72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

CAMBRAI.had fought well, desperately conscious of what defeatwould mean, but he had been hopelessly outclassed.All through the night of the 27th-28th fresh troops andguns poured across the Canal du Nord over the bridgesflung across by the valiantly-working engineers. At dawnon the 28th the attack was resumed and troops of the 10thBrigade drove on through the line gained by the 72nd.Swinging slightly north, the attack carried our line to apoint a few hundred yards S.W. of the Douai-Cambrairoad. The 72nd, moving forward in support of the attack,took up a position in the sunken road midway betweenHaynecourt and Sailly where they remained until the earlymorning of the 29th. During the afternoon of the 28ththe enemy subjected the sunken roads in this area to aconcentrated bombardment. From the masses of troopsmoving forward behind the Hun line, it was evident thathe was piling fresh divisions into the fight, in continuanceof his stubborn efforts to check the advance. It was duringthe afternoon of the 28th that the gallant brigadier of the12th Brigade, Brig.-Gen. MacBrien, C.M.G., D.S.O., whileengaged in a dangerous personal reconnaissance underpoint-blank machine gun fire, was wounded in the legDespite this injury he remained on duty until one of hisbattalion commanders, Lieut.-Col. J. Kircaldy, D.S.O., wasable to take over command of the Brigade.At 7 p.m. on the 28th the 10th Brigade again attackedto secure the line of the Douai-Cambrai road as a foothold from which the next day s attack could be launched.At 7:30 p.m. orders were received for the resumption ofthe advance on the morrow. The 72nd was to attack ona 1,250-yard front, to penetrate to a distance of 3,000 yards,and in the course of this movement to capture Sancourtand Blecourt. Opposed by ordinary resistance and with afull complement of officers and men, this would have beena task of considerable difficulty. Under the existing conditions it was a titanic job. Behind the front to be attacked145