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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

John McCrae

In memory of:

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

January 28, 1918
Boulogne, France

Military Service

Age:

45

Force:

Army

Unit:

Canadian Army Medical Corps

Division:

No. 3 (McGill) Canadian General Hospital

Citation(s):

Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Additional Information

Born:

November 30, 1872
Guelph, Ontario

John McCrae was the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel David McCrae and Janet Simpson Eckford McCrae. He had a sister, Geills, and a brother, Tom.

John McCrae began writing poetry while a student at the Guelph Collegiate Institute. As a young boy, he was also interested in the military. He joined the Highfield Cadet Corps at 14 and at 17 enlisted in the Militia field battery commanded by his father.

The day before he wrote his famous poem, one of McCrae's closest friends was killed in the fighting and buried in a makeshift grave with a simple wooden cross. Wild poppies were already beginning to bloom between the crosses marking the many graves. Unable to help his friend or any of the others who had died, John McCrae gave them a voice through his poem. It was the second last poem he was to write.

On January 28, 1918, after an illness of five days, he died of pneumonia and meningitis. The day he fell ill, he learned he had been appointed consulting physician to the First British Army, the first Canadian so honoured.

Commemorated at the John McCrae Secondary School, Remember Flanders Ottawa and Remember Flanders Guelph.

Commemorated on Page 454 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information

Cemetery:

WIMEREUX COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Pas de Calais, France

Grave Reference:

IV. H. 3.

Location:

Wimereux is a small town situated about 5 kilometres north of Boulogne. From Boulogne take the A16 to Calais and come off at Junction 4. Take the road to Wimereux north, D242, for approximately 2 kilometres, following the road through the roundabout. Take the first turn on the left immediately after the roundabout and the WIMEREUX COMMUNAL CEMETERY lies approximately 200 metres down this road on the left hand side. The Commonwealth War Graves are situated to the rear of the communal cemetery.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

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  • Grave marker– John McCrae's as I found it in June 2011, surrounded by tributes, as it usually is at any time of the year.

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    Grave marker
    Grave marker – John McCrae's as I found it in June 2011, surrounded by tributes, as it usually is at any time of the year.
  • Memorial– McGill University, Anatomy and Dentistry building, stained glass memorial window to 3 McGill doctors, Montreal

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    Memorial
    Memorial – McGill University, Anatomy and Dentistry building, stained glass memorial window to 3 McGill doctors, Montreal
  • Aid Station Monument– Aid Station Monument

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    Aid Station Monument
    Aid Station Monument – Aid Station Monument
  • Plaque– Aid Station Monument bronzed poem

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    Plaque
    Plaque – Aid Station Monument bronzed poem
  • Aid Station– Aid Station where he authored In Flanders Fields

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    Aid Station
    Aid Station – Aid Station where he authored In Flanders Fields
  • Plaque– Bronzed plaque of original poem paper

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    Plaque
    Plaque – Bronzed plaque of original poem paper
  • Grave Marker

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    Grave Marker
    Grave Marker
  • Grave Marker– Photo submitted by Joseph Thomas Stopped in on way to Juno Beach.

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    Grave Marker
    Grave Marker – Photo submitted by Joseph Thomas Stopped in on way to Juno Beach.
  • Grave marker– 10 August 2019, CEFRG (Canadian Expeditionary Force Research Group), cefrg.ca

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    Grave marker
    Grave marker – 10 August 2019, CEFRG (Canadian Expeditionary Force Research Group), cefrg.ca
  • Honour roll– Eugene Bourgoin's War memorial tablet bas relief, "Our members and everyone who lost their lives in the Great War", photo from in the McCord Museum

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    Honour roll
    Honour roll – Eugene Bourgoin's War memorial tablet bas relief, "Our members and everyone who lost their lives in the Great War", photo from in the McCord Museum
  • Newspaper clipping– Middle row 2nd from left. From the Globe (Toronto newspaper c.1902) Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – Middle row 2nd from left. From the Globe (Toronto newspaper c.1902) Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Globe (Toronto newspaper c.1902) Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Globe (Toronto newspaper c.1902) Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Globe (Toronto newspaper c.1902) Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Globe (Toronto newspaper c.1902) Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of John McCrae– This memorial in Beaconsfield, QC is dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, best known as the author of the poem “In Flanders Fields”.

