the early Spring to Vimy. Here he was on entrenching duty, digging trenches, putting in stakes and stringing barb wire, burying telephone wires for communications. Easter weekend, 1917, found him spending 2 nights in the tunnel. At 5:30 am Easter Monday morning April 9, 1917, they heard artillery fire which was the signal for the beginning of the "battle of Vimy Ridge". The Canadians in an exceptionally well planned and organized attack drove the Germans back 3 miles. This battle in the eyes of many, marked the coming of age of Canada as a military force and after this Canadian Corps had Canadian Commanders. During the battle, Reg was wounded by a piece of shrapnel that hit his leg, and so was sent to England to recuperate. By Fall, he was back at entrenching duties near Somme. The tide had turned in favour of the Allies and at November 11, 1918, 11:00 AM, the war ceased. On March 17, 1919 Reg was discharged from duty in Halifax.
In 1974 Reg & Lily Corbett were able to visit the Vimy Ridge Memorial.  A massive stone structure , it sets on 250 acres of land, given to Canada by France to say "thank you". There are 11,258 Pine and Maple trees planted there, one for each of the men & women missing in action in the war from 1914-1918. Everything has been left the same as much as
possible. Because of the trenches and cratered ground, several hundred sheep act as lawnmowers. The tunnel is still there, with old helmets and equipment lying in it. The groundskeeper at Vimy Ridge was most accomodating to Reg and Lily, driving them all around to various points of interest. After all, it wasn't everyday he had a World War I veteran to entertain!
It is 62 years since the end of the 1914-1918 war, and 35 years since the  war of 1939-1945. Since then, except for the Korean War of the early 50's, Canada has known nothing but peace, given to us by the sacrifice and service of many thousands. Perhaps if we
were to imagine our own young sons and daughters leaving home in a uniform, it would help us to realize how great a debt we owe people like Reg.
.. Mary Sheppard.

White Gift Service - December 14th, 11:00am Sunday School Christmas Programme 
December 14th, 8:00pm Christmas Eve Family Service - Wednesday,
December 24th, 7:30pm
BRING A FRIEND TO CHURCH!
Faith Centennial Newspaper - Faith Facts November 1980