‘A Grand Day’: Dominion Day 1918
Monday, July 1st, 1918 represented a major confluence of minor blessings for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Unable to predict that the war would be over before the closing of the year, military leaders were taking steps to ensure their forces were trained, equipped, and rested for the battles ahead. For the CEF, this meant a […]
The Liberation of Mons and the Signing of the Armistice
The hundred days campaign had forced the German army into full retreat. German morale hit a new low as death, starvation, and sickness eroded motivation to carry on. Nevertheless, German rear-guards continued to show strong pockets of resistance as it retreated towards the city of Mons. On 7 November, the Canadian Corps crossed into Belgium […]
Valenciennes and the Pursuit of the German Army
Following the allied victory at Cambrai, the Germans continued their retreat and made their final stand at Valenciennes. With the Canal de l’Escaut to their west and Mount Houy to their south, Valenciennes offered a strong natural defensive landscape where the Germans could slow their enemy’s advance. This would be where the Canadians would fight […]
The Canadians and the Fall of Cambrai
Following their success at the Canal du Nord, the Canadian Corps could now turn their attention to Cambrai. Situated in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, Cambrai was a key logistical centre that was surrounded by an elaborate network of canals. The area was heavily occupied by a retreating German army who showed no signs of […]
Crossing the Canal du Nord: the ‘linchpin’ of the Hindenburg Line
After crashing the Drocourt-Quéant Line on 2 September, the Canadian Corps could take a well-deserved rest and begin preparations for their next obstacle: The Canal du Nord. While allied forces continued their operations throughout September, Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Currie needed to develop a strategy to cross the heavily fortified canal where enemy positions were […]
The Beginning of the End: Canadians at Amiens
August 8th marked the centenary of what came to be known as the “last hundred days”, a string of Allied offensives that eventually led to the demise of the German Army and the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918.
