72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

THE SUMMER OF 17.on by the scouts previously, as these enabled the commanding officer to put only one company into the attack, whereas, had he not been absolutely certain of the enemy s dispositions, it would have been necessary to put at leastthree companies into the assault and thus have trebled thecasualties to produce the same result.The village of Avion, with its ruined houses and itsshell-torn orchards, furnished a noteworthy opportunity ofcontinuing thegood work, and the scouts flung themselveswhole-heartedly into the task. On these patrols in broaddaylight many exciting adventures were naturally experienced.The highest praise is due to the scouts of all companiesfor their work on these patrols, and also for their observation duties carried out during their respective tours in thisparticular sector, but as "C" and "D"Companies heldit in turn for a large proportion of the time, the bulk ofthis class of work fell on their scouts. In particular, thescouts of "D"Company were specially meritorious. Underthe very able leadership of their N. C. O. s, Lce.-Cpl. A.Turnbull, and later, Cpl. F. W. Spooner (who took theformer s place upon his receiving promotion), they rendered yeoman service. Daily, at dawn, while in the line,did pairs of scouts under one or other of these two N.C. O. s, establish themselves in close proximity to theenemy trenches, and actually count the night garrison (forthe Boche held his trenches in that sector more heavilyby night than by day) as they were leaving the front lineafter their night s duty. Daily they examined his wire,and furnished accurate reports on its condition. Often,on these expeditions, the scouts, from a point of vantage,using telescopically-sighted rifles, would pick off an unsuspecting German who fancied himself in absolute security. These tactics, as the summer wore on, added tothe anxiety and nervousness of the Hun. Never secure69