The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

PASSCHENDAELE 73specially made tracks floating on a sea of mud. ToOctventure off them was to risk drowning in the mire; the 1917sodden ground was so churned by shell-fire that it becamea batter with the consistence of fresh mortar. Its onlyvirtue was in diminishing the effectiveness of shell-fireand undoubtedly reducing the number of casualties. TheAllies encountered a new form of defence in the concrete"Pill-boxes" which were substantially constructed concrete strong points heavily armed and manned by pickedtroops. They necessitated the development of newtactics and were a strong factor in the retarding of theoffensive. Mud, Pill-boxes and casualties were the outstanding things in this bitter offensive.The attack on Lens for which the Canadian Corps hadbeen preparing was postponed on October 4th and theCanadian Corps ordered north into the fight for Passchendaeleunder General Plumer of the Second Army. OnOctober 15th, 1917, the Battalion, less "B"Company, Oct. 15,which followed in the evening, moved off at 6.30 a.m. 1917from Cambligneul to Savy, where they entrained at10.30 a.m., and proceeded north by train through Hazebrouckto Caestre, where they detrained and marched tothe Koorten Loop area, on the border of Belgium. TheBattalion billeted in a picturesque valley of farms, andhad ideal weather which made the route-marches andphysical training a less monotonous task. Officers whohad been with the Regiment in this part of the countryin the earlier days revisited some of their old haunts in theneighbouring towns of Steenvoorde,CasselandHazebrouck.This halt was only temporary. On the 21st the Bat- Oct 2l - >talion moved again, going by train from Caestre to theheart of ruined Ypres. Many of the men had neverbeen in Flanders; for them it was a thrilling experienceto be standing amidst the wreckage of the town thevery name of which was synonymous with all that wasterrifying. The fact that troops detrained within theremnants of this eerie city meant that the Germanshad been pushed back a considerable distance and that,as in all offensives, things were done behind the lineswhich would never be dreamed of during ordinary times.