St. Quentin Canal

First World War

Date

29 September – 2 October 1918

Battle of the St. Quentin Canal. Part of the Canal where a crossing was affected by the 137 Infantry Brigade (46th Division) on 29th September. Near Bellenglise, 2 October 1918. - Catalogue number: Q 9510 - Production date : 1918-10-02 By : McLellan, David (Second Lieutenant) (Photographer)
Credit: ©IWM (Q 9510) Photographer: McLellan, David (Second Lieutenant)

Geographical parameters

Road St. Quentin (exclusive) – Vermand – Roisel – Villers-Faucon – Fins – Gouzeaucourt – Banteux (exclusive)

Context

A battle honour incorporating the tactical incidents “Passage at Bellenglise” and “Capture of Bellicourt Tunnel Defences”, formally entitled the “Battle of the St. Quentin Canal”, and itself being part of “The Battles of the Hindenburg Line”^{Footnote 1}.

Description

While the Canadian Corps (Lieutenant-General Sir A.W. Currie) was engaged with the crossing of the Canal du Nord at the northern end of the Hindenburg Line, farther south the Canadian Cavalry Brigade (Brigadier-General R.W. Paterson), as a component of the Cavalry Corps, was awaiting a breach in the German line north of St Quentin that would allow the cavalry to pass through. Crossings over the St Quentin Canal were captured but the ground prevented exploitation by the cavalry as originally hoped for.

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)

Unit 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)