WorldWar I
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
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TheBattleofAmiens,
August 1918, marked the beginning of the end for theGerman armies and
it wouldprove to be one of most successful battles of thewar for theAllies.
After the failureof theGerman offensives during the spring of 1918, theAllies regroupedand
counterattacked along theWesternFront. It was prepared in secret, with amajor counter-
intelligence operation todeceive theGermans as to the real location of Canadian andAustralian
troopswhowere to spearhead the assault atAmiens. The assault was based upon a combined
army approach towar with the infantry attacking behind a creeping artillery barrage, supported by
tanks, cavalry, armoured cars, and tactical airpower.
On 8August, theCanadians advanced 13 kilometres through theGermandefences, themost
successful day of combat for theAllies along theWesternFront, but theGermans rushed
reinforcements to the battlefield toprevent the hoped forAllied breakthrough. Subsequently,
fighting became farmore difficult and costly, especially since theattacking forcesweremoving
beyond the range of their own artillery. By the night of 11August, most offensive operations had
ground toahalt. The battle hadbeen exceedingly costly and theCanadians sufferedmore than
11,800 casualties in total, includingnearly 4,000 on8August alone.
TheBattleofAmienswas called the ‘black day’ by one of theGermanArmy commanders. It shook
German faith in the outcome of thewar and raised themorale of theAllies. Previously, mostAllied
commanders had predicted thewar would continuewell into 1919 and possibly into1920. Amiens
demonstrated that theGerman armywasweakening under the strain of four years of warfare and
was closer to defeat than anyone had predicted.
TheBattlesof Festubert Givenchy,
June 1915. Following theBattle of Ypres, the decimated
units of the 1st CanadianDivisionwere reinforcedwith volunteers from theCavalryBrigade
beforemarching south to join in theAllied offensiveswhichwere already under way. They joined
the fighting at Festubert inMay 1915 andGivenchy in June. These battles followed the grim
patternof using a frontal assault against powerful enemy defences. Although theCanadians
achieved some of their objectives, the gainswere negligible and the loss of lifewas extremely
highwith2,468 casualties at Festubert and a further 400 at Givenchy.
SeePeterWilsonPick’sbiography.
FallenSoldiers - RockwoodCenotaph
5
PETERWILSONPICK
Captain
Born:
15April 1883 inGuelphTownship, Ontario
PreviousOccupation:
Foreman in thewoodworking shop at Beatty
Brothers inFergus
Enlisted:
23September 1914 inValcartier, Quebec
Died:
15 June1915 t the ag of 32
Buried:
BeuvryCommunal Cemetery inPas deCalais, France
PeterWilsonPickwas born on 15April 1883 inGuelphTownship,WellingtonCounty, Ontario to
Richard and Isabella (neeWilson) Pick. Hewas the youngest of their three children (William b.1879
andBarbaraScott b.1881). His father had emigrated fromEngland toRR #2Elora and hismother
emigrated fromScotlandwith her parents andwas raised inEdenMills. Richard and Isabellawere
married in 1878. Around1900, at the age of 17 years, Peter joined the local Militia - 30thWellington
Rifles and rose to the rank of Lieutenant by the time he volunteered for overseas service. Outside of
themilitia, hewas employed at BeattyBrothers inFergus as theForeman in thewoodworking shop.
He volunteered for overseas service inValcartier, Quebec on 23September 1914, at the age of
31 years and 5months. Hewas assigned to the 30thRegiment (OverseasContingent)Wellington
Rifles. TheRegiment arrived atAvonmouth (Bristol) England on2September 1914. During his time
inEngland, hewas assigned toACompany, 1st Battalion, of theWesternOntarioRegiment and
was promoted to the rank of TemporaryCaptain on 5March 1915. He arrivedwith the regiment in
France on 1April 1915. On 25April hewas admitted to the 85thFieldAmbulance station and sent
toCasualtyClearance, No. 7Stat. Hospital inBoulogne, with a scalpwound. Hewas treated and
releasedback to active dutywith his regiment on 27April 1915. CaptainPick fought in the battles
of Ypres, Festubert and finally, Givenchy, where hewas struck by a shell on 15 June 1915 and killed
instantly.
CaptainPeterWilsonPickwas buriedwith full military honours at theBeuvryCommunal Cemetery
inPas deCalais, Franceand his name is alsomemorialized in theBooks of Remembrance, in the
PeaceTower of the
CanadianParliament
Buildings, Ottawa.
Hewas awarded the
Star, VictoryMedal,
andBritishWarMedal
whichwere sent to his
sister BarbaraS. Pick, of
Fergus.
BeuvryCommunal Cemetery
