Philanthropist driving force behind Beaumont-Hamel exhibit
Philanthropist Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, who has been leading the charge to raise money for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Gallery at The Rooms, says she has been motivated by her personal convictions about the value of history.
Sadly he did not survive the war but we have his medals and they will be in the museum which is very moving.- Elinor Gill Ratcliffe
She said she is a strong believer in the project, and that most people in Newfoundland and Labrador are too.
"The Rooms sent out questionnaires … went out to communities and asked, 'What's important, what do you want to have in this museum, what's the iconic thing about being a Newfoundlander?' The No. 1 answer was Beaumont-Hamel," said Ratcliffe.
Personal connection
Ratcliffe donated more than $3 million to the project, and while she has supported many other causes over the years, this one has a special personal connection.
Her mother's brother, Roy Saunders from Carbonear, was honoured for his service during the battle of Passchendaele, one of the key battles of the First World War. His medals are now part of the exhibit.
"The medal I am most proud of [is] the military medal for extreme bravery in Passchendaele," Ratcliffe told St. John's Morning Show in an recent interview.
"Sadly, he did not survive the war but we have his medals and they will be in the museum, which is very moving."
The exhibit will focus on the infamous Battle of Beaumont-Hamel on July 1, 1916, but encompasses other aspects of the war.
Sacrifices and triumphs
Ratcliffe said with the 100th anniversary of that dreadful day in Beaumont-Hamel approaching, it was important to honour not only the soldiers but the people who held down the forts at home.
"The mothers, the wives, the sweethearts, the elderly who were such stellar support," said Ratcliffe.
"They knit the socks, they wrote the news of family and sent those … care packages."
Ratcliffe added that the exhibit is not only an important commemoration of our loss and service at Beaumont-Hamel but speaks to our sacrifices and triumphs as well.
Give a gift with meaning
If you're looking for a keepsake or a gift with meaning, Ratcliffe suggested a one of a kind design forget-me-not scarf from The Rooms gift shop.
"It is a forget-me-not scarf and it's being sold in the gift shop of The Rooms to commemorate the sacrifice of our Royal Newfoundland Regiment in … the Great War — it's going to be available for the foreseeable future."