72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

on the reverse slopedug themselves in by 10 p.m.PASSCHENDAELB.of the hill behind the front line. TheyZero hour was fixed at 5 :50next morning. And now the usefulness of the Tommycooker was amply displayed. The smell of frizzling baconpervaded the position. Beans and tea formed the otheraccompaniments of the hot breakfast that satisfactorilyheartened the men for the task before them.:B""A,"and "C"Companies jumped off at zero hour. The artillery and machine gun barrage was everything that couldbe desired. "D"Company had been told off to clean upthe area between the front line and Deck wood. No soonerhad "B" "A,"and "C"Companies, passed over this area,than a party of Huns emerged from au old trench whichhad not been occupied on the previous night. The first incident of the rush was that 129978 Sergt. G. A. Young andtwo other ranks of "D"Company at once went forwardand captured all of them one officer and fifteen otherranks within the first five minutes. Full of dash and determination, with "C"Company in the lead, the menswept forward with their right flank on the main Passchendaeleroad that led straight past Crest Farm. On its southwest slopes they encountered serious resistance from alarge number of short lengths of trench, and consolidatedshell-holes. And here was displayed an initiative that wasdestined to have its reward. By very clever manoeuvringa footing was gained on the high ground west of CrestFarm, the enemy being thereby outflanked and practicallysurrounded. These were moments of intense and very lively work, and by a combination of fire and hard hand-tohandfighting all resistance was overcome. Fifty Huns werekilled,25 taken prisoner and four machine guns were captured. "A"Company had added brilliantly to its record,and ittriumphantly continued its advance and cleanedup the area to the north of the objective. There was atrench here where serious resistance was put up, but thedash of the men was irresistible, and the surprised Ger-79