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    Photo of John McCrae
    Photo of John McCrae – This memorial in Beaconsfield, QC is dedicated to the memory of Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, best known as the author of the poem “In Flanders Fields”.
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Vancouver Daily Province February 1918. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Vancouver Daily Province February 1918. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Vancouver Daily Province February 1918. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

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    Newspaper clipping
    Newspaper clipping – From the Vancouver Daily Province February 1918. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of John McCrae– John McCrae petting a dog.

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    Photo of John McCrae
    Photo of John McCrae – John McCrae petting a dog.
  • Memorial– A tribute to Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, displayed on the wall of a principal hallway in the Medical Sciences Building, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto. McCrae was educated at the University of Toronto, at both University College and the Faculty of Medicine. (Image taken by Gregory J. Barker of Barrie, Ontario, in 2024.)

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    Memorial
    Memorial – A tribute to Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, displayed on the wall of a principal hallway in the Medical Sciences Building, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto. McCrae was educated at the University of Toronto, at both University College and the Faculty of Medicine. (Image taken by Gregory J. Barker of Barrie, Ontario, in 2024.)
  • Biography– A biographical sketch of Lieutenant Colonel John McCrea, Canadian Army Medical Corps, prepared in 1951 by the Director of War Service Records.

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    Biography
    Biography – A biographical sketch of Lieutenant Colonel John McCrea, Canadian Army Medical Corps, prepared in 1951 by the Director of War Service Records.
  • In Flanders Fields– In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch, be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields "In Flanders Fields" was first published in England's "Punch" magazine in December, 1915. Within months, this poem came to symbolize the sacrifices of all who were fighting in the First World War. Today, the poem continues to be a part of Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada and other countries.

    Details

    In Flanders Fields
    In Flanders Fields – In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch, be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields "In Flanders Fields" was first published in England's "Punch" magazine in December, 1915. Within months, this poem came to symbolize the sacrifices of all who were fighting in the First World War. Today, the poem continues to be a part of Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada and other countries.
  • McCrae Family Photo– John McCrae on left, with his mother, brother Tom and sister Geills (photo: McCrae House)

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    McCrae Family Photo
    McCrae Family Photo – John McCrae on left, with his mother, brother Tom and sister Geills (photo: McCrae House)
  • John McCrae– Born in Guelph, Ontario, on November 30, 1872, John McCrae was the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel David McCrae and Janet Simpson Eckford McCrae.

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    John McCrae
    John McCrae – Born in Guelph, Ontario, on November 30, 1872, John McCrae was the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel David McCrae and Janet Simpson Eckford McCrae.
  • Reading– Reading was one of John McCrae's favourite pastimes. (photo: McCrae House)

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    Reading
    Reading – Reading was one of John McCrae's favourite pastimes. (photo: McCrae House)
  • Bonfire– John McCrae with his horse Bonfire, (photo: McCrae House). In France, he took with him a horse named Bonfire, a gift from a friend. Later, John McCrae sent his young nieces and nephews letters supposedly written by Bonfire and signed with a hoof print.

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    Bonfire
    Bonfire – John McCrae with his horse Bonfire, (photo: McCrae House). In France, he took with him a horse named Bonfire, a gift from a friend. Later, John McCrae sent his young nieces and nephews letters supposedly written by Bonfire and signed with a hoof print.
  • Bonneau– John McCrae and his dog Bonneau in France (photo: National Archives of Canada, C46284). Bonneau was another of his animal companions and was also a casualty of the war, who had adopted John McCrae as his special friend.

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    Bonneau
    Bonneau – John McCrae and his dog Bonneau in France (photo: National Archives of Canada, C46284). Bonneau was another of his animal companions and was also a casualty of the war, who had adopted John McCrae as his special friend.
  • The Flower of Remembrance– Before he died, John McCrae had the satisfaction of knowing that his poem had been a success. Soon after its publication, it became the most popular poem on the First World War. It was translated into many languages and used on billboards advertising the sale of the first Victory Loan Bonds in Canada in 1917. Designed to raise $150,000,000, the campaign raised $400,000,000. In part because of the poem's popularity, the poppy was adopted as the Flower of Remembrance for the war dead of Britain, France, the United States, Canada and other Commonwealth countries.

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    The Flower of Remembrance
    The Flower of Remembrance – Before he died, John McCrae had the satisfaction of knowing that his poem had been a success. Soon after its publication, it became the most popular poem on the First World War. It was translated into many languages and used on billboards advertising the sale of the first Victory Loan Bonds in Canada in 1917. Designed to raise $150,000,000, the campaign raised $400,000,000. In part because of the poem's popularity, the poppy was adopted as the Flower of Remembrance for the war dead of Britain, France, the United States, Canada and other Commonwealth countries.
  • McCrae museum and memorial cenotaph– The home of John McCrae and his family in Guelph, Ontario, has been preserved and is now a museum. A memorial cenotaph and garden of remembrance is also open to the public (photo: Ken Barton).

