By Douglas Phillips
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe and Asia. Canada played a significant role, losing 44,000 military personnel between 1939 and 1945. In our nation’s capital, Ottawa, the Books of Remembrance are housed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower, on Parliament Hill. They serve as a perpetual testament to those Canadians who gave their lives in military service.
The Books of Remembrance
After the First World War, people tried to cope with the immense loss and devastation, to find ways to honour those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Many memorials were built across the country, but Canada wanted a national memorial. The first Book of Remembrance was commissioned in the 1920s and completed in 1942, after years of painstaking work by calligraphers and artists. The pages, with illuminated script and rich symbolism, lists the names of all the Canadians who lost their lives during the First World War. Over the years, more books have been added to honour those lost in later conflicts and missions.
The Peace Tower is a symbol of Canada’s ideals of peace and democracy. Within its stone walls is the Memorial Chamber. The Chamber itself, designed by architect John A. Pearson, is decorated with intricate carvings, stained glass, and symbolic artifacts. Pearson asked the British, French and Belgium governments to provide stone for the Chamber, and he made trips to the main battlefields himself.
Great Britain provided a block of Hoptonwood limestone for the altar. Belgium presented black marble for the wall plinths and altar steps, the intricate fan vault, and Saint Anne Marble for the clustered columns at each corner. The French gave Chateau-Gaillard stone for the walls and vault. At the heart of the room, beneath shafts of filtered light, rests the Books of Remembrance. Every morning at 11:00a.m., a designated page is turned in each book, ensuring that every name is displayed at least once each year. This daily ritual is an ongoing gesture of remembrance and respect. Through the Veterans Affairs Canada website, a name can be searched and the corresponding page viewed.
There are eight Books of Remembrance in the Memorial Chamber, commemorating Canadians who have died in service to the nation:
- First World War – The original and largest book, contains the names of over 66,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who died in the conflict.
- Second World War – This book lists more than 44,000 names of those lost between 1939 and 1945.
- Korean War – Honours the Canadian Forces members who died during the Korean War from 1950–1953.
- South African War/Nile Expedition – Commemorates those who lost their lives in the South African (Boer) War and the Nile Expedition of 1884–85.
- Newfoundland – Dedicated to Newfoundlanders who served and died prior to Newfoundland’s Confederation with Canada in 1949.
- Merchant Navy – This Book pays tribute to the Canadian Merchant Navy members who died during the two World Wars.
- In the Service of Canada – The newest book, contains the names of those who have died in non-combat duties since October 1947, including peacekeepers, those who died in training exercises, and other military operations.
Each name inscribed in these books is a life remembered, an honoured story, and a recognized sacrifice.
New names are added to the Books of Remembrance, reflecting Canada’s ongoing commitments at home and abroad. Canadians continue to serve with honour.
The Books of Remembrance are a powerful reminder to lawmakers and citizens alike the cost of freedom and the importance of peace. They are an enduring symbol of gratitude and collective memory inviting every Canadian—and every visitor—to pause and honour those who laid down their lives for their country.
We will never forget.
Lieutenant-Commander Alan Brookman Beddoe, OC, was instrumental in the creation of the Books, supervising a team of artists to illuminate and hand-letter the books of the First World War and the Second World War, plus the South African Book of Remembrance 1956-1966. Yvonne Diceman who had worked with Beddoe on the Second World War Remembrance Book, produced the Korean Book of Remembrance 1957-1958 and the Newfoundland Book of Remembrance 1972. Beddoe also designed over 180 official badges for the Royal Canadian Navy.
Quote from Alan Beddoe on the Books of Remembrance –
“I am most anxious to produce a work that will be a fitting tribute to those who died.”
References: –
The eight Books of Remembrance are temporarily on display in the Room of Remembrance in the Visitor Welcome Centre of Parliament Hill’s West Block. The Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower, where the Books of Remembrance used to lie, will remain closed throughout the decade-long renovations of the Centre Block. The names inscribed in these Books of Remembrance can also be found in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
Also featured on the back of the Canadian Twenty Dollar Bill
Lieutenant-Commander Alan Brookman Beddoe (born 1893 died 1975): – www.veterans .gc.ca & Wikipedia.
The Peace Tower of Centre Block on Parliament Hill and Memorial Chamber history: –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Tower