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.
Scrapbook collection Regimental museum.
Scrapbook collection Regimental museum
Regimental museum. P0254
Regimental museum P0687
Regimental museum.P0382
Regimental museum P1302 and LAC
Regimental museum and LAC
Regimental museum and LAC
Regimental museum and LAC
Regimental museum and LAC
Regimental museum and LAC
Regimental museum and LAC
Regimental museum P1836
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.
Regimental museum P1795
Regimental museum P1839
Canada’s Great War album