Cambrai – Day Two – October 9th, 1918

Oct 8, 2018
Caroline

Wednesday October 9th, 1918

Improving nicely. Gun going strong yet. George Dyson of Shaw, Sargeant Gordon and Lieutenant Fazackerley killed.

Casualties

While Frank’s health seems to be improving, news of fallen comrades starts to arrive at the hospital.

Vis-en-Artois Memorial, © GreatWar.co.uk

According to yesterday’s Description of Operations, one officer and 10 other ranks were killed and seven officers and 80 other ranks were wounded.  Three others, including 2Lt Fazackerley, will succumb to their injuries. His CWGC record shows that 2Lt Fazackerley was mentioned in despatches.  He was 27 years old, married and lived in Bootle, Liverpool.  He is buried in Mont Houn Cemetery in Le Treport, where the inscription on his grave reads ‘Until the day breaks and shadows flee away’.¹

Private George Dyson, 36609, was from Frank’s home town of Shaw. He was 30 years old and married.  He is buried in Serain Communal Cemetery Extension and his inscription reads ‘I know that my redeemer liveth’.¹

Sergeant William Gordon, 6011, was 28 years old when he was killed.  He had been awarded the Military Medal at the beginning of the year.² He was also married and lived in Manchester.  Presumably his remains were never identified. Instead he is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial in Pas de Calais in the company of almost 10,000 other Allied soldiers who were killed between August 8th and November 11 1918.¹
The photograph shows a relief carving of St George by Ernest Gillick. It is part of the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, designed by JR Truelove, which was opened in August 1930.*

Day 2, Battle of Cambrai

Meanwhile the Battalion continues to fight in the Battle of Cambrai. The following extract is from Appendix No 4 for October 9th:-

‘The advance on the Corps front continued and the Battalion was in reserve to the 199th Inf Bde finding mopping up parties of 2 platoons for Avelu and one Coy for Maretz. The Bn moved off at 05:20 hrs and advanced rapidly behind the assaulting Bn and concentrated after the attack on the high ground on the  north side of Maretz. There was some enemy artillery fire and a squadron of enemy planes came over and opened fire with machine guns on our positions. Four prisoners were taken by the Bn in Maretz.

4 OR were wounded.’

9th Battalion War Diary – 9th October 1918 

Battalion took part in Operations from 8th to 11th October 1918. Description of these operations given in Appendix No 4.

References & Further Reading

¹ Various searches on Commonwealth War Graves Commission

² Edinburgh Gazette p 364, issue 13195, January 16th, 1918

* copyright image of Vis-en-Artois Memorial on Great War website.