Monday Visibility very poor until late morning Did a good bit of sniping during late morning and early afternoon later the gun went out of action Jerry’s artillery active all day Fair amount of aerial activity
Warning orders are received today: the 5th Canadian Divisional Artillery is to be ready to support an operation requiring an enfilade barrage, the “approximate objective” being the stretch of railroad marked RR on the map below, and the eastern boundary of the shelling to be the Rhonelle River south of the railroad as far as a point east of Mont Houy. (1)
Detailed plans “for the envelopment of Valenciennes from the south” are under discussion at 5th CDA headquarters, and new positions are scouted from which the batteries will undertake the barrage — the 14th Brigade is already on the move when the order to move is cancelled; the 13th Brigade — including Percy’s now inoperable 18-pounder — remains where it is. (2)
A great deal of movement is reported immediately south of Valenciennes “where it is
apparent [the enemy] means to take a stand.” (2)
A little farther south, the 51st Highland Division is continuing its attempt on Mont Houy. You will remember that it succeeded in taking Famars yesterday.
There is only one battalion to capture the hill. “The British were even more depleted than the Canadians at this point in the war,” says Tim Cook, “but throwing a mere 500 men at the heights of Mont Houy was nonetheless inexcusable.” That they did gain the hill is almost incredible; that they lost it again to a counter-attack is hardly surprising. (3)
The plan to “envelop” Valenciennes calls for Mont Houy to be secured by the British before the Canadians take it over, to push north from there on October 31st, and then from the west the following day. (3) The plan will have to be delayed.
Meanwhile, another kind of battle is being waged: “The presence of Venereal Disease amongst the prostitutes inhabiting the recently captured area makes it necessary that immediate preventative measures be taken. It is known that a number of diseased prostitutes have been deliberately released by the Germans from their venereal hospitals.” (4)
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The map is a portion of one (368WW1MAP) from the McMaster Digital Collection showing enemy organisation, autumn 1918.
Plate 2 from The 51st Division: War Sketches by Fred A Farrell (1920) depicts soldiers from the Machine Gun Corps supporting the recent attack on Famars from an upper window of a house in Maing. The individuals in the sketch are all named: Lieutenant Davies, M.C.; Corporal Wonnall; Lance-Corporal N. Troy; Privates W. Jones and E. Tyler.
(1) War Diary of the Fifth Canadian Divisional Artillery. Vol. 21: 39. Appendix XX. October 28, 1918. Library and Archives of Canada.
(2) War Diary of the Fifth Canadian Divisional Artillery. Vol. 21: 11. October 28, 1918.
(3) Cook, Tim. Shock Troops. Canadians Fighting the Great War Vol. 2 1917-1918. 2008.
556.
(4) Routine Order October 27, 1918. Qtd in Grout, Derek. Thunder in the Skies. A Canadian Gunner in the Great War. Toronto: Dundurn, 2015. 401.
Percy's War 