#31st Canadian Battalion | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

davidshawnsown · 2 years

Text

USA BASEBALL ONE-SHOT RPF 2: Mike's Boys (chapter 1)

(AN: Dedicated to manager Mike Bianco and his boys of the 2022 USA Baseball CNT who won the hearts of the nation in their journey in last July's Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands. They together with those who took part in the team trials are featured in this one shot. It is also in honor of the 1st anniversary of Team USA's Olympics silver campaign in Japan, the 31st Ukrainian Independence Day and Mark DeRosa's appointment as USA Baseball skipper for the World Baseball Classic as well as the recent staff announcements for Team USA. It will be a preview of the many other faces featured in this series from within the MLB and the other USA and Canadian leagues. Also, I'm using townships as American English equivalent for the hromadas or municipal goverments under Ukrainian districts since they were in existence since 2020.)

SOMEWHERE SOUTH OF THE KHARKIV METROPOLITAN AREA, KHARKIV OBLAST

Friday, April 29, 2022

1415H EEST

Given that the 78th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has excelled themselves in helping the Ukrainian counteroffensive that has relieved the ongoing near siege of the city from the north since February 24 by Russia after having helped relieve Chernihiv early in the month, COL Mike Bianco, now a part of the brigade as staff officer on secondment from his military regiment of students from Ole Miss who are part of its brigade and soon considered to be promoted a brigadier general, is already resting after the brigade was moved back from the frontlines after a few weeks of fighting with the 12th Infantry Battalion (Separate) of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, as well as the UGF's 93rd and 72nd Mechanized Infantry Brigades and the National Guard's 12th and 5th Operational Brigades in their AOR. As one of the advisors to the brigade commander, his efforts have helped the brigade contribute in the ongoing battles to liberate towns and rural communities north and northeast of that city, wherein American Humvees, Strykers, M2 and M3 Bradleys and M113s as well as Abrams and M60 Patton tanks fired on Russians armed with BMPs, BTRs, GAZ Tigers and variants of the T-72 and T-80. Use of the M142 HIMARS and M270s by the rocket artillery battalion and M777s and M109s by the field artillery have shocked the Russians so much, the brigade's Ukrainian advisor who reports to the commander of the Territorial Defense Forces, who also serves as interpreter for the commander, BG Hopkins, has said of their effectiveness and that the Ukrainians have been facinated by the use of these systems hoping that the UGF will soon purchase these systems for use soon.

The brigade's component units abroad have set camp and are building a new FOB the other day near Merefa township in Kharkiv District, preparing for a move to the Donbass to help UGF formations and the National Guard fight the invader in weeks after final operations in Kharkiv's north. The colonel is today walking on the encamped formations of the brigade and the works on the permanent FOB as the old temporary one had been yesterday handed over to the Ukrainians and is already approaching where the 1st Battalion, led by LTC Fenster, has stationed with the rest of the brigade after such days of combat ops with their Ukrainian counterparts. The battalion CO saluted him as he recognized the colonel, as well as A Company commander CPT Frazier and his XO CPT Tulowitzki. He was greeting them both that morning, asking them, "Where are my boys?"

The captain responded, "Right there near their camp, near the 1st Platoon."

At a sudden, the 6th platoon commander, 1LT Payton, recognized the commander of what was supposed to be the 2022 collegiate and ROTC mobilization unit of the 78th Brigade. But now given the war in Ukraine, it became part of A Company of the 1st Battalion as its 6th platoon out of 8 overall in the company.

"ASSEMBLE!" cries the lieutenant. The platoon steps into formation. It presents arms as COL Bianco arrives to where they are.

Greeting the colonel, it orders arms, and the lieutenant informs him that the platoon is all present and accounted for. Despite these days of tough battles, none of the Americans died, only little injuries among the young men. Thanks to that new Starlink system, finally these boys can continue studying for their collegiate degrees using their laptops and talk and write emails to their families while fighting in the frontlines in the Ukrainian northeast, their platoon commander has stated to the colonel.

"At ease, gentlemen," the colonel says.

He begins to talk to them regarding the hardships that took them to where they are now. Within the frontlines of a war between two nations, in the Ukrainian stepps and wide plain and hills away from their families, fighting against Russians and their allies in occuiped Donetsk and Luhansk which for years have organized armed forces to support the pro-Russian governments of their regions, they have been doing that since late March when the whole brigade was called into battle in Irpin town, and then in Chernihiv. Elements of the 1st Battalion were committed into these battles with the rest of the brigade, with the fuel and ammo being shipped from Poland to help them directly as well as several elements of the young International Legion of Territorial Defense. Following the Irpin liberation, the brigade was among the first to assist newly-liberated Bucha and was witness to the retreval of the first bodies of Ukrainian civilian dead of the Russian military massacres of opponents of Russia's invasion, a huge war crime that defined the evil ways of many service personnel of the Russian Ground Forces, either as officers, warrant officers, and professional and conscripted NCOs and enlisted personnel and blew open the truth of their atrocities before the world. Then they left to join the Ukrainian forces relieving the Siege of Chernihiv. Now they have been committed in pushing back Russians from Kharkiv Oblast and the districts comprising Kharkiv City and those north and northeast of it with 2 UGF and 2 National Guard brigades, as well as 2 territorial brigades. Amazingly, even at the cost of Ukrainian lives, no American has been killed so far in the ranks of the 1st Battalion in Kharkiv while there were fatalities there and in Chernihiv in the ranks of the armored cavalry squadron and the other battalions. Despite the young age of the lads and the fact that they have been fighting for almost 4 months they survived AND they still carried on their college studies remotely, with their universities slowly noticing that these brave collegiate boys are now fighting not just for Ukraine, nor for the American people, but for global democracy.

The 78th Brigade, the 1st American reserve brigade to be deployed fighting against Russia in this war, had been the first to help the determined Ukranians in the weeks after the invasion, and soon other brigades would land into Eastern Europe to assist the fighting boys and girls from Cary in their struggle in support of their Ukrainian brothers and sisters, not just from the 46th Command but from other mobilized formations of the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard.

The days of battles in Ukraine cemented Colonel Bianco's boys into a tough, determined bunch of men with the rest of their company. None was more determined to lead them into the battlefield than 1LT Payton the platoon commander, getting orders from both company and battalion leaders, who are right there where they are encamped after being withdrawn from the Kharkiv front.

He told the colonel, "Sir, after almost three weeks in Kharkiv, these boys that you have trained in Cary and in Durham, and together with the regulars of the Army, including the Green Berets, have become young battle hardened men who fought with tenacity, bravery and firm determination for the nation. Every damn day, these boys and I their platoon commander have helped Able Company and the whole of the 1st Battalion fulfill their objectives in the defense of Ukraine on behalf of the American people and their armed forces as well as our NATO partners. Those damn Russians think that by fighting Ukraine they may be getting ready for the real charge of their forces against NATO, the European Union, and above all else, my country whose flag I swore to serve faithfully in the army. Now we've shown them that they are fighting against a people determined to keep their freedom and democracy alive - with all our support! Thanks for training us to be a battle hardened platoon fighting for our freedom no matter what, sir."

The colonel had thanked him in response to these remarks, knowing that all the hard work and training had finally paid off, now that they and the rest of A Company has had distinguished themselves in the Kharkiv front of the war with the rest of their battalion. He was indeed glad that his boys are still alive and in one piece, carrying all the weapons and gear they had from home into battle against Russia. All of them are equipped properly even with ear plugs for those in the artillery battalions and better personal equipment for all in the brigade.

"We still remember those days," 1LT Bradfield, the platoon second in command, said, "that we've almost died if not for the actions of the rest of the brigade and our Ukrainian brothers. Those Russians, sir, they were determined to kill us just because our government is helping Ukraine, but we proved them wrong." Such were those days that the platoon and almost all of A Company was almost in certain death when it and the whole of the 1st battalion were fighting companies of Russian infantrymen and tankers from battalion combat groups whereever they fought. In Kharkiv, this meant that days after being regrouped there they faced a reduced force from the legendary 4th Guards Tank and 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Divisions of the Russian Ground Forces's 1st Guards Tank Army, the seniormost armored and mechanized divisions, respectively of the Western Military District and the most prestigeous of the country's divisions with lineage dating to the Second World War. These two elite divisions, together with the then newly reactivated 47th Guards Tank Division, were the most feared of the 1st GTA when they advanced into Kharkiv with the rest of the formation, but the Ukrainians stopped them in their tracks for the first three months of the war and are being pushed out of Kharkiv Oblast, the city, despite heavy Russian artillery and missile strikes, being saved from direct military action at a cost of thousands of lives lost among the Ukrainians and the few among the Americans of the 78th Brigade that arrived there joined by the 3rd NY of the 901st Division's 1st IBCT led by COL Boone and some other elements of the other major mobilization brigades - the 84th and 37th Brigade Combat Teams of the 169th and 892nd commands. The 3rd NY, together with the 62nd New York Metropolitan Light Infantry, led by COL Barnes on behalf of the regimental colonel, now BG Showalter, were the first two 169th Corps regiments deployed to Ukraine during the war and both had amazing records of personel sent to wars of the past and the present first to US Army regular formations and then the 78th Brigade. Now that after years of deploying their personnel as part of US Army regular units, the 46th, 169th and 892nd commands were the first active reservists to fight in Ukraine, mainly to support the fellow Americans in the International Legion of Territorial Defense - and to fight alongside the men and women of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Now that the war had been already in its third month, there was no doubt that the Ukrainians have been noticing the brave Americans from Cary fighting for them. The platoon's second in command indeed stated that what they and the 1st Battalion did ensured the Russian offensive in Kharkiv to be a total disaster for them and a great win for Ukrainians, and have saved the brigade from certain defeat. But now, they are facing both the 200th and 80th Motor Rifle Brigades from the Russian 14th Army Corps from the Northern Fleet Coastal Defense, as well as elements of the 6th Army's 138th Brigade as the other infantry brigade, the 25th, had been recalled back to Russia for refitting. The two Northern Fleet infantry brigades had been activated in the past decade as the country's premier units in the Arctic but now had been fighting in northeastern Ukraine together with two regiments of infantry each from the 1st and 2nd Army Corps under the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Militias, respectively, and the 68th Marine Brigade of the Northern Fleet. The two Army Corps, which form part of the Russian forces of the Southern Military District, report to the governments of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and their respective defense ministries, while being under overall Russian command from Moscow and under the operational control of the Minstry of Defense led by General of the Army Shoigu.

"So you still remember those days you and the WHOLE 6th Platoon saved Able Company?" asked Captain Frazier.

"Yes, sir", replied 1LT Bradfield. "We saved the company and all of our battalion. The memories of having these men saving Able are still fresh, having to hit those T-80s and T-72s with Javellins and grenades, as well as those BMPs and armored carriers. And all those Russians."

"Indeed, Colonel Bianco, these boys saved all of us in the company from death. They risked all to save the brigade and our Ukrainian partners from being slaughtered by these Ruskies", Captain Frazier said. And he still remembers that one day that they faced Russians from the 14th Corps to the north of Kharkiv with the whole of the company. Just as they talked, Major General Scioscia arrived with the rest of the 1st platoon, including many of the "Tokyo Boys" from last year's national contingent that deployed in Japan. He was joined that day by BG Mark deRosa and MG Tony Reagins, part of the command staff (the recently promoted brigadier general part of the brigade staff being groomed to be the executive officer). The major general was part of then COL Scioscia’s command as commandant of the 61st Los Angeles in the late 2000s and was assigned as part of the Anaheim city garrison. He asked the company commander, "Are you serious they saved the brigade, and my boys too as well?" "Yes", Captain Frazier said. "They saved you and the 1st platoon, many times. Most of all they saved my life and that of my fellow officers. Despite their young age, they showed their prowess in battle, and showed how powerful our forces are." 1LT Payton said, "Damn right we are, and we always still have these memories of fighting against these Russians." 1LT Austin said to him "That's a sure fact, and indeed we are grateful to you guys."

FLASHBACK

SOMEWHERE NORTHEAST OF KHARKIV CITY

SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2022

1015H EEST

That day elements of the 78th Brigade were assigned to help the 113rd Territorial Defense Infantry Brigade of the TDF, with attached International Legion elements, to liberate the village of Cherkas'ki Tyshky in Tsyrkuny Township, Kharkiv District, after the township center had been liberated days ago with their help. The infantry and the armored battalions as well as the field artillery battalion equipped with the M777 towed gun as well as a MANPADS battery from one of the air defense battalions were all stationed there and the brigade had just set up its new barracks and FOB south of Derhachi town northwest of the city for easy access to the frontlines to the north and to the city itself as well as to avoid Russian artillery shelling. The rest of the brigade is in Korotych to the west awaiting for their move to the new location.

A and B Companies of the 1st Battalion have been the vanguard of the US contribution there for weeks after being relocated from Chernihiv following the successful lifting of the siege there early in the month in which the brigade took part. Now the General Staff of the Armed Forces has noticed that there ARE indeed Americans fighting for Ukraine outside of the International Legion, for the bravery of the 78th has awakened Americans to the truth that this war would soon evolve into a global one or another Cold War, either way would change the world just as the first Cold War was. C Company, the women's contingent, is now being prepped to move as the last of the 1st Battalion to relocate to Derhachi as the remainder of the brigade would be moved there once an expanded camp is finished thanks to the work of the combat enginers within the unit. Thus the ones on the field now are, together with the battalion HQ company, are A, B, D, E and F Companies, the heavy weapons company and the battalion cannon company affilated with the brigade field artillery battalions.

Joining them in that part of the city's metro area were the 1st Battalion of the 83rd Philadelphia under LTC Thompson and the 1st battalion of the 71st Atlanta led by LTC Seitzer it's commanding officer, which are the reserve formations in this operation and are stationed a few miles away from Tsyrkuny proper. A Company of the 83rd under 1LT Hoskins is with elements of the 1st Battalion. That morning the 1st and 2nd Battalions together with the armor, field and air defense artillery elements, as well as service support elements of the brigade have been on the move together with elements of the 113rd Territorial Defense Brigade of the Territorial Defense to fulfill their objectives north of Kharkiv and to regain parts of its expanded metropolitan area. That morning, in the midst of the hot late spring weather, they are leaving the newly liberated shire town and hromada seat of Tsyrkuny which has been their home for days after assisting in the liberation of that town and are heading westwards on Cooperative Street after leaving the main street of the town towards their objectives of liberating much of the northern half of the township, including Cherkas'ki Tyshky village. Intel states that it is the 200th Brigade, nearest to the city itself, and a battalion of DPR militias are holding on to the northern part of that township after Tsyrkuny had been liberated and the Russian infantrymen, tankers and gunners pushed back north. One or two of the battalions of the 200th are already there in the northwest of the shire town, having retreated following the battle days ago together with the field artillery and tank elements. Most are moving away north, fearful of the advancing Ukrainians chasing them away and setting up new positions. The Bradleys together with 2 companies of M60 Super Pattons and a troop of M3 Bradleys provide the armored escort for the 113rd's battalion battle group and the M777 field guns have been placed south of the township's shire town to provide indirect fire support, with some of the air defense systems on Humvee chassis assigned to the advancing battalion formation.

At the lead M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 2 of them, plus one M113, are the company command and the Ukrainian interpreter of the company always joining them in the first M2, which has the company commander CPT Frazier and his deputies, with the second carrying among others the company lead medic and his XO Captain Troy Tulowitzki. The modernized M113A3 has 1SGT Gose, company first sergeant, on board. Following them are the Bradley IFVs and M1064A3 Mortar Carriers of the platoons. Joining them are Humvee and M113 combat armored ambulances and some others including ammo and signals vehicles assigned to the company behind the infantry as well as 2 MT-LBs assigned to the company HQ and painted in US Army camo, mounted with the M60 machine gun as well as one M4 Bradley FIST for forward artillery observers at the rear of the column. The MT-LBs hold members of the HQ platoon and part of the signals section. One more M4 Bradley FIST is manned by the 113rd's artillery observers and carries the Ukrainian national arms. Following them are elements of A Company of the 1st battalions of the 83rd and 71st led respectively by 1st Lieutenants Hoskins and Duvall on their Bradleys with the rest of the battalions' companies in the main highway with some of the 113rd's personnel together with battalion staff.

Having crossed the road bridge spanning the Kharkiv River, they arrived at 0910H at the western edges Tyshky, setting up their field HQ for the operation at an open field north of the intersection of Skillnyi and Kalnova Streets with another road leading to a local hotel. The 1st battalion began to mass its forces in coordination with the elements of the 113th Brigade thru the battalion's main Ukrainian Ground Forces liason officer who asks as the interpreter for the battalion and in charge of his fellow Ukrainian personnel assigned to the companies and the battalion HQ doing the same role. The section chief coordinates with the 113th's command for any action the brigade would be doing so that the 78th would be properly informed of what they are to do. Today the brigade is doing battalion level ops with two of the battalions working to fulfill their objectives, and the 78th BCT's 1st and 2nd Battalions has been assigned once more to help them. The main elements of the battalion are assembled there while west of their location are elements of the HQ company with the cannon company stationed east, with guns unlimbered from the M35 carrier trucks and the Avenger air defense systems also located to give much needed air defense power against any Russian Air Force fighter jets, transports and helicopters.

LTC Fenster, battalion commander, is stationed at the intersection with Captains Frazier and Arrietta of A and B Companies together with his battalion staff and their Ukrainian liasons working with the 113th. The D and E company commanders, Captains Ober and Zimmerman, are also there. Joining them are his executive officer, MAJ Sogard, and the company executive officers, CPT Tulowitzki, 1LT Fowler, 1LT Swaggery and 1LT Naquin and and the first sergeants from the companies of the 1st Battalion sans C Company, as well as from F Company, its commander 1LT Cupp and XO 1LT Mitchell, all being OCS alumni despite their young age. The heavy weapons company commander and XO are there as well while the commander and staff of the cannon company is with the towed M101 field guns and communicates with them via radio and mobile phones. They are being briefed on the final readiness of their units and any Russian positions they would encounter together with the Ukrainian counterparts, as well as on what the American strategy would be for that operation in this suburban town. Together with them are Captains Duvall and Hoskins from their respective regiments as well as their company XOs, 1LTs Nola and Riley. However they recieved word that the 1st Battalion 3rd NY has also arrived in Tsyrkuny and will deploy their forces on the main road while A and B Companies are already on the move to the west to join them led by Captain Aaron Judge of the former. The battalion command, led by LTC Rojas, has been stationed at the township seat as well to monitor the situation at the frontlines. The battalion had been fighting the Russians in Kharkiv's north east for days now as well.

