Hamilton's Argyll members travel to UK to honour fallen soldier

It was master corporal Aaron Pidzameckysfirst deployment abroad, and it was to lay a wreath at the grave of a fallen Hamilton soldier in England.

Seventy years ago on Oct. 29, Sergeant John Rennieof Hamilton died trying to save his fellow soldiers. TheArgylland Sutherland Highlanders of Canada soldier jumped atop a grenade that was accidentally activated during a training exercise in Sussex, England.

He was 23, the same age Pidzamecky is now.

Even though its not a line of battle death... allHamiltoniansand Canadians would appreciate the story of [John] Rennie.- Argyll's pipe master ScottBalinson

Thinking that the age Im at now, he was making the decision selflessly to lay down his life for his fellow soldiers, said the Mohawk College business student reached over the phone after the ceremony in England. Its really amazing to think about the immense courage that takes and the split-second decision he had to make and how he was able to do that.

Pidzamecky was one of four members of the Argyll regiment selected to travel from Hamilton to the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Sussex to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Rennies death.The trip was the regiment's first ceremonial visit to recognizeRennie'sselfless heroism.

Along with Pidzameckywasthe regiments pipe master Scott Balinson, a staff sergeant with Hamilton Police.

It was an emotional moment, said Balinson, who played the bagpipes during the wreath laying ceremony. In [Sussex], we have a gorgeous blue sky, its warm... the cemetery is immaculately maintained.

Rennie was anacting sergeant with the regiment at the time and was stationed in Niagara-on-the-Lake, British Columbia and Jamaica before travelling to the UK for training.

The soldiers were preparing for the D-Day invasion when Rennie was killed.He was posthumously awarded the George Cross, an award equal in stature to the Victoria Cross.

Before we started [the wreath ceremony], we had a chance to read the George Cross citation on his marker, Pidzamecky said. It talked about the man who lays down his life for another. It was a very poignant moment.

Having just laid the wreath and listening to Balinsons bagpipes, he had a moment to reflect.

The entire setting in the cemetery is very tranquil and it lends itself well to introspection about leadership in the military, he said.

The four regiment members will stay in England until Friday, and are expecting to tour the war museum and House of Parliament before they leave, Balinson said.

But he wont soon forget the reason for his visit to England.

An incredible generation of young men and women in World War I and II made sacrifices for years to address some very sad challenges that war presents, he said. In this case, even though its not a line of battle death... all Hamiltonians and Canadians would appreciate the story of [John] Rennie.