72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADAthe rearguard. The enemy fought desperately, and it wasonly the magnificent dash and initiative of our men thatenabled them to crumple up the flank of the resistance andcause it to fall back in disorder on the village of LeQuesnel. During this fight Lieut.-Col. J. A. Clark, D.S.O.,Lieut. J. McGregor,M.M., and the latter s platoon, carriedout a dashing operation against the enemys left flankan operation which considerably precipitated his retreat.This party attacking over the open with absolutely nocover captured two machine guns and either killed orwounded all their crews. After the action a number ofmachine guns and Boche dead bore mute but striking testimony to the vigour of Company "A" s assault.At dusk large bodies of the enemy were seen advancingin mass formation against"B" and "D"Companies in theAmiens defence line. At a range of about 200 yards a concentrated blast of rifle and Lewis gun fire caught the attack. Gallantly the enemy pushed forward in a stubbornendeavour to regain his lost ground, but advance underthat merciless hail was suicide, and the Germans, unableto effect an entry, dug in some 100 yards in front of ourtrenches.So the night of August 8th came down finding the 72ndin complete possession of its objective, and at a remarkably light cost. From north to south the attack had beena sweeping success. The German menace to Amiens hadbeen removed, and his line thrust back eight miles intwelve hours, a marked contrast to any previous operation. That it was a complete surprise to the enemy goeswithout saying, and was borne out by the fact that wholedivisions of the Hun, from the men in the front line to theirirate, but wholly impotent divisional commanders in theirpyjamas, were taken in the first early morning rush.Practically every gun in the area attacked had been captured, and the German morale had received a severe setback. The reflection was a humiliating one that the "beatenlie