72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

WATCHFUL WAITING
and Quartermaster. Another outstanding feature of this
period was the dinner given by the Battalion officers at
the Ecurie Club on the evening of April 9th, 1918, the
first anniversary of the victory at Vimy Ridge. It was a
memorable occasion. The Corps Commander, Lieut.-Gen,
Sir A. W. Currie, the Divisional Commander, Major-Gen.
Sir David Watson, and the Brigade Commander, Brig.-
Gen. J. H. MacBrien, together with many other guests,
were present, the total number of officers attending ap
proximating 90. Sir A. W. Currie s speech at this dinner
will be long remembered. While reminiscent of the past
it was rousing and invigorating for the future.
On April 10th the Battalion moved into support in the
Bailleul sector, relieving the 75th. On the 12th a redis
tribution of the Canadian Corps necessitated the 72nd side
slipping to the north, being relieved by the 46th Battalion,
and relieving the 54th in the front line in the Arleux sec
tor. During this tour several encounters with the enemy
took place. On the night of April 16th one of our posts
commanded by 129319 Cpl. R. G. Gordon, was raided by
the enemy. Gordon had previously taken the precaution
to establish a block a short distance down the trench from
his post with concertina wire. The enemy approached this
block and a fight with bombs ensued, during which
the Boches were completely repulsed. Cpl. Gordon was
wounded during the encounter, but continued to fight until
the enemy was finally routed. He was awarded the Mili
tary Medal which was well earned. Again on the night of
the 17th, or in the early morning of the 18th, Lieut. J.
R. S. Lough commanded a patrol which raided the enemy s
front line trenches. With 1015184 Cpl. H. A. Mitchell and
six other ranks he left the line at 9 :45 p.m. and proceeded
to Antelope Alley, where the patrol left the trench and proceeded
overland with the object of exploring and dealing
with an organized shell-hole at some distance. This was
found to be unoccupied, and the party went on and pene-
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