The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

THE LAST HUNDRED DAYS 135attack on the whole front which broke through the lastof the German defences in the rear of the HindenburgLine forcing the enemy to evacuate Cambrai and St.Quentin and fall back on the line of the River Selle.The Canadian Corps was again employed under theFirst Army on the left of the general attack and in away similar to the Battle of Arras with this differenceinstead of continuing to attack in a south-easterly direction parallel to and north of the Arras-Cambrai road,the Corps operated in a north-easterly direction parallelroad. Theto and north of the Bapaume-Cambraiultimate objectives were to secure the bridge-heads overthe Scheldt Canal, from Cambrai north, and to form a defensive flank for the Third Army attack south of Cambrai.This was not the first time that Canadians had beeninvolved in an attack on Cambrai. On November 20th,1917, when the Canadian Cavalry Brigade joined inGeneral Byng s Third Army surprise attack, a squadronof the Fort Garry Horse had crossed the Canal south ofCambrai and alone had galloped"into the blue," scuppering four 3-inch guns and sabreing a few Germans.They fought their way back on foot through Masnieresand rejoined their regiment. Lieutenant Strachan, wholed this Squadron, won the Victoria Cross for his daringSept.exploit.The Battle commenced on September 27th, 1918.The First and Fourth Divisions attacking from a linethrough Moeuvres, six miles west of Cambrai, tookBourlon Wood, and the Marcoing system of trencheswest of Cambrai. On the second day the Third Divisionjoined, swinging north-east with the First and FourthDivisions to seize the bridge-heads over the EscautCanal. This second day s task developed into days ofthe most severe fighting. The 4th C. M. R. was inreserve until the very end of the struggle but had thedistinction of being the first to enter Cambrai.Prior to this battle, on September 20th, the Battalion Sept. 20,marched to Croisilles where it entrained and rode backover the old battlefields on the recently reconstructedrailway into a rest area at Simencourt behind Arras.