The plan called for the 1st Battalion 78th BCT to help the 113rd engage its targets in the village of Cherkas'ki Tyshky and its northern neighbouring village of Rus'ki Tyshky with the 3 companies from the 71st Atlanta, 83rd Philadelphia and 3rd NY while the 2nd battalion would operate on the main road of the township with the remainder of the 3 respective battalions while the brigade field and air defense artillery is stationed in the township seat save for the mobile Avenger SAM systens mounted in Humvees. Their mission is to remove any Russians from the two villages in the township from the 200th Brigade in conjunction with their Ukrainian counterparts.

Then the LTC recieved a call from brigade command stationed in the township seat. They are monitoring the battle thru a Bradley Command Vehicle and the comms lines are still active. The command delegation is mounted on two BCVs, one M577 Command Post Carrier on M113 chassis for the battalion sergeant major, two MT-LBs and a M1130, as well as signals trucks and vehicles. BG DeRosa had just dismounted and had called up MG Scioscia from the FOB in Derhachi regarding the readiness of the combat element. With him is MG Reagins, the representative of the 46th Command who serves as its operational commander in Ukraine, as brigade commander BG Hopkins, with his deputy COL Campbell the brigade XO, are still on the FOB and are moving there to help better supervise the operation at hand. BG DeRosa is the command's operational XO for Ukrainian operations.

"General DeRo, we understand," the battalion commander noted, "and we are already coordinating with the 113rd. Intel states there are Russians from 2 infantry battalions of the 200th Motor Rifle Brigade stationed north of our positions, and the Ukrainians are heading there now. We are providing force multipliers for this and are fighting with them." This was in response to a question by the brigadier general that they understood the directives given the previous day in a command briefing in Kharkiv with the Ukrainian liasons and representatives of the 113rd Brigade regarding the operation they would jointly do that day after having helped liberate Tsyrkuny. Just after their arrival, they linked up with the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the UGF and helped them perform company-level ops with some large battalion level battles. And since April 12, they have been assigned to fight with the 113rd Territorial Defense Brigade, which they have been tasked for their ongoing operations, given that they are at the Kharkiv area. They have been in Tsyrkuny since yesterday, given that they and the 113rd were together in the battles for the township seat. Now they are fighting to recapture the rest of the township to the north.

"Where is 1st Battalion going?"

"Up north, to fight Russians where we are now at Cherkas'ki Tyshky", LTC Fenster answered. "The 113rd is already there with some of its companies with the rest on the main road. We've been asked to assist them in capturing the rest of the village. Ukrainian intel states that a few companies of the 2nd battalion, 200th Motor Rifle Brigade, are in the village, the rest to the north and on the main road where the 2nd Battalion and the rest of the 113rd are deployed now. We've been tasked to eliminate those elements or make them get out of the village, sir. We're waiting for two companies of the 1st Battalion 3rd NY who are already coming to our positions now to reinforce the battalion. Captain Judge of A Company leads that detachment."

"I understand," the brigadier general noted. "And two additional companies from 74th Division here as well?"

He answered yes, adding that their company commanders are there as well. Their position would be the basis of a future FOB for the Territorial Defense Forces in the future, but they are exploring other towns for the raising of new militia battalions under that force. And regarding who gave the order for the 3rd NY to be in Kharkiv, he responded that the order came from the desk of a fellow officer who trained with the 78th, COL Aaron Boone, their regimental commander.

"Be safe gentlemen, and good luck. The people of Kharkiv and all of Ukraine are hoping for a successful operation."

Just as the talk ended, Captain Judge arrived on his M2 Bradley with the elements of the 2 companies of 1st Battalion 3rd NY. He dismounts, and is joined by representatives of the company command, including his new company XO 1LT Kiner-Falefa appointed last March upon his transfer to the regiment, and the company first sergeant MSGT Rortvedt. 1LT Trevino is also with the 1st Battalion 78th BCT as part of those who were trained there before. Captain Frazier recognized his former fellow soldier, who was there in the Bronx with him as one of his lieutenants in the spring and summer of 2017 before moving to Queens with a transfer to the 62nd NY. The lieutenant Trevino was a part of the 61st Texas regiment which the captain was stationed for part of 2020. The captain is with elements of the company HQ and two platoons, with 1st platoon led by platoon commander 1LT Hicks, his XO 1LT Torres, a Venezuelan native who joined the regiment in the 2000s, and SSGT Rortvedt the platoon sergeant.

"Captain Judge sir!"

"Captain Frazier, sir. Belated congrats on your appointment. I was proud to be leading the men of the 3rd NY with you almost 4 years ago."

"First Lieutenant Trevino, sir. Glad you're back in the swing of things but in Eastern Europe," the first lieutenant said.

The captain answered, "I still remember being in Arlington. But the memories will stay for as long as I live, lieutenant."

The captains, after having saluted, were welcomed by the commanders of the companies of the 71st Atlanta and 83rd Philadelphia where they are as well as their XOs and first sergeants. Captain Judge was later welcomed by LTC Fenster, the 1st Battalion commanding officer, his XO, MAJ Sogard, the battalion sergeant major SGM Ronai and battalion staff. SFC Stanton of the 5th platoon of Able Company saluted his company commander in New York in the Bronx barracks, having joined the 78th's 1st Battalion this spring on transfer, because he was part of the brigade's mobilization platoon assigned twice as part of the 3rd Platoon. The captain was saluted as well by 1LT McCutchen, who was one of his officers in New York in the summer of 2018. Greeting one of his former officers in the battalion, reassigned first to Milwaukee before being recalled back to Cary, he remembered being with that battalion that year and said "Captain Judge, it's nice to see you again, but this time, welcome to Ukraine."

The captain from California was briefed by the 1st Battalion, 78th BCT commanding officer regarding the mission of their unit today, hoping that they would help in the operation that they would do together. He stated that "the 1st Battalion command sent me here with two companies of that very battalion to reinforce the 113rd Territorial Defense Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces" and that they will help it fulfill its stated objectives that day. He agreed to join the companies of the 71st Atlanta and 83rd Philadelphia for this.

While he was briefed, the rest of A and B Companies of 1st Battalion 3rd NY took up time to rest in their staging area with elements of the 1st Battalion 78th BCT, save for the 1st platoon of 43 personel who are already chatting with their counterparts in that battalion. They came from many countries, with Americans in the majority and those internationals wearing US Army uniform with their national flag patches. Among them is a Toms River native - CPL Marinaccio, who joined 1st Battalion's A Company this year after being with the battalion based in Scranton. He recognizes Captain Frazier, who is like him a resident of the town, but no longer in the uniform of the 63rd NY but of the 78th Brigade, with his national flag patch. 5 years ago, he joined the regiment after a collegiate service stinct in Delaware.

"Captain Frazier!"

Running towards the man and his company XO CPT Tulowitzki he saluted and introduced himself. "Corporal Ron Marinaccio, sir. Just like you, from Toms River in New Jersey. Fought with my regiment in Bucha and later on got moved to Kharkiv."

"Glad you came here to fight for the Ukraine. And you were among the first Americans. For me and the 78th, we were in Irpin for our first combat missions."

"A great pleasure, Captain Frazier. Fighting in the spirit of heroes of the past, I feel ready to carry on that fighting traditions of the peoples of our home state."

The captain enjoyed also talking with a long time 1LT, Kyle Higashioka, who is with the 78th's 1st Battalion this time around as part of Frazier's A Company. A graduate of UC Berkeley he too is from California like Captain Judge - but is a Japanese American. However he began as an NCO (joining the regiment, then under BG Torre, in 2007 as a Corporal) and in 2016 was commissioned thanks to his studies in the OCS, joining the 1st Battalion as a 2LT in 2017. His usual battle companion, 1LT Gerrit Cole who was also trained in Cary, is with the 1st Battalion of the 78th instead as part of B Company. However, he began with the regiment in Pittsburgh with 1LT McCutchen and another part of the 3rd NY but now recalled to the 78th Brigade, SSGT Taillion, despite having Canadian heritage in one of his parents. They talked on the experience of serving in the same regiment as now BG Girardi, now reassigned as PAO chief of the 71st Chicago. He was their former commanding officer. The lieutenant and SSGT Taillon both recognized the captain who they met during his days with the 169th Cincinnati Infantry as a platoon and later company commander.

As the conversation continued, COL Bianco arrived in a Humvee to help direct the operation. "Ten-hut" was heard as the colonel disembarked from the vehicle to meet the men and to continue monitoring the situation on the ground. The 6th platoon's commander, 1LT Payton, ran to the colonel together with his staff and SSGT Montgomery, together with LTC Fenster, LTCOL Andruw Jones whose son Drew is with the battalion, and the battalion staff present as well as SGM Ronai. All saluted the colonel, as well as the company commanders plus those of the 3 regiments who have been there that day to help that battalion. Then 1LT Payton recognized the presence of his platoon before their training officer.

"First Lieutenant Payton, sir. Elements of the 6th Platoon, Able Company of 1st Battalion, 78th IBCT, all present and accounted for. A pleasure for you to be here today."

"Lieutenant Payton", replied Colonel Bianco,"The road had been tough, but you and your boys have indeed made me proud. All that hard training has paid off, and I'm glad all of you are still here fighting for Ukraine and our freedom. Good luck today, gentlemen."

"My pleasure, colonel", the platoon commander replied.

1LT Bradfield the platoon XO and 2LT Wilson the platoon adjutant also saluted the colonel, telling him that they too are ready to fulfill their duty, having applied their training lessons and regimen in the first weeks since they and the rest of the 1st Battalion arrived in the country.

The colonel had arrived to help direct the operational work the 1st Battalion had been assigned for today, and having been briefed by LTC Fenster, MAJ Sogard and parts of battalion staff as well as its lead Ukrainian liason on reports that elements of the 1st Battalion, 1st Motor Rifle (Infantry) Regiment, Donbass People's Militia, and 2 battalions of the 200th Motor Rifle Brigade of the Northern Fleet Coastal Forces are stationed north of their area, and the 1st and 2nd Battalions have been informed by the commandant of the 113rd TDF Brigade covering Kharkiv Oblast to assist in their moving north, in gratitude for their assistance in the capture of Tsyrkuny a few days ago. The Ukrainian liason stated in the intel and situationer reports that the 200th's presence is only reinforced by a few field artillery batteries and MBTs under brigade HQ from the artillery regiment and the tank battalion, respectively, the tanks being the T-80BVMs and the artillery made up of 2S7 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers from the brigade's two artillery battalions. Their mission is to help the 113rd in its operation to remove Russians from the twin villages north of Tsyrkuny so that the whole of that township is cleared of Russians and their allies.

Upon recieving the reports, COL Bianco told everyone, "It's gonna be a long day ahead for us here. But as long as we do our best, we will drive the Russians away from the northern edges of Kharkiv, together. Mark my words, boys, this will be one of the biggest operations of this war, and General DeRosa is expecting all of us to play our part to help finish this operation. Don't spare any expense. We have a goal to do, to help Ukraine defeat Russia at all costs no matter what."

LTC Fenster replied that the battalion, together with the attached elements from other units of the brigade and the 169th Corps, is ready to fulfill their tasks for today, and will follow the right strategies needed to win the day. Then, he resumed the briefing conference informing the colonel that given the intel that in Cherkas'ki Tyshky elements of the Russian 200th Infantry Brigade and the 1st DPR Motor Rifles are stationed with more up north, given the consultations among the commanders and XOs of his subordinated units in the battalion he has agreed to implement the battle plan for the day. The colonel concurred and informed his superior officers via radio of their readiness.

@joeybosa-aaronjudge @lightninging @homerofthebraves @dilangleywritesfanfic @auroralightsthesky @alekmanoah @ilovetheyankees @darkorderaf

#baseball rpf #baseball fic #usa baseball #usa baseball rpf #modern au #usa baseball cnt #baseball au #sports rpf #sports fic #baseball fanfiction #ukraine au #a league of their own #usa softball #ukraine war au

0 notes

if-you-fan-a-fire · 2 years

Text

“In 1915 and early 1916, Canadian shell-shocked soldiers were quickly evacuated from the front and sent to special hospitals that the Canadian army established at Granville and Buxton, England. These hospitals were especially set up to treat soldiers’ symptoms as neurasthenia – as if they were physical ailments rather than emotional or mental illnesses. The established prewar regimen for neurasthenia was the rest cure, which combined sleep, light activity, diet, electrotherapy, massage, and a relaxing environment. Thus both Buxton and Granville took over former British seaside resorts that had offered the rest cure to an exclusive civilian clientele before the war and already had the necessary treatment apparatus installed. The rationale was that these pre-existing facilities and a naturally relaxing, therapeutic environment would do the most good for wartime nerve cases – especially those with shell shock.

But the special hospitals did little to encourage soldiers to remain at the front, and shell shock soon became a pressing military as well as a medical problem. In a war of attrition, soldiers who seemed to be physically healthy could not be allowed to escape their duty to King and country. The problem became acute in the Canadian army in the spring and summer of 1916 when shell-shock cases accounted for an average of 21 per cent of all non-fatal casualties in the Canadian army. The crisis came at the Battle of Mount Sorrel when between 24 May and 13 June alone, the 1st Canadian Division reported 532 cases of shell shock – 44.6 per cent of total casualties. How could so many men – but not every man – break down simultaneously?

Some medical officers began to doubt that every case was legitimate. ‘A number of men [were] buried by shell explosions or otherwise put out of action without having sustained an open wound,’ wrote Captain Harold W. McGill, 31st Canadian Infantry Battalion’s medical officer. ‘Of these there was [only] one to whom the much-abused term ‘‘shell-shock’’ could properly be applied. Often the term was used to describe a condition that was nothing but terror.’ But this implied that many soldiers were willing to intentionally feign illness or were becoming hysterical in combat; either way they were avoiding their duty as men.

At a pragmatic level, shell shock helped ensure survival – psychologically and physically. The symptoms not only relieved anxiety, but also helped the soldier to escape from the dangers of the front. It was thus a rational response to the physical threat posed by trench warfare, and many soldiers understood it to be such. ‘I am going up before the captain tomorrow to see if I cannot get leave to come home,’ wrote Private John E. to his wife Kitty. ‘My nerves are in an awful condition and my heart pumps like a thrashing machine. If I went before a medical board they’d kick me out in five minutes. I think I’ll go over to Weston [the Regimental Medical Officer] and make him take me up. I get so shakey at times I can’t control myself. I’d never be able to shoot a rifle.’

As E.’s letter shows, soldiers consciously used shell shock to negotiate with their superiors to escape from the trenches. It also provides evidence of what psychologists would later call ‘secondary gain’ in which neurological symptoms are perpetuated and encouraged because they can help fulfil psychological needs that are otherwise unobtainable. They were willing to ignore constructed masculine expectations of patriotism, self-sacrifice, and devotion to duty in order to secure psychological and physical safety. They were also willing to do so publicly by declaring themselves ‘shell shocked’ – an inherently introspective and unmasculine act. Increasingly doctors at the front began to suspect that as soldiers recognized the benefits of a shell shock diagnosis, they were subconsciously being encouraged to develop the disorder’s symptoms.

In June 1917, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, Sir Douglas Haig, decided to block this escape route from the trenches by restricting use of the term shell shock to trained medical experts working at special shell-shock centres close behind the front. Doctors henceforth became the sole arbiters of what constituted ‘legitimate’ trauma. After Haig’s order, Canadian soldiers who seemed to be suffering from shell shock would be sent back to a dressing station or field ambulance where they were labelled with the term ‘nydn’: not yet diagnosed – nervous. From there the soldier would continue on to a special shell-shock centre such as Number 3 Canadian Stationary Hospital at Doullens, behind the lines but still close to the front. The first order of business at these hospitals was for a doctor to determine the validity of the soldier’s symptoms. ‘Immediately on admission [to one of these centres],’ recounted a Canadian shell-shock doctor,

a form . . . is made out that states that Private ‘so-and-so,’ number ‘so-and-so,’ was admitted to this hospital through a certain field ambulance; that his present condition is – giving a description of it; perhaps that he is shaking all over, perhaps he is paralyzed in his legs, perhaps he has lost his voice, or cannot see. He states that on ‘such-and-such’ a date, in ‘such-and-such’ a trench, he was under exceptional exposure, in that he was heavily shelled – and giving a description of his statement. That form is then immediately sent to the Officer Commanding of his battalion, who looks into the matter and either confirms or refutes his statement.

If the commanding officer confirmed that the soldier had suffered ‘exceptional exposure,’ either due to some specific close call with a shell or by too many months spent in the trenches, he was admitted to hospital. Doctors diagnosed those soldiers who ‘gave in’ after months in the trenches with neurasthenia, or nervous exhaustion – a case of physical fatigue.

The term shell shock was now reserved for soldiers who suddenly lost their nerve as the result of some identifiable stimulus, such as being buried by a shell explosion or blown into the air by the concussive force of the blast. If, on the other hand, the commanding officer rejected the man’s claims, he was given a quick rest and then sent back to the front within a matter of hours. While this triage system was effective insofar as it stemmed the exodus from the trenches, the greater effect of removing diagnostic power to a team of specialist doctors was to restrict and codify acceptable masculine responses to combat.

