Saturday will mark one of the most solemn and significant homecomings in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history.
The remains of an Unknown Soldier from this province are scheduled to arrive in St. John’s tomorrow evening.
That will be preceded by the transfer of the remains from the Government of France to the Government of Canada at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in Auchonvillers, France.
The charter flight is scheduled to arrive at 7:10 p.m. Saturday on the Torbay side of St. John’s International Airport.
It will include federal and provincial officials who have been in France this week to accept the remains for the return home.
(French school children and others at the Caribou memorial in Masnieres, France.)
Upon arrival in St. John’s, and removal from the aircraft, a ceremony will take place on the tarmac.
A motorcade will then take the fallen soldier past places of historic importance in St. John’s, including where they would’ve trained and eventually departed for Europe more than 100 years ago.
Everyone is encouraged to line the streets of the route the procession will take:
– Right onto Torbay Road;
– Left onto Newfoundland Drive;
– Right to East White Hills Road;
– Right onto The Boulevard past Camp Pleasantville, the old training area for members of the Newfoundland Regiment;
– Up King’s Bridge Road to Ordinance Street;
– Right onto Duckworth Street;
– Left down Cochrane Street;
– Slow pass in front of the National War Memorial on Water Street;
– Right turn up Prescott Street;
– Left turn onto Duckworth Street;
– Up Church Hill, past the Sergeant’s Memorial;
– Right turn onto Queen’s Road through Rawlin’s Cross;
– Left turn onto Military Road;
– Straight onto Harvey Road, passing the CLB Armoury;
– Right onto Parade Street, passing RNC Headquarters.
From June 28-June 30, the soldier will lie in state in the East Block lobby of Confederation Building for the public to pay their respects.
On Memorial Day, July 1, at 10:30 a.m. the remains will be reinterred.
A funeral procession of Canadian Armed Forces members representing all services will escort the casket to the National War Memorial site where it will be lowered into its final resting place, the tomb, which overlooks St. John’s harbour.
A complete history and itinerary is also available on the provincial government’s website.
Members of #RNFLDRFamily paying their respects at Monchy-Le-Preux in France today: WO Jim Prowse, RNFLDR Band; Frank Gogos, RNFLDR Regimental Advisory Council; Patrick Dunne, RNFLDR Association#OpDISTINCTION #NLMemorial100 #RNFLDRFamily #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/XkRe0FdCV2
— The Royal Newfoundland Regiment Family (@RNFLDRFamily) May 23, 2024
