Dedication Page to Brig. Gen. Henry Thoresby Hughes

In Memory of Canada’s Fallen.     Lest We Forget.

This page is a dedicated to the men who fought so gallantly at the Battle for Vimy Ridge.

Click on photos above for enlargements.

My great grandfather, Brig. General Henry Thoresby Hughes was appointed by The Battlefields and Memorials Commission in 1919 to oversee eight of Canada’s battle field memorials.    http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/memorials/can_battle_committee
Asides being part of the command at Vimy, he was one of the original seven graduates from the Military Academy of Royal Canadian Engineers in Kingston Ontario before W.W 1

It is reported by family, that he befriended then King Leopold III of Belgium and was granted the permission for Land entitlements for Canadian Memorials in Belgium and during such time was in the company of a baroness from France where the same gratitude was extended for the Vimy Memorial. (Not reported by the Vetrans Afffairs unfortunately)

HTH - as we call him now amongst family - was appointed Chief Engineer for the whole project as he had done considerable preliminary work on these sites.  I visited these Memorials in July of 2011 and was deeply moved by witnessing such incredible Sacrifice by so many men. Now all Eternally In Glory. 

The Limestone in which the VIMY Memorial was built and recently re constructed was found by Thoresby Hughes in an old Roman Quarry located near the Bay of Salonica in Croatia.
Hence my hand at Limestone Textured Finishes and this website.  It’s in the genes.
The eight memorials:

• Vimy     My recent photo July 14 2011 attached.
• Bourlon Wood,
• Le Quesnel,
• Dury
• St. Julien,
• Hill 62 (Sanctuary Wood),
• Passchendaele in Belgium
• Courcelette in France