From Haverskerque we marched by easy stages to Bailleul-les-Pernes, probably the poorest village for billets in the neighborhood, but thankful to be alive, and pleased at the prospect3 of spending the next three weeks anywhere except around Ypres, we settled down to what we considered a much needed rest.
We had great difficulty in securing a parade ground within easy marching distance of, and large enough to[54] accommodate all four Companies, much to the disgust of the C. O., who was never happier than when he could get the Battalion4 together again after the disintegration5 entailed6 by a tour in the line.
The billets were certainly poor, and after parade hours, those who were energetic enough would either wander off to Auchel to renew old acquaintances or else go to Ferfay to see the latest Dumbell Concert Party. There was also a small village called Pernes, about three kilometres away, which most of the boys will remember. “D” Company Officers’ mess gave a party there during which a young calf7 was driven into the dining room of the Café. Somebody at once conceived the idea that calf-riding would be good for the digestion8, and there was lots of fun trying to ride the calf, who resented this treatment by throwing each of his would-be riders to the floor. Eventually a long-legged officer from “B” Company succeeded in riding once round the Café, which broke the calf’s spirit completely, and he rolled over breathless on his back. The orchestra immediately struck up the “Toreador Song” from Carmen, and the party broke up amidst scenes of the greatest excitement.
During our rest in this village we were given the opportunity to cast our votes for or against Conscription in Canada. The polling was organized by Companies, each Company Orderly Room being temporarily converted into a polling booth. A muster9 parade was then called, and the whole affair completed in a few hours. It would be quite safe to estimate the result at 99.9%[55] in favor of conscription, and it seems a pity that all elections and things of the kind, including referendums, cannot be organized in a similar manner.
On November 24th, Major A. W. McConnell, who succeeded Major Cameron as 2nd in command of the battalion, was recalled to Canada, and the vacancy10 thus caused was filled by Major G. R. Pearkes, M.C., of the 5th C.M.R., who received his appointment through special recommendation of the Divisional Commander.
After spending a quiet and peaceful month at Bailleul-les-Pernes we finally relieved the 9th Sherwood Foresters and the 8th Northumberland Fusiliers in the front line just north of Lens, on the 22nd December, with the pleasant prospect of being there for Christmas Day.
About this time Col. S. Sharpe proceeded to England for the Senior Officers’ Staff Course, and during his absence Major G. R. Pearkes assumed command of the battalion. Although Christmas Day was spent in feasting chiefly on “Bully,” on the night of the 26th December warning was received of an intended raid by the Germans, and a raid was actually made on Sap 6 at 6.30 a.m. the following morning, but the enemy was successfully driven off.
The condition of the trenches12 in this sector14 was the worst imaginable. The mud was not only knee deep but like glue, and it was not at all an unusual occurrence for a man to lose his boots and socks in his endeavours to extricate15 himself. One of the smallest of our officers, Capt. Hughes, was heard to remark that it was a good[56] thing for him that his colors were painted on his helmet. On one memorable16 occasion we were relieving the 58th Battalion—the bad conditions had been rendered even worse by a heavy fall of snow. Our relieving companies became so exhausted17, which is not to be wondered at when one remembers the unmercifully heavy equipment usually carried into the line, that the relief which should have been completed about 10 p.m. was not actually reported until 3 a.m. the following morning. Even when the 58th had been relieved they found it impossible to get out until daylight.
The chief work of the period was the reorganization of the front line and the building of strong points. On the 22nd January, 1918, at 5.40 p.m., the enemy raided No. 4 post, but his party was caught in a barrage18 and obliged to retire. The conduct of Corporal Allen in the handling of his section was most exemplary. Several important patrols were made during which Lieutenant19 F. A. McGrotty received wounds from which he afterwards died.
Towards the end of February the battalion moved back to its old familiar hunting ground around Avion, where, although the trenches and general conditions were excellent, we sustained a series of misfortunes. Patrols went out every night through the ruins of Avion to try and locate enemy posts and whilst engaged in this work we lost two of our officers, Lieutenant C. R. Hillis and Lieutenant R. W. Biggar, within a few days of each other. From this front we moved south and on[57] the 1st of April we were situated20 in the New Brunswick trench13, in front of Méricourt.
During the last three months two important changes in our organization took place which it may be wise to record.
Major G. R. Pearkes, recently awarded the Victoria Cross for gallant21 work at Passchendaele with the 5th C.M.R., was appointed Officer Commanding 116th Battalion, to replace Colonel Sharpe, whose illness in England seemed likely to keep him away from France for an indefinite period.
Major J. Sutherland, at one time a Company Commander in the 52nd Battalion, but recently an instructor22 at Ferfay, was appointed second in command to Lt.-Colonel Pearkes.
The German grand offensive, which was to land him at the gates of Paris, had commenced, and in consequence the “staff” were showing very distinct signs of nervousness—commonly called “wind up.”
