The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

DURING THE LAST GERMAN OFFENSIVE 97on leave in England. It was a most popular award.His exploit at Passchendaele had become a glorioustradition in the Battalion.The following day the men returned to the line andexperienced a sudden thaw with rain. The release ofthe frost from the ground was so rapid that even thewell -constructed trenches started to crumble while thenarrow and less seasoned were almost impassable. Although the rain continued for some days the Battalion,by extra shifts and hard work, soon had the defenceshabitable and the communications open. Both sideswere so occupied with the disintegrating chalky soil thatthere was little time to annoy each other. The onlyincident of aggression on this tour happened in the earlymorning of January 19th when Lieutenant A. Clarke Jan. 19,with six of his scouts, cut their way through to the enemy strench. A German appeared and was shot with a revolver by Pte. Haight. This called forth a volley ofbombs from the enemy. The party circled out of rangeand again approached the wire, this time meeting severalof the enemy. Lieutenant A. Clarke shot the leader atvery close range and Lieutenant C. L. W. Nicholson whowas wounded bombed the remainder. The party, afterinflicting considerable damage, retired just before daylight.The last week of January and the first two weeks of Feb.February were spent at Houdain about ten miles westof Les Brebis. The weather was clear and mild duringthe first half of this rest but during the remainderof the time it was less kind; the cold and wet whichfollowed cancelled many sports and Brigade manoeuvres.The officers took advantage of the facilities offered bythe Hotel du Centre and had several delightful dinnerparties. Major G. F. McFarland, who was stillactingin the absence of Colonel Patterson, gave a dinner tothe Company Commanders, who went on to an excellentconcert given by a very talented troupe of the First ArmyConcert Party. Another dinner was given at the Hotel duCentre this time by the officers of the Battalion to MajorS. C. Xorsworthy, D.S.O. (Brigade Major), Major