Beaurevoir

General Sir Charles Kavanagh, K.C.B., commander of the British Calvary Corps, inspects the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. Location unknown. August, 1917.
Credit: Canada. Department of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada (MIKAN no. 3394737).

First World War

Date

3-5 October 1918

Geographical parameters

Road Sequehart – Bellenglise – Pontru – Épehy – Vendhuille – Villers-Outréaux

Context

A battle honour formally entitled the “Battle of the Beaurevoir Line” and itself being part of “The Second Battles of Arras, 1918”.^{Footnote 1}

Description

The Allies had gained the initiative at the Battle of Amiens in August and had continued their hammering of the German forces ever since. In September they had come up against the Hindenburg Line, the strongest German fortification system on the Western Front. Heavy fighting saw the Canadians pierce the line and push on towards the city of Cambrai. Meanwhile the Canadian Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier-General R.W. Paterson), attached to the 3rd Cavalry Division, continued the advance to the east. The cavalry reached the village of Beaurevoir thus turning the Beaurevoir Line (last section of the Hindenburg Line defences) and threatening the German lines of communications which ran through nearby Le Cateau. German commanders, realizing that there were no further fixed defences for them to fall back on, started to think in terms of suing for peace in order to preserve the German Army.

General Patterson, commander of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. Location unknown. Feb. 1919.
Credit: Canada. Department of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada (MIKAN no. 3219797)

Awarded to:

Currently serving units

• The Algonquin Regiment
  Awards to the 228th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 5/31) and The Algonquin Regiment (GO 88/31)
• The Fort Garry Horse
  Award to The Fort Garry Horse (GO 5/31)
• Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
  Award to Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) (GO 5/31)
• The Royal Canadian Dragoons
  Award to The Royal Canadian Dragoons (GO 5/31)

Units on the Supplementary Order of Battle

• 38th Field Battery, RCA
  Awards to the Machine Gun Squadron, Canadian Cavalry Brigade, CEF (GO 5/31) and the 1st Cavalry Machine Gun Squadron (GO 5/31)