HILL 70

The Battle of Hill 70
The battle honour “Hill 70” is historically significant to the Governor General’s Foot Guards, as it was won by the 2nd Battalion, CEF (the “Iron Second”), whose history and achievements are officially perpetuated by the Regiment.
The Terrain: Fought in late August 1917, the battle took place midway between Loos and the mining town of Lens, France. Though designated a “hill,” the feature was actually a gently undulating plateau approached over rising ground. However, because the surrounding Flanders plain was low and flat, Hill 70 offered commanding observation over the entire region. Pushing the Germans off this plateau was a critical prerequisite before any Allied operations could be launched against Lens.
An All-Canadian Offensive: Hill 70 holds a special place in military history as the first major operation undertaken by the Canadian Corps under the command of Sir Arthur Currie, making it an exclusively “all-Canadian show”. The 2nd Battalion’s companies—including No. 2 Company under Captain Gifford and No. 3 Company under Major Okill Massey Learmonth—were ordered forward to the Village Line near Loos to support the opening phase of the assault.
The Heroism of Major Learmonth, VC: On August 18, 1917, the Germans launched a series of exceptionally violent counter-attacks to reclaim the hill. When a portion of No. 3 Company was momentarily forced back by the onslaught, Major Okill Massey Learmonth personally leaped onto the parapet and bombed the attacking Germans. He was wounded multiple times—eventually sustaining a broken leg—but refused to be evacuated, choosing instead to be laid in the bottom of the trench so he could continue directing the defense. Only when he could physically carry on no longer did he turn command over to Lieutenant Hugh Smith. On his way to the rear, he insisted on being carried to Battalion Headquarters to deliver a comprehensive briefing on the battle. He died of his wounds the following day and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
Corporal Filip Konowal, VC: Although serving with the 47th (British Columbia) Battalion during the battle, Konowal had originally enlisted in Ottawa with the 77th Battalion, CEF—a unit raised by the GGFG and perpetuated by them. Mopping up heavily fortified German strongpoints in cellars and craters between August 22 and 24, Konowal single-handedly killed at least 16 German soldiers in brutal hand-to-hand combat and destroyed two machine gun nests before being shot in the face by a sniper. For his conspicuous bravery, King George V personally presented him with the Victoria Cross. After the war, Konowal returned to Ottawa and served with the Foot Guards as a custodian and security guard.
The 1918 Defense: Hill 70 was also the site of a legendary defensive action on March 21, 1918, during the massive German Spring Offensive. Settle in under sporadic shelling, the “Iron Second” repulsed waves of German attacks with highly disciplined Lewis gun fire and hand grenades. Their gallantry in holding the line drew official praise and admiration from Brigade Commander General Griesbach.