72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

CAMBRAL
tioned, the flanks were in the air, i.e., the flanking units
had not been able to come up level on either side. On the
left the line fell back about 800 yards on the
;
right, where
the situation was most acute, it dropped back 1,400 yards.
The Battalion was thus forced to occupy a position which
threatened every moment to overwhelm it. At this point
the 6-in. Newton trench mortars of the Battalion gave an
excellent account of themselves in bringing fire to bear,
from their position in Sancourt, on points of enemy ac
tivity.
About noon, the pressure of German counter-attacks be
gan to make itself felt along the line. These counter-at
tacks developed chiefly in the form of small bodies of the
enemy, who, working their way forward, kept a steady
pressure up along the whole front. For over two hours
these counter-attacks were held up before our positions by
means of gun and rifle fire, but as fresh German units were
flung into the fight, the strain on the line, particularly on
the flanks, reached a most critical stage. The Battalion, in
its weakened state, could no longer maintain so great a
frontage. To prevent a serious break-through on the flanks,
the heroic advanced posts in the apex of the salient were
withdrawn about 700 yards. The left company, fighting
gallantly, but surrounded on three sides, was ordered to
fall back on the sunken road running N.W. out of Sancourt.
Thus, with the left flank now secure, a strong line
was thrown up around the village of Sancourt. Too much
praise cannot be given to those officers and men who gar
risoned the advanced posts along the railway in the point
of the salient. Some of them, completely surrounded by
the enemy in his counter-attacks, and unable to effect the
ordered withdrawal, simply stayed and fought it out.
At 10 p.m. on the night of September 29th, the Battalion
was relieved and withdrawn into support. On the night of
October 1-2, the Kilties, reduced to 182 all ranks, were
again relieved, and moved back to
149
the welcome hospitality