Bruce County

Bruce County Celebrates a Piece of History

By Jim ⋅ October 29, 2007 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

This past Saturday was a very special day in what is rapidly becoming known as “Terrific Teeswater” a beautiful village just north of the border with Huron County.

The Bruce County Historical Society was celebrating the  life and work of a local heroine, who went unnoticed by the world until the War Amps of Canada discovered her. The Amps are one of Canada’s most important organizations. For generations now, they have been in the forefront of explaining just how devastating war can be.

Equally important, the Amps, led by Veteran Cliff Chadderton, have made a fantastic peacetime contribution by making sure that anyone in this country, who has lost a limb, gets a new lease on life.

It was a branch of the War Amps of Canada, which helped make it possible for Mary Riter Hamilton to go to Europe, see the devastation of the battlefields there, and record on canvas the true horror and utter devastation that is brought on by war.

More details on the War Amps involvement with her work, can be seen here.

The home where Mary was born is gone now, but her work and her words live on.

“I came out because I felt I must come”, she said.

“It is fortunate that I arrived before it was too late to get a real impression. The day I went over to Vimy, snow and sleet were falling and I was able to realize what the soldiers had suffered”.

“If …there is something of the suffering and heroism of the war in my pictures, it is because at that moment the spirit of those who fought and died seemed to linger in the air”.

"I made up my mind that where our men went under so much more dreadful conditions, I could go and I am very proud to have been able even in a small way to commemorate the deeds of my countrymen, and if possible to lend a helping hand to the poor fellows like those of the amputation club, who will be lifelong sufferers of the war.”

There’s more about her, as well as as well as gallery of her work here.

The celebration of Mary Riter Hamilton’s life by the Historical Society was a moving scene with War Veterans mingling with young Canadians who have been helped so much by the War Amps and their friends and beneficiaries.

As an honourary member of the War Amps Organization myself, I was proud to be there.

Tags: Mary Riter Hamilton teeswater world war 1 painter canadian war amps