Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	British War & Victory Medals	Thelus Military Cemetery
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
8 Dec 1916	~	Harbury
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted Date	Other War Memorials
Battle of Vimy Ridge	17 Jan 1916 at East Angus, Canada	Sherbrooke, Canada
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units	Other Information
near Thelus, Vimy	117th Eastern Townships Battalion	Arrived in England 24 Aug 1916
		Transferred to 5th Mounted Rifles on 1 Dec 1916

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

The attack on Vimy Ridge began at 5.30am, following a 2 week long allied artillery barrage and Clement's battalion, part of 3rd Division advanced. The advance overran many of the German guns because large numbers of their draught horses had been killed in the initial gas attack. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions reported reaching and capturing their first objective, the Black Line, by 6:25 am. The 4th Canadian Division encountered a great deal of trouble during its advance and was unable to complete its first objective until some hours later. After a planned pause when the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Canadian Divisions consolidated their positions, the advance resumed. Shortly after 7:00 am, the 1st Canadian Division captured the left half of its second objective, the Red Line and moved the 1st Canadian Brigade forward to mount an attack on the remainder. The 2nd Canadian Division reported reaching the Red Line and capturing the village of Les Tilleuls at approximately the same time.

A mine explosion that killed many German troops of Reserve Infantry Regiment 262 manning the front line, preceded the next advance of Clement's 3rd Canadian Division. The remaining German troops could do no more than man temporary lines of resistance until later manning a full defence at the German third line. As a result, the southern section of the 3rd Canadian Division was able to reach the Red Line at the western edge of the Bois de la Folie at around 7:30 am. At 9:00 am the division learned of its exposed left flank, as the 4th Canadian Division had not yet captured Hill 145. The 3rd Canadian Division was thus called upon to establish a divisional defensive flank to its north. Read more here Clement was killed at some stage during the advance.

Battle of Vimy Ridge Map	Thelus Military Cemetery

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