72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

VIMY RIDGE.warfare after the depressing weeks of trench fighting, commenced careful reconnaissance of this line, and discoveringthat the Vimy Angres system was now clear of the Boche,Colonel Clark was able to send back most valuable information. Coming close after him were the remnant of the261 Highlanders, who had gone into action on the 9thafew over 100 men. The exhausting effect of their recentstrenuous work was forgotten in the exhilaration of theadvance, as one of them said afterwards: It acted likechampagne to get Heinie on the run at last!"During the morning of the memorable April 13th, whilepushing forward in the vicinity of Givenchy, Lieut.-Col.Clark met the gallant commander of the 12th Brigade,Brig.-Gen. J. H. MacBrien, D.S.O., well in front of his advanced troops, and apparently intent on "doinga bit onhis own." After the exciting events of the morning, as before described, these two officers, in order to determine theextent of the German withdrawal, proceeded north throughthe Vimy-Angres line over the Hirondelle spur to thenorth-east of Givenchy. On reaching the crest of the spur,they encountered a party of some 50 of the enemy, apparently undecided whether to stand or retreat. The general and the colonel at once opened a brisk fire with theirrevolvers, and the enemy, his mind apparently made up,vanished in the direction of Angres. It was at this juncture that a fresh brigade of our men were advancing inopen order some 600 yards behind the scene of this fight,and mistaking the two officersfor the enemy, they openedfire with the unfortunate result that Gen. MacBrien wasshot through the arm, and, very much against his will,forced to leave the field for about two weeks.It may be imagined what this sudden and brilliant advance meant to those who for months had been subjectto the soul-numbing monotony of trench warfare. To haveleft that ghastly shell-pocked Ridge behind them and tohave burst into the as yet unsullied country beyond was53