Even those doctors who believed that shell shock was a euphemism for cowardice conceded that some responses to the traumas of war were legitimate. ‘Any soldier going out to the front line has his instinct of self-preservation stimulated,’ Colin Russel, the Canadian army’s expert on psychiatric illness, told a special committee of the House of Commons:

He recognizes [that] it is a very unhealthy place for him to be and his instinct is to get out; it is only his discipline, his self-respect, his higher intelligence, that makes him stay where he is and do his duty; but that requires an effort of self-control, and that effort really amounts to a physical effort . . . We all have our physical limitations; and after a man has been at the front undergoing that strain for a certain length of time, he may become exhausted, his physical limitation is reached, and he can no longer make that intellectual effort at self-control, and gives in.

This manly, brave, physical struggle with fear was a medical sign to Russel that the case was in fact due to ‘exceptional exposure’ or nervous exhaustion. Such soldiers were developed, modern men who had proven themselves capable of resisting the emotional, base, and ‘feminine’ instinct to flee. Like prewar neurasthenics, it was their very engagement with the horrors of modern combat that caused them to acquire a condition of nervous exhaustion. To doctors it was these soldiers’ weak and inferior bodies – and specifically their nervous systems – that eventually failed them, not their minds or emotions.

Medical officers at the front agreed with Russel’s explanation. ‘There was a true condition of shell shock,’ wrote Captain McGill.

The victims were men of the finest moral courage [which in fact] set the stage for the development of shell-shock. The man’s whole physical nature revolted from the sights and sounds of a bombardment. This was much intensified if he was with troops holding a static position and obliged to sit still and take punishment without the opportunity of striking back. The thoughts and the sights of jagged pieces of steel tearing through living human flesh were appalling. All the man’s natural physical impulses prompted him to take shelter, and to run away if necessary. On the other hand his spiritual courage, his faith to his duty and his discipline forced him to remain. The result was a conflict under which the nervous system collapsed and the soldier became a gibbering maniac.

Doctors wanted to identify traditionally masculine traits in those soldiers who had proven themselves to be honourable soldiers so that they could be classified among the legitimately wounded. As Joanna Bourke argues, some doctors went so far as to theorize that ‘real men’ broke down in battle because they were unable to find an effective outlet for their masculine, aggressive instincts; modern combat was simply too impersonal to allow them to properly channel their desire to strike back at the enemy. In truth these were rationalizations that allowed doctors to explain how apparently manly men could break down with the symptoms of hysteria without challenging idealized conceptions of masculinity.

If ‘real men’ broke down only after a sustained or significant period of physical stress and unnatural restraint of their instinct to kill, then those who exhibited the symptoms of trauma without enduring ‘exceptional exposure’ must have been, by definition, less than real men, either defective in some way or feminized. Continued Russel in his testimony before the special committee:

The great majority of shell-shock cases are men who have only been over there under a month and a half or two months. They have made insufficient effort. If you see a man in the trenches trying to cover himself with his rubber sheet, to hide himself from the shells, you realize that his thinking apparatus is not working very much . . . If he thought about it he would know the rubber sheet could not protect him from the shells. In other words, his intellect is not working. His primitive instincts have control over him.

Such soldiers were not suffering from physical exhaustion but some underlying defect of personality that prevented them from controlling their baser emotion to flee. Such soldiers were considered to be cases of emotional breakdown, not physical exhaustion – akin to the prewar hysteric who lost control of her body and emotions. It was these cases that Sir Andrew Macphail, the war’s official Canadian medical historian, labelled ‘childish’ and ‘feminine.’ The 1922 British War Office Committee of Inquiry into Shell Shock reported that these ‘emotional’ cases represented 80 to 90 per cent of total breakdowns in the British Expeditionary Force, of which the Canadians were a part.

In the view of military doctors, these soldiers deserved neither recognition nor treatment because the normal trauma of war had only awakened some internal and pre-existing defect; it had not actually done damage to the body that they had placed in a uniform. When Colin Russel later boasted that his doctors had cured 80 per cent of the soldiers who arrived at the Canadian special shell shock centres, what he meant was that eight in ten of them had been returned to duty, having failed to live up to dominant masculine norms. Yet in this analysis, these soldiers did not challenge dominant masculinities because they had almost immediately failed war’s test of manhood. They were cowards and defectives who could only have been expected to fail and were thus sent back to the front where war would hopefully make men of them yet. This was doctors’ solution to the first shell-shock crisis.

The other 10 to 20 per cent of shell-shocked soldiers were those who had passed the test of war but were now suffering the effects of nervous exhaustion. These ‘legitimate’ cases continued to be sent to the two special hospitals at Buxton and Granville for the duration of the war. The maintenance and care of these ‘legitimately’ shell-shocked soldiers in former resort hotels may have been an expensive undertaking, but it was designed to limit long-term expenditures. Ottawa politicians were well aware that disabled soldiers would require government financial assistance after the war ended – and they wanted to keep costs down. As pensions would be awarded to compensate for a specific loss to a veteran’s earning potential, alleviating the symptoms of disability before discharge would save the government money over time.

‘A man is not pensioned because he has lost his eyes, but because, having lost his eyes, he cannot see,’ wrote Lt Colonel J.L. Biggar of Canada’s Board of Pension Commissioners. ‘He is not pensioned for a wounded shoulder, but because he had lost his full ability to use his arm. In other words he is pensioned for the loss, partial or complete, of a normal ability; which, in fine, is the exact meaning of the word disability.’ Although Biggar was speaking about physical disabilities, the same underlying principle applied to shell-shock casualties where the goal of treatment was the removal of neurological symptoms before discharge to civilian life.”

- Mark Humphries, “War’s Long Shadow: Masculinity, Medicine, and the Gendered Politics of Trauma, 1914–1939,” The Canadian Historical Review 91, 3, September 2010: p. 512-519.

0 notes

k2kid · 3 years

Text

4TH CANADIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE NARRATIVE OF OPERATIONS. SOUTH OF SCARPE 26TH, 27TH, AND 28TH AUGUST, 1918.

View On WordPress

0 notes

softschofield · 4 years

Note

hello!! re: rossi, i've been meaning to ask you if there is any significance of the big blue & white patches on his jacket sleeves? i honestly just noticed he had them.

it’s so funny that you ask that because i have been agonising over this for months. and honestly? it is spectacularly difficult to find out what that fucking patch is. my first thought, when i saw 1917 for the first time and realised he was scottish, was that it was some sort of identifier of that fact - it’s the scottish colours, after all, and maybe it would make some sort of sense that a scotsman in an english regiment would be identified? but that idea is flimsy at best and isn’t backed up by any evidence whatsoever.

my next thought, through hours of attempts at research that are eternally thwarted by the fucking goddamn canadians and australians who seemingly have a much better record of that sort of thing than the british GOD BLESS, is that he may have been part of the signal corps, or the corps of royal engineers. as far as i can glean from this, it might make sense that a spattering of individual signallers would be attached to an infantry regiment, and that they then may have fought alongside the frontline troops, as they do now.

and, if he were a signaller, rossi would then have been trained in horse riding, would have been tasked with ensuring that “intelligence is passed to the decision makers and the mechanisms by which decisions and orders are communicated”, operating battlefield communication systems like telephones and radios, and possibly photography, both for military purposes and for propaganda and civilian news back home.

but that theory again falls short when you take into account the fact that the badge on rossi’s helmet is not the insignia of the signal corps - and i haven’t yet been able to identify which insignia it is.

and yet another thing has been bothering me: while scho and blake wear a red patch on their shoulders, which, as far as i’ve been able to gather, simply means infantry, the convoy boys wear either green patches (embroidered with a regiment name, or just blank) or red x’s. is it a battle patch, a way of distinguishing regiments at a glance? is it the patch of the 50th (northumbrian) division? does it mean HQ battalion, or division HQ? is the red x the patch of the 112th brigade? does it mean something other than infantry? machine gunners?

is could be the staffordshire regiment, which looks very similar to it, and which would make sense considering they were most likely part of one of these divisions that fought at arras in april, one of which encompassed two battalions of the north staffordshire regiment: the 31st division, my personal favourite possibility, because they fought in the battle of the scarpe at arras, because it’s mostly made up of northern regiments, and because it followed after the newfoundlands to the new hindenburg line in spring 1917, just like captain smith said; the 37th division, which contained both the 8th (service) battalion of the east lancashire regiment and the 10th (service) battalion of the loyal north lancashire regiment, which would align with the presence of liverpudlian soldiers, and, since it also contained yorkshire regiments, would also account of the fact that atkins wears the red x; the 19th (western) division; the 7th infantry division; and the 62nd (2nd west riding) division.

but again, the north staffordshire helmet badge is a very fucking distinctive pretzel knot, and rossi’s badge looks like this:

(and can we also just appreciate that rossi is doing the absolute bare minimum with pushing the truck and he’s mainly just pushing into jondalar’s back, we love to see him thriving and pretending to help) (and we also love that he wears mittens and that his scarf is so lovely and clean, kilgour is quaking)

and rossi doesn’t wear the green arm patch at all!!! which may legitimise the signaller theory?

so, to answer your question, my love: i don’t know. i honestly don’t know, and it absolutely kills me and my pride to say that. i’ll keep digging, but for now my best guess is that he was in the royal signal corps. and you know what? even if that’s wrong, it makes for a pretty cute headcanon. i always love characters who have something a little different and special about them, and being a signaller or royal engineer in the middle of an infantry battalion, being the one who has to report to the officers and communicate information and handle technical things like radios, that no one else would have any idea about and that would have been a thing of awe and mystery in the edwardian age, in the middle of a battle - having to be calm and shout down a phone line while shells are exploding all around him... i like that. and if he were indirectly in charge of propaganda footage and photography, and privy to the internal workings and politics of the army, that would have naturally led to the quiet, bitter cynicism of “look at it. fucking look at it. three years fighting over this.”

WAIT

ANON

I’VE BEEN A FOOL:

THEY’RE FROM THE WORCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE 10TH (SERVICE) BATTALION WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 19TH (WESTERN) DIVISION!!!! LIKE I SAID BEFORE!!! SO I WAS HALF RIGHT!!!

WE HAVE A NAME, LADS!!!! 10TH BATTALION OF THE WORCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT!!!! and man oh man, there are some stories about the insolence and rowdiness of the worcestershires!!! and that fits in so brilliantly with their personalities, I LOVE IT!!!!

still, though, rossi’s helmet badge really doesn’t seem to be the worcestershire lion and, as far as i can make out, has a crown atop the insignia, so who knows what tf that boy is wearing.

but that is completely off track, i’m so sorry my love LMAO. so yes: the arm patch you were actually asking about may mean that he was a signaller attached to the worcestershires ♡♡♡♡ we got there in the end!!! ilysm!! x

#i love you!!!! sorry this just became me overcompensating for the insecurity of NOT KNOWING ASDGIUAGDUAKS #asks #anon #1917 #mine #<3333 thank you for the ask my sweet #this was one of the very first things i tried to find out back when 1917 was still in cinemas so it was a blast from the past to #get back into the research!!!! ilysm <333333 #i feel like these kinds of asks really show my train of thought because they end up a total mess of oh and then i found THIS!!!!#like a chaotic show and tell #BLESS #also this is SUCH a funny coincidence because in the episode of endeavour i was watching today #one of the guys was in the worcestershire regiment so! the stars truly aligned this afternoon #we love to see it #MWAH

68 notes · View notes

rcmilitaryhistorytoday-blog · 5 years

Text

On this day, 13th Sept 1759, The Battle of the Plains of Abraham: Wolfe defeats Montcalm, to secure Canada for Britain.

A Soldier's Account of the Campaign on Quebec, 1759 Edited by Robert Henderson

Written by the Sergeant Major of the 40th Regiment’s Grenadiers (part of the Louisbourg Grenadiers), A Journal of the Expedition up the River St. Lawrence was published as a pamphlet in Boston in November 1759. Not only was it the first account to be published on the siege of Quebec , but is one of the few works by a member of the other ranks. While it lacks the flare of officer’s account, it does present one of the best records of the day to day movements of the part of Wolfe’s Army, namely the Louisbourg Grenadiers. The Louisbourg Grenadiers themselves were made up of the Grenadier Companies of the 22nd, 40th, and 45th Regiments who had been left to garrison Louisbourg, captured the year earlier. General James Wolfe, while forming his expedition against Quebec at Louisbourg, personally oversaw the training of the Louisbourg Grenadiers in the "New Exercise", which was an improved infantry drill. As fate would have it, on September 13th , 1759 on the Plains of Abraham, Wolfe would fall mortally wounded next to the Louisbourg Grenadiers. A few days later, Quebec surrendered and the duty fell upon the Louisbourg Grenadiers to form the honour guard and first to enter the walls of Quebec. In his account, the Sergeant Major skips a day around the time of the battle of the Plains and records it incorrectly as occurring on the 14th of September.

"A Journal of the Expedition up the River St. Lawrence;

Containing

A True and Particular Account of the Transactions of the Fleet and Army, From the Time of Their Embarkation at Louisbourg ‘Til After the Surrender of Quebec

by the Serjeant-Major of Gen. Hopson’s Grenadiers

Louisbourg, June 1st, 1759

We embark’d on board the Transport Harwood, bound on the Expedition to Canada ...

The 4th Day we set Sail for the River St. Lawerance, which we made on the 9th Day, and there we lay 'til the 16th, before we got into the River; which is very wide and Mountainous. For about forty Leagues up the River the Depth of Water is 100 Fathoms. The 16th Day we came into seventeen fathom Water; and on the 23rd we join'd Admiral Durell, who had 7 Sail of the Line, with some Frigates with him, which lay as a Guard to Protect the River, at a Place call'd the Island of Coudre… This island is pleasantly situated, lies partly high, and was very well peopled before we came up : - And passing this Island about a League up, we anchor'd, and two of our Boats went in Shore and was attack'd by a small Party of Canadians and Indians, and was obliged to retreat to their Ships.

The 25th we made the out End of the Island of Orleans, and on the 27th we landed on it without the loss of a Man. A small Party of Rangers were almost surrounded by a large Party of Indians; but the Rangers rush'd through them with the Loss of only one Man; what damage the Enemy sustain'd is uncertain.

On the 29th the French sent five Fire Ships down among our Fleet; but, thank God, they did no Damage. The same Day we marched about 6 miles, under the Command of Col. Carlton, and encamped that same Night in Sight of the French Army, and likewise in Sight of the Town – Gen. Monckton’s Brigade and a party of Rangers landed on the South Side; we had a small Attack, by which we had 3 kill'd, 2 wounded and 4 taken Prisoners.

July 1st, the Enemy came against our Detachment on the South-side of the River with floating Batteries; but our Shipping soon drove them off ; --the Damage they suffer'd is not known. Same Day the Louisbourg Grenadiers went a Foraging; we had two kill'd and scalp'd belonging to the 22d Regiment. The same Day we marched to the West End of the Island, in order to join the Louisbourg Battalion. A Party of the Enemy fired out of the woods, and wounded two men.

July the 5th, a Barge between the Island and the main Land, to sound the Depth of Water: The French fir’d four Cannon-Shot at her, and came down on a large Bar of Sand, from whence they fir'd small arms; also five Canoes came down the River, loaded with Indians, who took the Barge, made one Man prisoner, and wounded another belonging to the 22d Regiment. On the same Day their floating Batteries attack'd our Shipping but was soon obliged to quit their Firing. --Gen. Monckton opened a small Battery upon the South Side; The first Day they canonaded and bombarded on both Sides; but lost never a Man.

The 8th, we landed on Quebeck-Shore, without any Interception, and marched up the River about two miles; when the Louisbourg Grenadiers being order'd out to get Fascines, they had scarce set down to take a small Refreshment, and detach’d a small Party of Rangers to guard the Skirts of the Wood, before a large Party of Indians surrounded them, kill'd and scalp'd 13, wounded the Captain-Lieutenant and 9 Privates; they likewise kill'd and wounded 14 of the Royal Americans, wounded 2 of the 22d and one of the 40th Regiment : we got only 3 Prisoners, and kill'd 2 of the Savages.

The third Day our Shipping was drove off by the Enemy's Shells. - We got only some few Prisoners, 'til the 12th Day, when the French built a Battery against us, but had not Time to mount any Guns on it; for we soon demolish'd it with our Field-Pieces and Hawitzers. The fourteenth Day their floating Batteries came out after our Boats, but we soon drove them back again. -The 16th, we set the Town on Fire, about 12 O'clock, which continued burning all that Day.

On the 17th we went out a Fascining, and to make Oars, with a small Party to cover us; --5 were kill'd of which 4 were scalp'd, and we was oblig'd to quit the Wood directly ; the Indians came up very close, and kill’d and scalp'd one Man close by us; the Grenadiers of the 45th Regiment fir’d upon them, and I saw one drop; but the Indians took him off in a minute. We had 5 kill'd, belonging to the 35th Regiment, and one dangerousIy wounded; the 15th Reg. had one wounded very bad; but our People returning upon them, made them fly so fast that they were oblig’d to leave their Blankets and Match-coats, with several other Things, behind them; but we could not get one of them Prisoners. A Deserter came to us, from whom we had an imperfect Account of their Forces; which, however, gave us some Encouragement.

July 18th, the Deserter went out with our Light-Infantry, to show them a Place where to cross the Falls; the Indians fir'd on them, but hurt none: Likewise the same Night some of our Shipping pass’d the Town, and one run ashore on the South Side of the River. The 19th Day the floating Batteries came out to attack Our Shipping round the Harbour; but our Batteries on the Land-Side drove them off, so that the Shipping receiv'd but two Shot. On the 20th an accident happen'd in the Light-Infantry's Camp; a Man sitting in his Tent, with his Firelock by him, taking hold of the Muzzle to pull it towards him, it went off and wounded him in the Thigh so that he died the same Night.

The 21st Day of July all the Grenadiers cross'd over to the Island of Orleans; the Indians attack’d us very smartly, as we was marching to the Water-Side.--Same Day the Enemy open'd two batteries on us, which raked our Camps. Our Troops, with Seamen, stormed a Battery on the S. Side, spiked the Cannon, broke the Mortars, broke into their Magazine, took all their powder, and threw all the Shot and Shells into the Water.

