Gueudecourt - St. John's, Newfoundland - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The Royal Newfoundland Regiment trained here on the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake before going overseas. The Trail of the Caribou Memorial Park celebrates the successes and failures in battle.

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The Commanding Officer wishes to convey to all ranks his admiration for the way in which the Regiment held the front-line trench under heavy shell fire for some 40 hours, and then repelled a counter attack. Nothing could have been finer than the way in which every officer and man acquitted themselves in this strenous task.
- Lieutenant-Colonel A.L. Hadow, October 14th, 1916

The remnants of the Newfoundland Regiment were withdrawn from the Front Line soon after Beaumont Hamel. Reinforcements from home, together with returning soldiers who had recovered from their wounds, enabled the Battalion to return to operational duties in early October. On October 9-10, 1916 they took up positions with the 88th Brigade in the Front Line, with the 1st Essex Regiment on their left.

At 2:05 p.m. on October 12th, the Newfoundlanders and the Essex advanced, side-by-side, behind a creeping barrage by the British artillery. The initial attack went well: by 2:20 p.m., the had captured Hilt Trench, their first objective. A strong German counter-attack stopped their attempt to advance to their second objective. The two Battalions, without support on their flanks, were soon forced back to Hilt Trench. The Essex were forced back even further, to the trenches from which they began the attack. This left the Newfoundlanders alone at Hilt Trench. They extended their line to take over positions vacated by the Essex, and maintained a strong and spirited defence. They held their gains until reinforcements reached them, late that night and early the next morning.

Gueudecourt was a victory. The Newfoundland Battalion was one of the few British units to capture and retain its objective that afternoon. In the minds of the Newfoundlanders, it was their revenge for the mauling they had received from the enemy at Beaumont Hamel.

Group that erected the marker: Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, City of St. John's, Johnson Family Foundation, and the Grand Concourse Authority URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 931 The Boulevard Pleasantville St. John's, NL Canada

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