I get a few hours sleep, my place is next to a Capt McDowell of the 38th. Monday Apl 9. Easter Monday. & Bells birthday. Our heavies open up at 5 AM on his big guns with great effect, he replies with heavy counter battery work, but his guns are being got by our guns in a wonderfull fashion. at 5.30 AM we blow two gigantic mines, we get a shock when a large shell of his breaks in the mouth of our tunnel we expect him to blow a mine or two & we though he had. the mines are the signal for the field artill to open up also the barrage & our boys leave their jumping off trench at 5.30 AM. No mans land is waist deep in mud & hundreds were hit & sunk. The three waves all get over & gain their objectives the 78th third wave get very heavy casualties mostly machine gun bullets. This drive is miles long the Canadians get a lot of M.G’s field guns, & trench mortars & a fair batch of prisoners, the slogan is “Kill”. Never in the
▸ Where was he?
▸ The war at this time
The Battle of Arras begins
On April 9, 1917, British forces launch the Battle of Arras along an 18-kilometer front. The attack achieves the longest single-day advance since trench warfare began, surpassing even the French gains on the first day of the Somme. The offensive is designed to support the upcoming French attack on the Aisne. By drawing German reserves northward, it aims to give General Nivelle's forces an easier path to the breakthrough he has promised.