July 22d we set the Town on Fire, which burnt all the next Day: Some of our Shipping went to pass the Town ; but they fir'd so hot, that they were oblig’d to turn back.

The 23d 300 Provincials landed on the Island of Orleans, which was some Reinforcement.

July 25th, the Louisbourg Battalion and three more Companies of Grenadiers, with 3 Companies of Light-Infantry, went round the Island of Orleans. -- The 27th we arrived at our Camp; and we receiv'd News That our Forces on Montmorancy Side had been attack'd the Day before, and likewise got the Better of the Enemy ; we had an Account that we kill'd 300 of them, but the Number of wounded none of us could tell: Our loss was 5 Officers and 32 Privates, 12 of whom were kill'd and the rest wounded. The same Day we went to get our Plunder, which we discovered on our march round the Island, consisting of Gowns, Shirts, Petticoats, Stockings, Coats and Waistcoats, Breeches, Shoes, and many other Articles too tedious to mention and some Cash ; which, if the Things had been sold to the Value, would have fetch'd upwards of 500 l. Sterl. The same Night the French sent five Fire-Floats down, which made great Confusion among our Fleet; but the Men of War sent their Boats and tow'd them ashore, where they burnt out without further Damage.

July 29, Otway’s and Hopson’s Grenadiers went on board the Three-Sisters, Witmore’s and Warburton’s on board the Russell, the rest in flat-bottom Boats and other Vessels, with a full Intent to land on a Part of the French Shore; so as by that Means we might come at the Town :

The First Push we made was on the 31st of July: with 13 Companies of Grenadiers, supported by about 5 Thousand Battalion-men;-- as soon as we landed we fixed our Bayonets and beat our Grenadier's-March, and so advanced on ; during all this Time their Cannon play'd very briskly on us; but their Small-Arms, in their Trenches, lay cool 'till they were sure of their Mark; then they pour 'd their Small-Shot like Showers of Hail, which caus'd our brave Grenadiers to fall very fast: Brave Gen. Wolfe saw that our attempts were in vain, so he retreated to his Boats again: The number of kill'd and wounded that Day was about 400 Men; - in our Retreat we burnt the two Ships, which we had ran ashore on that side to cover our Landing.

The 3d Day of August a Party of Capt. Danks's Rangers went from the Island of Orleans to Quebec Side, a little down the River; they were attack'd by a Party of French, and was smartly engag'd for the Space of half an Hour; but the Rangers put them to flight, kill'd several and took one Prisoner: The Rangers lost one Lieutenant, who died of his Wounds soon after, and 2 or 3 others. They got a great deal of Plunder.

Aug 4th the French made an Attempt of crossing the Falls; but our Train fir'd Hawits and Cohorns so fast, that they were oblig'd to retreat without accomplishing any Thing;----what Damage was done them I know not.

On the 6th a Victualing Ship sail'd from our Fleet, and went below the Falls, the French hove Shot and Shells in great Number at them; but did them no Harm.

The 8th of Aug. two Centinels being at the Falls, they took an Indian and bro't him Prisoner to the General, who sent him on board the Admiral. At 12o'Clock at Night we threw a Carcass and one Shell on the Enemy's Battery of 9 Guns, which blew up their Magazine, Platforms, and burnt with such Violence that some of the Garrison were oblig'd to get into Boats to save themselves from the Flames. The 9th Day we set the Town on Fire, being the 3d Time.

On the 10th the French floated a Thing down in the Form of a Floating-Battery; one of our Ships sent out a Boat to see what it was, and just as the Seamen were going to jump on board, it blew up and kill'd one midshipman and wounded four Sailors…….The same day about 30 Sailors went a Plundering on the South-side of the River, and as they were about their Prey, they was surpriz'd by a Party of Indians and drove off; but they all got safe to their Boats, tho' not without the Loss of their Plunder.

The 11th Instant there was an Engagement between our Scouting-Parties and the Indians, Our People drove them off, we had a great Number wounded, several very badly, but the most slightly; there was but few kill'd: There was one of the 35th Reg. told me, he saw an Indian who fir'd at him, but miss'd him; that he levelled his Piece and fir'd at the Indian and miss'd him likewise; upon which the Indian immediately threw his Tommahawk at him and miss'd him; whereupon the Soldier, catching up the Tommahawk, threw it at the Indian and levell’d him, and then went to scalp him; but 2 other Indians came behind him, and one of them stuck a Tommahawk in his Back ; but did not wound him so much as to prevent his Escape from them.

The 12th Day We had an Account of General Murray's going to land above the Town--He made all Attempt to land twice and was beat off; he made the third Attempt, and landed at the South-Shore with the Loss of about 100 kill'd and wounded. The same Day we had an Account from the Enemy, That Gen. Amherst's Army was taken very badly and that they were oblig 'd to turn back again.

On the 13th we had an Account by one of the French Gunners, who deserted to us that Night, That the enemy had very little provisions; he likewise gave an Account what a Body of French and Indians came over the Falls, the same Side that our Army was on, and that they had four Days Provisions with them, and remain'd there still.

The 14th a Sailor belonging to the Dublin Man of War, endeavour'd to swim over to the French, over the River; but the Current ran so strong, that he was driven on Shore on the Island-Side and was taken up by one of Hopson's Grenadiers and carried to their Quarter-Guard, from whence he was carried on board his own Ship again, stark naked.

The 15th of Aug. Captain Gorham returned from an Incursion, in which Service were employ 'd, under his Command, 150 Rangers, a Detachment from the different Regiments, Highlanders, Marines, &c. amounting in the whole to about 300, an arm'd Vessel, three Transports, with a Lieutenant and Seamen of the Navy to attend him, of which Expedition they gave the following Account:

"That on the 4th of August they proceeded down to St. Paul’s Bay, (which is opposite to the North Side of this Island) where was a Parish containing about 200 men, who had been very active in distressing our Boats and Shipping --At 3 o 'Clock in the Morning Capt. Gorham landed and forced two of their Guards; of 20 Men each, who fired smartly for Some Time; but that in two Hours they drove them all from their Covering in the Wood, and clear'd the Village which they burnt, consisting of about 50 fine Houses and Barns; destroy'd most of their Cattle, &c. That in this one Man was kill'd and 6 wounded ; but that the Enemy had two kill'd, and several wounded, who were carried off.— That from thence they proceeded to Mal Bay, 10 Leagues to the Eastward on the same Side, where they destroyed a very pretty Parish, drove off the Inhabitants and Stock without any Loss; after which, they made a Descent on the South Shore, opposite the Island of Coudre, destroyed Part of the Parish of St. Ann's and St. Roan, where were very handsome Houses with Farms, and loaded the Vessels with Cattle; after which they returned from their Expedition."

The same Day 1 of our Schooners went from the Fleet below the Fall, and the French fir'd 8 or 9 Shot at her; but miss'd her. This Day a Party of young Highlanders came to the Island of Orleans from Gen. Monckton’s Encampment; on Purpose to destroy all the Canaada-Side.-- The same Day our People set one of the Enemy's Floating-Batteries on Fire; --and in the Night General Monckton set the Town on Fire, (being the 4th Time) and the Flames raged so violently, that 'twas imagin'd the whole City would have been reduc'd to Ashes.

August 18th, a Sloop and Schooner went below the Falls ; the French hove Shot and Shells at them, but did 'em no Damage. The same Day the Enemy hove a Bomb from the Town, which kill'd one Man and wounded 6 more,--one Man had his Arm cut off by a Piece of the same Shell.

On the 20th the Louisbourg Grenadiers began their March down the main Land of Quebeck, in order to burn and destroy all the Houses on that Side---- On the 24th they were attack’d by a Party of French, who had a Priest for their Commander; but our Party kill'd and scalp'd 31 of them, and likewise the Priest, their Commander ; They did our People no Damage. The three Companies of Louisbourg Grenadiers halted about 4 Miles down the River, at a Church called the Guardian-Angel, where we were order'd to fortify ourselves till further Orders; we had several small Parties in Houses, and the Remainder continued in the Church.----The 25th , began to destroy the Country, burning Houses, cutting down Corn, and the like: At Night the Indians fired several scattering Shot at the Houses, which kill'd one of the Highlanders and wounded another ; but they were soon repulsed by the Heat of our Firing. --It was said that the Number of the Enemy consisted of 800 Canadians and Indians. Sept 1st we set Fire to our Houses and Fortifications, and marched to join the Grand Army at Montmorancy; the 3 Companies of Grenadiers ordered to hold themselves in Readiness to march at a Minute's Warning.

The 26th a Serjeant of the 35th Regiment deserted across the Fall, and our people fir'd several Grape-Shots after him; notwithstanding which he got clear off to the Enemy.

The 27th of August some of our Shipping went past the Town, which fir'd so hot at them with Shots and Bombs, that one would have thought Vessel to pass ; but they receiv'd little or no Damage. The 29th, 5 Sail went to pass the Town, up the River; the Town fir'd very warm all the Time of their passing, and I was very well informed, That only 15 of their Shot took Place out of all their Firing; Likewise the 30th Instant four of our Ships pass'd the Town, where they kept a continual Firing ; but did us very little Damage.

Sept. 1. all the Sick and Women that was on Montmorancy-Side, came over to the Island of Orleans; on the 2d Intant a a large Body of Wolfe’s Troops came over, with the Louisbourg Grenadiers, and encamped that Night on the same Island.

The 3d Day all the Army left Montmorancy-Side and we set all the Houses and Fortifications on Fire, and then we embark'd in flat-bottom Boats and came above the Fall; the French fir'd very brisk all the Time of our passing, but did us no Damage, and we went over to Point Levee and encamped there.

Sept. 4th the Louisbourg Grenadiers and the Remainder of the Army, cross'd over to Point-Levee from the Island of Orleans, and encamped there.--The Same Day 4 Men came from Gen. Amherst's Army; they was 26 Days on their Journey, and inform’d us, That we had got Ticonderoga, and likewise Crown-Point.

Sept 5th about 5 or 6000 Men Marched up the River on Point-Levee Side, to go above the Town, and carried one Month's Provision up in Sloops· The same Day one of the Royal-Americans, who was taken Prisoner by the French-Indians the 31st of July last, made his Escape and came to the Porcupine Sloop of War, that lay a little below the Fall; he informs us That there is no more than about 300 Indians that carries Arms; but that there are a great number of Women and Children, that they were very scant of Provisions; likewise that he himself had been 48 Hours without any thing to eat: He further said, that the Enemy they were very numerous in their Intrenchment", consisting of at least, 14,000 Men of which 11,000 were Canadians and the rest Regulars, the latter of whom were heartily tir'd with the Siege.

Sept. 6th the Schooner Terror of France went above the Town, in the middle of the Day, as she pass'd they kept up a constant Fire at her, and she receiv'd five of their Shot; one in her Jib, two in her Mainsail and 2 in her Foresail; but lost none of her Hands, nor did she sustain any further Damage.

The whole Army being on Point-Levee Side, the main Body were order'd to get ready to march above the Town, on the South Side, and to take only one Shirt and one Pair of Stockings, besides what we had on. We marched up the River about 8 Miles, and then embark'd on board the Men of War and Transports that were up the River: the Number that embarked was 3349 Men, with a Party of the Train of Artillery.

Sept. 10. the Weather being very wet, and the Troops very much crowded on board the Men of War and Transports, the General thought proper to land us on the South Side again; which was a great Decoy to the French : We marched to the Church of St. Nicholas, under the Command of General Monkton, where we halted. The next Day we received intelligence of a small Number of French and Indians, who were driving some Cattle;......we dispatched a Party of 500 Men, who took the Cattle, but the Enemy got off.

The 12th we received Orders to embarked on board our Ships again.

The 13th we had Orders to land ; so we fell down the River in the Ships and Boats till we came a little above the Town, where the Enemy least suspected us (for where the Enemy thought we should have landed, they had about 600 Horse; but what Number of Foot we could not say; we could perceive that they was intrench'd and had 5 Floating-Batteries to intercept our Landing.)

On the 14th we landed, at break of Day, and immediately attacked and routed the Enemy, taking Possession of a Battery of 4 24-Pounders, and one thirteen Inch Mortar, with but an inconsiderable Loss. We then took Post on the Plains of Abraham, whither M. Montcalm (on hearing that we had landed, for he did not expect us) hasted with his whole Army (consisting of Cavalry as well as Infantry) to give us Battle; about 9 o'Clock; we observed the Enemy marching down towards us in three Columns, at 10 they formed their Line of Battle, which was at least six deep, having their Flanks covered by a thick Wood on each Side, into which they threw above 3000 Canadians and Indians, who gauled us much; the Regulars then marched briskly up to us, and gave us their first Fire, at about Fifty Yards Distance, which we did not return, as it was General Wolfe's express Orders not to fire till they came within twenty Yards of us --They continued firing by Platoons, advancing in a very regular Manner till they came close up to us, and then the Action became general: In about a Quarter of an Hour the Enemy gave way on all Sides, when a terrible Slaughter ensued from the quick Fire of our Field Pieces and Musquetry with which we pursue'd them to the Walls of the Town, regardless of all excessive heavy Fire from all their Batteries. The Enemy lost in the Engagement, Lieut. Gen. Montcalm, (who was torn to Pieces by our Grape Shot) 2 Brigadier-Generals; one Colonel; 2 Lieutenant-Colonels ; and at least 130 Officers and Men kill'd and 200 taken Prisoners at their very Sally-Ports, of which 58 were Officers. On our Side was killed the brave and never to be forgotten General WOLFE; with 9 Officers, 4 Serjeants and 44 Privates ; wounded, Brigadier-General Monckton , Colonel Carlton, Quarter-Master-General; Major Barre, Adjutant-General; and 50 Other Officers, with 26 Serjeants and 557 privates.-- This Action was the more glorious, as the Enemy were at least 12,000 strong, besides 500 Horse; whereas we, at the utmost, did not consist of above 3500, some of whom did not engage;--for at the Time of the Engagement Colonel Scott was out burning the Country with 1600 Men; Col. Burton was at Point-Levee with 2000 Men; and on the Island of Orleans there were 1500; whereas our whole Army, at our first embarking at Louisbourg, did not exceed 8240 Men.

At Ten o'Clock at Night we surpriz'd their Guard and took Possession of their Grand Hospital, wherein we found between 12 and 1500 Sick and Wounded.

We lay on our Arms all Night, and in the Morning we secured the Bridge of Boats which the Enemy had over Charles River, and possessed ourselves of all, the Posts and Avenues that was or might be of any Consequence leading to the Town, and broke Ground at 100 Yards Distance from the Walls; we likewise got up 12 heavy 24-pounders; six heavy Twelve Pounders, some large Mortars, and the 46 inch Hawitzers, to play upon the Town, and we had been employed three Days, intending to make a Breach, and storm the City Sword in hand, but we were prevented by their beating a Parley, and sending out a Flag of Truce with Articles of Capitulation, and the next Day- being the 17th of September, we took Possession of the City, where we found 250 Pieces of Cannon, a Number of mortars, from 9 to fifteen Inches, Field-Pieces, Hawitzers, &c. with a large Quantity of Artillery-Stores.

M. Vaudreuille, the Governor-General of New-France, stole out of the City before the Capitulation; leaving only about 600 Men, under the Command of Mon. Ramsay, by whom the Capitulation was signed. The poor Remains of the French Regulars, with about 10,000 Canadians, retired to Jaques Quartiees under the Command of M. Levy; but the Canadians deserted him in great Numbers, and came in and surrendered themselves.

Sept 19th the French Garrison were embarked on board Transports: Such of the Inhabitants as would come in and take the Oaths of Allegiance, were permitted to enjoy their Estates.

Brigadier General Murray is Governor of the Town, and the whole Army left to Garrison it.

During the whole Siege from first to last, 535 Houses were burnt down, among which is the whole eastern Part of the lower Town (save 6 or 8 Houses) which make a very dismal Appearance. We also destroyed upwards of Fourteen Hundred fine Farm-Houses in the Country, &c. FINIS"

Source. Access Heritage website.

#seven years war #battle of the plains of abraham #military history

0 notes

thisdayinwwi · 5 years

Photo

Major William Fallis Seaton MC, 31st Battalion, Alberta Regiment, Canadian Expeditionary Force dies Dec 28 1918. Buried at Bramshott (St.Mary) Churchyard, Hampshire- presumably died in the nearby 12th Canadian General Hospital https://t.co/vbXHSVzYXw https://t.co/PpYKYdqruk http://twitter.com/ThisDayInWWI/status/1078698445735571456

#ww1 #ww1 history #wwI

16 notes · View notes

jordanianroyals · 7 years

Text

Number of engagements that the Jordanian Royal Family took in 2016

Total (number doesn’t include their private office work)

HM The King: 255 public engagements

HM The Queen: 120 public engagements

HRH The Crown Prince: 31 public engagements

HRH Princess Iman: 1 public engagements

HRH Princess Salma: 3 public engagements

HRH Prince Hashem: 1 public engagements

This year the king reduced the number of his public engagements, compared to last year’s almost 400 count. Queen Rania increased the number of her engagements from 107 to 120 in 2016. Three of their children, Crown Prince Hussein, Iman and Hashem all decreased the number of their public engagements. The only exception is Princess Salma. The event page will now be updated for upcoming events in 2017. However this 2016 list and the past lists will still be linked at the bottom of event page. Read more for the entire list of their engagements in 2016.

