“Elgin’s Finest” is a mural paying tribute to the railway and the world wars. The painting, created by Rick Johnston depicts soldiers loading themselves onto a train heading to the fronts. For a stronger local touch, a depiction of a father, son and two step sons was incorporated. After the war, only two of the men returned. This mural was sponsored by Branch 41 of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Elgin Regiment. “On Sunday, June 25th, 1916, a crowd of 20,000 gathered at the Michigan Central Station to see off the 940 men of the Elgin Regiment’s 91st Battalion. Traveling by rail from St. Thomas, Ontatio to Halifax, Nova Scotia, they crossed the Atlantic aboard the Olympic and landed at Liverpool on July 5th. The 91st saw action in some of the bloodiest battles of World War I, and one in six died fighting for freedom.” I'm linking to Monday Mural.
Nice mural Andy and I think this layout of your blog is very comforting for the eyes. Well done.
ReplyDeletegreat mural and interesting story !
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to learn about the history of these regiments. I wish we didn't have to have wars anymore, but it's good to honour those brave men and women. Great mural and tribute to those Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice.
ReplyDeletea beautiful tribute....
ReplyDeleteFine mural, Andy. The medals and flags unify the composition. I especially like the personal touch of featuring a single family and telling their tale. It's a somber reminder of the personal sacrifices that are made in combat. Thanks for contributing to Monday Mural.
ReplyDeleteyou don't often see medals included. I think that is a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteDo we know which two returned?
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to imagine what it must have been like seeing those crowds of men getting on that train.
Terrible war, great tribute. Nice mural and I appreciate the history.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful how much can be learned when photographing murals! Very nice, Andy/
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