Donation Brings King Edward VIII’s Vimy Pilgrimage Badge to Canadian War Museum
May 1, 2011
Painting by French artist Georges Bertin Scott of King Edward VIII at the unveiling of the Vimy Memorial.
Few events in Canadian history are as rich in symbolic meaning as the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
In early April 1917, twenty thousand Canadian soldiers captured the strategic and fiercely defended Vimy Ridge in northern France. This remarkable victory marked the first time that all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, made up of troops from all parts of the country, had fought together. It has been described as Canada’s “coming of age” on the world stage and is a potent symbol of Canadian achievement and sacrifice—almost 4,000 Canadian soldiers lost their lives.
Now, thanks to the generosity of the Montréal-based Vimy Foundation, the Canadian War Museum has acquired a unique artifact—the gold commemorative badge worn by King Edward VIII at the unveiling of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial on the Vimy battlefield on July 26, 1936.
The ceremony was attended by thousands of Canadian veterans and their families, all wearing silver-plated commemorative badges. For them, the presence of the King and his wearing of the gold version of the badge was a mark of deep respect and regard for Canadian soldiers.
A Donation All Canadians Can Share
“The Vimy Foundation’s donation is a wonderful example of civic contribution and pride,” says Eric Fernberg, the Canadian War Museum’s Collections Manager, Dress and Insignia. “Their generosity has made it possible for us to share the King’s badge with all Canadians. It’s an especially resonant donation because the Museum also has on permanent display a wonderful painting by French artist Georges Bertin Scott of King Edward VIII at the unveiling of the Vimy Memorial.”
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Kudos to one of our readers who caught an error in our cover story about King Edward VIII’s Vimy Pilgrimage Badge. We referred to “the recently crowned King”; when in fact, Edward VIII, who abdicated in December 1936, was never crowned. Our apologies.