HM King Abdullah II

January (Total: 26)

4th - Visit to the General Headquarters of the Jordanian Armed Forces

6th - Meeting with the dignitaries and representatives of Zarqa governorate

11th - Visit to the US: meetings with US Secretary of State John Kerry, representatives from Arab and Muslim organisations & Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter

12th - Visit to the US: meetings with US Vice President Joe Biden & a group of US Congress committees and members

13th - Visit to the US: meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama, U.S. House leaders & interview with CNN

18th - Meetings with U.S. House of Representatives delegation & UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi

19th - Visit to the General Headquarters of the Jordanian Armed Forces & meeting with Iraqi Youth and Sports minister

20th - Meetings with the Commander of the U.S. Central Command & the President of the United Nations General Assembly

23th - Attended the Great Arab Revolt’s centennial celebrations & meetings with African leaders

24th - Meeting with Djiboutian president

25th - Meetings with a British parliamentary delegation & the defense minister of Kazakhstan

29th - Meetings with the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency & the Director-General of the International Labour Organization

31st - Meetings with Jordanian mountaineer Mustafa Salameh & a group of youth

February (Total: 23)

1st - Meetings with British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond & International Advisory Group delegation

3rd - Visit to the UK: meetings with the UK Parliamentary Security Committee & the UK Parliamentary Defense and Foreign Affairs committees

4th - Visit to the UK: delivered a speech at the “Supporting Syria and the Region” Conference & held sideline meetings with world leaders

5th - Visit to Ireland: meetings with Irish president Michael Higgins & prime minister Enda Kenny

7th - Received the President of German Bundestag

8th - Attended a military drill

10th - Meeting with representatives of the Mafraq governorate

12th - Visit to Germany: addressed the 52th Munich Security Conference & held sideline meetings with world leaders

13th - Visit to Germany: held sideline meetings with the Bulgarian president, British defense secretary & U.S. senate delegation

15th - Attended Veteran Days ceremony & meeting with the US Atlantic Council delegation

17th - Meeting with the National Defense University (CAPSTONE) delegation

21st - Meeting wih U.S. Secetary of State John Kerry

22nd - Visit to the Public Security Department

24th - Visit to the US: meetings with US President Barack Obama & U.S. Jewish representatives

March (Total: 24)

2nd - Attended the funeral of Major Rashed Hussein Al-Zyoud

4th - Attended a military exercise by the Desert Eagle SWAT unit

6th - Meeting with representatives from Karak governorate & received credentials of newly-appointed ambassadors

9th - Received the 2016-2015 Comprehensive Human Rights Plan from Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour

10th - Meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden & attended a joint tactical drill by the Rapid Response Unit, the U.S. and friendly forces

11th - Visit to Saudi Arabia: attended a marching parade & luncheon banquet in Hafr Al Batin

13th - Meetings with the Bulgarian president in Aqaba & Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi

16th - Visit to Belgium: meetings with European Union leaders & EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini

17th - Visit to Belgium: meetings with European Parliament president Martin Schultz, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, NATO Secerary-General Jens Stoltenberg & GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al Zayani

21st - Attended the 48th anniversary celebrations of Al Karama Battle

22nd - Meetings with EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini & cast and crew members of Jordanian film “Theeb”

23rd - Patronized the awarding ceremony of King Abdullah II Center for Excellence

27th - Meetings with UN Secretary-General and World Bank President, Bosinia and Herzgovina foreign minister & Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu

April (Total: 18)

1st - Visit to the US: attended the Nuclear Safety Summit & held sideline meetings with world leaders

4th - Handed over the banner of “His Majesty the Supreme Commander” of the three battalions of the King Hussein bin Talal 40th Armored Brigade

5th - Meeting with U.S. Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and accompanying lawmakers team

6th - Attended the joint “North Storm” military exercise

10th - Attended swearing-in ceremony of new IEC commissioners & visit to the Greater Amman Municipality

11th - Meeting with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad

13th - Meeting with U.S. Central Command commander & attended a military drill

17th - Patronized the King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize awarding ceremony, received Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong & Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem

18th - Visit to the Rapid Response Unit (Desert Eagle)

19th - Held a summit meeting with French president Francois Hollande

20th - Meeting with officials on national smart ID cards

26th - Meeting with Pakistani army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif

27th - Visit to Saudi Arabia: meeting with King Salman

May (Total: 32)

1st - Visit to UAE: meeting with Sheikh Mohammed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

2nd - Visit to Al Safi Factory for Garment Manufactoring in Madaba

4th - Attended the King Abdullah II Fund for Development annual ceremony & meetings with Lithuanian, Maltese presidents, foreign ministers of Belgium and Norway & president and CEO of PotashCorp

5th - Meeting with Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi

8th - Meeting with the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps & inaugurated the Cell Therapy Center at the University of Jordan

9th - Meeting with military officials taking part in SOFEX 2016

10th - Inaugurated SOFEX 2016 & attended a military drill

11th - Bestowed honors on the Lower House Parliament speaker & Chairman of the MBC Group

12th - Meeting with Dutch king Willem-Alexander

15th - Meeting with the US Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh

16th - Visit to the General Directorate of Gendarmerie

18th - Visit to Belgium: meeting with Belgian prime minister Charles Michel, visited to the unknown solider monument, military air base, delivered a speech at Université Catholique de Louvain, attended a state dinner banquet

19th - Visit to Belgium: visit to Brugge & the port of Zeebrugge

25th - Attended the national celebration of the 70th Independence Day, bestowed Royal medals & meeting with Chinese State Councillor

29th - Received members of the outgoing government & the Coptic Metropolitan of Jerusalem and Jordan

30th - Attended the graduation of thr 45th class of cadets of King Hussein Air College & received a Royal College of Defense Studies delegation

June (Total: 21)

1st - Attended swearing-in ceremony of the new government & received the U.S. House of Representatives delegation

2nd - Attended the Great Arab Revolt Centennial military parade

6th - Received credentials of newly-appointed ambassadors, meetings with Iraqi foreign minister & the Independent Electoral Commission members

7th - Visit to the General Intelligence Department

8th - Meeting with NASA administrator & attended army iftar banquet

12th - Hosted iftar banquet for senior officials

13th - Meetings with EU delegation & the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah in Kuwait

15th - Meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas

17th - Performed Friday prayer at King Hussein bin Talal Mosque

19th - Visit to Al Amal Al Jadid Center for Children with Multi Disabilities

20th - Attended the army rapid reaction force Iftar banquet

26th - Meeting with the families of army and security agents killed in terrorist attack

27th - Surprise visit to Um Ayyash village

28th - Visit to a border guards unit at the eastern front

29th - Visit to the Civil Status and Passport Department & chaired the first meeting of the Economic Policy Council

July (Total: 4)

7th - Visit to the US: held sideline meeting with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau

8th - Visit to the US: attended the Sun Valley Economic Forum in Idaho

28th - Chaired a cabinet meeting

31st - Decorated two police officers

August (Total: 16)

1st - Visit to the General Headquarters of the Jordan Armed Forces

3rd - Visit to Morocco: meeting with King Salman of Saudi Arabia

6th - Visit to the UK: attended the 2016 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

10th - Meeting with the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission & swore in new member of the Constitutional Court

15th - Meeting with Swedish prime minister & interview with Addustour

16th - Visit to the King Abdullah II Third Armored Division Command Headquarters

18th - Meeting with Russian special presidential envoy for the Middle East and North Africa

21st - Visit to the Independent Elections Commission

24th - Visit to Egypt: meeting with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

28th - Visit to Poland: meeting with the Polish president & visit to the Westerplatte Battle monument

29th - Visit to Poland: meeting with the Polish defense minister & attended a military drill by the Polish special forces

30th - Received outstanding Tawjihi students and members of the Jordanian Olympic mission

September (Total: 19)

4th - Received credentials of newly-appointed ambassadors & meeting with Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria

5th - Attended the launch of the National Strategy for Human Resources Development

7th - Visit to Amman Design Week venue & meeting with the Middle East Council of Churches

8th - Visit to Cyprus: meeting with the Cypriot president

12th - Performed Eid Al-Adha prayers

18th - Visit to US: meetings with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry & the Chairman of the World Economic Forum

19th - Visit to US: meetings with Austrian Chancellor & the President and CEO of the Business Council for International Understanding

20th - Visit to US: delivered Jordan’s speech at the 71st session of United Nations General Assembly & held sideline meetings with world leaders

21st - Visit to US: delivered a speech at the UNGA Summit for Refugees and Migrants

26th - Visit to Kenya: meeting with Kenyan president & attended a joint military drill

28th - Attended swearing-in ceremony of new government cabinet & visit to Sharif Abdul Hamid Secondary for Boys

29th - Paid condolences to the family of Nahed Hattar

October (Total: 25)

3rd - Meeting with representatives of Balqa governorate

4th - Sworn in three minsters

5th - Meeting with the Albanian president

6th - Visit to the General Headquarters of the Jordan Armed Forces

7th - Visit to Germany: meetings with German foreign minister, Chancellor Angela Merkel & attended the Peace of Westphalia Prize dinner banquet

8th - Visit to Germany: attended the Peace of Westphalia Prize award ceremony & meeting with the German president

12th - Meeting with the Independent Election Commission members

16th - Meeting with the chairman of National Centre for Human Rights

19th - Received the Apostolic Administrator of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem

20th - Inaugurated the Princess Haya Military Hospital in Ajloun

23rd - Meetings with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Managing Director of IKEA Sweden & the Royal Committee for Developing Judiciary and Enhancing the Rule of Law members

24th - Honored scholars of the 17th conference of the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought & visit to the Public Security Department

26th - Visit to Japan: meeting with the Jordanian-Japanese Parliamentary Friendship Committee

27th - Visit to Japan: meetings with the Japanese Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament & the President of the House of Councilors & held talks with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe

28th - Visit to Japan: meetings with the presidents of JICA & JBIC

31st - Meetings with Canada Governor General & Bahrain’s Interior Minister

November (Total: 32)

1st - Visit to the General Headquarters of the Jordan Armed Forces

2nd - Meetings with the Arab League Secretary General & the commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command

3rd - Sworn in new members of the Constitutional Court

6th - Held talks with the Polish president & meeting with the U.S. Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh

7th - Delivered Speech from the Throne & meeting with the Founder/CEO of Amazon.com, Inc.

9th - Attended the opening of the MENA ICT forum

13th - Meeting with the CEO of Huawei

15th - Meetings with King Philippe of Belgium, Iraqi parliament speaker Saleem Al-Jabouri & inaugurated the 8th International Conference of the Royal Medical Services in Dead Sea

16th - Meeting with Madaba representatives, visits to Al Nadim Government Hospital and the Madaba Industrial Estate & inaugurated Zaha Cultural Centre in Madaba governorate & meetings with former Turkish president Abdullah Gul & president of the University of Texas at Arlington

20th - Meeting with a ministerial committee on the National Strategy for Human Resources Development 2016-2025 & received replies from the two parliament houses on the Speech from the Throne

21st - Attended the graduation ceremony of the 12th batch of Royal Military College officers

23rd - Visit to Australia: visit to the Australian War Memorial, held talks with the Australian governor general Peter Cosgrove, meeting with Australian officials & interview with ABC’s Tony Jones on “Lateline”

24th - Visit to Australia: held talks with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, meetings with the Australian foreign minister, opposition leader & visit to the National Arboretum of Australia

25th - Visit to Australia: meeting with the Governor of New South Wales & attended a military exercise in Sydney

December (Total: 15)

4th - Held talks with the Slovenian president

5th - Attended a joint Jordanian-German military drill

7th - Received credentials from newly-appointed ambassadors & meeting with the leather of the Iraqi National Alliance

11th - Meetings with presidents of govenrment universities & the German defence minister

12th - Attended a ceremony at Martyr's Memorial

18th - Meeting with Christian leaders

19th - Visit to King Hussein Medical Center, chaired a National Policy Council meeting & meetings with Iraqi political leaders

20th - Visit to the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces & chaired a meeting at the National Center for Security and Crises Management

21st - Chaired a cabinet meeting & meeting with the U.S. Army Chief of Staff

HM Queen Rania

January (Total: 16)

8th - Visit to the UK: meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron

12th - Visit to Belgium: meetings with Queen Mathilde, prime minister Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker & EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini

14th - Visit to Norway: meetings with the Norwegian Royal Family & Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg and foreign minister

18th - Meeting with a group of twelve Jordanian female entreprenuers

20th - World Economic Forum: meeting with world leaders & attended “The Humanitarian Imperative: A Global, Regional and Industry Response” panel discussion

21st - World Economic Forum: interview with British channel 4 News & Fox Business

22nd - World Economic Forum: attended sessions

25th - Chaired a board members’ meeting of the Queen Rania Award for Excellence in Education

31st - Meeting with a group of Jordanian youth

February (Total: 6)

1st - Visit to Sanabel Al-Khair Society for Social Development

4th - Visit to the UK: attended the “Supporting Syria and the Region” Conference

8th - Meeting with three Jordanian teachers

10th - Attended the launch of the 6th Jordan Volunteers Forum

23rd - Visit to the UAE: delivered a speech at the Global Women’s Forum in Dubai

24th - Visit to the Hashemite University

March (Total: 13)

8th - Meeting with the International Women’s Forum local members, the Leadership Enhancement and Mentoring Program participants & women entrepreneurs

9th - Visit to the Princess Taghreed School for Girls

14th - Meeting with members of the National Framework for Family Protection Committee

16th - Attended the opening of the 7th Forum on Investing in Young Children Globally

20th - Meeting with a group of mothers whose sons are border guards

21st - Visit to Dar Al Aman child safety center

22nd - Meetings with EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini & cast and crew members of Jordanian flim “Theeb”

23rd - Visit to the Women’s Protection and Empowerment Center in Ramtha

27th - Meetings with UN Secretary-General and World Bank President & the wife of Turkish prime minister Mrs. Sare Davutoglu

28th - Chaired a board meeting of Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development

30th - Visit to the venue of Amman Design Week

April (Total: 6)

14th - Visit to the US: attended the screening of “Salaam Neighbor” documentary

15th - Visit to the US: attended World Bank Group “Forced Displacement: A Global Development Challenge" session

16th - Visit to the US: attended United Nations Foundation event

18th - Visit to Al Koum Al Ahmar village in Al Mafraq governorate

19th - Visit to Al Khansa'a Secondary School for Girls

25th - Visit to Greece: visit to the Kara Tepe refugee camp in Lesbos

May (Total: 13)

8th - Visit to German Jordanian University’s Madaba campus

10th - Chaired the Royal Health Awareness Society’s Board of Trustees meeting

18th - Visit to Belgium: visited the unknown soldier tomb, Université Catholique de Louvain and King Baudouin Foundation & attended a state dinner banquet

19th - Visit to Belgium: visited Brugge & the Technical Institute of the Holy Family

24th - Visit to the Safout Secondary School for Girls

25th - Attended the national celebration of the 70th Independence Day

29th - Attended launch briefing on Queen Rania Teachers Academy’s Initial Teacher Educational professional diploma

30th - Attended International Academy Amman’s Class of 2016 graduation

31st - Visit to the Urban Development Charitable Society in Irbid

June (Total: 8)

2nd - Attended the Great Arab Revolt Centennial military parade

7th - Paid condolences to families of the victims of General Intelligence Department attack

8th - Paid condolences to families of the victims of General Intelligence Department attack

12th - Meeting with the Mujaddidun Society for Charity and Development volunteers & hosted an iftar banquet for a group of women

14th - Visit to Caritas Jordan

19th - Visit to Al Amal Al Jadid Center for Children with Multi Disabilities

20th - Attended Iftar banquet with children and caretakers of Al Hussein Social Foundation for Orphans

July (Total: 1)

8th - Visit to the US: attended the Sun Valley Economic Forum in Idaho

August (Total: 8)

6th - Visit to the UK: attended the 2016 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

10th - Visit to Amman Design Week venue in downtown

17th - Joined a discussion with Jordan Volunteers youth and members of the National Committee for Human Resource Development Committee

23rd - Meeting with Jordanian players of the Under 17 Women’s National Football Team

28th - Joined a discussion at the Queen Rania Teacher Academy

29th - Chaired the Jordan River Foundation Board of Trustees annual meeting

30th - Received outstanding Tawjihi students and members of the Jordanian Olympic mission & inaugurated Amman Design Week

September (Total: 14)

1st - Visit to Amman Design Week’s Craft District

5th - Attended the launch of the National Strategy for Human Resources Development

7th - Visit to Amman Design Week venue

8th - Signing the football of FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup championship & received a delegation from Swaziland

11th - Visit to Italy: attended the Celebrity Fight Night gala dinner in Florence

19th - Visit to US: attended the UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants roundtable, Clinton Global Initiative plenary session & “Let Girls Learn” event

20th - Visit to US: interview with Christiane Amanpour & attended 2016 Global Goals Award Dinner

22nd - Visit to US: attended an event

24th - Visit to US: meeting with the Institute of International Education & attended the Global Citizen Festival

October (Total: 14)

3rd - Inaugurated Jordan River Foundation’s 21st annual handicrafts exhibition “Dahnoon”

5th - Received the Albanian president and first lady

6th - Visit to Germany: delivered a speech at the Day of German Industry in Berlin

7th - Visit to Germany: attended the Peace of Westphalia Prize dinner banquet

8th - Visit to Germany: attended the Peace of Westphalia Prize award ceremony & meeting with the German president

10th - Visit to the Children’s Mobile Museum at Al Khansa'a Secondary School for Girls in Jerash

11th - Meeting with i4Jo members

19th - Attended the launch of QRTA national pre-service teacher training program

23rd - Attended meetings with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Managing Director of IKEA Sweden, chaired the Al Aman Fund board of trustees meeting & meeting with Egyptian preacher Amr Khaled

25th - Visit to the Jordan River Foundation showroom with Queen Mathilde

November (Total: 16)

3rd - Visit to US: delivered a speech at the IRC’s Annual Rescue Dinner in New York

6th - Attended meeting with the Polish president & visit to the Children’s Museum with the Polish first lady

7th - Attended the opening of the 18th Parliament’s First Ordinary Session & meeting with the Founder/CEO of Amazon.com, Inc.

