72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada - waughfamily.ca

aTHE LAST FIGHT.In the centre, the fieldgun lay concealed, ready to protectwith its fire, the middle crossing. On the south, where thecrossing depended on the progress of the 38th (Ottawa)Battalion the flanking unit trench mortar and artillerysupport had been arranged for. "C" Company was inBattalion Reserve.At dawn on November 1st a furious outbreak of barrage fire heralded the 10th Brigade s attack on MountHouy. It was the success of this attack which was to givethe cue for the fighting to blaze up along the canal, forwithout this southern key positionto Valenciennes in ourpossession, any operation against the town from the wesitwould be impracticable. At 11 :30 on the morning of the1st, it was determined that this key position was in ourhands, and the fight for Valenciennes was on.As the allotted platoons of "A" and "D" Companiesbroke cover and rushed, dragging their boats and raftswith them, for the canal bank, the pre-arranged coveringfire broke out in a crescendo of noise. From the housewindows opposite the northern crossing a stream of nickledsteel drenched the locality of known enemy posts. At themiddle crossing the field gun was doing great execution.Its first shell, fired >atrange of less than 100 yards, toreits way through a house in which a German post was located; as the artillery officer ait his gun described it afterwards, was "It great sport; they scurried out of the placelikerats."Meanwhile, at the northern crossing,"A"Company wasworking feverishly. The cork-float bridge broke on beinglaunched. No. 2025243 Pte. D. Clawson, without a moment s hesitation, dived into the canal, and by dint ofhard swimming managed to push the end of the bridgeacross and to secure it to the other bank. While this gallant exploit was being accomplished, the remainder of theCompany, taking advantage of the covering fire, rapidly163