Date Published:
June 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Battle of Festubert

Festubert, Battle of, an engagement that took place in northern France, in the neighbourhood of the village of Festubert, north of La Bassée canal, between May 15 and May 27, 1915. Into this battle the First Canadian Division, scarcely recovered from the ordeal of the First Battle of Ypres, was thrown on May 18. It captured the point known as "the Orchard", or "Canadian Orchard", and also a strong point known as the "Bex­hill Redoubt". But lack of adequate artillery preparation and the fact that the Ross rifles, with which the Canadians were still armed, jammed in the Flanders mud, prevented any spectacular results before the offensive was called off.

Source  : W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II. Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., p. 332.