The following order was published on leaving the area:
“7th Canadian Infantry Brigade.
“This Brigade has just finished a series of operations of which every member may be justly proud.
“The performance of the 15th September, 1916, when the R.C.R. P.P.C.L.I., 42nd and 49th Battalions, went into an unknown area on four and a half hours’ notice, in broad daylight, and under heavy shelling, reached and jumped off on time, not from prepared assembly trenches, but from a battered trench captured that morning, and, changing direction twice, captured and held three different objectives, together with some three hundred prisoners, has been characterized as one of the finest accomplishments by any Brigade in the war.
“No one as time goes on can fail to be more and more impressed with the extent to which each arm of the military machine is dependent upon others for ultimate and lasting success; a Brigade may do better than ever before, and still fail to gain their objective, owing to another arm not having fully accomplished its task.
“The attack on September 16th, 1916, adds to, rather than dims, the glory. Both the R.C.R. and the 42nd Battalion (R.H.C.) knew the barrage had failed, that the Zollern Trench was fully manned, and that the chances of success were slight. Notwithstanding, the attacking companies of these Battalions did their duty, knowing that the attack of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, timed for 6.30 p.m., depended entirely on their capturing their objective. They thrust the attack home gallantly and well, but, under the circumstances, with the odds so heavily against them, it was impossible to make good the Zollern Trench.
“On the 8th October, 1916, Regina Trench was not battered in nor the wire cut, but we all have good reason to be proud of the performance of our Battalions that day—the R.C.R. and 49th Battalion for their attack, the P.P.C.L.I. for their good work in the vacated front line, and the 42nd Battalion (R.H.C.) for cheerfully going in again to take over the defence of the line, although they had been withdrawn a few hours before and were desperately tired. The Machine Gun Company also comes in for its share of the well-earned praise for its excellent barrage work and support of the Infantry.
“We all feel particularly proud of the splendid work of the R.C.R. in driving through to their objective and holding it so long against odds. No one could have done better and few so well.
“A. C. Macdonell, Brig.-Gen.,
“Comd’g. 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade.