Beginning with January and February trench tours in the Calonne sector, the 15th Battalion spent most of 1917 in France.
In March the battalion moved to the area west of Vimy at Mont St Eloi, Neuville St Vaast and the Maison Blanche tunnels during the build-up to the attack on Vimy ridge. The unit was one of the first wave assault battalions during the successful attack on April 9th against Vimy Ridge and spent the reminder of that month up until mid-July in the same area in actions at Thelus, Farbus Wood, Willerval, Arleux and along The Scarpe river area.
The battalion then moved to the Loos sector and again was a first wave assault unit during the successful Corps attack against Hill 70 on August 15-16. It remained in the general Loos area conducting trench tours in the Laurent and Avion sectors before moving once again back to Belgium and the Ypres salient in late-Oct as the Canadian Corps joined the offensive at Passchendaele. Following the capture of Passchendaele, the battalion returned to France and finished out the year in the Lens sector.
![Newspaper article about Christmas New Year 1916- 1917 celebrations in 3rd
Brigade’s Highland battalions.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/44.-scaled.jpg)
Scrapbook collection Regimental museum.
![Taken in Bully Grenay on 25 Jan 1917 following a trench tour in the line in Calonne Sector.
L-R: Capt A. Samuel, Lt M Neily, Capt ACH Andrews, Lt S Reeves. Front: Maj DM Grant](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/44a-2.jpg)
![Taken in Bully Grenay on 25 Jan 1917 following a trench tour in the line in Calonne Sector.
Rear L-R: Maj RE Wallace, Lt M Neily, Capt ACH Andrews, Lt SJ Reeves.
L-R: front: Capt H MacLaughlin, Maj DM Grant, Capt A Samuel](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/44a-3.jpg)
![Newspaper photograph of Officers with and without gas masks. 25 Jan 1917.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/44a.-scaled.jpg)
Scrapbook collection Regimental museum
![Far right with bandaged head from wounds received
at Vimy, 197234 Pte William Ferguson, 92nd and 15th Bn.
Undated and location unknown](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/44b-1..jpg)
![Memorial cross erected just after Vimy Ridge 9 Apr 1917 and bears the names of those who fell in the battle. The cross resides today in the Regimental museum of the 48th Highlanders in Toronto, Ontario. .](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/44b..jpg)
Regimental museum. P0254
![Officers with mascot ‘Bruno’. Noeux les mines
August 1917 prior to Hill 70. Most
Officers can be identified by name. Reverend Canon Scott is seated
centre.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/44k.-scaled.jpg)
Regimental museum P1836
![Officers with mascot ‘Bruno’. Noeux les mines August 1917 prior to Hill 70. Most Officers can be identified by name. Reverend Canon Scott is seated centre.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/44m.-scaled.jpg)
![“A church parade was held in the Y.M.C.A. in Noeux-les-Mines on the evening of the 12th, and, as the sun was out at last, the officers, sergeants and the pipe band, posed for photographs.” P.240, K. Beattie<br><br>
Pipe Major Alexander Reid Keith, third row, standing, far left. Lance Sergeant Piper, Alexander Austin Newlands, third row, standing far right. <br><br>
The Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. C.E. Bent (w/glasses), second row, sitting to right of the standing bass drummer. Robert Tait, drummer, second row, second from left, Major J.P. Girvan, second row, sitting to the left of the standing bass drummer. Dugald Fraser, drummer, second row, far right, sitting.<br><br>
Piper William Wick, fourth row, left; Piper Angus Macdonald, fourth row, second from left; Piper David Braidwood, fourth row, third from left; Piper John Hinshelwood, fourth row, fourth from left; Piper Donald Macdonald, fourth row, fifth from left; Piper Alexander Sturrock, fourth row, sixth from left; Piper Arthur Gordon, fourth row, seventh from left; Piper George Christie Henderson, fourth row, far right.<br><br>
The Battalion mascot, Bruno, lying on ground at left, front row. Fred Howorth, drummer, front row, left and William Cousins, drummer, front row right.](https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/client/w_250,q_lossy,ret_wait/https://15thbattalioncef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/44n..-scaled.jpg)
Pipe Major Alexander Reid Keith, third row, standing, far left. Lance Sergeant Piper, Alexander Austin Newlands, third row, standing far right.
The Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. C.E. Bent (w/glasses), second row, sitting to right of the standing bass drummer. Robert Tait, drummer, second row, second from left, Major J.P. Girvan, second row, sitting to the left of the standing bass drummer. Dugald Fraser, drummer, second row, far right, sitting.
Piper William Wick, fourth row, left; Piper Angus Macdonald, fourth row, second from left; Piper David Braidwood, fourth row, third from left; Piper John Hinshelwood, fourth row, fourth from left; Piper Donald Macdonald, fourth row, fifth from left; Piper Alexander Sturrock, fourth row, sixth from left; Piper Arthur Gordon, fourth row, seventh from left; Piper George Christie Henderson, fourth row, far right.
The Battalion mascot, Bruno, lying on ground at left, front row. Fred Howorth, drummer, front row, left and William Cousins, drummer, front row right.
Regimental museum P1794 P0682.