9th - Meeting with Al Anwar Charity Organization for Women members

13th - Attended Jordan River Foundation gala dinner

16th - Attended a panel discussion on education development

20th - Meeting with a ministerial committee on the National Strategy for Human Resources Development 2016-2025

23rd - Visit to Australia: visit to the Australian War Memorial, attended meeting with the Australian governor general Peter Cosgrove & visit to the National Portrait Gallery

24th - Visit to Australia: visit to the National Arboretum of Australia

25th - Visit to Australia: attended meeting with the Governor of New South Wales & visit to Fort Street Public School

29th - Visit to UK: received the first Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Foreign Press Association in London

December (Total: 5)

3rd - Visit to Germany: received the Golden Heart Award at the 16th “Ein Herz Fuer Kinder” Gala in Berlin

5th - Visit to the Orient Gallery

6th - Visit to the Mahes Secondary School for Girls in Al Balqa

7th - Attended a panel discussion of the “Women on the Frontlines” conference

13th - Honored the winners of the 2016 Queen Rania Awards for Excellence in Education

HRH Crown Prince Hussein

January (Total: 2)

3rd - Visit to the Public Security Department’s Telecommunications and Information Technology Administration & attended the launching ceremony of his two strategic initiatives

February (Total: 1)

24th - Attended a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama

April (Total: 3)

1st - Attended the Nuclear Safety Summit & sideline meetings

15th - Attended World Bank Group “Forced Displacement: A Global Development Challenge” session

May (Total: 4)

24th - Attended the graduation ceremony of King’s Academy

25th - Attended the national celebration of the 70th Independence Day

29th - Patronized the graduation ceremony of Mutah University’s 28th batch of Military Wing students

30th - Meeting with Jordanian interns at NASA

June (Total: 10)

6th - Attended graduation ceremony of the Royal Jordanian National Defence College

8th - Attended army iftar banquet & meeting with NASA administrator

10th - Performed Friday prayer & attended the Hashemite Scientific Councils

14th - Joined volunteers at JHCO’s Charity Clothes Bank initiative

15th - Attended meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas

22nd - Visit to Luminus Education

27th - Attended iftar banquet & military drill at the command of Joint Special Operations

28th - Joined two “Tahseen Initiative” interactive workshops at the Naour Youth Center

August (Total: 6)

1st - Visit to the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs

4th - Inaugurated a gaming lab in Aqaba

8th - Meeting with the Chairman of the U.S. Breakthrough Prize Foundation

10th - Visit to Al Hussein Youth Camps

11th - Attended the graduation ceremony of the second class of the National Training Program

31st - Visit to the Forsan Camp

September (Total: 1)

5th - Inaugurated the second phrase of Queen Alia International Airport’s new terminal project

December (Total: 4)

18th - Attended a meeting with Christian leaders

20th - Attended a meeting at the National Center for Security and Crises Management

21st - Meeting with members of the Crown Prince Foundation

28th - Visit to the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority

HRH Princess Iman

June (Total: 1)

20th - Attended Iftar banquet with children and caretakers of Al Hussein Social Foundation for Orphans

HRH Princess Salma

May (Total: 1)

25th - Attended the national celebration of the 70th Independence Day

June (Total: 1)

2nd - Attended the Great Arab Revolt Centennial military parade

October (Total: 1)

27th - Visit to Japan: attended meeting with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe

HRH Prince Hashem

May (Total: 1)

25th - Attended the national celebration of the 70th Independence Day

Past Events

Year 2015

Year 2014

#jordanian royal family

4 notes · View notes

jrrink-blog · 7 years

Text

Ontario Hockey League well Represented in 2017 NHL Entry Draft

If experience is what makes a NHL draft eligible player of interest from the Ontario Hockey League then the western conference is the place to play. As the 2017 NHL entry draft is less then a week away the OHL's elite class of draft possibles are on the forefront of the NHL's want list, as 11 of the top 50 rankings for NHL scouts reside as Western Conference property of the Ontario Hockey League. (Top 50 rankings listed below) Valardi, Gabriel 4th Windsor Spitfires Suzuki, Nick 10th Owen Sound Attack Ratcliffe, Issac 15th Guelph Storm Thomas Robert 22nd London Knights Formenton, Alex 29th London Knights Frost, Morgan 31st Soo Greyhounds Lodnia, Ivan 36th Erie Otters Ruzicka, Adam 37th Sarnia Sting Gadjovich, Jonah 39th Owen Sound Attack Schnarr, Nate 47th Guelph Storm Phillips, Markus 50th Owen Sound Attack While the Western Conference has shown great potential for success at the draft table the Eastern Conference looks to weigh in with 8 rankings of their own in this years NHL entry draft. Tippett, Owen 7th Mississauga Steelheads Robertson, Jason 14th Kingston Frontenacs Hague, Nicholas 20th Mississauga Steelheads Rasanen, Eemeli 32nd Kingston Frontenacs Strome, Matthew 33rd Hamilton Bulldogs Chemelevski, Alex 43rd Ottawa 67's Entwistle, Mackenzie 44th Hamilton Bulldogs Lyle, Brady 48th North Bay Battalion The Ontario Hockey League has 54 skaters ranked in the first 100 draft eligible skaters for 2017-18 entry draft with 29 skaters representing the western conference and 25 eastern conference players represented. The Ontario Hockey League has been well represented in the National Hockey League over the years from Bobby Orr (Oshawa Generals alumni) and Connor McDavid (Erie Otters alumni) in recent years. This entry draft will look to continue to bring the Ontario Hockey League's elite to the national ranks for 2017-18 and beyond. For a full recap of the top 19 players along with the remaining OHL draft eligible players for the 2017 National Hockey League Entry draft Edition follow The Rinker on Twitter @rinker_ohl or by searching up https://jrrink.tumblr.com/ for the latest recap on the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League!!!!

0 notes

esprit-de-corps-magazine · 7 years

Text

THE BATTLE OF VIMY RIDGE: PART 2: A Calculated Artillery Barrage Precedes The Assault

(Volume 24-4)

By Bob Gordon

In the pre-dawn darkness of Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, the weather took a turn for the worse. Sunday’s spring-like conditions turned foul. Lieutenant-Colonel G. R. Stevens noted in the 49th Battalion War Diary that “the weather became an ally; the temperature fell and a northwest gale blew snow into the faces of the Germans.”

Minutes before 0530 hours the sound of the Canadian guns abruptly ceased. “There had been an ordinary amount of night firing, our batteries and machine-gun fire. But about five minutes before Zero Hour, there had been an eerie, almost complete silence,” Lieutenant Leonard Youell of the 43rd Battery Canadian Field Artillery told historian Pierre Berton. Youell continued, “Then the most deafening roar and display of fireworks you’ve ever seen in your life.” Private Lewis Duncan wrote his aunt Sarah one week later that “5:30 came and a great light lit the place, a light made up of innumerable flickering tongues.” On the 3rd Division front, LCol Stevens wrote: “On the stroke of 0530 hours, a bombardment of terrifying intensity burst on the enemy forward position … From the German lines multi-coloured rockets soared in mute appeals for aid.”

With the launch of the infantry assault the Canadian artillery shifted to a creeping barrage. It had 40 separate lifts scheduled. At Zero Hour it concentrated on the German front line; at plus three minutes the barrage lifted from the German front line to the support line; at plus eight minutes it moved to the Black Line, the main German defences. The troops were to arrive at the summit directly behind the last lift, accompanied through the German defences by the destructive power of the artillery.

The advance of the creeping barrage could not be altered once the attack started. The infantry had to keep up with it. Nor could they get ahead of schedule. Private Alex Gerrard of the 1st Canadian Rifles noted that following too close to the barrage also had risks. “Some of our boys got going faster than the shells and they hit a lot of our men with ‘friendly’ shrapnel. They got caught in the barrage from the batteries behind us.”

On the right, the 1st Canadian Division had the longest distance to cover, about four kilometres up a gradual slope to Farbus Wood. Next, 2nd Division had the same distance to advance, their objective being the summit above the village of Vimy. La Folie Wood, after a two-kilometre advance, was the objective of the 3rd Canadian Division. The Division had to fight its way up a steepening slope and through a complex of German strongpoints to get there.

On the far left of the Canadian attack, with Hill 145 on the right and ‘The Pimple’ on the left, the steepest slope was the 4th Division’s front. Hill 145 was to be captured immediately to prevent enfilade fire on the left flank of the 3rd Division. The Pimple was to be assaulted on day two of the attack by the 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade. The 4th Division had the shortest distance to cover, less than a kilometre, but faced the steepest slope, worst terrain and the strongest defences on the entire ridge.

On the 1st Division front the leading platoons of the 2nd Brigade had crept into no man’s land before Zero Hour. The success of the 1st Division attacks is largely attributable to this decision and the valour of the individual infantrymen who crept into no man’s land early. The attack was supported by the explosion of two large mines under the trenches of the defending Bavarian Infantry Regiment. “Before the stuff had stopped falling, we had to man the lip of the crater that was caused,” remembered George Alliston of the 7th (British Columbia) Battalion.

The need to stick to the schedule and keep up with the barrage was in the forefront of Lance-Corporal Jack Pinson’s mind. Pinson later told a CBC interviewer that “On the way through we’d run into German machine-gun posts. We’d bomb them out or clean them out with rifle fire … We were in a big hurry. We had a timetable to keep to.” The War Diary of the 5th Battalion later noted that the training had served its purpose and the Canadians were well informed and well led, even when their officers and non-coms became casualties. “Casualties among officers and NCOs were extremely heavy, but at no time were there wanting natural leaders to carry the work forward with speed to success.”

On the far right of the Canadian assault, the southernmost unit was the 13th Battalion. One of its members, Private Roy Henley, was the youngest participant in the attack. In 1915 he lied about his age, claiming to have been born in 1898 rather than 1901, and enlisted. At Vimy Ridge he was barely 16. Interviewed in his 80s, he attributed his courage to “the rum jar … You could go and lick your weight in wildcats after that!” With a bullet hole in his canteen, two in his kilt, and a sock torn by a ricochet, he was eventually hit by shrapnel, ending up at the neighbouring 51st Highland Division (British) casualty clearing station. By the time this boy soldier was receiving medical attention, his comrades were at their final objectives and staring over Vimy Ridge into the Douai Plain with the slag heaps of Lens on the horizon.

In the 25th Battalion, on the 2nd Division front, the crucial moment for Frank MacGregor came with the order to fix bayonets. “The locking ring on a bayonet is a little loose. When the order to fix bayonets went along the line, you’d think there were a thousand bees humming. The trembling. Waiting.” Captain Claude Williams of the 6th Brigade Machine Gun Company and formerly a medical student from Hamilton, Ontario later told Pierre Berton that everyone’s highest priority was to maintain the synchronization with the barrage. “The orders were that in no circumstances was anybody to stop to do anything for the wounded — to help them, to carry them out, doing anything — it would break up the line.” For a former medical student, the order to not stop to help the wounded must have been heartrending.

At 0645 hours the 21st and 25th Battalions passed through the first wave of attackers into Les Tilleuls on their way to the Red Line northeast of the town. Thirty minutes later they were digging in on their objective. The quick leap forward had cost the two battalions 468 casualties.

The third wave of attackers then entered the fray. The 31st Battalion led the attack on Thelus and on to the Blue Line. The unit war diary attests to the effectiveness of the Canadian guns: “Buildings were demolished, trenches obliterated and wire smashed to atoms. There was hardly an inch of ground that did not bear witness to the tremendous effect of our guns.” By 1020 hours, less than five hours after Zero Hour, they were digging in on the Blue Line, and well on their way to the crest of the ridge.

At 1415 hours elements of the 27th and 29th Battalions fired three white rockets, indicating that they had successfully attained their objective: the Brown Line running from the summit near the village of Vimy to Farbus. By mid-afternoon units of both the 1st and 2nd Canadian Infantry Divisions were looking northeast over the Douai Plain, a view the Allies had been denied for almost three years.

The only aspect of the assault on the 2nd Division front that could be deemed a total failure was the effort to introduce armoured vehicles or tanks. This failed miserably. The 2nd Division assault was supported by eight Mark I tanks of the British Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps. The tanks were armed with five machine guns and carried 30,000 rounds of ammunition. A variety of roles were foreseen for the tanks. They were to provide mobile firepower against dugouts and resistance nests: they were to provide some cover for the advancing infantrymen; and they were intended to crush barbed wire entanglements and hasten the advance of the infantry.

They proved, in practical terms, underwhelming. On foot Captain Claude Williams, commanding officer of 6th Brigade Machine Gun Company, advanced across no man’s land faster than the tanks. “The tanks were mired,” sniper L. R. Fennell, 27th (Winnipeg) Battalion, told CBC Radio years later. “They had tent posts and everything else wired to their racks, but [the tracks] were just turning around through the mud and the tanks weren’t making any headway.” Three of them were subsequently destroyed by German artillery fire. Ultimately, none of the new vehicles even made it across no man’s land.

On the 3rd Division front Private Harold Barker, a scout with the Royal Canadian Regiment, learned that being on schedule meant keeping up with the barrage but not getting ahead of it. “When we were going over the rehersal [sic] tapes at Bruay in the rear, we had to wait so long for the barrage to lift, but I didn’t think anything about that. I kept on going. I was too fast.” Caught in the Canadian barrage, he was wounded by shrapnel in the mouth, chest, back and leg and knocked out of the rest of the day’s action.

Advancing on the 3rd Division front, Gus Sivertz of the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles felt pressed downwards by the hail of lead. “We were dancing a macabre dance as our nerves vibrated to the thousands of shells and machine gun bullets,” recalled Sivertz. “I felt that if I had put my finger up, I should have touched a ceiling of sound.”

Private Alex Gerrard, the number two man on a Lewis gun crew, was struck not by the noise, but by the colourful German response. German flares, signalling an attack, made “streaks of reds and yellows and greens — like fireworks. It was like a coloured hail storm.” Bitterly, Lieutenant Fred James of the 2nd (Eastern Ontario) Battalion later wrote, “It was a display that made the [Canadian National] Exhibition seem like a joke. It made me think how foolish I had been to pay 25 cents to see some sputtering illuminants.”

Blind saps running forward from the Grange Subway — a tunnel system approximately 800 metres in length that had connected the reserve lines to the front line — were blown and Canadian troops had direct access to the Duffield and Durrand craters in no man’s land. The 3rd Division advanced so fast that the desultory German artillery fire fell largely behind the advancing Canadians and caused few casualties amongst the assault troops.

The biggest problem that the 3rd Division encountered was Hill 145. The promontory was actually on the 4th Division front, but immediately adjacent to the 3rd Division’s left flank. Throughout the morning, positions on the hill directed artillery and mortar fire on the 3rd Division’s advance while enfilade fire from machine guns swept through the ranks. Despite the heavy casualties, the 3rd Division fought itself toward the summit of Vimy Ridge throughout the morning. Speed moving through the kill zone and synchronization with the creeping barrage were the key elements of the 3rd Division’s rapid success, and by the end of the afternoon its leading elements had reached their objectives and joined their comrades in the 1st and 2nd Divisions along the crest of the ridge.

For the first three divisions of the Canadian Corps the attack on Vimy Ridge came off like clockwork. Casualties were well below predicted numbers and the advance went much like it had over the tapes on the practice fields in the weeks before the attack. Along the front, the Canadians attained their objectives on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Division fronts.

0 notes

k2kid · 5 years

Text

Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION

March 1, 1919 to 31 March 1919

Volume 43

Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Fosses I.35.75 1 Map for Reference: Namur 8 1/100,000

Battalion Training and Educational Classes as per Appendix 1. Attached. 5 O.R.s proceeded on leave this date. 1 O.R. from hospital.

