Memorial at Cagnicourt

Location

Cagnicourt is a small village of some 400 inhabitants slightly to the south of the main Arras Cambrai Road (D 939). Coming from Arras, use the Canadian Memorial at Dury as a landmark. At the next major crossroads turn right onto the D13 following the signs for Cagnicourt.

Australian visitors will find it within easy access to Bullecourt, whilst Canadians may well also want to visit the memorials at Bourlon Wood and Monchy le Preux.

The Place immediately in front of the village church was renamed in honour of Lt McKean VC MM on 6 September 2003.

History

My thanks to Michel Gravel for advising me of the ceremony and providing the details of the events. Without his enthusiasm and research the monument would not exist.

At the end of August 1918 the Canadian Corps began its advance from Arras to Cambrai.

Before reaching Cagnicourt the 14th Bn CEF (Royal Montreal Regiment) had already assisted their Brigade compatriots in taking a particularly difficult feature a few kilometres to the west of Cagnicourt.

The 15th CEF at Hendecourt

Just before 0800 hours on the 2nd September 1918 a scouting party of men from the Royal Montreal Regiment approached the village of Cagnicourt to the east of Arras. They were part of the Canadian assault on the Drocourt-Quéant Switch and the advance had left most of them killed or wounded. At the outskirts of the village only three men remained: Lieutenant George McKean VC and two of his men. McKean himself had been hit by a piece of shrapnel in his right leg but continued his advance towards the German lines.

There were still well over a hundred Germans still in the village, and whilst the allied bombardments had reduced the village to a shell there were still plenty of hiding places for machine guns and snipers to put up a stout resistance to the approaching Canadians.

Much to the surprise of the waiting Germans, McKean started shouting orders to units either side of him, encouraging them to move in on the enemy. Thinking themselves outflanked and out manoeuvred the Germans surrendered to Mckean and his men.

In reality McKean's nearest support was still a number of minutes away and in effect the three men took the village and its garrison of about 150 by themselves.

For his ingenuity Mckean received the Military Cross adding it to his previously awarded Victoria Cross.

On the night of 27 April 1918 had McKean found himself and his unit held up under intense fire whilst trying to get around a block in a trench.

Jumping out of the trench and running out into the open McKean by-passed the block and jumped down into the enemy's side. He landed on top of one German and then found himself attacked by another with a fixed bayonet. He shot both Germans and captured the position. Whilst waiting on more grenades to be brought up he held off reinforcing German troops. As soon as he had been joined by more of his own men McKean rushed a second block, killing two of the enemy and capturing four others. Another party of Germans fled into a dug-out, which he then destroyed.

For his actions and bravery McKean received the Victoria Cross.

He survived the war but was killed in November 1926 in a saw-mill accident at his home in Brighton, England.

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A proud family