Click To View Photo Album Passchendaele Monument
Back to Monuments

An account of the 85th Nova Scotia Highlanders After the taking of Passchendaele Nov 1917

The next day everything was quit, there was no exchange of fire, both sides collecting their dead and wounded as had not disappeared in the mud. Relieving units made their way forward and a couple of days afterwards the battered remnant of the once splendid Regiment was assembled at a ruined village a few kilometers in the rear. The Brass Band was brought up to play them off the field. Major Ralston supervised the roll call, 65 answered their names. 492 failed to do so. The Piped Band went in as stretcher-bearers, and had fallen to the last man.   "Standing easy" in the street of this little Belgium Town, they awaited the arrival of their Colonel. In dew time he appeared. They smartly snapped to” Attention”. Where are the rest of them? "Inquired the Colonel?" This is all that of them, Colonel, "this is all that left of the 85th" , was the reply in a voice that was not too steady. For a few minutes Borden sat frozen in his saddle, speechless. With out a word he turned his horse's head around, and moved off at a walk; not an officer remained on his feet except Borden, Ralston, Col Hayes the Medical Officer and Father Ronald Mac Donald, the Chaplain.  

Wm Ross  
North Gut
St Anns Bay, C.B.