The Royal Newfoundland Regiment trained here on the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake before going overseas. The Trail of the Caribou Memorial Park celebrates the successes and failures in battle.
Upon learning the troops were the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, "Thank God, my left flank is safe..."
- Brigadier-General B. Freyberg, October, 1918.
In their last desperate struggles, German forces captured considerable Allied ground. In mid-1918, the Allies counter-attacked. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment was part of the 9th Scottish Division, and served with them for the rest of the war.
On September 28, 1918, the Regiment advanced from near Ypres, Belgium, across the Keiberg Ridge toward Ledgehem. In the early morning of October 14, when artillery smoke and heavy overnight mist lifted, the Newfoundlanders found themselves out on open ground. Being without shelter, they sustained heavy fire and many casualties, but they still moved on ahead.
When a German gun emplacement stopped the Regiment's progress, a small party of Newfoundland soldiers, armed with a Lewis machine gun, moved to attack that German position. After one member of their party courageously returned over the open battleground to bring more ammunition, they succeeded in overcoming the Germans. (That member of the Regiment, Private Tommy Ricketts, received the Victoria Cross, the Empire's highest medal for his bravery). The other Newfoundlanders, quick to take this new advantage, advanced and captured many German prisoners.
Fighting continued for another two weeks, when the entire 9th Division was moved back to a well deserved reserve position. Over the next several weeks, Germany, Austria, and Turkey all surrendered.
The Royal Newfoundland Regiment marched toward German and, en route, received hearty cheers from the people in Belgium. The Regiment went to France in February, then to England in April. They marched in the Victory Parade in London on May 3, 1919. On June 1st, the largest returning contingent of the Regiment paraded in St. John's. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment was officially disbanded on August 26, 1919.