The Battle of Vimy Ridge will live in history as the great achievement of the war, owing to the position being considered impregnable and the fact that it was captured with inconsequential losses, mainly due to a well considered plan of attack, absolute co-operation between all branches of the service and thoroughness of preparation.
The Company carried on with the usual steadiness during the engagement and rendered valuable assistance, its losses being negligible.
ON THE DOUAI PLAIN.
For some time after the capture of Vimy Ridge it was found impossible to bring up the artillery within range, as the Hun had retired to a line on the outskirts of Lens and Douai. The Company, with the rest of the Battalion, pushed over the Ridge and were in position as a sacrifice Battalion to fight to the last man, in the event of a counter attack being launched to retake the Ridge. Trenches were constructed, deepened and strengthened, but the expected did not happen, and finally the guns were able to get up within range, from which time ordinary trench routine was resumed.
During a tour in the trenches on this front a raid was attempted by the Hun on the Company front. It was unsuccessful, the enemy being repulsed with heavy loss.
Lieutenant Holmes was awarded the M.C. for his work on this occasion, displaying great coolness and gallantry in holding off single-handed, until reinforced, a party of Huns.
The Battalion at this time was under the command of Major Roscoe, D.S.O., who the day following the attempted raid received a message from the Divisional Commander complimenting the Battalion on their steadiness during the attack. A few days after the Brigade was withdrawn from this sector.
The Company, which up until now had been practically all Maritime Province men, under the new reinforcement scheme drew their men from Quebec, and for a while the Company was made up almost entirely of French-Canadians. After Passchendaele, during which the Company gave its usual assistance to the Battalion, the wounded men began to come back as well as some of the N.C.O.’s who had been granted commissions, and once again it became a Maritime Province Company. It was at Passchendaele that Capt. L. C. Eaton was killed, just before going over the top.
In the winter of 1917 the Unit moved back to their old front at Vimy. In March, 1918, the Battalion put on a raid of 250 men. Lieutenants Gillis and Young of the old “D” Company took part in this, and were both awarded the M.C. for their work. Gillis in particular had done some very fine work during the second attack on the Somme. He had come back from hospital with an unhealed wound in his arm, and although it was too late for him to secure a rifle and the necessary equipment, he took a pick-axe handle and joined his Company in going over the top. He brought back the prisoners, sixty in all, taken on that occasion.
After a pleasant spring spent in reinforcing different parts of the line, in August the Unit once again took the road south for Amiens. The work done by the Company during this attack was spectacular. One of their accomplishments was the capture of a 5.9 Battery in action at point-blank range. One of the old 6th men was awarded the D.C.M. for his work on this occasion and Lieutenant Barnstead was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his leadership.