According to Captain Robert N Clements MC (he wrote ‘Merry Hell’ The Story of the 25th Battalion (Nova Scotia Regiment)), whenever elements of the AEF and CEF came in contact on leave in England or elsewhere, the danger of open conflict never far away. The mutual animosity had developed after what then Sgt. Robert Clements had dubbed ‘The Battle of Bailleul’, two years before the actual Battle of Bailleul during the Final German Spring Offensive of 1918.

Though Canadian and Australian soldiers involved in several riots in their home countries, England, and Ireland during early 1916, no corroborating evidence found in Canadian war diaries, service files, and Circumstances of Death records, “…as this tale proceeds it will be quite easily understood why accounts of the doings at Bailleul were never mentioned in any of the published records.“

The Battle of Bailleul

Soon after the withdrawal from the Dardanelles early in January 1916, rumours began to circulate concerning the movement of the Australian divisions to the western front in France and Belgium. The program as understood by the usually well-informed lower ranks provided for a handing over of existing lines to the incoming Anzacs. The Canadians would then sideslip further north, closer to the apex of the Ypres salient.

Up to that time the Canadian general headquarters had been located at Bailleul. That was to be handed over to the Anzacs with the future Canadian headquarters nearer to Ypres at Poperinge.

Never Published

Quite a lot of planning and some progress toward that arrangement appeared to have been made. Volumes have been written covering the battles of the war in great detail. As this tale proceeds it will be quite easily understood why accounts of the doings at Bailleul never mentioned in any of the published records.

Canadians remained temporarily at Bailleul awaiting the arrival of the advance elements of Australians prepared to start taking over. In due time these advance parties turned up. During the first few hours, while both sides were busy over official details, everything seemed to go smoothly and some progress was made. As the evening got under way, business was adjourned for further attention the next day. Naturally, with so much of more individual importance to discuss, unofficial conferences opened up in the cafés and estaminets.

The Riot

No record exists of the exact time and place where one Australian was reported to have loudly proclaimed that he and his comrades had been brought to France to clean up what the Canadians had started and could not finish. The reported equally loudly voiced reply wanted to know why the Australians had not successfully finished the work at the Dardanelles before they came. After that the result was beyond any doubt. First it was fists and feet, then bottles and glasses. In a very short while any weapon readily available, including NCOs’ side arms, either used by the owners themselves or snatched from their scabbards by other combatants, were involved in the fracas.

The riot spread quickly throughout the whole centre of the town. Both sides were about equal in numbers and advantage swayed from one to the other as the fighting spread. First efforts by senior authorities to control and separate the warriors were not at all successful. Finally the nearest regiment of English cavalry was brought in. By using their horses and the flats of their swords they restored a semblance of order and an uneasy truce. Next morning all further efforts to make the originally planned exchange were halted. During the day, minor clashes continued. But, by that time military police and control elements had been reinforced and any fighting quickly subdued.

Casualty Figures

The casualty figures never made public. But, throughout the Canadian Corps first-hand accounts from individuals who had been directly involved were gradually pieced together. These seemed to strongly suggest there had been some men from both sides actually killed. Probably another hundred had been taken to hospitals with severe injuries. And, all the remainder carried assorted bruises and contusions as a result of the evening’s activities.

Canadian HQ Bailleul

The major decision made at the highest level was to recognize the certainty of further and even more serious outbreaks if the two groups were left in any direct contact with each other. For the time being the Canadian headquarters would be left at Bailleul and the side movement northward delayed. The Australians would be put in the line further south and an entire British division positioned between them and the Canadians. The lines of communication from front to rear ran parallel but as far apart as possible. As a further precaution, the Australian rear bases along the channel coast were established around Le Havre.

Those of the Canadians were left further north at Etaples. Thereafter, there were only a few very rare occasions when Canadians and Australians were located side by side in the forward areas. When that did happen they were both kept so busy fighting the Germans that they could not spare the time or energy to fight with each other. Otherwise, the bad feeling which started at Bailleul continued for the rest of the war. Whenever elements from the two sides came in contact on leave in England or elsewhere, the danger of open conflict was never far away.

NCOs and side arms

One other result was cancellation of the regulation for senior NCOs to carry side arms as part of their walking-out dress. The injuries during the Bailleul trouble made it very clear how dangerous these weapons could become in such violent circumstances.

It is certain that very few if any of the men directly involved are alive today. Many of them killed in the Ypres salient a few months later at St Eloi and Sanctuary Wood or during the Somme battles in September and October. Those who replaced them inherited the feelings from the original groups and kept them alive throughout the following years of active service on the western front.

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