The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

:1""THE SOMME 33Major W. Coleman, M.C., commanding B Companywas detailed by Colonel Gordon to attack on the left andCaptain Hamilton with "CCompany, on the right.Major Patterson was placed in charge of the operationswith a forward headquarters in the assembly trench.Company arrived at its "jumping off position"Bten minutes in advance of "zero hour. Company"C"was not so fortunate, the communication trench atTom s Cut was blown-in and when Captain Hamiltonattempted to take his men across the open they cameunder a withering machine-gun fire which wiped out themost of two platoons. Captain Hamilton re-organizedhis Company, reported back to Battalion Headquartersthat a further advance would be suicidal and receivedpermission to dribble his men across country by anotherroute to the assembly trench. Major Patterson notknowing what had happened to :>Company, ordered"C"B"Company to attack alone. Major Coleman roseto the unequal task, swinging his right flank forward untilthe men were so close to the barrage that many becamecasualties from our own fire. Immediately the barragelifted the men charged the enemy and although the wirehad not been completely cut and the Germans from thedirection of Mouquet Farm kept up an enfilade fire, theyattacked with such spirit that they were quickly inpossession of the first objective. The second wavefollowed in perfect order passing over the first line andpushing forward in the face of heavy shelling to theobjective, the Fabeck Graben. They found this trencha stubborn resistancefull of Germans who at first put upwhich soon wilted under the determined assault of MajorColeman s men.Sept.As soon as a footing had been gained in the enemy strench the Battalion Bombers worked their way downeither flank. They soon came in contact with the 42ndBattalion on their right and were able to establish twoblocks in the system on the left. The Germans couldnot withstand the relentless pressure of the Bombers underLieut. H. E. Moore. Some of them fled down the trenchtoward Mouquet Farm and others broke cover and