The 12 Twelve stained glass windows in Kingston City Hall Memorial Hall were dedicated in 1921 “In Honour of Kingston’s Sailors,Soldiers, Airmen and Nursing Sisters who served overseas in the Great War – 1914-1918.” Most of the windows were donated to the City of Kingston in memory of someone who died in the war.
The Amiens window was developed from photographs taken at the Riding
Establishment of the Royal Military College, and is correct in every detail. It was at the Battle of Amiens, August, 1918, when the Canadians, on the first day of the battle, advanced 14,000 yards in one day, the deepest penetration made in one day during the period of war.
The Battle of Amiens involved aircraft, tanks, artillery, cavalry and infantry. Their success initiated the “hundred days” during which the Germans were driven back all along the Western Front, and which culminated in the armistice of 11 November 1918.
General Sir Arthur Currie’s greatest victory was at the Battle of Amiens. Two of Currie’s four divisional commanders were ex-cadets, 151 Major-General Sir Archibald C. Macdonnell and 246 Sir Harry Burstall as was the GOC of the short-lived Fifth Division, 458 Major-General Garnet B. Hughes. Currie’s artillery commanders included ex-cadets 256 Brigadier Generals Herbert Cyril Thacker and 255 Henri A. Panet. His engineer commanders included ex-cadets 444 Major-General W.B. Lindsay, 533 Lieutenant-Colonel S.H. Osler and 232 Lieutenant-Colonel J Houliston.
In addition, 319 Major General Percy E. Thacker was Adjutant-General of the Canadian Overseas Forces.
The Passchendaele window was developed from photographs taken at the
Royal Military College, and is correct in every detail. Anyone who took part in this terrible battle will never forget the ordeal through which he passed to enable the Canadian Corps to seize Passchendaele.
Lieutenant-Gen Sir Arthur Currie’s Canadian Corps operations at Passchendaele, Belgium extended from October 26th to November 10th. During that time men lived, ate and slept in mud, water and slime and over 15 000 were dead and wounded.