The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

20 4TH CANADIAN MOUNTED RIFLESback from the trenches. Seventy-three men out of 680answered to their names on June 4th. General Mercer sbody was afterwards found in Armagh Wood and buriedat Poperinghe. Brig.-General Victor Williams, who wasvery seriously wounded, and Lieut. -Colonel Ussher weretrapped in the and "Tunnel" fell into the enemy s hands.The 1st C. M. R. on the left had an equally bad timeand their casualties were almost as heavy. The 5thC. M. R. which so nobly supported the Brigade in MapleCopse, was also cut up. Both of these Battalions losttheir commanding officers. Lieut.-Colonel A. E. Shawof the 1st C. M. R., and Lieut.-Colonel G. H. Baker ofthe 5th C. M. R. fell in action.The Germans penetrated the front line and some ofthe support trenches of the Brigade, but consideringtheir preparatory bombardment and weight of numbers,their advance was small when one remembers that theyhad seven hours of daylight in which to fight.Major-General L. J. Lipsett, C.M.G., after succeedingGeneral Mercer in command of the Third Division,wrote to the 8th Brigade in very complimentarywords: Though on the 2nd June the Division wasunfortunate enough to lose some of its Front LineTrenches I think the Battalions which held them andchecked the German advance immediately behindfought in a way that Canada has every reason tobe proud. The Army Commander in his addresstestified to this, and I think it well that the factsof the case should be thoroughly realized. The1st and 4th C. M. R. Battalions had the brunt of thebombardment and an analysis of their losses speaks foritself."During the following day, survivors of the battalionacted as guides and carrying parties to the front line.June 4,They went back on June 4th to Divisional Reserve at"B"Camp, which they had left but a few days. Thishandful of weary, grimy, unshaven men was all thatremained of a healthy, vivacious force which had departedbut a short time before for what was expected wouldbe a normal tour in the line. Seven lorry loads trans-