‘In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.’ These words were not said by an Australian or British observer at Gallipoli but by Brigadier-General AE Ross from Canada, recalling just after the war his feelings at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, 9 April 1917. Vimy Ridge holds a place in Canadian history similar to that of Anzac in Australian. According to the official Canadian website, ‘Many historians and writers consider the Canadian victory at Vimy a defining moment for Canada, when the country emerged from under the shadow of Britain and felt capable of greatness’. Sounds familiar.
Update June 2014 including closer ties between the Australian War Memorial and its Canadian counterpart.