The 115th anniversary of the Battle of Paardeberg in the Boer War is going to be marked tomorrow at noonhour with a ceremony at noon hour in Riverview Memorial Park in Saint John.
Historian Harold Wright says this was the first major victory of that war for the British in large part by New Brunswickers of G Company, now the 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment.
More than 700 men from the province served during the Boer War. The first soldier killed in the war was from New Brunswick. The Battle of Paardeberg has been compared to Vimy Ridge in the First World War or the Battle of Britain. Wright says most people are unaware of the role played by New Brunswick soldiers because it isn’t taught in the schools.
On the issue of whether the museum should expand its collections centre into part of the park, Wright says he would prefer a different option be chosen. He argues veterans deserve full respect, not half respect.
