72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS OF CANADAOn the 29th the Battalion moved from Anzin to its preliminary assembly position at Orange Hill, under the shelter of Monchy that dominating eminence which, in German hands, had threatened the security of Vimy Ridgeduring the past summer. Arras presented a scene of tremendous endeavour. Guns, tanks, ammunition and troopspoured along the east-bound roads in never-ending streams,till the columns of supplies reached the heart of the fighting.On arrival at Orange Hill the Battalion bivouacked andsettled down for the night. The 30th and 31st were spentin outfitting, reconnoitering, and generally making readyfor the forthcoming assault.On the night of the last day of August, the Battalionquitted OrangeHill and moved eastward toward its battleposition south of Vis-en-Artois, and took over from the3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion.It is one thing for a battalion to go into an attack without previous, and as it were, impromptu fighting, but itis another thing for it to have to contest its way to thejumping off trenches. The 72nd, up to this occasion, hadbeen singularly favoured in this respect. The night ofAugust 31st and the day of September 1st changed thisorder of things. All through the night, the companies, moving slowly through the darkness, felt their way into place.At night, in a featureless countryside, direction is anelusive thing, and when the ultimate goal, as in this instance, is a position more or less in a state of flux, owingto the pressure of the attack, the difficulties are legion.The companies reported themselves in position at 5 a.m.on September 1st. But before this, viz., iat a quarter to two,during the strenuous relief, orders had been received byBattalion Headquarters to carry out a minor operation, inconjunction with the troops on the right, in order toestablish a line of posts in advance of the position then held,to facilitate the jumpingoff of the main assault at a later126