Armistice 1918

The Liberation of Mons

Abstract

This article tracks the Canadian Corps advance from northern France into Belgium, pursuing the retreating German army during the last week of the First World War on the Western Front. The 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade’s battalions approached the city of Mons aiming to liberate it with minimal loss of life. As patrols infiltrated Mons in the early hours of 11 November, city officials welcomed the Canadians and invited their officers to add their signatures to the pages of the Golden Book of Mons in the Hôtel de Ville. To achieve a relevant context for these signings, the daily operations of the Canadian Corps in the last week of the war are analysed. These reveal that the war diaries and regimental histories of these units contain mistakes and inconsistencies when compared to each other, the written accounts of Mons officials, and post-war veterans interviews.