WW1: Sept 16, 1915

[Mark W. Tonner]

Hi Carman;

Found a bit more concerning the 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles (Private William Viznaugh) assault on the Mouquet Farm position, on 15th September, 1916. This is from a book on the Canadian Expeditionary Force published in 1918.

"At 6:30 on the morning of the 15th the first move in the attack was made. The 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles (Lieutenant-Colonel Draper), on the right, rushed their first objective, the German front line, so swiftly that it was gained with few casualties. They jammed the enemy back up his communication trench some distance and established a block. Their gain was quickly consolidated and they set themselves to diggng a new communication trench back to our lines. At the same time the 1st Canadian Mounted Rifles (Lieutenant-Colonel Andross), onthe left, sprung their raid on Mouguet Farm. They gained entrance, after a brief resistance, and found the place full of German dead, the harvest of our barrage. Having hastily effected such damage as they could with the explosives at their disposal, they made their way back to their starting point, with one prisoner, having suffered only 25 casualties in the affair, which had lasted just under an hour."

It's not much, but it's something I guess. Also, the attached image, is the cap badge of the 1st C.M.R.

Also, from your earlier post regarding the name:'Bruce Tascona', he also wrote the book: 'The Little Black Devils, A History of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles', published in 1983.

Cheers