72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

CAMBRAI.of Inchy, their front extending several thousand yardsnorth along the canal to the marshes in front of Marquionon the Arras-Cambrai road, with the city of Cambrai someseven miles away to the east.With each shortening of his battle-line, the enemy s resistance had been growing stronger. Now he was down tobed-rock. To lose his remaining hold on the Hindenburgline to forfeit his grip on the large cities which now layso close behind the fighting and to lose command of thecrossingsof the immense line of canals which fronted theattacking armies, would mean a fatal loss of morale amonghis troops. His back was to the wall. If he could succeedin maintaining his front intact at this period, he could holdit till the spring. Failing this, defeat stared him in theface.The objective of the Canadian Corps lay from the western suburbs of Cambrai northwards along the approximateline Ramilies, Bantigny, Abancourt. To the 4th CanadianDivision was allotted the herculean task of forcing a crossing of the Canal du Nord, storming the historic BourlonWood, and thence, by means of subsequent phases, drivingE.N.E. through Raillencourt, Saneourt, Blecourt and, if atall possible, on to Bantigny ;a distance altogether of abouteight and a half miles as the crow flies.From these details may be gathered some idea of theperilous greatness of the task set, and the vital importanceof the issues at stake. While at Wailly, the 72nd receivedthe plans of the operation before them, and officers andsenior N. C. O. s went forward on reconnaissances to observe from a distance the ground over which the attackwas to be made. At 7:15 p.m. on the night of September25th, the Battalion left its camp at Wailly and marched toArras station on the first leg of its move to the assemblyposition.On arriving at Arras station, it was found that the trainwhich was to convey them to the forward area was late.137