Bourlon Wood

Location

The Canadian Bourlon Wood Memorial commemorates the attack across the Canal Du Nord on 27 September 1918. It is erected on ground donated by the Comte de Franqueville, who was Mayor of Bourlon at that time.

The memorial is in the form of a standard Canadian Memorial: an inscribed stone block.

It is situated at the top of a hill which is fairly well sign posted as you enter the village.

Please be aware that there is a school at the bottom of the hill and therefore the danger of young children.

There is ample parking at the bottom of the memorial and the monument itself is approached by climbing steep, stone steps past terraces cut into the hillside.

The lime trees either side of the terrace are the original trees, and though shattered by shellfire in the battle, they were nursed back to health.

The block is inscribed with the following words:

The Canadian Corps on 27th Sep 1918 forced the Canal du Nord and captured this hill. They took Cambrai, Denain, Valenciennes & Mons; then marched to the Rhine with the victorious allies.

27 September 1918

By September 1918 the British advance had made great gains since its launch at Amiens on 8 August. On 15 September Field Marshal Haig held a conference at Villers l'Hopital near Doullens, with three of his Army Commanders: Sir Henry Horne (First Army), Hon Sir Julian Byng (Third Army) and Sir Henry Rawlinson (Fourth Army).

Haig outlined his desire to begin preparatory work for a full scale assault on the German's Hindenburg Line running between Cambrai and St Quentin. This had been part of a strategy given to Haig by Marshal Foch on 4 September.

What Haig now had in mind was for the Fourth Army to make the attack on the Hindenburg line supported by the Third Army. To ensure that the Third Army's left flank was secured, the First Army would take Bourlon Wood and then hold a line along the Scarpe and Schelde Rivers as far north as Valenciennes.

The actual assault on Bourlon Wood was delegated to General Sir Arthur Currie's Canadian Corps.

Marshal Foch, the Allied Supreme Commander, then ordered that the series of attacks would commence over a three day period beginning on 26 September with the Americans advancing north of Verdun into the Argonne. This would grow to a general advance along the entire length of the Western Front made by American, British and French Armies.

The Canadian Corps as part of this staggered strike would attack Bourlon on the 27th.

The Argonne - 26 September 1918

That night as the Americans were completing their first day of the offensive, the Canadian Corps moved up into its positions for the assault on Bourlon Wood.

To reach Bourlon Wood the Canadians had firstly to get across the Canal du Nord, which was immediately in front of them. Parts of the canal were dry and Sir Arthur Curry chose to initiate his attack between Moeuvres and Marquion.

To try and push his entire Corps through such a small area would be very difficult but the Canadians succeeded.

The Germans do not appear to have recognised the danger until it was too late and the Canadian barrage opened up on them in the early hours of 27 September.

Before the Germans could counter-attack, the first units of the Canadians had crossed the canal. Such an easy success could not last forever though as the Germans - now alerted - called down their own bombardment of the canal as the Canadian's second wave of troops stormed across.

Ultimately though, it was too late for the Germans and although they inflicted casualties amongst the Canadians, these were remarkably light for such an assault. Pushing on over the canal the Canadians were soon in control of Bourlon Wood - a place which had caused the British so much misery a year before.

Two days later on the 29th the Fourth Army smashed into the Hindenburg Line along its length between Cambrai and St Quentin. What had seemed impregnable, was proving to be merely tough.

On 9 October 1918 Canadian soldiers entered Cambrai. Within four weeks the Germans were making overtures about an armistice.

The German delegation approach the French

Around to the left of the memorial entrance you will find this memorial to the Free French Forces of 1944.

Bourlon Wood approaching from Moeuvres