2015 Ambassador Awards Students Enjoyed Trip of a Lifetime

Heritage Fair Students Retraced the Steps of the Newfoundland Regiment in WW1 on the #TrailoftheCaribou

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17 students from across the province spent a week touring WW1 European battlefields as part of the Ambassador Award Program. The participating students accompanied educators, government officials, Legion members and student Legion contest winners on an educational tour through England, France and Belgium. The delegation visited the five bronze caribou monuments to the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, visited various sites and cemeteries recognizing the sacrifice of WW1 soldiers, and also participated in numerous memorial services.

Ambassador Award students at NL's memorial to the missing.

NL contingent at the Beaumont Hammel British Cemetary. One NL barbour burried here.

Minister Darin King marching in with NL delgation

Alan Doyle leading the singing of "Ode to Newfoundland"

The Newfoundland contingent dwarfed by the monument at Vimy

Several Ambassador Program students at Vimy Ridge

Minister Darin King with Ambassador Program student Charlotte Parrott

Students read the names of those lost at Monchy

Minister King laying a wreath at Monchy-le-Preux caribou

Ambassador Program participants at Monchy-le-Preux

NL contingent at Monchy-le-Preux

Newfoundland delegation and Minister King with mayor Colette Dessaint at Masnieres, the location of the 3rd caribou statue.

Beautiful setting for the ceremony in Masnieres

Newfoundland delegration at Masnieres caribou statue

WO Jim Prowse plays the Last Post at Masnieres

NL delegation arriving at Gueudecourt

Students read aloud the names of the fallen at Gueudecourt

Minister Darin King & Charlotte Parrott, who's great-great uncle George Philips died at Gueudecourt

Minister Darin King & Charlotte Parrott, who's great-great uncle George Philips died at Gueudecourt

Minister Darin King & Charlotte Parrott, who's great-great uncle George Philips died at Gueudecourt

Minister Darin King & Charlotte Parrott, who's great-great uncle George Philips died at Gueudecourt

Duhallow Cememtary, Belgium

Menin Gate, Ypres

Herbert Blackall, the only former RNFLDR member to be honored at Menin Gate

Minister Darin King and Royal Canadian Legion student Marissa Burden lay a wreath at Menin Gate

Minister Darin King, Ambassador Award student Charlotte Parrott, and Belgian historians Jean-Pierre & Dirk who look after nearby grave of NLer

Minister King lays a wreath at Kortrijk with Ambassador Award student Kayla Ford

At the D'Houdt farm in Belgium, where a memorial to Tommy Ricketts was placed and maintained

Ambassador Award student Jenna Lee Ralph at the Tommy Rickets memorial

Newfoundland flag flying in Belgium

Newfoundland delegation at the Tommy Rickets memorial

Preparing to lay wreaths at the Tommy Rickets memorial

Paying respects at Langemarck German cemetery. They were someone's boys too

Legion student Ryan Barrett asks us to see the young German men killed not as monsters but young men too. Like our own

Significant stops included:

• Gueudecourt

• Essex Farm

• Duhallow Cemetery

• Menin Gate

• Kortrijk

• Tyne Cot Cemetery

• Langemarck German War Cemetery

• Ypres Salient In Flanders Field Museum

• Beaumont Hamel Park

• Thiepval WWI Memorial

• Ulster Tower Memorial

• Wellington Quarry

• Auchonvillers

• Vimy Ridge Historic Site

• Monchy-le-Preux

• Masnières

The Ambassador Award students were chosen from across the province at the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador's school Heritage Fairs.  A part of the Honour 100 program, the Ambassador Awards recognize exceptional Heritage Fair projects on WW1 topics. The Ambassador Awards Program is expected to continue at the regional Heritage Fairs through 2017.

To find out more about the Ambassador Award Program, please visit our previous blog posts 2015 Ambassador Award Program or the Heritage Fair page Contests and Awards.