By early 1916, the Canadian Corps was starting to take shape. The 2nd Canadian Division had arrived at the front in September of the previous year, and the 3rd Canadian Division had arrived and taken a position in the Ypres Salient in Belgium. Furthermore, the Canadians had received a new British commanding officer, General Julian Byng, who would quickly prove to be the perfect match for the young Canadian Corps.
On June 2, 1916, the Germans launched a massive artillery barrage that pounded the newly arrived 3rd Division’s position for several hours. The attack that followed the artillery barrage seized nearly the entire Canadian position, capturing vital high ground, which threatened to collapse the Ypres Salient.
The Canadians had been thoroughly overpowered — but Byng was determined to retake the lost ground. He moved the 1st Canadian Division forward and provided them with additional artillery support.
During the morning of June 13, the 1st Canadian Division launched a daring attack under the cover of darkness. Desperate hand-to-hand fighting took place throughout the night. The Canadians were able to recapture all of the lost territory and push the Germans back to their original lines from two weeks before.
The bloody fighting around Mount Sorrel claimed more than 8,700 Canadian dead and wounded. The 3rd Canadian Division was particularly hard hit, losing its commanding officer and thousands of men who had only just arrived on the Western Front. But, out of the battle there was a glimmer of the exceptional fighting unit the Canadians were to become. There were still lessons to be learned, but it was clear that proper planning and overwhelming artillery fire could create the conditions for a successful attack.
— Text by Joel Ralph