Oblique Aeroplane Photograph.
"Riencourt and Hendecourt contained many German bodies when they were left quiet, deserted by the forward surge of the battle front, the survivors of grim hand-to-hand encounters with the Lancashire men and their bayonets. All night long the 'mopping up' continued. Hardly had the secret places been declared clear when the Lancashires had to attack again and take up their share of the greater advance at dawn. The Canadians and their brother Britishers on their left know the debt they owe these stout lads of the North, whose unflagging efforts enabled them to attack with easy minds, knowing their flank would be secure.
"Riencourt captured, the striking troops were within easy reach of the Drocourt Line. At Riencourt itself the distance was not over half a mile. Higher up the Canadians on both sides of the Cambrai road were closer at some places. Their front was nearly straight. Before them were unobstructed fields, little scarred by shell, with dull red banks of tangled wire stretched taut in front of the white band of trenches, the ground behind rising gently with the tips of broken roofs and the Church towers of the villages laid against the rain-swept sky of grey.
"It is now necessary to return to the Lancashire men who were on the Canadian right. They had to attack and pass through the triangle I have described, east of Riencourt. Some of them followed behind the Canadians, then slipped south-east into the trenches and mopped them up. By last accounts they were working satisfactorily down the line of the triangle, and clearing out nests of machine guns. The drive through to Buissy was a phase of the attack following this operation of the Lancashire men.
"This despatch is necessarily very incomplete, for the battle is still going on and news comes back slowly. Fresh German divisions are no doubt coming up. The Canadians on Mont Dury at eight o'clock could see masses of grey moving westwards at several places; and although some of the German artillery had begun to drop back, the bombardment was still very heavy. The intermixture of enemy troops is extraordinary. In one narrow Canadian sector prisoners have been taken from seven different divisions. Lancashires on the right have taken them from six divisions. There are Saxons, fresh 1st Guards Reserve, battered 2nd Guards Reserve, bits of the 30th from Bapaume, and the 12th Reserve from Bullecourt; 7th Cavalry Division, fighting dismounted, and badly at that, and apparently other relics of the fighting of the past three weeks served up with fresh dressing, in the shape of a few rested divisions from 'the back of beyond.' It is a most disorderly order of battle. Something appears to have cracked besides the Drocourt Line."
To return to actual details. At 4.40 a.m. on September 1st the 2/7th and 8th K.L.R. attacked and captured Hendecourt, and advanced to a line running from Terrier Alley (about 1,000 yards due west of Riencourt) up Greyhound Trench to Hendecourt Chateau, about 1,000 yards due north of Riencourt.
The 2/6th K.L.R., in conjunction with two companies of 2/7th K.L.R. on our left and the 52nd Division on our right, were now to attack in the evening and capture Riencourt Lez Cagnicourt, and consolidate a line 500 yards east of the village. The formation was two companies in front—"C" Company (Captain Williams) on the right and "B" Company (Captain Robinson) on the left; "D" Company (Lieutenant Noon) was in support, with "A" Company (Lieutenant Sage) in reserve.