2 Roman Catholic service at 09:30 in Parish Church. Battalion Church Service at 10:00 hrs. as per appendix No. 2. Attached. 4 O.R.s proceeded on and 10 O.R. returned from leave. 3 Battalion Training and Educational work as per Appendix No. 2. Attached. 3 O.R.s on leave. 1 O.R. from Hospital. 1 Officer and 6 O.R.s of the 6th Battn C.E.s who were attached to the 18th Battn. returned to their unit. 4 Battalion carried on with Training and Educational Classes as per Appendix No. 4. Attached. 4 O.R.s on leave; 3 O.R.s proceeded to 2nd Divl. M.T. Co’y., Auvelais for 2 weeks course in Motor Mechanics. 1 O.R. from hospital. 5 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 5. attached. 6 O.R.s from course in Motor Mechanics at 2nd Divl. M.T. Co’y. 6 Battalion Training and Educational Classes as per Appendix No. 6. Attached. 3 O.R.s on leave. 3 O.R.s to hospital. 7 Battalion Training and Educational work as per Appendix No. 7. attached. Battalion Pay Parade was held in the afternoon. 7 O.R.s proceeded on and Lieut. A.H. Jones returned from leave. 1 O.R. to hospital. 8 At 09:00 hrs. A Battalion Parade followed by a route March was held as per Appendix No. 8 attached. Lt. A.J.R. Craig and 6 O.R.s proceeded on leave. 1 O.R. attached to Divl. Train as loader. 3 O.R.s to hospital. 9 Battalion attended Church Services as per Appendix No. 9 attached. 2 O.R.s from leave. Lt. L.E. Boulton and 19 O.R.s to Sclayn guard. 10 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 10 attached. The “Band” Soccer team defeated the “Transport” team by the score of 1-0 on the Y.M.C.A. grounds. 2 companies paraded to the Baths in the afternoon. The 5th Bgde. Concert Party entertained the Battalion at the Cinema at Night. 18th. Band furnished the music. 2 O.R.s to hospital. 3 O.R.s proceeded on and 2 O.R.s returned from leave. 1 O.R. from duty at Divisional Train. 11 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 11 attached. 2companies and Battalion Headquarters paraded to Baths in the afternoon. At the Y.M.C.A. grounds in the afternoon “Q.M. & Tpt” soccer team defeated “D” Company’s team by a score of 2-0 and “Bn HQ” defeated “A” Company by a score of 3-1. Lt. J.T.N. Jeffery attached to Battalion as Brigade Veterinary Officer. 1 O.R. from hospital. 12 All 4th Brigade Units were Inspected by Gen. Rawlinson, C.O.C. 4th Army at 11.00 hours on 19th Battalion Parade Grounds as per appendix No. 12 attached. Capt. R.G. Elliott and Lieut. J.N. MacRae returned from leave to Italy. 13 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 13 attached. In the afternoon the following games were played on the Y.M.C.A. grounds: “HQ” defeated “A” Co’y in Baseball by he score of 13-5. “Q.M. & Tpt” defeated “B” Co’y by the score of 14-8. “Q.M. & Tpt” defeated “B” Co’y (Soccer) by the score of 14-0. Lt. W. Burns and 6 O.R.s and 9 O.R.s returned from leave. 1 O.R. to hospital. 14 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 14 attached. 3 O.R.s proceeded on leave. 1 O.R. returned from hospital. 15 Battalion Training as per Appendix No. 15 attached. At 10:30 hours the Battalion paraded to Brigade Sports which were held on the 19th Battalion Parade Grounds. In the afternoon “Q.M. & Tpt” Soccer team played “A” Co’y. The score was 2-2. 21 O.R.s proceeded to England proceeded to England for return to Canada for duty as Military Police. 16 Battalion attended Church Services as per Appendix No. 16 attached. “Q.M. & Tpt” defeated “A” Co’y in Baseball on the Y.M.C.A. Grounds by the score of 6-4. “D” Co’y defeated “B” Co’y (Indoor Baseball) score 24-16. 3 O.R.s proceeded on and 1 O.R. returned from leave. 1 O.R. attached for duty to Field Cashier 2nd Cdn. Divn. 2 O.R.s attached 4th Battn. C.E.s returned to their unit. 1 O.R. from hospital. 17 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 17 attached. In the afternoon on the Y.M.C.A. Grounds “Q.M. & Tpt” Soccer team defeated “HQ” by the score of 9-1. 1 O.R. to hospital. 3 O.R.s proceeded on and 2 O.R.s returned from leave. 18 Battalion carried on with Training and Educational Courses as per Appendix No 18 attached. Bath Parades were also held during the day. Lt-Col. L.E. Jones and 3 O.R.s returned from leave. 2 O.R.s to hospital. 19 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 19 attached. Pay Parade and Casuals Bath Parade were held in the afternoon. “HQ” Indoor Baseball team defeated “Q.M. & Tpt” in the afternoon by a score of 6-2. 3 O.R.s returned from course at 2nd Divl. M.T. Co’y. 2 O.R.s proceeded on and 3 O.R.s returned from leave. 4 O.R.s returned from duty at 4th C.I.B. Headquarters. 38 O.R.s proceeded to England for return to Canada with their dependents. 20 Inspection of Battalion by Commanding Officer was held as per Appendix No. 20 attached. The C.11. Concert Party gave a performance to the Battalion at the Cinema tonight. 4 O.R.s to hospital. 21 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 21 attached. In the afternoon “Q.M. & Tpt” Soccer team defeated “D” Co’y team by the score of 10-0, winning the Battalion Championship. 6 O.R.s returned from leave. 2 O.R.s returned from Hospital. 22 Battalion Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 22 attached. The Battalion was entertained in the evening by a Concert Party composed of three young ladies. 6 O.R.s returned from leave. 1 O.R. returned from hospital. 4 O.R.s returned from guard duty at 2nd Cdn. Div. Headquarters. 10 Officers and 150 O.R.s attended Corps Sports held at Brussels. 23 The Battalion attended Church Services as per Appendix no. 23 attached. Rev. Dr. Simons of Christs Church Cathedral, Montreal delivered the sermon, at the mornings service. 4 O.R.s returned from leave. 24 The Battalion carried on with Training and Educational Work as per Appendix No. 24 attached. “Q.M. & Tpt” personnel gave a dance in the Hotel de Ville at night. Music was proved by the Regimental Band. 2 O.R.s returned from leave. 1 O.R. returned from duty with 2nd Divl. Burial Officer. 25 Battalion Training and Educational Course as per Appendix No. 25 attached. Bath and Clothing Parades were held in the afternoon. Mr. Enos Bacon (Vocalist) entertained the Battalion in the afternoon. In the evening at the Cinema, the 13th Bde. Australian Concert Party gave an entertainment. 13 O.R.s proceeded to England for return to Canada with Dependents. 4 O.R.s to England for Police duties at Bramshott Camp pending demobilization. 1 O.R. for duty at 6th Field Ambulance. 4 O.R.s returned from leave. In connection with Demobilization Scheme, (re-grouping) the undermentioned O.R.s were despatched to Battalions and Units named below. 2 O.R.s to 6th Bn. C.E.s 3 O.R.s 25th Bn. 2 O.R.s 21st Bn. 2 O.R.s 22nd Battery 26 Battalion Training and Educational Course as per Appendix No. 26 attached. 2 O.R.s returned from leave this date. 27 Battalion Muster Parade was held in the morning as per Appendix No. 27 attached. 2 O.R.s from leave. 4 O.R.s returned from duty with Divl. Traffic Officer. 2 O.R.s re-grouped to 21st Cdn. Battalion. In connection with Demobilization Scheme (re-grouping) the following were re-grouped to us this date. 13 O.R.s from 27th Bn. 18 O.R.s from 28th Bn. 1 Officer and 18 O.R.s from 29th Bn. 1 Officer and 55 O.R.s from 31st Bn. 1 Officer and 2 O.R.s from 2nd C.E Bgde. 6 O.R.s from 4th Cdn. Fld. Amb. 1 Officer and 1 O.R. from 4th C.I.B. 28 Battalion Training and Educational Classes were carried on as per Syllabus for 26th inst. 2 O.R.s returned from course in M.M. at 2nd Divl. M.T. Co’y. 1 O.R. from duty at Div. H.Q. Lt. A.J.R. Craig and 2 O.R.s on leave. 2 O.R.s arrived as reinforcements. 1 O.R. regrouped to 21st Bn. 29 Battalion Training and Educational Classes were carried on as per Syllabus for 26th inst. 1 O.R. attached to Div. Train was re-grouped to 21st Bn. 2 O.R.s to hospital. 3 O.R.s from leave. 1 O.R. returned from duty at Y.M.C.A. 1 O.R. returned from duty at 4th C.I.B. 1 O.R. from duty at Divl. Signal Co’y. 12 O.R.s from duty at Divl. Train. 30 As per O.O.D. 276 attached, Appendix No. 28, “A” & “B” Co’ys paraded at 08:45 hrs. and marched to AUVELIAS leaving there at 12:00 hrs. for LE HARVE. R.C.s attending service in the Parish Church at 09:30 hrs. “C” & “D” attended Church Parade at 09:30 hrs. There was a voluntary service at the Cinema at 19:00 hrs. led by Dr. Day of Toronto. 1 O.R. from leave. 1 O.R. from hospital. 31 “C” and “D” Companies and Battalion Headquarters formed up in the square in front of the Hotel de Ville at 08:45 hours in Full Marching Order and moved off at 09:00 hours to Auvelais where they entrained for Le Harve at 11:00 hours together with three companies of the 19th. Canadian Battalion. The train was made up of Box Cars and each car was equipped with a stove and sufficient straw to ensure the comfort of each man. The men were furnished with Blankets and everything possible was done to make comfortable the journey. The Y.M.C.A. provided free tea at the station and had cars allotted to their use as a canteen. They also provided games and sporting goods of all kinds for the use of the men during the stops of the train. Reading matter also was provided. The Corps and Divisional Commanders were at the station for a short period before the train left. The train pulled away from the station at 12:30 hours- the first stop was made at Mons at 18:00 hours, for supper and recreation. The day was ideal as to weather conditions and the first day of the return journey to Canada found everyone in the best of spirits. Syllabus for the day attached, appendix No. 29.

War Diary

Appendices

Maps

War Diary of the 18th Battalion: March 1919 Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION March 1, 1919 to 31

0 notes

k2kid · 6 years

Text

Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION

From 1st May to 31st May, 1918

Volume 33 With appendices 1 – 9

Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Bretencourt 1 MAPS for Reference 51b sheet 2 51c [illegible] 2

Battalion in reserve billets at Bretencourt r.26.d. Company Parades and inspections. Training of specialists by instructors.

Recreational training and games during afternoon

Do 2 Company inspections of arms and Equipment. Battalion parade for Gas lecture. Games such as Football, Baseball etc. during the afternoon. 17 o.r.s as Reinforcements and 3 o.r.s from hospital. Relief 3 7.30 pm During night of 3/4th 18th Canadian Bn. relieved the 29th Canadian Bn. in the front line Right subsection. Battalion moved to Blainville branching off to a cross country track about ½ mile before reaching Blainville. From this track to sunken road at S.5.c.25.25. and on through communication trenches to their respective positions. Positions and locations being A, C, and D coys in front line. B coy in support. Each of the 3 front line companies having 2 platoons in front line and 2 in close support from S.5.d.80.70 to S.12.c.70.85. B coy being located at S.11.a.60.50 to S.11.a.65.00. Bn HQ at S.11.a.60.35. Relief completed at 11.35 pm. 2 o.r.s wounded.

During this tour rations were brought to railway track by wagons and from there to support lines by pack mules (see map attached).

S.5.d to S.12.c. 4 Position as shown. During the day working parties furnished by Battalion building dug-outs and repairing trenches. Enemy artillery being very active during the whole of the day. During the night 4/5th several patrols covered Bn. frontage. 1 Patrol of 11 o.r.s under Lieuts McRae & Stokes entered No Man’s Land at 11 pm at S.12.a.22.60 and proceeded along the lines from there to S.12.a.90.10 and N.W. to S.12.a.51.72 returning S.W. entering trenches at point of exit, no enemy were encountered or seen. A 2nd Patrol of 16 o.r.s under Lieut. R.C. Sheridan accompanied by 7 o.r.s of the 28th Cdn. Bn. went out to recover the body of one of their men. This patrol went up an old C.T. [communication trench] to approx. S.6.a.10.80 where 16 men were left as covering party. Lieut. Sheridan and the men of the 28th Bn. returned up this trench to S.6.c.30.95 where the body was recovered. Nothing unusual occurred. 5 Enemy artillery active shelling the whole area and also rear country, sending a number of gas shells into Boyelles. 3 o.r.s wounded. Considerable movement was observed in enemy lines during the whole day. At 5.55 om an explosion was observed to take place in enemy lines at T.10.c which appeared to be either a flare or cordite dump. Working parties again supplied during night 5/6th enemy relief was suspected and our artillery shelled road and overland routes near enemy trenches. Night 5/6th During night 3 patrols coved Bn. frontage and made reconnaissance of [ridge/hedge] and ground directly in front. Our patrol under Lieut. Stokes and another under Lieut. Sheridan, no enemy were encountered and nothing unusual occurred with the exception of considerable M.G. fire by the enemy. 6th Intermittent shelling by enemy during the day. 50 o.r.s of B coy working in 4 shifts worked 6 hours on new Bn. HQ. 100 o.r.s of B coy worked 3 hour carrying wire & stakes from Bn. ration dumps to A coy front line. All available men of D coy were employed clearing and repairing trenches in their front area. 1 o.r. wounded. 7th Situation quiet during the day. During night 7/8th working parties were assigned as last night. 8 o.r. arrived as reinforcements. 8th Our artillery shelled at intervals enemy trenches and rear country at 8.45 pm. Enemy put heavy barrage on our front support lines lasting about 15 minutes. 1 o.r. being wounded. During night patrols covered Bn. frontage. One patrol under Lieuts. MacRae and Sheridan with 20 o.r.s and Lewis gun went out to end of a sap at S.6.d.11.60. where Lieut. Sheridan and 18 o.r.s remained. As covering party asLieut. MacRae and 2 scouts proceeded S.E. to definitively locate enemy M.G. post which was supposed to be in a shell crater. It was our intention after learning this to bring up remainder of patrol with Lewis Gun and rad the post, but owing to considerable activity by artillery with gas shells and shrapnel our patrol was forced to withdraw. 9th Artillery fairly active on both sides during the day. Considerable movement was observed in Enemy lines during the day and our artillery paid attention to this. During the night fatigue parties worked clearing and repairing trenches in our area. 2 patrols under Lieuts. Sheridan and Stokes patrolled Bn. frontage from 10 pm to 3 am no enemy being seen or encountered. 10th Situation quiet today. Usual working parties at night improving trenches. Protective and reconnaissance patrols covered Bn. frontage with nothing unusual to report. 1 o.r. wounded. Relief 11th During the morning our right front was subjected to marked attention by enemy heavy trench mortars. Protective patrol covered Bn. frontage, nothing unusual report.

19th Canadian Bn. our relief. 18th Bn. moved into Brigade Reserve in the Purple Line system of trenches (see map attached.) A, C, and D coys being in Purple firing line and B coy had 2 platoons in Intermediate line and 2 platoons at Mercatel Switch. Relief being completed by 12.15 am.

12th Nothing unusual occurred, men employed digging funk holes & making shelters during the day. 13th During night 12/13 fatigue parties digging funk holes in support line and cleaning trenches. 14th 9.30 am B coy moved from position at Mercatel Switch to position in Purple support line (see map attached) being relieved by the 20th Can. Bn. New positions being M.31.b.00.70 to M.31.a.00.70.

During night of 14/15 Bn. again supplied working parties for work on Bgde. H! and dugouts at R.34.a.6.4. also digging funk hole, latrines etc. in Support lines.

WAILLY 15th Considerable artillery activity in counter battery firing and on observation balloons forcing 2 enemy balloons to descend.

During the night of 15/16th Battalion was relieved in support by the 22nd Canadian Bn. On completion of relief at 9.20 pm Battalion moved into Divisional reserve at WAILLY HUTS, R.23.a. 16 o.r.s arrived as reinforcements.

WAILLY 16 Battalion Bath and Pay parades occupied the whole of the day. 17th Company parades and inspections of clothing and equipment and arms. Platoon training by Platoon commanders. During the afternoon recreational training & organized games carried out. 18 Company parades and inspections. Training in open warfare, artillery formations and skirmishing. Recreation in the afternoon. 19 Usual parades inspections and training. Maj. J.A. McIntosh attached to Canadian Corps School. 2 o.r. admitted to hospital. 20 Company parades. Platoon training and recreation in afternoon. Specialist training in M.G. work, sounding etc. 21st Company parades and inspections. Physical training and close order drill. Recreation in afternoon. 2 o.r.s admitted to hospital. 22 Company Parades and inspections in the morning.

During the night 22/23rd Battalion relieved the 31st Canadian Bn. in left Battalion frontage. Battalion moved off from WAILLY at 8.00 pm in fighting order passing overland to front line positions in front of Neuville Vitasse. Bn. H! at M.16.a.95.55. And and B in front line from N.13.1.100.90 to M.24.b.60.50. C and D coys in support at M.18.b and c. Relief was completed without casualty at 1.50 am.

23 Situation quiet. Two patrols covered Battalion frontage during night and reported our shellfire causing casualties in enemy posts. 5 o.r.s admitted to hospital. 24 Nothing unusual occurred during the day. Working parties furnished by Battalion for work during the night on trenches in Bn. area. Tow patrols were out during night. No. 1 Patrol Lieut McRae [MacRae] and 3 scouts located an enemy post at approx. [illegible map coordinates] but owing to night moonlight were unable to get close enough to secure post, but the enemy had in the meantime been alarmed and drove our party back with M.G. fire and bombs. No casualties occurred. 25 Working parties again furnished by Bn. for work during the night on trenches. One party of 1 officers and 12 other ranks constructed trip wires from N.19.a.25.57 to N.19.a.05.50. 2 patrols covered Bn. frontage during the night, nothing unusual to report. 26 Desultory shelling by enemy over who area and rear county.

A courageous act was done this morning by #212203 Arm. Cpl. D. A. KELLEY. At 8.15 Cpl. Kelley with a wiring party left our trench at N.19.a70.89 and proceeded up an old communication trench towards enemy lines to definitively locate positions and defences of enemy post located in this trench. Cpl. Kelley was able to get close to this post and found 3 Germans on sentry duty. He rushed the barrier in front of this post and shot 2 of the occupants and dragged the third across the barrier. Several of the enemy were seen to run back along the trench. An enemy machine gun opened up and bombs where thrown but Cpl. Kelley returned safely to our line with his prisoner. Shortly after Cpl Kelley had returned [to] our line, a party of the enemy was seen to come into and down the trench toward raided post. Party estimated at 15 to 18. Several of them appeared on sides of the trench looking around apparently trying to locate the prisoner we had taken. Capt. Dougall and sentries in A Coy line immediately opened fire and six of the enemy were seen to fall and the remainder disappeared.

27 Nothing unusual happened during the day. Two patrols covered battalion frontage during the night. No enemy being wounded or seen. 28 During the night of 27/28th we raided 2 enemy posts at approx.. N.19.a.70.80 and N.19.a.90.85.

Report No. 1 party of four bombers under Lieut. Sheridan left our trench at N.19.a.71.78, proceeded up old trench to within bombing distance of post located at N.19.73.80, there to await prearranged signal from No. 2 party for starting raid. No. 2 party of 8 Bn. scouts with 2 other parties each of 1 n.c.o. and 4 men (to be left at trench intersections) under Lieut. J.N. MacRae left our lines at N.19.a.84.99 at 11.30 pm & proceeded up old trench to intersection of trenches at N.19.a.88.79. At this point heads of two sentries were seen looking over parapet at entrance of trench. The Scout party got to within 250 feet of barrier when they were seen by sentries who immediately threw bombs which went over the raider’s heads. Lt. MacRae and Scout Sgt. F Manby rushed the barrier, the remainder of the party bombing the post and back up the trench, on climbing the barrier a German was seen dragging another back up the trench and a third running and giving alarm. Unfortunately at this moment our barrage opened up, one shell exploding on parapet in front of patrol and others dropping thickly around causing patrol to retire. Our bombing started at this post, No, party immediately bombed post at N.19.a.73.80 throwing twenty bombs into post and into trench behind, continuous screeching and groaning issued from post but No. 1 party were also prevented from following up by our barrage. Both raiding parties returned to our lines without casualty.

