Battle of Mont Sorrel

The Battle of Mont Sorrel (Battle of Mount Sorrel) was a conflict on the southern shoulder of the Ypres Salient, near Sanctuary Wood, between forces of the Canadian Corps, 20th Light Division of the United Kingdom, and the XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps of Germany. The battle took place from June 2 to June 14, 1916.

The Battle

The 15th (48th Highlanders) Battalion Canadian Infantry, 1st Canadian Division led the charge up Mont Sorrel. Then Lieutenant Colonel C.E. Bent writes of the intense struggle in the midst of battle on 3 June, 1916:

Upon the signal being given the Officers and men behaved most courageously immediately getting out, forming line and rushed forward in the face of a perfect HELL of Artillery and Machine Gun fire. It did not seem possible that anything could live through it the right of the line was temporarily held up by a thick hedge and before away was made through it the first line were all shot down. 2nd and 3rd line came up and kept right on. [...] Machine Gun were enfilading us heavily from the Snotu and it soon became apparent the objective could not be reached. Accordingly our men fell back to the starting point and dug themselves in along the line. During the whole of the day the enemy maintained a heavy shell fire on our front line and communication trenches, increasing at 7:45 to an intense fire accompanied by heavy rifle and machine gun fire.^[1]

Memorial

Mont Sorrel is home to one of five Canadian National memorials on the Western Front.

References

Sources

Library and Archives Canada, War Diaries of the First World War

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