The First, Second and Fourth Canadian Divisions had been, or were being withdrawn23 from the line to be in readiness for action wherever they might most be needed, and the Third Division was left to defend Vimy Ridge24 as best it could, with nothing behind it except its own artillery25 and a couple of labour battalions26 employed in agricultural work, which had lately become a feature of modern warfare27. During the day the Brigadier paid a visit to Battalion Headquarters, and, amongst other things, suggested that we might carry out some[58] kind of raid in order to get identification, and by this means discover the enemy plans.
At 6 p.m. a meeting of the Company Commanders was called, and within the hour it was arranged to send out a battle patrol of one officer and twenty-five O.R’s. from each Company, to work independently on given frontages. It was also arranged that whichever patrol was successful in capturing a prisoner, would send up a red flare28 immediately. The operation was scheduled to commence at 11 p.m., without artillery or machine gun support.
At 9 p.m. a message was received from the Divisional Commander stating that identification on our front might be necessary, and at 10 p.m. the Corps29 Commander wired in saying that it was necessary, so that, all things considered, our preparations were probably well timed.
“D” Company patrol, under Captain Baird, was the first to start the quarry30, for shortly after setting out it ran into a strong German patrol on its way over to our lines. With the battle cry “Come on Toronto,” Captain Baird, followed by his patrol, rushed on the Germans before they had time to move and a regular scrimmage took place, during which Captain Baird lost the use of his right arm, due to the displacement31 of one of the muscles. He was in the act of capturing the German patrol leader when his right arm collapsed32 and his revolver dropped from his hand. The German officer immediately seized him round the neck[59] and was giving him a rough time when one of our party shot the German dead. In the meantime the remainder of our patrol had succeeded in capturing two prisoners and put the rest to flight.
Red flares33 were immediately sent up and all parties returned to our lines in high spirits, having obtained the “necessary identification” asked for by the Corps only two hours previously34, although this achievement was greatly dimmed by the loss of two officers killed (Lt. J. A. Gibson and Lt. R. W. Soper).
It was during this tour that we received the following special order of the day from Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig:
To All Ranks of the British Army in France and Flanders:
“We are again at a crisis in the War. The enemy has collected on this front every available Division and is aiming at the destruction of the British Army. We have already inflicted35 on the enemy in the course of the last two days, very heavy loss, and the French are sending troops as quickly as possible to our support. I feel that everyone in the Army, fully11 realizing how much depends on the exertion36 and steadfastness37 of each one of us, will do his utmost to prevent the enemy from attaining38 his object.”
And this did not add any particular comfort to our feelings.
The Germans, however, were not thinking just then[60] of retaking Vimy Ridge, but of pushing through to Paris along the line of least resistance, which, judging by the progress they were making, was around the front of the Fifth Army, the “Fighting Fifth,” as they were afterwards called.
From the Méricourt front we were moved up north of Lens, and having put up with a lot of shelling and other annoyances39 from the Bosch, it was decided40 to take revenge by means of a stealth raid. “B” and “C” Companies each sent out a party consisting of one officer and twenty O.R’s. “B” Company’s party, under Lt. Dunlop, encountered the enemy in Nun’s Alley41 Sap, where a tough fight took place before the Germans were finally overcome. Several of them threw up their hands as if to surrender and Lance-Corporal Hayward ran forward to secure these prisoners; instead of surrendering they seized Hayward, who had the greatest difficulty in extricating42 himself from their grip.
On the 30th of April the battalion moved away from the line, and with the other units of the Canadian Corps, became part of Foch’s famous reserve, which was later to play such a prominent part in the final overthrow43 of the entire German Army. And so, during many days of glorious summer weather, and under the careful and expert guidance of Lt.-Col. G. R. Pearkes, V.C., the little old “Umpty Umps” made preparations for the future. It was during this period that we received the sad news of the death of Colonel Sam Sharpe in Montreal, on the 25th May.
There is, perhaps, no more glorious monument to the memory of this gallant soldier than his letter written “in the Field” on October 21st, 1917, just before the battle of Passchendaele, in which he said: “If it should be my fate to be among those who fall, I wish to say I have no regrets to offer. I have done my duty as I saw it, and have fought in defence of those principles upon which our great Empire is founded, and I die without any fears as to the ultimate destiny of all that is immortal44 within me.”
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1
deluded
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| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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quagmire
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| n.沼地 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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disintegration
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| n.分散，解体 | |
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entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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7
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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8
digestion
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| n.消化，吸收 | |
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9
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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10
vacancy
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| n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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12
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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13
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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14
sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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15
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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16
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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17
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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18
barrage
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| n.火力网，弹幕 | |
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19
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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20
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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instructor
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| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
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23
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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24
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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25
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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27
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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28
flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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29
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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30
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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displacement
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| n.移置，取代，位移，排水量 | |
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32
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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33
flares
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| n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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steadfastness
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| n.坚定，稳当 | |
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38
attaining
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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39
annoyances
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| n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事 | |
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40
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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41
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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42
extricating
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| v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的现在分词 ) | |
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43
overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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44
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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