1918 German pen and ink drawing of the road to Cambrai, France. Two smaller trees seem to serve as the good and bad thief on either side of the crucified Jesus Christ.
Strasse nach CambraiEKIECBJR?
"American heroism was further exemplified by a body of unarmed American railway engineers during the German encircling movement around the British position at Cambrai on November 30, 1917. These railway engineers, 284 in number, were working in conjunction with Canadian engineers three miles in the rear of the battle line at Gouzeaucourt. Al were unarmed. The German barrage fire having suddenly shifted in their direction, a general retirement was ordered.During the retreat a body of 50 engineers, being cut off, took refuge in dugouts, where they were captured by the German advance. As they were marching along the road to Cambrai, toward the German prison cages, they sighted a small body of British troops who had become separated from their comrades and were were wandering aimlessly.The prisoners, seeing rescue at hand, turned upon their captors and fought them barehanded until the British troops arrived and vanquished the Germans."
On November 30, 1917, German forces counterattacked in the Battle of Cambrai, striking toward Gouzeaucourt an the southern end of the British position in the Cambrai sector. The British were utterly unprepared for the action, and were driven back rapidly. The speed of the advance isolated numerous troops like the engineers. Several Americans and Canadians died in the incident cited, and after it all engineers were ordered to be armed.
King's Complete History of the World War by W.C. King, page 347, copyright © 1922, by W.C. King, publisher: The History Associates, publication date: 1922
1917-11-30, 1917, November, Battle of Cambrai, Cambrai
