Canada in Flanders, Volume III

(cont

G., entered the Somme area on October 10th and 11th, 1916, during the

. It had had practical experience in holding the line in the Ypres salient in September, and it had already been blooded, for on the night of September 16

and chicken wire were left behind, as it was feared they might be seen too easily. As soon as the enemy trench was rushed the party split into two, working to the right and left. The enemy bolted so swiftly that only two were ca

ty yards, rushed the trench, and worked down to a supposed strong point. This proved to be merely a large hole, unstrengthened in any way. Explosives which had been brought to blow up this post were us

the preceding parties and started five minutes earlier. Complete success was attained. The party bombed south after entering the enemy tr

On this account an early start was imperative. Scarcely any resistance was encountered. Six Germans were killed, and others were pursued

h bombed right and left for fifty yards. Some resistance was encountered by the right party, but five of the enemy were killed, three captured, and the rest escaped over the parados under fire from the covering party. The left party also experienced resistance, but reached their objective in spite of opposition. Dug-outs were bombed and the enemy f

from the fact that the bugler who was to have sounded the signal to retire fell into an exceedingly muddy and unsavoury shell-hole and lost his bugle! "A" party, on the left, captured three prisoners and bombed several inhabited dug-outs. A machine-gun was also captured. "B," "C," and "D" parties met with little resistance, and saw nothing of the enemy. "E" party bombed north

ly. Fifteen of the enemy were killed, including an officer and two men who resis

mall mines were exploded beneath them. In some way the enemy had become aware of the approaching raid, probably owing to an attack carried out by the Division on the left; the element of surprise, the great fact

involved were withdrawn from the line a week before the raid, all details were carefully worked out, trenches dug to scale, the ground constantly patrolled, and the raidi

retched weather, the conditions underfoot, and the state of the trenches, the operations pending, major and preliminary, were from day to day postponed. In fact, the three senior Canadian Divisions were withdrawn from the area before another attack in force was la

erre Divion. Afterwards the passages of the Ancre were to be forced and the II Corps would co-operate with the V Corps by pushing north. There were three Divisions in line, the 18th, 19th, and 39

39th Divisions, from right to left. In this operation the 4th Canadian Division would co-operate by effecting the capture of Regina Trench from Courcelette Trench to a point just before the intersection

ing forward its saps so as to be able to support the 11th Brigade by an enfilading fire. Each Brigade, by the 19th, had completed a very useful sap, close to the junction of their respective lines, up old Germ

the Pys Road, and contact effected with the equally successful 53rd Brigade of the 18th Division on the left. The co-operation of the 10th Brigade on the right was all that could be desired. Altogether the result

n was undertaken. In preparation for this attack the r

ed to hold his trenches in great force and to bring a devastatingly effective enfilading machine-gun fire to bear upon the 44th from the vicinity of the quadrangle. There was nothing for it but to take such cover as was available-old disused trenches and

weather conditions prevailed. It was decided that an attack on the remaining right section of Regina Trench would be made as soon as the weather should allow of two days' successful bombardment. On No

Regina on the right flank of the 11th Brigade attack of October 21st to Farmer's Road. The 46th Battalion, on the right, attacked the line from the right boundary of the objective to the intersection of the Practice Road. The 47th Battalion was responsible for the central s

four waves. The company of the 102nd which advanced against Regina went forward in two waves, as

cess was immediate and complete, though the 47th suffered more severely than the other Battalions for the reason that they were the only Battalion to run into heavy machine-gun fire. On the right the 46th was equally victorious, but they encountered a stiffer resistance. Good fortune also favoured the attack of the 102nd Batt

o be abandoned. By 2.20 a.m., however, consolidation was well advanced. The required posts were established, and work started on new connecting saps and trenches. The working party

sed by our artillery. Conditions rapidly became normal, and it was now possible to tak

nd 4 wounded, and 41 other ranks killed, 156 wounded, and 2

de had 4 officers wounded, 10 other r

s. About 50 German dead were found in the trench; and, in addition,

-outs had only been commenced. In addition to the capture of Regina, the advanced salient

ed the Canadian Corps for over a month, was now in British hands; and the 4th Canadian Division had earned an enviable reputa

onsolidating Desire Trench. The whole operation, which is described in the succeeding chapter, was executed with das

18th, 19th, 25th, 39th British Div