The Poppy Trail

Flags From Home map

Flags From Home donations

This map shows some of the places in Canada from which donations to the Flags From Home campaign were sent. The campaign to place Canadian flags on the graves of Canadian soldiers buried in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery in Italy began with a chance meeting between distant cousins Morley Roney and Corrin Fraser at a family reunion. Roney, a Second World War veteran who now lives in Wawanesa, Man., discovered Fraser lives in the area of Italy where he served. He asked her to look for the grave of his friend, Jimmie Griffiths. After searching for Griffiths' grave, Fraser found it by accident after pulling over beside Coriano Ridge War Cemetery to soothe her crying baby. A picture of Fraser and her children posing with a Canadian flag beside Griffith's grave was discovered online by Griffiths' relatives, Jo and Anna Parker, in London, Ont. They contacted Fraser, and thus inspired her to seek out other people to send flags for the hundreds of other soldiers buried in the cemetery.

The Poppy Trail

Remembrance Day Photo Galleries

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    Canadian officers place flags on the graves of soldiers in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery in Italy.

    In Pictures: Remembrance Day services in Italy

    IN PICTURES A Canadian woman living in Italy decided to honour Canadian soldiers buried in that country by organizing the first-ever Remembrance Day ceremonies in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery and Moro River Canadian War Cemetery on Nov. 10 and 11, 2013.

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    Remembrance Day service at HMCS Chippawa.

    In Pictures: Remembrance Day ceremonies in Winnipeg

    IN PICTURES Manitobans came out Nov. 11, 2013 to remember the sacrifices of those who fought for Canadians' freedom.

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    Corrin Fraser and her three kids at James E. Griffiths grave in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery. Fraser found went looking for the grave at the request of her cousin Morley Roney, who lives in Wawanesa, Man. This is the photo shared online that connected Griffith's living relatives, Jo and Anna Parker, with their missing loved one, and inspired the Flags From Home campaign. (Photo courtesy of Corrin Fraser)

    In Pictures: Flags From Home gathers flags for Canadian soldiers' graves in Italy

    IN PICTURES Flags From Home is a campaign launched by Corrin Fraser. The woman, who lives in Italy, went searching for the grave of a friend of her cousin, Morley Roney, a Canadian veteran who fought in Italy and now lives in Wawanesa, MB. When she stumbled across the grave of her cousin's friend in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, Fraser discovered the graves of hundreds of other Canadian soldiers. This inspired Fraser to collect flags from all across Canada for the soldiers' graves and to organize the first-ever Remembrance Day service at the cemetery.

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    James Griffiths enlisted in the Canadian Army when he was 17 years old. He was sent to the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Italy, and died on September 20, 1944, shortly after his 18th birthday. No one knew where he was buried until relatives of Griffiths' friend, Morley Roney, discovered it in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery two years ago. This discovery led Roney's Italian relatives to try to place Canadian flags on the graves of all Canadian soldiers buried in the cemetery. (Photo courtesy of Jo and Anna Parker)

    In Pictures: Soldiers buried in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, Italy

    IN PICTURES Hundreds of Canadian soldiers killed in action while fighting in Italy during the Second World War are buried in Coriano Ridge Cemetery near Riccione, Italy. One veteran’s relatives who live in Italy are on a mission to put Canadian flags on the graves of all 427 soldiers buried there. Here are photos of some of the fallen soldiers.

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