72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

CAMBRAI.
had fought well, desperately conscious of what defeat
would mean, but he had been hopelessly outclassed.
All through the night of the 27th-28th fresh troops and
guns poured across the Canal du Nord over the bridges
flung across by the valiantly-working engineers. At dawn
on the 28th the attack was resumed and troops of the 10th
Brigade drove on through the line gained by the 72nd.
Swinging slightly north, the attack carried our line to a
point a few hundred yards S.W. of the Douai-Cambrai
road. The 72nd, moving forward in support of the attack,
took up a position in the sunken road midway between
Haynecourt and Sailly where they remained until the early
morning of the 29th. During the afternoon of the 28th
the enemy subjected the sunken roads in this area to a
concentrated bombardment. From the masses of troops
moving forward behind the Hun line, it was evident that
he was piling fresh divisions into the fight, in continuance
of his stubborn efforts to check the advance. It was during
the afternoon of the 28th that the gallant brigadier of the
12th Brigade, Brig.-Gen. MacBrien, C.M.G., D.S.O., while
engaged in a dangerous personal reconnaissance under
point-blank machine gun fire, was wounded in the leg
Despite this injury he remained on duty until one of his
battalion commanders, Lieut.-Col. J. Kircaldy, D.S.O., was
able to take over command of the Brigade.
At 7 p.m. on the 28th the 10th Brigade again attacked
to secure the line of the Douai-Cambrai road as a foot
hold from which the next day s attack could be launched.
At 7:30 p.m. orders were received for the resumption of
the advance on the morrow. The 72nd was to attack on
a 1,250-yard front, to penetrate to a distance of 3,000 yards,
and in the course of this movement to capture Sancourt
and Blecourt. Opposed by ordinary resistance and with a
full complement of officers and men, this would have been
a task of considerable difficulty. Under the existing condi
tions it was a titanic job. Behind the front to be attacked
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