Auld Lang Syne January 1, 2025

Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne," a traditional Scottish song, is famously sung to mark the transition from the old year to the new at midnight on New Year's Eve, also known as Hogmanay. Beyond this, the song is commonly associated with farewells at events like funerals, graduations, and other concluding ceremonies. For the Wartime Heritage Association, it held a special tradition, serving as the closing piece for all our musical stage productions. The song begins by posing a rhetorical question: Is it right that old times be forgotten? The answer is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships, and the implied commitment that the old times will not be forgotten. The Association’s reason for being is Remembrance. In wartime remembrance, there is a focus on the bonds forged in the shared hardships of airmen, sailors and soldiers, and their families and friends. Similarly, "Auld Lang Syne" celebrates the enduring friendships and relationships formed through shared experiences, even when time, distance, and war separate people. 2024 marked important anniversaries including the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, the Normandy Landings, the Normandy Campaign, and the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge which began in December of 1944. For 2024’s 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Association completed Remembrance Pages for all Canadians between the ages of 16 and 18 inclusive who died while serving in the RCAF during WWII which can be accessed at WWII RCAF Casualties Ages 16-18. The Association’s George Egan also completed a curated list of all Merchant Navy casualties with ties to Nova Scotia. This list of over 300 casualties can be accessed at Merchant Navy Casualties, with links to their individual stories for those that have been completed. The Association also completed Remembrance Pages for all WWII casualties with ties to Digby County, Nova Scotia. This involved 3 months of focus and work to complete stories on each one of the 100 casualties. With the completion of Remembrance Pages for Digby County’s 100 casualties, Yarmouth County’s 196, and another 894 across the remaining 16 counties of Nova Scotia, Wartime Heritage has now memorialized over 30% of the 3,795 WWII casualties with ties to Nova Scotia. The Association’s Glen Gaudet also successfully had a previously non-commemorated WWII casualty from Nova Scotia, Thomas Standing, accepted for commemoration by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Thomas is now listed online with the CWGC thanks to evidence provided. His current grave marker at the Lakeside Cemetery in North Sydney, Cape Breton, is also being assessed to determine whether that current commemoration is suitable from a CWGC Policy perspective. Civilian Radio Operator John Joseph MacDonald who served with RAF Ferry Command was already commemorated by the CWGC, but was not commemorated by the Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM) in Canada. This has been reported to the CVWM and the Association is currently awaiting his addition. At the time of writing this on New Year’s Eve 2024, the Association has just completed the story of Nova Scotia William Morrison Sutherland born in Wallace, Nova Scotia, who has been incorrectly commemorated in the CVWM as “William Montrose”. His information will be provided to Veterans Affairs to have his CVWM entry corrected as well. 2025 will be a big year – commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the events of 1945. In particular, the 80th Anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), VJ Day (Victory in the Pacific), and the end of the war globally. To all our followers on social media including Instagram, Facebook and Threads, and everyone who follows our website, thank you. It is in the telling and re-telling of these stories of WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam war, and other conflicts’ casualties, and others who have served that we remember them. As always, you can access the recent updated to www.wartimeheritage.com on the home page. The website has had over 40,000 visits in 2024 from 113 countries. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year as we continue our Remembrance work in 2025.