The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

PASSCHENDAELE 77Corps was to undertake operations for the capture of Oct.Passchendaele in conjunction with the 1st Anzac Corps1917on the right, and the 5th Army on the left, the Anzacs andCanadians coming under General Sir H.Plumer, G.C.M.G.,of the Second Army. The operation was to be in threestages, with a few days interval following each stage; thedates were October 26th, October 30th and November 9th.The Third and Fourth Canadian Divisions were to complete the first and second stages; and the 1st and 2ndDivisions the third and last stage which included thecapture of Passchendaele village and the main Ridge.This they did. On October 26th the Third Division hadthe Fourth Division on its right and the 63rd Divisionof the Fifth Army, better known as the Royal NavalDivision, on its left. The 8th and 9th Brigades enteredthe first attack. The latter had a two battalion frontage,using the 43rd and 58th, while the 8th had one Battalionfrontage, using the 4th C. M. R. Once again the battalion was on the extreme left of the Canadian Corps.The Royal Naval Division was on the left of the Battalionand the 43rd Battalion of the 9th Brigade on its right.Colonel Patterson issued orders for two companies toassemble before zero hour in front of the line and twocompanies behind, and as soon as they moved forwardtheir positions were to be taken by the 1st C. M. R., tobe used, ifnecessary, to reinforce the attacking troops.The 2nd C. M. R. Battalion was in support and the 5thC. M. R. in Reserve and to be used in the second stageon October 30th. This, roughly, was the disposition ofthe troops engaged on the day which the Battalionattacked.In the darkness of the early morning of October 26th, Oct 261917, the companies assembled in their theoretical 1917positions. Two companies moved out in front and twocompanies remained en echelon behind them. Theycarried out these difficult manoeuvres without interferencefrom the enemy. Heavy clouds threatened rain, it wasdifficult to see, there were few landmarks and as theofficers and men had been in the line only one day theyhad very little opportunity to orient themselves and to