True North

10 Important Canadian Battles:

a) Second Battle of Ypres Canadians withstand German gas attacks to hold the line

b) Vimy Ridge 1917 Canada's proudest moment in the Great War 

c) Passchendaele 1917 the Canadian Corps take Passchendaele village ending Haig's infamous  and controversial  offensive 

d) The Hundred Days Offensive 1918 Canada plays a major role in winning the war

e) Hong Kong 1941  two Battalions of Canadian Infantry lost heavily defending the Crown Colony  and suffered inhumane treatment as POWs

f) Dieppe 1942  the costly test of Hitler's Atlantic Wall/Fortress Europa shaped the Allied planning for Overlord 

g) Ortona 1943 Churchill called this "Little Stalingrad", vicious house to house fighting, Ortona was taken after 8 days 

h) The Liberation of Europe 1944 Canadian troops played a major role on D-Day, the Liberation ofHolland and the final assault on Nazi Germany 

i) Kapyong 1951 The PPCLI along with other Commonwealth units put up a heroic defence in Korea

j) Battle of Panjwaii 2006 Canadians involved in heavy fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan

Courage Endurance Mateship Sacrifice

10 Important Australian Battles:

a) Gallipoli 1915-1916 a difinitive moment in Australian history

b) Battle of Fromelles 1916  "the worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history."

c) Pozières 1916 Pozières ridge is "more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth" - Charles Bean, Australian official historian

d) Bullecourt 1917 a.k.a. "Blood Tub" 1917 also saw Diggers fight at Passchendaele 

e) Amiens 1918 "the black day of the German Army"according to Ludendorff . John Monash emerges as one of the finest commanders of the Great War

f) Tobruk 1941 famous siege of WWII Australians called Rats of Tobruk

g) Kokoda Track 1942 Australia saved from possible Japanese invasion 

h) Balikpapan 1945 Monash is the most famous Australian General but Leslie Morshead was perhaps the best fighting general . Morshead ( Gallipoli , Passchendaele, Tobruk) might have commanded Commonwealth Forces in the invasion of Japan had it happened. 

i)   Battle of Kapyong 1951 Commonwealth forces (including  the Australian 3 RAR) stop Chinese human wave attacks

j) Battle of Long Tần best known Australian action in the Viet Nam war 

France and Flanders 2008

1. 
   
   
   
   
   

France and Flanders

>This summer I visited Vimy Ridge,Messines,Ypres and The Somme here are some pictures and links connected to some of the places I went to in August 2008

Welcome to Stone Frigate Blog

HMCS Saskatchewan DE 262 pictured above

My site Stone Boat Blog, is my "omnibus" here at Stone Frigate Blog the content is centred on Defence Issues. The name comes from a Royal Navy nickname for a naval establishment on land. While this is not strictly speaking a naval site the name is a salute to the Senior Service and a variation on Stone Boat. Defence issues with a Canadian/Commonwealth bias will be found here; but our Allies will feature too.