29 Nothing unusual happened during the day. Bn. furnished working parties during the night. Patrols covered Bn. frontage. 30 During the night 29th/30 Bn. was relieved in front line by the 21st Canadian Bn. Our relief being completed at 2.10 am. Bn. moved into Brigade Reserve at M.16.b.80.80 to M.13.c.50.30. Relief was completed in good time without casualty. 31 Position as shown. Nothing unusual to report. 2 o.r.s wounded. Lieut. H.L. Scully wounded.

Maps

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Appendices

War Diary of the 18th Battalion: May 1918 Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION From 1st May to 31st May, 1918…

0 notes

k2kid · 7 years

Text

Confidential War Diary

18th CANADIAN BATTALION – 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION

FROM 1st August to 31st August 1917

Volume 24

With appendicis 6 – 13

Place Date Hour Summary of Events and Information Map reference, 36B Edition 6, 1/40,000. BOVIGNY 1st. R.19.central. 1 18th. Canadian Battalion at BOVIGNY village in billets, the Brigade being in Divisional Reserve.

Owing to heavy rain, the Battalion did no training to-day. 5 o.rs attached to Divisional Burial party.

BOVIGNY 1st. R.19.central. 2 No training carried out to-day owing to heavy rain.

2 o.rs returned from hospital.

BOVIGNY 1st. R.19.central. 3 Heavy rain again prevented any training. Lieuts. M.R. Sloan, R.R. Hartry, J.N. Mowbray, and G.J. Spencer arrived as reinforcements. BOVIGNY 1st. R.19.central.

Map Sheet 36c: See O.O. #B attached.

4 Battalion Pay parades. The G.O.C. 2nd. Canadian Division paid the Battalion a visit in the morning. Battalion proceeded to the line in the afternoon. The 4th. Canadian Infantry Brigade relieved the 6th. Canadian Infantry Brigade in the LAURENT sector.

The 18th. Canadian Battalion relieved the 26th. Canadian Battalion in Brigade support (CITE ST PIERRE) M.16.b.55.25. No casualties going in and relief was completed at 11.05 p.m.

Lieut. J.D. Parsons and 2 o.rs admitted to hospital (sick).

As yesterday 5 Quiet day for the Battalion.

The Battalion furnished carrying parties of 350 men for carrying for Trench Mortar Batteries to their gun positions. Casualties numbering 1 o.r. killed[i] and 3 o.rs Wounded.

As yesterday 6 Battalion still furnishing Carrying parties for T.M. Bys.

Nothing unusual to report.

Major H.D. Dunnett returned from hospital.

As yesterday 7 Battalion again furnishing carrying parties for T.M. Bys. LAURENT SECTOR relief

See O.O. (7) attached

8 18th Battalion relieved the 19th Canadian Battalion in the Right Sub-sector, the line was held by a series of outposts from M.18b.6.5, N13.a.8Q95. to N7b.15.20 and N.7.c.95.80. with H. Qrs at N.7.c.0.7.

“B” coy in command of Capt. D.A.G. Parsons took the line of Outposts. “A” coy, in command of Lieut. J. McAmmond went in support at M.11.d and M.12.c.

“C” and “D” coys remained in Brigade support. Relief was completed with anything unusual happening.

Capt. G.H.F. Hodgins returned from course. 4 o.rs rejoined from hospital.

MAP Sheet 36 C. See O.O. (8) attached 9 In conjunction with the 20th and 21st Canadian Battalions the 18th Battalion raided the Enemy front line trenches.

The whole raiding party was under the command of Lieut-Col. L.E. Jones, O.C. 18th Canadian Battalion. The frontage raided by the 18th Battalion was the German front line from N.13.b.1.4 to N.7.d.70.15.

Zero hour for the raid was 4.15 a.m. Artillery support was very good.

Although no prisoners were captured many casualties were inflicted upon the enemy, and very valuable information as regards to enemy trenches, wire and dug-outs was obtained.

Our parties penetrated a distance of 100 yds into the German lines, our casualties being 4 o.r. Killed and 24 o.r. slightly wounded. All wounded were returned safely to our lines.

The German barrage was very scattered. Our raiding party consisted of 35 men of “C” Coy under Lieut. H.[B]. Johnson and 65 men of “D” Coy under Lieut. D. Northcombe and Lieut. G.J. Spencer.

Lieut. Spencer and 7 o.rs., one of whom was wounded, were unable to get back to our lines owing to daylight, remained in a demolished cellar throughout the day. Lieut. Spencer and one man found their way in, in the early part of the night and assisted by Lieut. T.R. Dougall they searched the whole area during the night but were unable to re-located the cellar in which the remaining 5 o.rs were.

Upon the return of Lieut. Dougall and party a report came from the 4th Brigade H.Qrs that these missing men came in and hard reported to another Regimental Aid post.

Night of 9/10 The 4th Brigade was relieved in the LAURENT sector by the 6th Brigade. “A” & “B” coys were relieved by the 27th. Canadian Battalion, and “C” & “D” coys, in Brigade support, were relieved by the 31st. Canadian Battalion. Relief was completed at 3.30 a.m.

The Battalion moved to billets at BOVIGNY village and the 4th. Brigade came into Divisional reserve.

On roll-call at BOVIGNY village it was found that the 5 men who had been left in NO MAN’S LAND had not returned as reported by the Brigade, so a party under LIEUT. DOUGALL again went up to search for them.

The party found the cellar in which these men had been but the men were not there. On returning, the search party reported at the Right Coy H. Qrs of the 27th Canadian Battalion where the missing men were located, having found their own way in. Total casualties as above stated.

Nothing to report today.

BOVIGNY village 11 Battalion resting and having Bathing parades.

Lieut. J. McAmmond proceeded on Leave.

BOVIGNY village 12 Battalion resting and having Clothing parades.

Lieut. J.H. Warburton arrived as reinforcement.

BOVIGNY village 13 Church parade postponed yesterday was held to-day. Capt. C.G. Lawrence our new Chaplain, officiating.

Lieuts. W. Hampton[ii], H.C. Duff and G.N. Tucker arrived as reinforcements. Lieut. D.M. Northcombe and 6 o.rs admitted to hospital (sick)

Night of

Front Line

Relief MAP Sheet 36 C.

See O.O. 9 attached.

13/14 The 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade relieved part of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade and took over their frontage.

The 18th Battalion, less “A” and “B” coys, relieved part of the 27th Battalion and took a line of outposts from M.18.b.6.5 to N.7.d.15.20. Battalion H.Qrs were at N.7.c.0.[7]. Relief was complete at 2.30 a.m.

Code word upon completion being “Your 144 received at…”

Outposts Line 14 Enemy artillery showed no unusual activity during to-day. 20 o.rs arrived as reinforcements. 6 o.rs attached to 4th T.M. By. Night of 14/15 “C” and “D” Coys moved into their assembly positions along the outpost line. “A” & “B” Coys came into support. “A” coy with one platoon at N.7.c.1.4. and two platoons at approximately M.12.b.3.0.

At 4.25 a.m. the 18th Battalion in conjunction with other Units of the 1st, and 2nd Canadian Divisions attacked the enemy lines from N.13.a.9.6. to N.7.70.15. the object being to capture and consolidate the enemy support line (CHICORY TRENCH) from N.14.a.05.55. to N.13.b.60.0. thence Westerly to N.13.b.05.35. The attack was entirely successful and 26 minutes after zero hour (4.25 a.m.) we occupied our objectives, capturing some 65 prisoners (165 P.I.R.).

Lieuts. C.H. Biscoe and L.A. Bissell being wounded just as we reached the enemy front lines.

On the right by arrangement with the 21st Canadian Battalion we held CHICORY TRENCH up to N.14.c.15.65. and on the left pushed our posts forward to N.13.b.0.15. and controlled the railway cutting. Consolidation was rapidly proceeded with. At. 2.30 p.m. the enemy made a very strong bombing attack on the left of our Battalion and the right of the 21st Battalion and succeeded in entering a portion of our newly won trenches. During this enemy counter attack Lieut. A.A. McLean was killed. He had gathered a few men together and was leading up the LENS-BETHUNE road to give what assistance he could and was shot by an enemy sniper and instantly killed.

15 As soon as the attack had gone forward, Lieut. T.R. Dougall and some men of the Scout Section started forward to make a reconnaissance patrol and to exploit success, they were held up for an hour by an enemy plane firing on them from immediately overhead. When the patrol reached the captured enemy position, it went forward approximately 300 yds from our newly won position.

Lieut. DOUGALL returned with some valuable information as to the enemy position and defences, as well as a complete Minewerfer [minenwerfer] crew of 20 men as prisoners.

Three platoons of the support Coys were sent up to reinforce “D” Coy. Lieut. J.M. Fisher with great judgement and coolness, prepared his counter attack in conjunction with the 21st Battalion.

The counter attack was launched at 5 p.m. with the assistance of the artillery and the lost trenches were easily regained. 10 prisoners were captured.

A/Capt. M. Dunsford.

This officer very gallantly led his men to the attack, and, although severely wounded shortly after entering the enemy front line trenches, he continued to encourage his men by his personal example. By his intimate knowledge of the situation he was able, although incapacitated himself, to direct his men until the objective was reached, refusing to be carried out until the more serious cases had been evacuated.

Lieut. G.G. Brachin [Brackin] arrived as reinforcement.

Night of 15th Upon Captain Dunsford being wounded, Lieut. H.B. Johnson took over command of the company. At night there were not attacks or counter-attacks, but enemy artillery was exceptionally heavy on all parts of our sector. 16 About noon Lieut. Dougall, L.Sgt. C.E. Routley and 19 o.rs crossed the railway cutting at N.13.b.2.2 and went forward along COTTON TRENCH to N.13.b.5.0 where there were fired upon from ALOOF TRENCH and they could see that ALOOF trench was heavily held by the enemy. Turing about they went Westward along COTTON trench to N.13.c.70.95 where they again encountered an enemy party from the South, turning about again they found that an enemy party from ALOOF trench had followed them and they were practically surrounded.

Lieut. Dougall then sent up his artillery signals and under cover of this fire succeeded in returning to our lines with only one casualty. There was no unusual activity during the remainder of the day.

Evening 16th The 18th Battalion was ordered to attack the enemy trenches between the LENS-GRENAY Railway and LENS-ST PIERRE Railway in conjunction with the 4th Canadian Division, the Objective being ALOOF TRENCH and thence to connect this trench to CHICORY TRENCH on the left. Two platoons of “A” coy where detailed for this attack, with one platoon of “B” coy in support, as this part of the font had not been reconnoitered except by Lieut. Dougall, a reconnoitering patrol consisting of Lieuts. Dougall, MacDonald, and Sloan, and 4 N.C.Os, where sent out to gain knowledge of Jumping Off point. They covered all the ground necessary.

On their way back a bomb was thrown into the party which killed Lieut. MacDonald and wounded Lieut. Sloan[iii].

On Lieut. Dougall’s report regarding the conditions of the ground it was decided to vary the attack, to push across the Railway cutting from the trenches at N.12.b.0.15 and N.13.b.2.2 immediately [after] the artillery barrage lifted.

The later plan was sanctioned by the Brigade, Zero hour was set for 4.35 a.m.

17 In the early hours of the morning the assaulting platoons were taken forward and it was while giving assistance to the Officers in the placing of their men, Lieut. DOUGALL was mortally wounded by an enemy 5.9 shell. However the attack went forward at the proper time, and occupied COTTON TRENCH from N.13.c.95.90 – N.13.central and N.13.b.4.1 but owing to heavy shell fire and the withdrawal of troops on our right, a certain amount of disorganization followed.

At 5 a.m. Capt. J.S. Bell, Adjt, went forward and succeeded in re-organizing the parties and established posts at N.13.c.85.80 – N.13.c.95.90 – N.13.central and N.13.b.4.1. and AMULET TRENCH was found to be untenable.

He sent up further supplies of bombs and left Capt. D.A.G. PARSONS in charge. The position was completely secured by 7.30 a.m.. While this operation was in progress, Lieut. W.H. Fenton and a small party went out of our post at N.13.b.60.35 and entered the Railway cutting and searched the houses in the vincinity in the front of our lines. He found that the enemy were working very diligently and building ALOOF TRENCH to the left, to connect with CINNIBAR TRENCH. This was reported to the artillery, who took action.

During the day enemy artillery kept up its usual fire on our trenches. From 2 to 4 p.m. our forward posts reported the enemy assembling in houses on either side of the LENS-BETHUNE road from N.13.b.9.2 to Crossroads N.14.c.4.8 and in CHICORY trench.

This was reported to our Artillery who took very effective action. At 4.00 p.m. a small part of the enemy estimated at 15 men, attempted to raid our posts at N.13.b.65.40 but were driven off without casualties to us. The remainder of the day and evening was fairly quiet. Lieut. H.E.F. Ralph admitted to hospital, sick.

18 At 12.00 midnight 17th-18th, a heavy enemy barrage opened on the whole Brigade front. Our Artillery replied immediately to an S.O.S. call from our left. No enemy attack was delivered on our front, although some grenades were thrown.

At 2.00 a.m. a similar occurrence happened. It is quite certain that the enemy intended to attack both of these times but his formations were broken up by our Artillery.

At 4.15 a.m. the enemy again opened a heavy barrage on the whole brigade front and succeeded in pushing forward some men into the front trenches on the left of the Brigade, these being immediately ejected.

No attack occurred on our immediate front. During the day, nothing of importance occurred beyond the usual desultory shelling.

Night 18th/19th The 18th Battalion was relieved by the 50th Canadian Battalion taking over the frontage from the LENS-GRENAY Railway to the LENS-BETHUNE Road, and the 27th Canadian Battalion from LENS-BETHUNE Road to our left boundary.

The relief was completed at 3.45 a.m. and the Battalion proceeded to billets at BULLY-GRENAY, the Brigade being in Divisional Reserve.

23 o.rs arrived as reinforcements, 8 o.rs returned from hospital.

BULLY-GRENAY. 19 The Battalion resting today and having bathing parades.

LIEUT. T.R. DOUGALL Died of Wounds at No. 6 C.C.S. Barlin, and was buried at the Military Cemetery there. His courage and energy had been a source of pride in the Battalion and his work had been of the greatest value, not only to the Battalion, but also to Brigade and Division.

4 O.R’s admitted to hospital, sick.

20 No work carried out as Battalion was resting after a strenuous tour. 28 O.Rs arrived as reinforcements and 10 O.Rs returned from hospital. MOVE

See O.O. #11 attached

21 9.30 The Battalion left BULLY-GRENAY at9.30 a.m. and proceeded to BOUVIGNY HUTS going in Corps Reserve. On the road “D”coy sustained 52 casualties, 23 of which were fatal, by the bursting of an enemy shell (high velocity). This bringing our casualties to approximately 220 during the tour.

Lieut. W. Hampton and 4 O.Rs admitted to hospital.

Map Reference Sheet 36b. Edition 6, 1/40,000

See O.O. #12 attached.

MOVE 22 The Battalion moved to LE PENDU HUTS at W.30.b.central, near VILLERS AU BOIS. Lieut. V.M. Eastwood proceeded on leave. LE PENDU HUTS 23 Company and platoon inspections. Specialist training, as Lewis gunners, Bombers and Rifle-grenadiers. In the afternoon recreational gams as Football, Baseball etc.

Lieut. D.R. Oliver arrived as reinforcement.

LE PENDU HUTS 24 a.m.

p.m.

Company inspections of rifles and equipment. Close Order drill and specialist training.

Recreational games. 19 O.Rs rejoined the Battalion from C.E. fatigue.

LE PENDU HUTS 25 a.m.

p.m.

“A” coy proceeded to Rifle ranges at MAISNAL BOUCHES for musketry.

“B” & “C” coys went to the ranges.

5 O.Rs returned from hospital.

LE PENDU HUTS

Syllabus #13 attached

26 10 a.m.

p.m.

Brigade parade for Divine Service. “D” coy and H.Q. Units to ranges for Musketry.

Recreational games.

3 O.Rs admitted to hospital (sick).

LE PENDU HUTS 27 The Battalion together with the rest of the 4th Brigade was inspected by Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig K.T., G.C.B., G.C.V.O., K.C.I.E., Commander and Chief of British Armies in France, who warmly complimented the Battalion both on its good work in the recent operation and its appearance on parade.

3 O.Rs admitted to hospital (sick).

LE PENDU HUTS 28 a.m.

p.m.

Company parades and instruction of Specialists.

Recreational games.

4 O.Rs returned from hospital.

LE PENDU HUTS 29 a.m.

p.m.

Specialized training of Bombers, Lewis gunners, and Rifle grenadiers.

Recreational games.

Lieut. J.H. Warburton attached to 4th Trench Mortar By.

LE PENDU HUTS 30 a.m.

3.30 p.m.

Company inspections and training of Specialists. Recreational games in the afternoon.

A conference of all Officers of the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade was held a Brigade H.Qrs to discuss recent operations.

7 O.Rs reported to hospital (sick).

LE PENDU HUTS 31 a.m.

1.30 p.m.

Company Parades and Training per syllabus attached.

Battalion moved from LE PENDU HUTS to VILLERS HUTS.

A/Capt. T.H.O. Rayward and Lieut’s R.C. Sheridan, J. Morgan, J.C. Spence arrived as reinforcements.

96 O.Rs arrived as reinforcements.

[i] Private A.E. Rennie, reg. no. 643994.

[ii] Lieutenant William Hampton was an original member of the 18th Battalion, attesting at Galt [now Cambridge], Ontario on October 25, 1914 with a regimental number of 53923. He was promoted through the ranks to Corporal and then assigned to officers training at Bexhill.

[iii] The death of Lieutenant MacDonald and the wounding of Lieutenant Sloan was due to friendly action. A soldier of “C” Company threw a grenade which resulted in this. This appears to be the first document case of friendly fire in the War Diary’s documentation. Source: “Summary Report of Hill 70 Action August 14 to 18, 1917”. 18th Battalion Canadian War Diary. August 1917.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

War Diary of the 18th Battalion: August 1917 Confidential War Diary of 18th CANADIAN BATTALION - 2nd CANADIAN DIVISION FROM 1st August to 31st August 1917…