The some 100,000 Canadians who served there suffered more than 10,600 casualties, nearly 3,600 of which were fatal. The Battle of Vimy Ridge proved to be a great success, but it only came at a heavy cost. They were: Private William Milne, Lance-Sergeant Ellis Sifton, Captain Thain MacDowell and Private John Pattison. Four of our soldiers would earn the Victoria Cross, the highest medal for military valour, for separate actions in which they captured enemy machine gun positions. Canadians would act with courage throughout the battle. The Canadian Corps, together with the British Corps to the south, had captured more ground, prisoners and artillery pieces than any previous British offensive of the war. The Allies now commanded the heights overlooking the Douai Plain, which was still occupied by the enemy.Дў9th Infantry Battalion advancing over No Man's Land through the German barbed wire and heavy fire during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Germans were forced to withdraw three kilometres east and the Battle of Vimy Ridge was over. Two days later, the Canadians took 'the Pimple,' as the other significant height on the ridge was nicknamed. Hill 145, the main height on the ridge, was taken on the morning of April 10. Most of the heavily defended ridge was captured by noon. Germans forced to withdrawД¬anadian battalions in the first waves of the assault suffered great numbers of casualties, but the assault proceeded on schedule. This allowed them to capture German positions in the critical moments after the barrage moved on to the next targets but before the enemy soldiers could emerge from the safety of their underground bunkers. The Canadian infantrymen followed the line of explosions closely. The Canadians advanced behind a 'creeping barrage.' This precise line of intense Allied artillery fire moved ahead at a set rate and was timed to the minute. Library and Archives Canada.) Capturing German positions Though Vimy is rarely thought of as an aerial battle (back), some planes did take part in the fight, and kite balloons were an essential part of the operation's success.(Repairing a kite balloon which was slightly damaged on a gusty day. Elaborate tunnel systems with train tracks, piped water, lights, and huge underground bunkers to stockpile supplies and arms were also established to aid the Canadians in the battle. Digging tunnelsД®xtensive 'mining' operations were undertaken in which the Allies dug tunnels beneath the German lines and set large caches of explosives to be detonated when the time for the attack came. They also raided German positions to gather intelligence on enemy defences. Models of the trench systems were built and the soldiers drilled on what they were to do. The Canadians spent the entire winter strengthening the lines, preparing for the assault on Vimy and training rigorously. The planning and preparations for the battle were extensive. The Battle of Vimy Ridge would be the first time all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together as one formation. The Canadians moved to the front lines across from Vimy Ridge in the late autumn of 1916. Campaign Stars and Medals (1866-1918) 1914 Star

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