Drocourt-Quéant

First World War

Date

2-3 September 1918

Geographical parameters

Moeuvres (exclusive) – Noreuil (exclusive) – St. Léger (exclusive) – Monchy-le-Preux – Pelves: thence the river Scarpe

Context

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

Description

At the end of August the Canadian Corps (Lieutenant-General Sir A.W. Currie) had been advancing east from Arras, encountering heavy resistance as they did so. On 28 August they came up to the Drocourt-Quéant Line, a northern extension of the principal German defensive position on the Western Front, the Hindenburg Line. So formidable was the D-Q Line, as it was popularly known, that the Canadian Corps commander, Sir Arthur Currie, decided on an operational pause to more fully prepare for this undertaking. The 1st Canadian Division (Major-General Sir A.C. Macdonell) was deployed north of the east-west Arras – Cambrai road, and the 4th Canadian Division (Major-General Sir D. Watson) deployed to the south of the road. Each division would be supported in its operations with two companies of Mark V tanks. These would be needed to deal with the many concrete shelters, machine gun posts with their inter-locking arcs of fire and thick masses of barbed wire. At dawn on Monday, 2 September, the attack went in. The fighting was so fierce that the Canadians were to win no fewer than 7 Victoria Crosses in one day, a Canadian record. By nightfall on Tuesday, 3 September, the D-Q Line had been completely broken and all German troops withdrawn across the next obstacle, the Canal du Nord.

Awarded to:

Currently serving units

• 1st Hussars
  Award to the 1st Hussars (GO 71/30)
• 48th Highlanders of Canada
  Awards to the 15th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The 48th Regiment (Highlanders) (GO 110/29)
• 56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA 
  Awards to the 4th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Dufferin Rifles of Canada (GO 110/29)
• The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) 
  Awards to the 19th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's) (GO 110/29)
• The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
  Awards to the 13th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Royal Highlanders of Canada (GO 110/29)
• The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)
  Awards to the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 71/30), the 29th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29), the 102nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29), the 1st British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) (GO 110/29), The North British Columbia Regiment (GO 123/29), and The Vancouver Regiment (GO 71/30)
• The Calgary Highlanders
  Awards to the 10th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29) and The Calgary Highlanders (GO 110/29)
• The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
  Awards to the 38th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29) and The Ottawa Highlanders (GO 110/29)
• The Canadian Grenadier Guards
  Awards to the 87th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Canadian Grenadier Guards (GO 110/29)
• The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) 
  Awards to the 16th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Canadian Scottish Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The Cape Breton Highlanders
  Awards to the 85th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Cape Breton Highlanders (GO 110/29)
• Governor General's Foot Guards
  Awards to the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29) and The Governor General's Foot Guards (GO 32/32)
• Irish Regiment of Canada
  Awards to the 1st Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF (GO 123/29) and the 1st Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC (GO 123/29)
• The King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) 
  Awards to the 50th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Calgary Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment
  Awards to the 52nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29) and The Lake Superior Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The North Saskatchewan Regiment
  Awards to the 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29), the 16th Canadian Light Horse (GO 110/29), and The Saskatoon Light Infantry (GO 110/29)
• The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) 
  Awards to the 116th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Ontario Regiment (GO 123/29)
• The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment
  Awards to the 21st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29) and The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
  Awards to the 43rd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada (GO 110/29)
• The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
  Awards to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29) and The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada (GO 110/29)
• The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) 
  Awards to the 20th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Queen's Rangers, 1st American Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal)
  Awards to the 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade, CEF (GO 110/29) and the 1st Motor Machine Gun Brigade (GO 110/29)
• The Royal Canadian Regiment
  Awards to the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29), the 2nd Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF (GO 123/29), The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (GO 110/29), and the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC (GO 123/29)
• The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) 
  Awards to the 4th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (GO 110/29)
• The Royal Montreal Regiment
  Awards to the 14th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Royal Montreal Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The Royal New Brunswick Regiment
  Award to The Carleton Light Infantry (GO 110/29)
• The Royal Regiment of Canada
  Awards to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29), the 58th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29), The Royal Grenadiers (GO 110/29), and The Toronto Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The Royal Regina Rifles
  Awards to the 28th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Regina Rifle Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The Royal Westminster Regiment
  Awards to the 47th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Westminster Regiment (GO 110/29)
• The Royal Winnipeg Rifles
  Awards to the 8th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29), the 10th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29), the 27th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29), the 44th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29), The Winnipeg Rifles (GO 110/29), and The Winnipeg Light Infantry (GO 110/29)
• The Saskatchewan Dragoons
  Awards to the 46th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The King's Own Rifles of Canada (GO 110/29)
• The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
  Awards to the 72nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 5/31) and The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada (GO 5/31)
• The South Alberta Light Horse
  Awards to the 31st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29), The South Alberta Regiment (GO 110/29), and the 19th Alberta Dragoons (GO 71/30)
• The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
  Awards to the 75th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Toronto Scottish Regiment (GO 110/29)

Units on the Supplementary Order of Battle

• 24th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA
  Awards to the 54th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Kootenay Regiment (GO 110/29)
• 38th Field Battery, RCA 
  Awards to the 2nd Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade, CEF (GO 71/30) and the 2nd Motor Machine Gun Brigade, CMGC (GO 71/30)
• 50th Field Artillery Regiment (The Prince of Wales' Rangers), RCA
  Awards to the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 123/29), the 4th Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, CEF (GO 123/29), The Peterborough Rangers (GO 110/29), and the 4th Machine Gun Battalion, CMGC (GO 123/29)
• The Winnipeg Grenadiers
  Awards to the 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The Winnipeg Grenadiers (GO 110/29)

Disbanded Units

• The Manitoba Regiment
  Award to The Manitoba Regiment (GO 123/29).
• The North Alberta Regiment 
  Awards to the 31st Canadian Infantry Battalion, CEF (GO 110/29) and The North Alberta Regiment (GO 110/29)