Inaugural ceremony brings Amiens Day home

Article / November 24, 2022 / Project number: 22-0091

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By Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs

The Canadian Intelligence Corps (C Int C) has inaugurated a uniquely Canadian tradition to commemorate the contributions of a battalion of cyclists that took part in the Battle of Amiens, which is regarded as the beginning of the end of the First World War.

C Int C is historically linked to the Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion (CCCB). Some of its founding members were soldiers in the Corps of Guides, which is considered to be the first dedicated military intelligence unit of the modern Canadian Army.

C Int C proudly perpetuates the memory of the CCCB, a unit integral to the success of Amiens.

The battle began August 8, 1918 - the start of a period known as ‘Canada’s Hundred Days.’ This period saw the Canadian Corps score a number of key victories that would contribute to the Allied victory.

C Int C members marked the anniversary this year in Canada with ceremonies across the country, including a wreath-laying at the National Military Cemetery in Ottawa attended by Brigadier General Dominic Goulet, the Canadian Armed Forces’ senior serving Intelligence Officer.

Other ceremonies were held in the United Kingdom and France.

As a whole, the battle was one of the greatest Allied advances of the entire war. On 8 August alone, 11 kilometres of ground were gained.

The Canadian Corps was moved secretly to the Amiens area before the assault. The CCCB conducted this move to get into position on their bicycles, covering 57 kilometres.

Colonel Albert Mannard, C Int C Director, spoke at the ceremony in Ottawa. What CCCB members achieved, he said, is “a reminder of what it takes to win that kind of war.”

Col Mannard noted that, while the anniversary is a solemn occasion it is also “a key moment in our esprit de corps” that will be celebrated by generations to come.

“Today we make it our own,” he added. “I can’t wait to see how this grows in the future.”

This year also marks the 80^th anniversary of the founding of C Int C.

It existed under the C Int C name from 1942 until 1968. The C Int C name was reinstated in 2016 when it aligned with a number of other Canadian Army (CA) corps that reverted back to their historical names.

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