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    McCrae museum and memorial cenotaph
    McCrae museum and memorial cenotaph – The home of John McCrae and his family in Guelph, Ontario, has been preserved and is now a museum. A memorial cenotaph and garden of remembrance is also open to the public (photo: Ken Barton).
  • Medals– Left to right: Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps, 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal, British War Medal. The medals shown in this picture are from the Canadian Military Medals and Decorations section of the Veterans Affairs Canada website.

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    Medals
    Medals – Left to right: Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps, 1914-15 Star, Victory Medal, British War Medal. The medals shown in this picture are from the Canadian Military Medals and Decorations section of the Veterans Affairs Canada website.
  • Attestation Paper (front)– Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario, on November 30, 1872.

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    Attestation Paper (front)
    Attestation Paper (front) – Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario, on November 30, 1872.
  • Attestation Paper (back)

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    Attestation Paper (back)
    Attestation Paper (back)
  • Circumstances of Death Registers– Circumstances of Death- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

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    Circumstances of Death Registers
    Circumstances of Death Registers – Circumstances of Death- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
  • Grave marker– John McCrae's Grave in France.

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    Grave marker
    Grave marker – John McCrae's Grave in France.
  • Wimereux Communal Cemetery

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    Wimereux Communal Cemetery
    Wimereux Communal Cemetery
  • Honour Roll– From the "University of Toronto / Roll of Service 1914-1918", published in 1921.

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    Honour Roll
    Honour Roll – From the "University of Toronto / Roll of Service 1914-1918", published in 1921.
  • Photo of John McCrae

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    Photo of John McCrae
    Photo of John McCrae
  • Commemorative plaque– This plaque is dedicated to Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, whose death inspired the 'Flanders Fields' poem.

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    Commemorative plaque
    Commemorative plaque – This plaque is dedicated to Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, whose death inspired the 'Flanders Fields' poem.
  • Newspaper Clipping– Portrait of Lt. Alexis H. Helmer, who inspired the McCrae poem. From the "McGill Honour Roll, 1914-1918". McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, 1926.

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    Newspaper Clipping
    Newspaper Clipping – Portrait of Lt. Alexis H. Helmer, who inspired the McCrae poem. From the "McGill Honour Roll, 1914-1918". McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, 1926.
  • Memorial Plaque

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    Memorial Plaque
    Memorial Plaque
  • Gravemarker

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    Gravemarker
    Gravemarker
  • Photo of John McCrae– From: The Varsity Magazine Supplement Fourth Edition 1918 published by The Students Administrative Council, University of Toronto. Submitted for the Soldiers' Tower Committee, University of Toronto, by Operation Picture Me.

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    Photo of John McCrae
    Photo of John McCrae – From: The Varsity Magazine Supplement Fourth Edition 1918 published by The Students Administrative Council, University of Toronto. Submitted for the Soldiers' Tower Committee, University of Toronto, by Operation Picture Me.
  • Memorial– The Clan MacRae Honour Roll, located at Eilean Donan Castle, the home of the Clan Macrae, near the town of Dornie on Loch Duich in Western Scotland; listing Lieutenant Colonel McCrae's name (column 5, 14th name from bottom) and including a quote from his poem "In Flanders Fields."

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    Memorial
    Memorial – The Clan MacRae Honour Roll, located at Eilean Donan Castle, the home of the Clan Macrae, near the town of Dornie on Loch Duich in Western Scotland; listing Lieutenant Colonel McCrae's name (column 5, 14th name from bottom) and including a quote from his poem "In Flanders Fields."
  • Stained Glass Window– A stained glass memorial window at St. Andrew’s Church, 161 Norfolk St., Guelph, ON is dedicated to First World War soldiers. It was erected by St. Andrew’s Church. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE BECAUSE I LIVE, YE SHALL LIVE ALSO IN MEMORIAM: THOMAS RUSSELL ALEX M. DUNBAR DOUGLAS C. RUSSELL JOHN MCCRAE WILLIAM SMITH DONALD P. GIBSON GEORGE W. MORROW LORNE WALKER R. HOWARD TILL GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS" Photo Credit: Kathleen Wall http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/nic-inm/sm-rm/mdsr-rdr-eng.asp?PID=4435

