Trail of the Caribou

Caribou Monument at Gueudecourt Newfoundland Memorial.

Following the First World War, five battlefield memorials were built in France and Belgium to commemorate Newfoundland’s accomplishments, contributions and sacrifices during the First World War.

• Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
• Gueudecourt Newfoundland Memorial
• Masnières Newfoundland Memorial
• Monchy-le-Preux Newfoundland Memorial
• Courtrai Newfoundland Memorial

Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Nangle, the padre of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, supervised the construction of these five memorials.

In 2021, a sixth battlefield memorial—the Gallipoli Newfoundland Memorial – was installed in Türkiye (formerly known as Turkey).

With a bronze Caribou featured at each site, these six sites are informally known as the Trail of the Caribou. Together they represent some of the most important moments in Newfoundland's First World War experience.

Following the Trail

To help plan a visit to any of these Newfoundland memorial sites, here are their GPS coordinates:

• Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial (France): N50.073611, E2.648056
• Gueudecourt Newfoundland Memorial (France): N50.065086, E2.853678
• Masnières Newfoundland Memorial (France): N50.123423, E3.211645
• Monchy-le-Preux Newfoundland Memorial (France): N50.270556, E2.893333
• Courtrai Newfoundland Memorial (Belgium): N50.838752, E3.28517
• Gallipoli Newfoundland Memorial (Türkiye): N40.31256, E26.251981

Estimated travel times between memorials in France and Belgium:

Trail of the Caribou in France and Belgium

• Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial to Gueudecourt Newfoundland Memorial: 30 minutes
• Gueudecourt Newfoundland Memorial to Masnières Newfoundland Memorial: 45 minutes
• Masnières Newfoundland Memorial to Monchy-le-Preux Newfoundland Memorial: 45 minutes
• Monchy-le-Preux Newfoundland Memorial to Courtrai Newfoundland Memorial: 1 hour

As you plan your trip, consider the following:

• Some tour operators offer transportation along the same route or may offer a custom tour. There is no public transportation available between the sites. Visitors who want to follow the Trail of the Caribou on their own will need their own transportation.
• When local driving conditions are accounted for, visiting all five sites located in France and Belgium requires approximately three hours of driving.
• The memorials can be difficult to locate. We recommend using the GPS coordinates.
• Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is the largest of the five sites and offers a visitor centre and interpretive elements.

Employees of Veterans Affairs Canada are unable to provide trip planning assistance or recommend transportation or accommodations. To assist you in your planning, the following links may be helpful:

• Planning your trip
• Tips for visiting overseas memorials