72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA
On the 29th the Battalion moved from Anzin to its pre
liminary assembly position at Orange Hill, under the shel
ter of Monchy that dominating eminence which, in Ger
man hands, had threatened the security of Vimy Ridge
during the past summer. Arras presented a scene of tre
mendous endeavour. Guns, tanks, ammunition and troops
poured along the east-bound roads in never-ending streams,
till the columns of supplies reached the heart of the fight
ing.
On arrival at Orange Hill the Battalion bivouacked and
settled down for the night. The 30th and 31st were spent
in outfitting, reconnoitering, and generally making ready
for the forthcoming assault.
On the night of the last day of August, the Battalion
quitted Orange
Hill and moved eastward toward its battle
position south of Vis-en-Artois, and took over from the
3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion.
It is one thing for a battalion to go into an attack with
out previous, and as it were, impromptu fighting, but it
is another thing for it to have to contest its way to the
jumping off trenches. The 72nd, up to this occasion, had
been singularly favoured in this respect. The night of
August 31st and the day of September 1st changed this
order of things. All through the night, the companies, mov
ing slowly through the darkness, felt their way into place.
At night, in a featureless countryside, direction is an
elusive thing, and when the ultimate goal, as in this in
stance, is a position more or less in a state of flux, owing
to the pressure of the attack, the difficulties are legion.
The companies reported themselves in position at 5 a.m.
on September 1st. But before this, viz., iat a quarter to two,
during the strenuous relief, orders had been received by
Battalion Headquarters to carry out a minor operation, in
conjunction with the troops on the right, in order to
estab
lish a line of posts in advance of the position then held,
to facilitate the jumping
off of the main assault at a later
126