The MCCofC Journal contains not only news and information but also various articles of interest for Club members.  A randomly selected article from the Journal or its Archives will appear here on a rotating basis. 

National War Memorial  (Spring 2008)

The designer of the National War Memorial was an Englishman named Vernon Marsh.  In 1925 his design was selected from 122 entries received during an international competition conducted by the Canadian Government.

Marsh has no formal training in art or sculpture.  He and his six brothers and one sister, Elsie, made the memorial's components in a garden in Kent, England.  Following his death in 1930, Marsh's brothers and sister continued the project, eventually completing the work in 1932.

The Memorial was originally displayed in Hyde Park, London, where it received great public acclaim.  Some minor changes were made before it was finally delivered to Canada in 1937.  For the sea voyage from England, the massive sculpture was broken down into component parts and shipped in 35 containers.

The National War Memorial was unveiled in Ottawa by King George VI in May 1939 before a crowd of over 100,000 people.  Canada's Remembrance Day Service has been held at the site ever since.

The Memorial is in the form of a granite arch, atop which stand huge bronze figures representing Victory and Liberty.  Marching through the arch are 22 figures representing all branches of the armed services which served in World War I.  Their faces are hopeful as they leave behind a symbolic unlimbered cannon.

At the base of the National War Memorial is The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  The tomb was consecrated and the remains of an unknown soldier from the Vimy area of France entombed there on 28 May, 2000.  The implemtation of this site was a millenium project of the Royal Canadian Legion.  This project, along with the 2 Minute Wave of Silence, first conducted by the Legion in 1999, was the Legion's end of century effort to renew the commitment of Canadians to the perpetuation of Remembrance.  Both projects were designed to increase awareness of Canada's contributions to world peace and freedom while providing Canadians with a meaningful way to mark the sacrifices made and provide a tangible reminder of the horrible toll wars take on a nation.