The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

THE LAST HUNDRED DAYS 123L. B. Bumstead and Lieutenants F. H. Paull and F. W.Rous were wounded. Amongst the ranks were twelvekilled and sixty-two wounded. The Battalion was creditedwith taking three German officers and 123 other ranks,as well as many trophies, from machine guns and saddlehorses to one complete pigeon-loft containing 300 pigeons.Every officer and man mourned for their belovedPadre. He came from Western Canada but he hadretained his Irish heart and Celtic charm. If he knewwhat fear was he never showed it. His remarkable disregard for danger while carrying out what he consideredhis duty, became a regimental tradition. In the dailylife of the Battalion, in billets or in trenches he was alwaysthinking of the men s welfare. On this day as on formeroccasions he was preparing to carry out his practicalmission of mercy and was gathering around him his littleband of stretcher-bearers when he and one of his menwere hit by a shell. No officer was more loved for hischaracter or more admired for his bravery than Padre Davis.On the morning of the 10th at 8.15 o clock the 32nd Au 1| 1 8Imperial Division advanced* through the 4th C. M. R.and attacked, driving the enemy out of range. TheBattalion remained in these positions for a week. Onthe 13th it received orders to go through the 7th Brigade,but this did not materialize. On the 14th an order torelieve the 49th Battalion of the 7th Brigade north ofParvillers was countermanded. Also on the 15th orderscame intimating that the Canadian Corps would resumethe offensive in conjunction with the Australians and theFrench. All these were cancelled although great preparations had been made. The Battalion, when not makinghurried preparations for a move, improved its positionsand en joyed as much as possible the warm summer weather.From the 10th to the 16th, while the Battalion was Au ?- 16>waiting at Folies in a state of readiness, the CanadianCorps kept up its pressure until the task became toocostly and unprofitable. The enemy was rapidly regaining his strength and reinforcing his thinned line withfresh reserves. General Currie decided not to make* The advance was approximately 1,700 yards.