The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

VIMY RIDGE 59several of the enemy s most important positions. The Corps and AprilArmy Commander both came around and expressed their great appre- 1917eiation, of the Division s work of which the 8th Brigade was veryprominent. In this battle, there must have been nearly a quarter ofa million troops engaged. The history of VIMY RIDGE is wellknown now; it was in 1914, the French made a big attack here andtwice in 1915 but only achieved partial success at very heavy cost,therefore the Canadians should feel proud that their efforts met withsuch marked success. These wars are very trying, but it is for usto continue, and it is the men who can come on and fight that willwin the war. This is what the British and Canadians have shown bythe recent battle. The Artillery preparation was splendid and weexpected few casualties. I am sorry to say they were rather heavy,but these lives were not wasted, they did not die in vain. The creditdevolves on yourselves, your officers, n.c.o. s and men alike. Thehardships and discomforts of holding the line, the monotonous detailsof preparation, I appreciate, but it is one satisfaction to know thatwe have one of the finest Divisions in France and of which the 4thC.M.B. forms no inconsiderable part. The engagement is still proceeding, there will be more Bosche to handle, but I have no doubtas to the way in which you will handle them. I cannot fully expressmy thanks to you all for the way in which you carried out the workyou had to do, but it makes me feel very proud to be in Commandof this Division. I thank you all very much.For a week during the continuance of the battle theBattalion provided large working parties for salvagingand making roads. Fresh troops were engaged and theGermans gradually pushed back beyond Vimy. TheBritish were in complete control of the Ridge, whichcommanded the broad plain to the east. We hadadvanced to a line running through Avion, Mericourt andAcheville, when the Battalion was ordered to relieve the5th C. M. R. facing this line. This was done on the nightof April 21st. The Battalion s new position was approx- April 21,imately a mile south-west of Avion, adjacent to the 1917Lens-Arras railway and about two miles north-east fromthe crest of the Ridge which they took on April 9th. Theline ran more or less through the German defence system,known as the Thelus-Vimy-Lens line. Some parts of itwere still in the possession of the enemy. A series ofstrong points were thrown out and these were protectedat night by large patrols.Vimy Ridge had been included in an offensive programme arranged between General Joffre and GeneralHaig in November, 1916. The date for its capture waspostponed when General Joffre was succeeded by General