That was one of Currie's innovations generally, to dissolve the job descriptions during the assault .... anzacs did the same, no respect for old ways of doing things, the rude colonial buggers .... there were likely few cooks, but on the third wave at Vimy any who could use a rifle went in, storesmen, batmen, muleskinners, foresters, sappers ... there were many sappers, as there was much tunneling previous, setting mines into the ridge and making underground thoroughfares to bring troops up to the jumpoff line
There was much more of this almost a year later, March 1918, when Vimy became the anchor against the last great german assault, as Ludendorff shot his wad knowing the US was about to provide considerable firepower, which they did beginning that April .... the ridge itself held, just barely, but it held, and became the launch point for the Last Hundred Days starting 8 August .... during Mar-April 1918 there were stories of cooks defending their kitchens, might be this the programme was talking about
You probably know the significance of Vimy to canadians, it is as Gallipoli to anzacs, different result though, so a distinct flavour, it is said that at Vimy we became a nation, there is a lot to that ... it was the first time canadians fought as a unit under our own leadership ..... Currie was a british columbian real estate agent -g- ... no kidding, he had gone broke in the 1913 bubble and crash of Victoria land speculation, long after the war he was writing and giving speeches and working to pay off debts from that
Years ago i knew here some great war vets, they'll be gone now .... one unit that sticks in the memory is the 29th Vancouvers, and yes google has heard of them - freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com
Best single book is likely 'Vimy' by Pierre Berton ... this website gives a good overview and timeline etc - kingandempire.com
Pearly, responding to you because i don't have time nor energy to give Sofa's post the attention it merits [later, Sofa], got to get up at an ungodly hour for an assault on the Ridge of Mammon .... i catch your posts on CFZ and FADG the odd time, noticed that you quite rightly display caution in things financial, but you trust the Perles and Wolfowitzes waaay more than a british columbian would consider prudent .... cheers |
