This memorial tree was planted in memory of Private Earl Currie who was killed during the Battle of Hill 70.
Earl Currie was born on 5 March 1898 in Clayton, Ontario, about 10 km west of Almonte. He relocated to Arelee, Saskatchewan at a young age, where he was employed as a farmer’s helper. He enlisted in Edmonton on 29 March 1916, just a few weeks after his 18th birthday, and was assigned to the 202nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. The Battalion sailed for England in November 1916 and was absorbed in a reserve battalion in May 1917. Soon afterwards, Currie was transferred to the 10th Battalion and took part in the Battle of Hill 70, near Lens, France. It is during the second day of this battle that he was hit by enemy fire and died on 16 August 1917. With no known grave, Private Earl Currie is memorialized on the Vimy Ridge Memorial.