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    Stained Glass Window
    Stained Glass Window – A stained glass memorial window at St. Andrew’s Church, 161 Norfolk St., Guelph, ON is dedicated to First World War soldiers. It was erected by St. Andrew’s Church. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE BECAUSE I LIVE, YE SHALL LIVE ALSO IN MEMORIAM: THOMAS RUSSELL ALEX M. DUNBAR DOUGLAS C. RUSSELL JOHN MCCRAE WILLIAM SMITH DONALD P. GIBSON GEORGE W. MORROW LORNE WALKER R. HOWARD TILL GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS" Photo Credit: Kathleen Wall http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/nic-inm/sm-rm/mdsr-rdr-eng.asp?PID=4435
  • Plaque– A stained glass memorial window at St. Andrew’s Church, 161 Norfolk St., Guelph, ON is dedicated to Lieut.-Col and Mrs. David McCrae and son John McCrae. It was erected by St. Andrews Church. "TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF THE REVERED FAMILY OF LIEUT.-COL. AND MRS DAVID MCCRAE WHO FOR MANY YEARS WORSHIPPED IN THIS PEW AND THEIR ILLUSTRIOUS SON LIEUT.-COL. JOHN MCCRAE PHYSICIAN, SOLDIER AND AUTHOR OF ‘IN FLANDERS FIELDS’." http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/nic-inm/sm-rm/mdsr-rdr-eng.asp?PID=4437 Photo Credit: Kathleen Wall

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    Plaque
    Plaque – A stained glass memorial window at St. Andrew’s Church, 161 Norfolk St., Guelph, ON is dedicated to Lieut.-Col and Mrs. David McCrae and son John McCrae. It was erected by St. Andrews Church. "TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF THE REVERED FAMILY OF LIEUT.-COL. AND MRS DAVID MCCRAE WHO FOR MANY YEARS WORSHIPPED IN THIS PEW AND THEIR ILLUSTRIOUS SON LIEUT.-COL. JOHN MCCRAE PHYSICIAN, SOLDIER AND AUTHOR OF ‘IN FLANDERS FIELDS’." http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/nic-inm/sm-rm/mdsr-rdr-eng.asp?PID=4437 Photo Credit: Kathleen Wall
  • Newspaper Clipping– PUNCH London England 1915 Dec 8. First publication of 'In Flanders Fields', written in Belgium seven months earlier. By Dec. 29 issue, it is indexed as the work of Lt. Col. John McCrae.

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    Newspaper Clipping
    Newspaper Clipping – PUNCH London England 1915 Dec 8. First publication of 'In Flanders Fields', written in Belgium seven months earlier. By Dec. 29 issue, it is indexed as the work of Lt. Col. John McCrae.
  • Statue– A sculpture of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, by Ruth Abernathy, was unveiled at Green Island, Ottawa, Ontario in May 2015. A copy was erected at the Guelph Civic Museum in Guelph, Ontario in 2015. The sculpture is of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, with his dress as an Artillery officer and his medical bag nearby, as he writes. The statue shows the destruction of the battlefield and, at his feet, the poppies which are a symbol of Remembrance of World War I and all armed conflict since.

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    Statue
    Statue – A sculpture of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, by Ruth Abernathy, was unveiled at Green Island, Ottawa, Ontario in May 2015. A copy was erected at the Guelph Civic Museum in Guelph, Ontario in 2015. The sculpture is of Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, with his dress as an Artillery officer and his medical bag nearby, as he writes. The statue shows the destruction of the battlefield and, at his feet, the poppies which are a symbol of Remembrance of World War I and all armed conflict since.
  • Memorial– This statue is located on Green Island, Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario.

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    Memorial
    Memorial – This statue is located on Green Island, Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario.
  • Advanced Dressing Station– Boezinge, Ypres, Belgium. Advanced Dressing Station

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    Advanced Dressing Station
    Advanced Dressing Station – Boezinge, Ypres, Belgium. Advanced Dressing Station
  • Memorial– Tribute to John McCrae in Woodlawn Memorial Park, Guelph Ontario. Photo by Ken Riley

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Tribute to John McCrae in Woodlawn Memorial Park, Guelph Ontario. Photo by Ken Riley
  • Advanced Dressing Station Memorial– Boezinge, Ypres, Belgium. Advanced Dressing Station.

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    Advanced Dressing Station Memorial
    Advanced Dressing Station Memorial – Boezinge, Ypres, Belgium. Advanced Dressing Station.

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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