October 1917

Did Jack know what was awaiting him? No doubt he had heard reports and rumor from the front lines at Passchendaele. By October, Jack had spent seven months at the front, and the start of the month, his battalion was still resting behind the lines at the Vimy sector.

On October 5th, the battalion was completely pulled off the lines and sent to Hermin. There they received reinforcements and were able to hold their first Regimental Church Parade in months. The Chaplain, Captain Headley, is spoken of very highly in the war diary (like many Chaplains.) In their last camp at Neuville St. Vaast, he was instrumental in setting up a reading room for the men, that was quite popular (even with other battalions.) In their new camp, Captain Headley had secured the use of a school for the same purpose.

Over the next fews days Jack and the rest of the men rested and trained. On one particular night B and C Companies and the Band were treated to a movie in the neighbouring town. Before Jack left for the war, he was a "movie operator" in one of the Toronto theaters. Now I know I said I thought Jack was in D company, but as some of the writing in his service record in eligible I can't be sure. If Jack was in one of those companies who saw a movie or heard from somebody who was, it must have reminded him of home.

On October 12th, word was received that the battalion was to move to Belgium. At 0700hrs on October 19th, Jack and his Battalion were loaded up into Motor buses and driven to Ypres. They were billeted in Wieltje and in a preview of things to come, heavy rains fell the entire night. The next day, Jack was moved to west of Ypres, taking up the billets of the New Zealand Pioneers.

On October 21st, German shells struck the camp the 123rd Battalion was billeted in. One soldier, Pte. J.E. Clarke was killed. Soon after, the billets were changed. HQ was established in the in the town of Ypres and more shelling commenced of the cross roads near them. One shell struck one of the C.S wagons, killing the horses and injuring several men.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Several hours later, while C company was proceeding to their billets, a shell struck #12 platoon. Twenty men were killed, thirteen wounded. That night, they were buried.



At 0540 on October 26th, (Zero Hour) the Third and Fourth Divisions advanced into the salient. While this was going on, the Battalion, like they had done at Vimy, were repairing the main mule track. By the end of the month the Third and Fourth Divisions had completed their second objective, suffering horrendous causalities in the process. Because of the increase in causalities, 345 men (including Jack) were ordered to report to the Advanced Dressing Station at Keir Farm, as stretcher bearers.



The Battle of Passchendaele had just begun....