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Category: Battles

Battles of the Great War

On the Western Front in Belgium and France, Canadian soldiers distinguished themselves in many Great War battles, including Second Battle of Ypres, Battle of Vimy Ridge, and Second Battle of Passchendaele. In Canada’s Last Hundred Days of the Great War, Canadian soldiers the sharp end of the spear breaking through the enemy’s formidable trench defences, the Hindenburg Line.

Battle of the Somme

Only one action where the Canadian Expeditionary Force’s involvement negligible, but Canada’s contribution still resonates today.  The Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR) and the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel, of particular interest to CEFRG.   The RNR suffered decimating casualties on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. While Canada celebrates it’s birthday on July 1st every year, for the Province of Newfoundland, it is still a day of mourning.

British Expeditionary Force (BEF)

Canadian soldiers participated in many Great War battles not commonly associated with the CEF.  There are two reason for this, first, many Canadians served with elements of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) during the Great War.  Secondly, the Canadian Field Artillery (CFA) were often attached to the BEF, for they were Corps Troops not associated with the Divisional structure of the CEF.

Tools

Battle maps, trench map coordinate converters, aerial photos, and Google Earth image overlays essential collections and tools used to understand Great War battles.  An extensive collection of battle maps available at McMaster University, and the National Library of Scotland.  These maps  particularly impressive – stored in the .tiff file-format.  There is no loss in resolution when zooming-in on these extremely large images.

German O.P. at approximate position of 8th Bn. H.Q. on 22nd April 1915 (Second Battle of Ypres). April & May 1919. MIKAN No. 3397986

1915

  • BATTLE OF NEUVE CHAPELLE, 10 March
  • Action of St. Eloi, 14-15 March
  • THE BATTLE OF YPRES, 1915
    • GRAVENSTAFEL RIDGE (The Gas Attack), April 22
    • ST. JULIEN, 24 April-4 May
    • FREZENBERG RIDGE, 8-13 May
    • BELLEWAARDE RIDGE, 24-25 May
  • BATTLE OF AUBERS RIDGE, 9 May
  • BATTLE OF FESTUBERT, 17-25 May
  • Second Action of Givenchy, 1915, 15-16 June
  • THE BATTLE OF LOOS, 25 September-8 October
    • Action of Bois-Grenier, 25 September
  • Actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, 13-19 October
Battle of Mount Sorrel. Emplacement of two forward guns in Sanctuary Wood, captured by Germans and recaptured by Canadians, 22 June 1616. Sergeant William Alexander, Shot at Dawn, was promoted for his actions in this battle. MIKAN No. 352091
Battle of Mount Sorrel. Emplacement of two forward guns in Sanctuary Wood, captured by Germans and recaptured by Canadians, 22 June 1616. MIKAN No. 3520915

1916

  • Actions of St. Eloi Craters, 27 March-16 April
  • BATTLE OF MOUNT SORREL, 2-13 June
  • THE BATTLES OF THE SOMME, 1916
    • ALBERT, 1916 (Capture of Montauban, Mametz, Fricourt, Contalmaison and la Boisselle), 1-13 July
    • BAZENTIN RIDGE, 14-17 July
    • Attack at Fromelles, 19 July
    • Attacks on High Wood, 20-25 July
    • POZIERES RIDGE (Fighting for Mouquet Farm), 1-3 September
    • GUILLEMONT, 3-6 September
    • GINCHY, 9 September
    • FLERS-COURCELETTE, 15-22 September
    • THIEPVAL RIDGE, 26-29September
    • LE TRANSLOY RIDGES (Capture of Eaucourt l’Abbaye), 1-18 October
    • ANCRE HEIGHTS (Capture of Regina Trench), 1 October-11 November
    • THE ANCRE, 1916 (Capture of Beaumont Hamel), 13-18 November
This original photo showing the advance on Vimy Ridge, was later retouched by official photographer W.I. Castle for exhibition purposes related to the Canadian War Records Office exhibitions of battle pictures (see Mikan # 3192389 for retouched version). MIKAN No. 3233066
This original photo showing the advance on Vimy Ridge, was later retouched by official photographer W.I. Castle for exhibition purposes related to the Canadian War Records Office exhibitions of battle pictures (see Mikan # 3192389 for retouched version). MIKAN No. 3233066

1917

  • German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line, 24-29 March
  • THE BATTLE OF ARRAS, 1917
    • VIMY RIDGE, 9-14 April
    • FIRST SCARPE, 1917, 9-14 April
    • SECOND SCARPE, 1917, 23-24 April
    • Attack on la Coulotte, 23 April
    • ARLEUX, 28-29 April
    • THIRD. SCARPE, 1917 (Capture of Fresnoy) 3-4 May
  • Affairs south of the Souchez River, 3-25 June
  • Capture of Avion, 26-29 June
  • BATTLE OF HILL 70, 15-25 August
  • THE BATTLE OF MESSINES, 1917 (Capture of Wytschaete), 7-14 June
  • THE BATTLES OF YPRES, 1917
    • PILCKEM RIDGE, 31 July-2 August
    • LANGEMARCK, 1917, 16-18 August
    • MENIN ROAD RIDGE, 20-25 September
    • POLYGON WOOD, 26 September-3 October
    • BROODSEINDE, 4 October
    • POELCAPPELLE, 9 October
    • FIRST PASSCHENDAELE, 12 October
    • SECOND PASSCHENDAELE, 26 October-10 November
  • BATTLE OF CAMBRAI, 1917
    • The Tank Attack, 20-21 November
    • Capture of Bourlon Wood, 23-28 November
    • The German Counter-Attacks, 30 November-3 December
Sir Douglas Haig congratulating 85th Battalion. Battle of Amiens. August, 1918 3405991

