Current Information:

Age-26

Nine Elms Millitary Cemetery, Thelus, France

Vimy Ridge

Starting on 9th April, 1917, the British launched a large scale offensive at Arras while at the same time the Canadian Corps, using all four divisions together for the first time, attacked the strongly held enemy positions on Vimy Ridge, just to the north of Arras. French attacks here had failed and cost over 100,000 casualties so the operation had to be very well planned and it was preceded by a week long artillery bombardment of the German trenches on the heavily-fortified seven-kilometre ridge that held a commanding view over the Allied lines.

On 9th April, 1917, the four Canadian divisions stormed the ridge at 5:30am in bitterly cold weather. They overran the Germans all along the front, moving forward under heavy fire despite many casualties. There was some savage fighting, as the Canadians charged machine-gun nests or forced the surrender of Germans in their dugouts. Hill 145, the highest and most important feature of the Ridge, was captured in a frontal bayonet charge against machine-gun positions. After three days of fighting, victory was finally achieved and the Canadians were in complete control of the ridge and looking down on the Douai Plain below. However victory at Vimy did not come without a high cost in casualties. One of those who lost their lives was Colin Wisdom who was killed on 9th April, fighting with the Canadian 16th (London Scottish) Battalion of 3 Brigade, 1st Canadian Division.