A tree honouring Newfoundlanders who died at the Battle of the Somme to be unveiled in France
Posted on: Jun 30, 2026 14:00 IST | Posted by: Cbc
For years, a lone shoetree stood in what was at one time a field in northern anatole france as a symbolisation of loss for Newfoundland and Labrador, but a new representative, built to last, will soon be in its place.
On July 1, 1916, many Royal Newfoundland Regiment soldiers died near what became known as the Danger Tree during the opening day of the Battle of the Somme. The regiment was nearly wiped out by German fire in 30 minutes.
In its wake, the tree became a symbol of loss and it eventually fell into decay. For years a stand-in has marked the spot where the original once stood.
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Gogos said during the battle, the tree served as a marker in No Manâs Land for soldiers, but the German Army had actually created a hole in its defence to funnel troops to that spot in order to concentrate their fire.
âSo thereâs a huge number of casualties around the tree,â he said, adding there are accounts of men climbing over the bodies of the dead to try to advance near the site.
On June 30, a sturdier, fibreglass replica â made through a collaboration between Memorial University and Veterans Affairs Canada using an archival image of the Danger Tree â will be unveiled at a ceremony at Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in France, where the battle took place more than a century ago.
The unveiling is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Central European Time.
Gogos said the Danger Tree would become a âtragic markerâ of the battle.
Gogos said thereâs a number of events happening this week at the Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, starting with the unveiling of the new Danger Tree replica.
âTo commemorate the extraordinary losses to Newfoundland on July 1, the first day of the Battle of the Somme,â he said.
July 1 marks the 110th anniversary of the battle, and a number of dignitaries will be in attendance, including Princess Anne, who is colonel-in-chief for the regiment. There will also be an unveiling of a UNESCO world heritage plaque at the memorial.
On July 2, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at Masnières in honour of the death of Inuk soldier John Shiwak.
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