Jules Xavier
Shilo Stag

Standing at ease nearby the historic Vimy monument, then 2PPCLI A Coy 2IC Capt Megan Couto thought of the soldiers going into battle on April 9, 1917.
It was a chilly Easter Monday when the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in France did what the French and British armies had failed to do — they seized the best-defended German bastion on the Western Front, a muddy scarp known as the Vimy Ridge.
“We weren’t there celebrating the battle … it’s important to commemorate all those who fought in that battle, which is what we were doing to mark the centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge,” she recalled about her experience in France.
It was a long day in the sun for the three-plus hour ceremony attended by world dignitaries to mark the Battle of Vimy Ridge anniversary.
Capt (Ret’d) Couto had the honour of being the CO for the Third Canadian Division Guard, made up of more than 20 Reserve soldiers from across Canada.
“This was a significant honour for me to go, to represent the Patricias in France on this historic occasion,” she recalled. “We were up early for the ride to the Vimy ceremony, leaving Belgium for the 90-minute ride. I was focused on looking sharp.”
With the world’s media focused on this event, Capt (Ret’d) Couto’s family back in Toronto watched the service in front of the Vimy monument on their television, and caught a few glimpses of her standing proudly in front of her guard.
She called the ceremony “moving” — especially when actors dressed in period Army attire read letters written 106 years ago by soldiers from the battlefield.
When Capt (Ret’d) Couto and her Guard were not honing their drill practice, there were planned excursions which took her to battlefields and beautifully groomed cemeteries for both the Germans and allies.
“There was such a large loss of life on both sides,” she recalled after viewing endless rows of white grave markers. “You see so many headstones associated with this battle, and you see the names of those who fell in battle 106 years ago.”
Besides cemeteries, Capt (Ret’d) Couto was able to visit underground tunnels, German and Canadian trenches and bunkers. The underground tour was inspiring, as she observed the various carvings embossed into the chalk walls by Canadian soldiers waiting for the signal to attack.
From the high vantage of a church located near the Vimy battlefield, she was in awe of the vast landscape in front of her looking down where Canadians fought the Germans from behind a creeping barrage supplied by the Canadian artillery. More than a million shells rained down during the week preceding Vimy.
“The battlefield was gigantic,” she enthused. “When you get up close to where the Vimy monument is located, you don’t get the true experience of what the battlefield was like on that day 106 years ago.”
While the commemoration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge offered pomp and ceremony, the horrors of the Great War were evident based on the carnage on both sides of the muddy trenches fought over by a determined Canadian soldier on April 9, 1917, and an equally determined German who was ordered to repel the Canadians in often close-quarters fighting.
The fighting was so loud it could be heard in London, with the Canadian Corps suffering 10,602 casualties — 3,598 killed and 7,004 wounded in a single battle.
What was Capt (Ret’d) Couto thinking about during the Vimy commemoration?
“This was a significant battle, and significant moment in Canada’s history,” she said. “This was a big deal for Canada back then … you see the battlefield today and notice a lot of trees. A 106 years ago, there were no trees, just a lot of mud, death and destruction.”
In the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) since 2010, and a graduate of RMC in Kingston, Ont., in 2014, Capt (Ret’d) Couto enjoyed her time with 2PPCLI. She retired following her stint in Ottawa where she was aide de camp to the Governor General.
During her overseas trip, besides visiting Hill 135, she also visited Hill 70 with fellow 2PPCLI MWO Sheldon Quinn. Hill 70 marks a spot on the battlefield where Patricias fought the Germans during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. While she studied Vimy while taking a military history course at RMC, Capt (Ret’d) Couto won’t soon forget her time on parade, nor experience the heartwarming reception she received from her French hosts.
The centennial ceremony she took part in six years ago also featured the laying of thousands of pairs of combat boots on or near the Vimy memorial, presenting the soldiers who lost their lives during the fighting. The boots were collected from Bases across Canada. Those attending the ceremony, afterwards were given an opportunity to adopt a pair of boots which they could return home with following this historic event.
Capt (Ret’d) Couto was unaware of this, and if she’d known, would have gladly returned home with an adopted pair of combat boots used on the Vimy grounds.

Capt (Ret’d) Megan Couto took part in a sunset ceremony (above) at the historic Vimy memorial six years ago during the centennial of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. She was the CO for the Third Canadian Division Guard (lower right). During her visit to France she visited a number of Commonwealth grave sites. A large number of soldiers involved in the battle trained at nearby Camp Hughes before sailing to England, then on to France for battle preparations prior to the April 7 attack in early morning. Capt (Ret’d) Megan Couto supplied photos