World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada; World War, 1914-1918 -- Nova Scotia
In the latter part of January the Battery was withdrawn to Caestre for a
brief rest, being relieved by one of the Units of the 2nd Division.
Early in February we went to Lederzeele, and about March 20th found
ourselves in action once more at Neuve Eglise. Just about this time
rumors, hitherto vague, became more certain that the Battery was once
more to move Ypresward. Rumor became a definite fact on April 4th, and
we found ourselves in position at Railway dugouts, a trifle to the south
of Ypres City. Here we remained in complete quiet until the 20th, when
in the Hill 60 scrap we received our first taste of gas shells.
It was during the month of May that the organization of three Howitzer
Batteries was undertaken and sub-sections from all the Batteries in the
Division were utilized to form these Batteries, and subsection “C” was
separated from the 6th to help form the D, 48th Battery of 4.5’s. The
complete organization of this Battery had not been consummated before
the German hordes again attacked in force, this time at Soisele Hill and
Sanctuary Wood. All sub-sections reported back to their own Batteries
for duty, and the 6th Battery again played its important part in the
Third Battle of Ypres. On the morning of June 13th the Canadians
counter-attacked and regained the ground lost in the 2nd of June scrap.
The remainder of the month of June was passed quietly in the Ypres
Salient, as was also the month of July, with the exception of a little
excitement at “The Dump.” About the middle of August the Battery went
into billets for rest and tactical drill at Polin Cove and on the 26th
entrained at Audruicq for the Somme.
On detraining at Aix la Chateau on the 27th, the Battery, after one
day’s forced march, went into action at Mesnel on the 28th. On September
3rd the Old 17th supported the attack of an Imperial Corps on Thiepval,
which was unsuccessful. We then moved into position at La Boiselle on
ground won from the enemy during the fighting there in the early part of
July. Glad we were to see at long last ground won from the Hun.
Seemingly we were now engaged in driving him back, steadily and surely.
The Germans were retreating—the end of the war was in sight—so we
thought.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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