The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

THE LAST HUNDRED DAYS 125The next day General Rawlinson forwarded the follow-ing message in a Special Order of the day:A ugTo General Sir H. S. Rawlinson, Bt., G.C.V.O., K.C.B., K.C.M.G.,Commanding Fourth Army.My warmest congratulations and thanks to yourself, your Staff,and all ranks under your command for the magnificent success recentlygained by the Fourth Army. The brilliant manner in which the operation was prepared and successfully carried out, with comparativelysmall losses, by the III., Australian and Canadian Corps in conjunctionwith the Cavalry Corps, R.A.F. and Tank Corps, pays striking tributeto the skill of the leaders of all ranks and the bravery of the individualsoldier, as well as to the high state of efficiency of the staffs and departmental services concerned. The gallant and skilful co-operation of thearmoured cars and motor machine-gun batteries is worthy of the highestpraise. Please convey to all ranks my appreciation and thanks.August 17th, 1918.D. HAIG, Field-Marshal,Commander-in-Chief, British Armies in France.On August 19th the Battalion was warned that it Aug. 19,would move the next night with the Brigade to an areato be notified later. Moving by night, and to an unknowndestination, suggested another mystery. The men weregetting used to this sort of thing. Nothing surprisedthem any longer and they rather took delight in thesetactical enigmas. In the evening of the 20th theyAug. 20,climbed into forty-six charabancs and started in thedirection of Amiens. It was a beautiful night and theride was like a sight-seeing tour across the recently wonground. They turned north from Amiens toward Doullens,rolling along the route-nationale, singing the latestsongs from the music-halls and in evident good spirits.They had never left a recent battlefield in such splendid trim .From Doullens they turned north-east about five miles toLucheux, where, at 2 a.m. on August 21st, the convoy Aug. 21,stopped. A Staff Captain loomed up in the moonlightwith fresh orders. The Battalion debused and marchedabout three miles in the same direction to Humbercourt.The men were in their billets by 4.30 a.m., but not forlong; by 8.30 p.m. they were on their way to Warluzel,a mile or so north. On the 22nd they were again on the Au &- 22>move, marching to Lignereuil in the cool of the nightthrough fresh, verdant farm-country over good roadsunder a full harvest moon. Lignereuil lay between thevillage of Berlencourt, where they had stopped in their