72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

CHAPTER XIII.IN THE HINDBNBURG LINE."Can we smash him this year?" Taking over under difficultiesHeavy local fighting Breaking through the boasted barrierBitter fighting on Mount Dury Brilliant exploit of Sergt.K. A. Campbell, M.M. All objectives captured Impressiveburial service Lieut.-Col. J. A. Clark leaves the Battalion.ON AUGUST 28, 1918, the Battalion, fresh from theAmiens triumph, arrived at Anzin, north west ofArras. Once more they were back in familiar surroundings, while in the east the dull rumble of gun fire toldof a fresh drive. The 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions hadswept over the fortress of Monchy-le-Preux, and in conjunction with other troops were even now fighting theirway toward that formidable and to the Germans, impregnable Hindenburg Line a net of defenses. Orderswere received on the same day that the Battalion was totake part in the assault on the latter position on an earlydate. True to their matured strategy, the Allied Staff wasallowing no dangerous salients to grow in their line.No sooner was the enemy driven back in one sector, thanthe advance spread on either flank, carrying with it thewhole fabric of the enemy s defence.Thus it was that the Canadian Corps, withdrawn fromthe Amiens sector, was flung into the fight east of Arras;miles to the north, in furtherance of this policy. Fired bythe successes of August, the question in everybody s mindwas, "Can we smash him this year?" and even though unanswered, the quiet determination of all ranks to have atry at it, strengthened immeasurably the already highmorale of all.125