By Glenn Miller

Remembering a Lethbridge soldier killed at the Somme

Oct 2, 2016 | 6:32 PM

LETHBRIDGE – If you happened to be on 4th Avenue south near City Hall on Saturday afternoon you may have noticed a group of Legion members gathered at the Cenotaph outside the Yates Centre.

The Gabriel Angels of the Lethbridge Legion were joined by dozens of members of the public and specific family members in a commemorative event recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

100 years ago on Saturday, Lethbridge resident Private Timothy Kelly was killed during the battle of the Somme. The Kelly family relatives were on hand to mark the occasion during a short ceremony.

A number of Lethbridge soldiers were also killed during the long 1916 battle.

The four month Battle of the Somme was fought from July 1st to November 18th, 1916. Allied commanders attempted to relieve pressure on the French defenders of Verdun to the south by inflicting heavy losses on German forces farther north and drawing German reserves into the battle.

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Artillery was used on a large scale to cut the wire and destroy strong points, yielding the desired results before the attack went in. However, it resulted in significant loss to British and Commonwealth troops. Private Timothy Kelly was one of the casualties.

Canada’s lessons learned during this battle however set the conditions that led to better preparation of planning and attacking which lead in part to Canada’s victory at Vimy Ridge.

by Glenn Miller

Remembering a Lethbridge soldier killed at the Somme

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