| 1 January |
Major Eric MacDonald's
Distinguished Service Order was gazetted, the first of three he would be
awarded during the war. |
| 18 January |
Inspection of Lieutenant Colonel Ormond. |
| 20 January |
The Battalion leaves Divion for Fosse 10, a
group of houses on the Arras-Bethune road, where it remained in 2nd
Brigade reserve. |
| 24 January |
Return to front line trenches after an absence
from the line since early December 1916, relieving the 7th Battalion
opposite Angres. |
| 30 January |
Relieved by 7th Battalion, moved to Brigade
support at Bouilly-Grenay. |
| 5 February |
Relieved 7th Battalion in front line trenches. |
| 11 February |
Return to billets at Fosse 10. |
| 14 February |
Inspection by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Hair,
Commander-in-Chief, British Expeditionary Force at Hersin. |
| 17 February |
Relieved the 7th Battalion in front line
trenches near Angres. |
| 23 February |
Relieved by 7th Battalion, moved to
Bouilly-Greany and Brigade support. |
| 28 February |
Return to front line. |
| 1 March |
Took part in simulated attack by releasing
smoke along front line behind barrage; provoked violent counter-barrage. |
| 3 March |
Relieved by 8th Battalion, East Kents of the
British Army. The Canadian Corps consolidated its front line to a
four-mile front along the base of the Vimy Ridge and departed the Lens
sector until later in the summer. Moved to Fosse 10. |
| 4 March |
Moved to Houdain. |
| 8 March |
Moved to Ecoivres. |
| 10 March |
Moved to 2nd Brigade support positions known
as "the Labyrinthe", a system of tunnels opposite the Vimy Ridge. |
| 14 March |
Move into front line trenches and support
trenches held by 8th Battalion. |
| 20 March |
Relieved by 8th Battalion, moved to Ecoivres. |
| 24 March |
Return to front line trenches. |
| 29 March |
Relief by 2nd Battalion, move to Ecoivres. |
| 30 March |
Move to training ground at Estrée Cauchie for
assault training for the upcoming attack on Vimy Ridge. |
| 1 April |
Bath parade |
| 2-5 April |
Assault training and rehearsals. |
| 6 April |
Return to front line. |
| 8 April |
Trench raid to determine if barbed wire on the
10th Battalion's assault route on Vimy Ridge had been cut. Despite heavy
casualties to the raiding force, valuable information was gained, and a
heavy concentration of artillery was unleashed on the uncut German barbed
wire that was discovered, reducing the obstacle during the next day's
assault. |
| 9 April |
In the wake of a 983-gun barrage that had been
firing for seven days (the "Week of Suffering" as the Germans referred to
it), the Canadian Corps launched a four-division assault on Vimy Ridge.
The 10th Battalion suffered heavy casualties in its part of the 1st
Division's assault, mainly in the first 15 minutes of its action, and the
creeping barrage and section-based infantry attacks perfected after the
Battle of the Somme in late 1916 allowed the objectives later in the day
to be taken relatively easy. In all, 101 men were killed, 252 wounded and
21 went missing on 9 April, one of the bloodiest battles of the war for
the 10th Battalion. At the end of the day, the Battalion moved back to its
original start line after being relieved by the 8th Battalion. |
| 11 April |
Move forward to Red Line on Vimy Ridge. |
| 13 April |
Move to Blue Line to relieve 3rd Battalion. |
| 14 April |
Support 8th Battalion in advance past
Willerval; two companies move into Farbus Wood. |
| 15 April |
Retire to "the Labyrinthe." |
| 18 April |
March to billets at Mont Saint-Eloi west of
Vimy Ridge. |
| 26 April |
Move to Farbus Wood in preparation for six
division operation on the River Scarpe to ease pressure on the battered
French armies on the verge of mutiny. Relieves 2nd Battalion after dark. |
| 27 April |
Move to assembly positions near Arleux Loop. |
| 28 April |
Battalion assault on Arleux-en-Gohelle. The
attack is successful and no strong counter-attack force is permitted to
deploy. |
| 29-30 April |
Relief by 13th Battalion. Move to Labyrinthe,
then to billets at Mont Saint-Eloi |
| 1 May |
Single long-range shell hits billets at 6:00
