2nd Bn, CEF-Friday, October 18, 1918
The 1st Battalion passed through the 2nd Battalion at 0900 hours, this Unit becoming the support Battalion and keeping in close touch with the 1st. The cross-roads at Dechy and the railway crossings to the North of the town had been mined and caused a great deal of trouble. Work was immediately started on repairing them and making the crossings passable for ammunition limbers. A halt of about 2 hours was made North of Dechy, while the advanced Battalion continued to deal with enemy machine gun patrols. A part of our scouts, acting under orders to maintain touch with the forward Battalions, got too far ahead and entered Montigny. On the North Eastern outskirts of the town they encountered an enemy patrol and capture one man. This prisoner, on interrogation, gave the information that civilians were in the village of Pecquencourt and in all the villages East of this. This was at once communicated to the artillery. A short time later the same patrol rounded up a party of the enemy in the vicinity of Montigny, taking 5 prisoners and a machine gun. The battalion resumed the advance at 1400 hours and marched to Montigny. Some difficulty was caused by the blowing up of road crossing, but this delay did not effect the pursuit to any considerable extent. At Montigny a reconnaissance was made to ascertain the position of our troops and it was established that they were on the Eastern outskirts of Precquencourt. The left flank was out of touch, therefore it was decided to place two companies in outpost on the left of the 4th Battalion and facing North. One company went into billets in Montigny, while the fourth Company, with Battalion Headquarters, were in the Bois de Montigny. Transport and Rear Details arrived at Ferin at 0130 hours and at 1205 hours move to Dechy, arriving at 1255 hours. Weather: Fair.
Image: Canadian Engineers building a bridge across a mine. October, 1918, Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada.