72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - Electric Scotland

SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA
less stirring circumstances, would have been humorous.
To be embraced, wept over, cheered, and offered a glass
of cognac while one is assisting in the capture of a city,
gives rise to feelings which must be experienced before
they can be truly realized. However, there was to be
no pause to enjoy the hospitality which would have been
lavished upon the kilties had they lingered. Driving
straight through the city,
"B"
Company emerged, to find
"C"
Company, having fought its way through the more
open country to the north, now in line with their left
flank, and together the two Companies carried the
line some 500 yards beyond the city. Seizing the
opportunity afforded by the brilliant capture of Va
lenciennes, and "B" "C", closely followed by their two
supporting companies, commenced to exploit their successes
in a north-easterly direction along the main Valenciennes-
Mons road. In view of this the orders which the Battalion
received an hour later to continue the attack, were quite
unnecessary. The attack was being continued; and with
such good effect that by 4 p.m. the last of the Boches had
been summarily driven from the village of St. Saulve, one
and one-half miles north-east of Valenciennes, on the road
to Mons.
All through the late afternoon of November 2nd and
until the early hours of (the 3rd the enemy subjected St.
Saulve and portions of Valenciennes to the most intense
shell fire. It afterwards appeared that this was merely
a form of retreat tactics on his part. If he was driven
from a position he methodically began to empty the ad
jacent ammunition dumps, by the simple expedient of
firing his guns till they were red hot, against the last posi
tion. This formula was repeated as often as he was driven
back. Soldiers are used to -this sort of thing, but the un
fortunate civilians suffered, and many of them were killed
under the falling debris of their own homes.
On October 3rd two patrols were pushed out to the north
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