1918

  • THE FIRST BATTLES OF THE SOMME, 1918
    • ST. QUENTIN, 21-23 March
    • Actions at the Somme Crossings, 24-25 March
    • FIRST BAPAUME, 24-25 March
    • ROSIERES, 26-27 March
    • FIRST ARRAS, 1918, 28 March
    • AVRE, 4 April
  • Capture of Hamel, 4 July
  • THE BATTLES OF THE LYS
    • ESTAIRES (First Defence of Givenchy, 1918), 9-11 April
    • MESSINES, 1918 (Loss of Hill 63), 10-11 April
    • HAZEBROUCK, 12-15 April
    • BAILLEUL (Defence of Neuve-Eglise), 13-15 April
    • FIRST KEMMEL RIDGE, 17-19 April
  • Action of La Becque, 28 June
  • THE BATTLE OF AMIENS, 8-11 August
  • Actions round Damery, 15-17 August
  • THE SECOND BATTLES OF THE SOMME, 1918
    • ALBERT, 1918, 21-23 August
    • SECOND BAPAUME, 31 August-3 September
  • THE SECOND BATTLES OF ARRAS, 1918
    • SCARPE, 1918 (Capture of Monchy-le-Preux), 26-30 August
    • DROCOURT-QUEANT CANAL, 2-3 September
  • THE BATTLES OF THE HINDENBURG LINE
    • HAVRINCOURT, 12 September
    • EPEHY, 18 September
    • CANAL DU NORD (Capture of Bourlon Wood) 27 September- 1 October
    • ST. QUENTIN CANAL, 29 September-2 October
    • BEAUREVOIR LINE, 3-5 October
    • CAMBRAI, 1918 (Capture of Cambrian), 8-9 October
  • BATTLE OF YPRES, 1918, 28September-2 October
  • Pursuit to the Sells, 9-12 October
  • BATTLE OF COURTRAI, 1419 October
  • BATTLE OF THE SELLE, 17-25October
  • BATTLE OF VALENCIENES (Capture of Mont Houy), 1-2 November
  • BATTLE OF THE SAMBRE, 4 November
  • Passage of the Grande Honnelle, 5-7 November
  • Capture of Mons, 11 November
General Sir Arthur Currie, General Loomis and Officers in Grand Place, Mons, November 11th, 1918, taking the salute of the March past. MIKAN No. 3522365
General Sir Arthur Currie, General Loomis and Officers in Grand Place, Mons, November 11th, 1918, taking the salute of the March past. MIKAN No. 3522365
  • Battle of The Crow’s Nest in the Great War

    Battle of The Crow’s Nest in the Great War

    15th Battalion CEF (48th Highlanders of Canada) Battle of The Crows Nest (Crow’s Nest) in the Great War. Troops of the 15th Battalion capture the Crow’s Nest. An enemy strong point on a high bluff overlooking a large section of the Drocourt-Quéant Line. Then, after three stubborn German counterattacks, all of them pushed back, the 48th Highlanders of Canada capture 200 prisoners, nine light trench mortars, and upwards of 80 machine guns.

    The approach to the Drocourt-Quéant Line was difficult for the Canadian Corps. Firstly, a secure, and good jump-off position to assault it, was made difficult by several defended obstacles, forward of the line itself. Then, the most formidable of which, was taking The Crow’s Nest. The final objective, a strong-point on a high bluff. Finally, the Canadian Corps would overlook a large section of the German D-Q defenses.

    The Assault

    The 15th Battalion was assigned the task of assaulting, and holding The Crow’s Nest. Then, on the morning of 1 September 1918, the unit began the assault. Quickly, they captured the line. And then, the ruins of Château d’Hendecourt, and the adjacent Chateau Wood.

    The Crow's Nest. Château d'Hendecourt in Château Wood,
    The rebuilt Château d’Hendecourt in Château Wood, Hendecourt-lès-Cagnicourt, Pas-de-Calais. It was part of the objective when the 15th Battalion assaulted The Crow’s Nest on 1 September 1918. Lt. Loudon was killed leading his platoon in the assault on Château Wood. In honour of Lt. Loudon, one of the Château’s meeting rooms was named after him during the reception at the Château that followed the 26 April 2010 dedication of the 15th Battalion’s Crow’s Nest memorial.

    However, as at Hill 70, the battalion successfully defended the position against several German counterattacks. Thereby, opening the door for the main attack on the D-Q Line, in which it also participated.
    The Battle of Hill 70

    The D-Q Line is one of twenty one Battle Honours awarded to the 15th Battalion for its service during The Great War. This Battle Honour is one of ten shown on the Colours of 48th Highlanders of Canada. The regiment perpetuates the 15th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF. The 48th Highlanders of Canada have earned 50 Battle Honours.

    15th Canadian Infantry Battalion with their colours. (48th Highlanders of Canada), Euskirchen, Germany, 8 January 1919. John Pollards Girvan had just returned from England with the Colours. The Crows Nest MIKAN No. 3406038
    15th Canadian Infantry Battalion with their colours. (48th Highlanders of Canada), Euskirchen, Germany, 8 January 1919. Major John Pollards Girvan had just returned from England with the Colours. MIKAN No. 3406038

    15th Battalion CEF Memorial Project

    The Crows Nest is the second in a series of videos made by the 15th Battalion CEF Memorial Project. Firstly, they pay tribute to the battalion’s role in a number of the key battles of The Great War. Secondly, the programs also attest to the sacrifice of those men of the battalion, who fell during those battles. Finally, to whose memory we remain Faithful Forever.

    The first in the series by the 15th Battalion CEF Memorial Project is the Battle for Hill 70.

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