In such an operation it would be very difficult and most unfair to mention the work of any one particular platoon, section, or man, since all we had planned to do was done, and this in the face of many serious handicaps. The care of our wounded was now the first consideration, and Capt. Moore, with his staff, who had established an advance Regimental Aid Post (later known as “Moore’s Aid Post”) at the junction of the Lens-Arras Railway and the Avion Road, were busy until daylight, when a German observation balloon caught sight of them, and they were forced by heavy shell fire to retire to a more protected position.

And so it was only through the co-operation and courage of all ranks that we had at last won the right to our place in the 9th Brigade and the Canadian Corps. Let it be said that this was only one of a great many successful raids carried out by Canadian troops, and which made them famous on all the Western front.

In sum we had captured 60 prisoners, including two officers, and killed at least twice that number, our own casualties being five officers—Lts. V. C. Lick, C. S. Lennox, F. S. Neil, T. W. Hutchison, G. R. Weber—and twenty-five other ranks killed, three officers and forty-two other ranks wounded.

It might be of interest to compare the two communiqués published shortly afterwards:

German—Strong enemy thrusts in the neighborhood of Avion easily repulsed with heavy casualties.

British—Early this morning our troops carried out a minor enterprise S.E. of Avion. The first objective was easily captured, but heavy fighting ensued at the railway embankment. After a severe struggle the whole of the German garrison was either killed or captured and all their dug-outs were destroyed—about fifty—sixty Germans are reported to have been taken. Our total casualties are believed to be about the same as the number of German prisoners. The enemy’s losses were heavy.

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