Elgin Book of Remembrance
A faded photo, a newspaper clipping from the past; faces of
those for whom Lest We Forget was more than a saying
trotted out once a year. It was a sacred commitment to be met every
day of the year.
 |
|
Left to right: Elgin County Warden John Hodgson, St. Thomas
Mayor E.J. Rice, Mrs. A.K. Mair, the last Regent of the 25th Elgin
Regiment Chapter IODE; Mrs. Ian Cameron, who was an original signer
in the memorial, as secretary; Mr. Thacker, Mr. Raven and Mr.
Cosens.
|
In 1964, the 25th Elgin Regiment Chapter of the IODE
(Independent Order of the Daughters of the Empire) ended their
fifty seven years of service to Elgin County with a very special
presentation to the City of St. Thomas - The Elgin County 1914-1918
Book of Remembrance. Remarkably, this Book of Remembrance travelled
across Canada on the Royal Train during the visit of King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth in 1939 - a testament to the significance of
this treasured volume.
This unique manuscript contains the names and details of
approximately 2,500 residents of Elgin County who served during the
Great War 1914-1918 and is dedicated to those "who fought for
freedom and public right". At the time (1964) it was believed to be
the only such complete book in Canada and possibly remains so
today.
The Remembrance Book has a cover of old English oak backed with
pigskin, bronze bands and locks. The large bronze maple leaf in the
centre is a replica of those worn by Canadian soldiers overseas.
Inside, hand printed in English letters, are names and particulars
of all those who served from the county in the First World War.
For many years, the book was kept in a special glass case in the
Memorial Hospital's main hall in front of beautiful stained glass
windows. Every day, white gloved hands carefully turned a page to
reveal the names of another group of those who served. When the
25th Elgin Chapter of the IODE disbanded in 1964, care
of the book was turned over to a Committee of Trustees comprised of
Major Charles Raven, representing the Elgin Regiment, B.G. Thacker,
Executive Director of the St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital and its
chronic unit, the Memorial Hospital and Donald L. Cosens, a local
historian and Deputy Registrar of Elgin County. Provision was made
for the Mayor of St. Thomas and the Warden of Elgin County to be
members of this group of trustees as well.
Today, the Book of Remembrance is located in the entrance of the
St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital where a page is respectfully
turned once a week to honour those those who served their County
and their Country. A beautiful copy is on display at the Elgin
Military Museum and visitors may request to look at particular
pages.