The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

PASSCHENDAELE 89On November 7th the Battalion was moved to theforward area. The men had had only one week of restand were still worn out, but the need was urgent and theywere ordered to Saville Camp near St. Jean, north-east ofYpres. They were there five days providing large working parties, under the orders of the C. R. E. of the FirstDivision, building roads up to Passchendaele and workingat Spree Dump, Kansas Cross and Abraham Heights.They were back in the wet and the filth of that disagreeable area doing disagreeable work; most of the timelabouring under shell fire, soaking wet and with no chanceto dry their clothes at night because of the prohibitionagainst fires and lights. However, this boredom did notlast long. On the 13th they were ordered to the rear andwent back to Camp 30 at Brandhoek just south ofPoperinghe.The Battalion never returned to Passchendaele or Ypres.They left these historic places forever, without regrets.Two of their greatest sacrifices had been made on thissoil. Their first baptism was received there, and nowthey had wiped off an old score. The newer blood hadretaliated for the older, Passchendaele was a rebuke forSanctuary Wood. They left behind a battalion s strengthin the soil of Belgium, their share in the price that waspaid to protect the Channel Ports.Nov. 7,1917Nov. 13,1917