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Heritage Award Plaque...
Victoria Cross recipient commemorated by provincial plaque
ST. CATHARINES, ON, June 5 /CNW/ - Today, the Ontario Heritage Foundation unveiled a provincial plaque to commemorate Victoria Cross recipient Colonel Graham Thompson Lyall. Graham Thompson Lyall emigrated from Britain in 1911, settling first in Welland and later in Niagara Falls where he worked for the Canadian Niagara Power Company. At the outbreak of the First World War, Lyall enlisted in the 19th "Lincoln" Regiment at St. Catharines. He later joined the 81st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) as a private. When the battalion was sent overseas in 1915, it was broken up to provide reinforcements to units in France that had suffered heavy casualties. Lyall fought in the Battle of the Somme in September 1916 and the Battle of Arras in 1917. He quickly rose through the ranks, successively being promoted to corporal and sergeant. He was commissioned on the battlefield and sent for officer training in Britain. After completing his training, Lyall joined the 102nd Battalion, CEF, as a lieutenant, fighting at Ypres in 1917 and the Battle of Amiens in 1918. Throughout the fighting, Lyall was wounded several times by shrapnel and mustard gas. In September 1918, the Canadian Corps - in which Lyall then served - was given the task of breaching the Hindenburg Line on Canal du Nord as part of the push to capture Cambrai. On September 27 and October 1, 1918 at Bourlon Wood and Blécourt, Lyall led his platoon and later a weak company against the enemy, displaying exceptional valour and leadership, inflicting heavy casualties, and capturing 182 prisoners, 26 machine guns and one field gun. "The Ontario Heritage Foundation has plaques throughout the province commemorating 20 Victoria Cross recipients," said The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, Foundation Chairman. "The honoured presence of Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex makes this occasion even more significant as Colonel Lyall joins this valiant troupe of heroes." "For most conspicuous and skillful leading during the operations north of Cambrai," Lyall was awarded the Victoria Cross, the British Empire's highest decoration for valour, self-sacrifice or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. Lyall received this honour from King George V at Buckingham Palace on March 15, 1915. "It is fitting that this plaque dedication is happening in the Year of the Veteran," said Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Cairns, CD, ADC - Director, The Lincoln and Welland Regiment Foundation, "It is also an honour that, as Lyall received the Empire's highest award for gallantry from King George V, another member of the Royal Family - The Countess of Wessex - is here today to unveil this plaque." "We are proud to honour the memory of this exceptional man," said Ontario Minister of Culture, Madeleine Meilleur. "Although his dedication and service will always be remembered by his family, friends and regiment, he will now also be remembered by future generations with the help of this provincial plaque." Following the war, Lyall returned to Britain and married Elizabeth Moffat Frew in April 1919. They settled in Scotland, where Lyall became managing director of a building construction company. Lyall continued to serve in the British Territorial Army as a captain in the Royal Engineers. In 1921, he transferred to the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers. In 1939, at the start of the Second World War, Lyall was promoted to major, commanding the 3rd AA Division Workshop Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps. After being promoted to lieutenant-colonel, Lyall was sent to North Africa on active service. He was promoted to colonel and appointed commanding officer of the 87th Lines of Communications Sub Area of the Eighth Army before dying of heart disease on November 28, 1941. Lyall is buried in Halfaya Sollum Cemetery, on the coastal road from Mersa Matruh, near the Libyan border. In 2002, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum of Technology in Reading, England accepted Lyall's medals on long-term loan from Lyall's family. This unveiling is part of the Foundation's Provincial Plaque Program that commemorates significant people, places and events in Ontario's history. Since 1953, nearly 1,180 of these distinctive blue and gold plaques have been unveiled. The Ontario Heritage Foundation is a not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario, dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage.
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Alex Blair :remember :support :drunk: |
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