a.m., killing 15 and injuring 38. Entire regimental band and entire scout
section save one is left dead or wounded. |
| 3 May |
Move to Estrée Cauchie. |
| 5 May |
Move to Maisnil-les-Ruitz. |
| 9 May |
Visit by Brigadier-General Loomis. |
| 11 May |
Inspection by Corps commander, General Byng. |
| 13 May |
Church service; Battalion joined by
Major-General Currie and General Sir Henry Horne, General Officer
Commanding the British 1st Army. |
| 1 June |
Return to Mont Saint-Eloi. |
| 2 June |
Move to Brigade support at Neuvuille Saint-Vaast,
at foot of Vimy Ridge. |
| 9 June |
Move to Mont Saint-Eloi, to billets at
Winnipeg Huts. |
| 15 June |
Inspection by Lieutenent Colonel Ormond. |
| 16 June |
Return to Vimy Ridge, relieving 14th
Battalion. |
| 18 June |
Move to Brigade reserve along railway line
east of ridge. |
| 22 June |
First return to front line positions since
Arleux two months previous, relieved 2nd and 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles
in trenches between Fresnoy-en-Gohelle and Méricourt. |
| 26 June |
Relieved by 15th Battalion, moved to Brigade
support near Thélus. |
| 30 June |
Move to Neuville Saint-Vaast. |
| 1 July |
Dominion Day celebration, the first of the war
for the Canadian Corps. |
| 4 July |
Move to divisional reserve at Mont Saint-Eloi
and Ottawa Huts. |
| 11 July |
Inspection by King George V as battalion
marched past on Lens-Arras road. |
| 13 July |
Canadian Corps departs Vimy sector for new
front, shifting north of River Souchez to focus on operations against
Lens. 10th Battalion moves to Cauchin Légal. |
| 14 July |
Move into Brigade support near Les Brébis. |
| 15-16 July |
Into front line, relieving elements of 2nd and
14th Battalions, Durham Light Infantry and 1st Battalion, The King's (Shropshire
Light Infantry) of the British Army. |
| 21 July |
Relieved by 7th Battalion and moved to Les
Brébis. |
| 22-23 July |
Moved to new billets at Fosse 7 and Barlin as
Divisional reserve. |
| 24 July |
Assault rehearsals. |
| 29 July |
Return to Brigade support positions at Les
Brébis. |
| 30 July |
Final address by new divisional commander,
Major-General Archibald Macdonell. |
| 4 August |
Return to trenches east of Loos, relieving 5th
Battalion. |
| 7 August |
Relieved, marches back to Les Brébis and into
tents at Fosse 2. |
| 9 August |
Move to Divisional reserve at Hersin. |
| 13 August |
Relieved 4th Battalion in front line. |
| 15 August |
Assault by 1st and 2nd Canadian Divisions on
Hill 70. The 10th Battalion is reduced to a strength of 17 officers and
316 other ranks after the first day of fighting. Hill 70 is captured on
the first day. |
| 16 August |
Fighting continues on Hill 70; 10th Battalion
makes renewed assault on the Chalk Quarry, then holds out against
counter-attacks. Private Harry Brown is killed delivering a message and is
later awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. The Battalion captures 26
machine guns and 225 German soldiers. At Hill 70, the 10th Battalion
received more decorations for this single battle than any other single
Canadian unit for any other battle in any other conflict, with 60 Military
Medals being awarded (also a record), three awards of the Distinguished
Service Order, seven awards of the Military Cross, and nine of the
Distinguished Conduct Medal. |
| 19 August |
After a day spent at Barlin, 10th Battalion
moves to Brunay. |
| 21 August |
Inspection by General Macdonell at Caucourt. |
| 27 August |
Visit by General Sir Douglas Haig. |
| 3 September |
Return to Barlin. |
| 6 September |
Relieves the 52nd Battalion at Noulette Huts
in Brigade reserve. |
| 13 September |
Moved to Brigade support at Liévin, near Lens. |
| 17 September |
Relief of 5th Battalion in front line. |
| 20 September |
Relieved by 8th Battalion, moved to Noulette
Huts in Brigade reserve. |
| 25 September |
Relieved 5th Battalion in brigade support at
Liévin. |
| 3 October |
Relieve 7th Battalion in front lines for last
time in this sector. |
| 6-7 October |
Relieved by 4th Battalion. |
| 12 October |
Move to Houdain. |
| 18 October |
Execution of Sergeant William Alexander for
desertion. |
| 19 October |
March out of Houdain. |
